血字的研究 29广告引来了不速之客(5)

It was close upon twelve before I heard the sharp sound of his latchkey.

将近十二点钟，我才听到福尔摩斯用钥匙打开大门上弹簧锁的声音。

The instant he entered I saw by his face that he had not been successful.

他一进房来，我就从他的脸色看出，他并没有成功。

Amusement and chagrin¹ seemed to be struggling for the mastery,

是高兴还是懊恼，似乎一直在他的心里交战着。

until the former suddenly carried the day, and he burst into a hearty² laugh.

顷刻之间，高兴战胜了懊恼，福尔摩斯忽然纵声大笑起来。

"I wouldn't have the Scotland Yarders know it for the world," he cried, dropping into his chair;

"这件事说什么我也不能让苏格兰场的人知道。"福尔摩斯大声说着，一面就在椅子上坐了下来，

"I have chaffed them so much that they would never have let me hear the end of it.

"我把他们嘲笑得够了，这一回他们绝不会善罢甘休的。

I can afford to laugh, because I know that I will be even with them in the long run."

可是，他们就是知道了，讥笑我，我也不在乎，迟早我会把面子找回来的。"

"What is it then?" I asked.

我问道："到底是怎么回事？"

"Oh, I don't mind telling a story against myself.

"啊，我把我失败的情况跟你谈谈吧，这倒没有什么。

That creature had gone a little way when she began to limp and show every sign of being footsore.

那个家伙走不多远，就一瘸一拐地显出脚痛的样子。

Presently she came to a halt, and hailed a four-wheeler which was passing.

她突然停下脚步，叫住了一辆过路的马车。

I managed to be close to her so as to hear the address,

我向她凑近些，想听听她雇车的地点；

but I need not have been so anxious, for she sang it out loud enough to be heard at the other side of the street,

其实我根本用不着这样急躁，因为她说话的声音很大，就是隔一条马路也能听得清楚。

'Drive to 13, Duncan Street, Houndsditch,' she cried.

她大声说：'到宏兹迪池区，邓肯街13号。'

This begins to look genuine, I thought,

我当时认为她说的是实话。

and having seen her safely inside, I perched myself behind.

我看见她上车以后，也跟着跳上了马车后部。

That's an art which every detective should be an expert at.

这是每一个侦探必精的技术。

Well, away we rattled³, and never drew rein⁴ until we reached the street in question.

好啦，我们就这样向前行进。马车一路未停，一直到了目的地。

I hopped⁵ off before we came to the door, and strolled down the street in an easy,lounging way.

快到13号门前的时候，我先跳下车来，漫步在马路上闲荡着。

I saw the cab pull up.

我眼见马车停了，

The driver jumped down, and I saw him open the door and stand expectantly.

车夫跳了下来，把车门打开等候着，

Nothing came out though.

可是并没有人下来。

When I reached him, he was groping about frantically⁶ in the empty cab,

我走到车夫面前，他正在黑暗的车厢中到处摸索，

and giving vent⁷ to the finest assorted⁸ collection of oaths that ever I listened to.

嘴里不干不净，乱七八糟地骂着，骂的那话简直是我从来也没听到过的'最好听的'词了。

There was no sign or trace of his passenger, and I fear it will be some time before he gets his fare.

乘客早已踪迹全无了。我想，他要想拿到车费恐怕要俟诸他日了。

On inquiring at Number 13 we found that the house belonged to a respectable paperhanger,

我们到13号去询问了一下，那里住的却是一位起行端正的裱糊匠，

named Keswick, and that no one of the name either of Sawyer or Dennis had ever been heard of there."

叫做凯斯维克，从来没有听说有叫做什么索叶或者丹尼斯的人在那里住过。"

"You don't mean to say," I cried, in amazement⁹,

我惊奇地大声说道："难道你是说

"that that tottering¹⁰, feeble old woman was able to get out of the cab while it was in motion,

那个身体虚弱、步履蹒跚的老太婆居然能够瞒过你和车夫的眼，

without either you or the driver seeing her?"

在车走动的时候跳下去了吗？"

"Old woman be damned!" said Sherlock Holmes, sharply.

福尔摩斯厉声说道："什么老太婆，真该死！

"We were the old women to be so taken in.

咱们两个才是老太婆呢，竟受了人家这样的气。

It must have been a young man, and an active one, too, besides being an incomparable actor.

他一定是个年轻的小伙子，而且还是一个精明强干的小伙子。不仅如此，他还一定是个了不起的演员，

The get-up was inimitable.

他扮演得真是到了无可比拟的程度。

He saw that he was followed, no doubt, and used this means of giving me the slip.

显而易见，他是知道有人跟着他的，因此就用了这一着，乘我不备，溜之大吉。

It shows that the man we are after is not as lonely as I imagined he was,

这件事实说明，绝不是象我当初想象的那样，仅仅是单独一个人，

but has friends who are ready to risk something for him.

他有许多朋友，他们甘愿为他冒险。

Now, Doctor, you are looking done-up. Take my advice and turn in."

喂，大夫，看样子你象是累坏了，听我的话请去睡吧。"

I was certainly feeling very weary, so I obeyed his injunction.

我的确感到很疲乏，所以我就听从他的话回屋去睡了。

I left Holmes seated in front of the smouldering fire,

留下福尔摩斯一个人坐在微微燃烧着的火炉边。

and long into the watches of the night I heard the low melancholy¹¹ wailings of his violin,

在这万籁俱寂的漫漫长夜里，我还听到他那忧郁的琴音低声回诉，

and knew that he was still pondering over the strange problem which he had set himself to unravel¹².

我知道他仍旧在深思着那个他认真着手解决的奇异课题。

1 chagrin   

n.懊恼；气愤；委屈

参考例句：

• His increasingly visible chagrin sets up a vicious circle.他的明显的不满引起了一种恶性循环。
• Much to his chagrin,he did not win the race.使他大为懊恼的是他赛跑没获胜。

2 hearty   

adj.热情友好的；衷心的；尽情的，纵情的

参考例句：

• After work they made a hearty meal in the worker's canteen.工作完了，他们在工人食堂饱餐了一顿。
• We accorded him a hearty welcome.我们给他热忱的欢迎。

3 rattled   

慌乱的，恼火的

参考例句：

• The truck jolted and rattled over the rough ground. 卡车嘎吱嘎吱地在凹凸不平的地面上颠簸而行。
• Every time a bus went past, the windows rattled. 每逢公共汽车经过这里，窗户都格格作响。

4 rein   

n.疆绳，统治，支配；vt.以僵绳控制，统治

参考例句：

• The horse answered to the slightest pull on the rein.只要缰绳轻轻一拉,马就作出反应。
• He never drew rein for a moment till he reached the river.他一刻不停地一直跑到河边。

5 hopped   

跳上[下]( hop的过去式和过去分词 )； 单足蹦跳； 齐足（或双足）跳行； 摘葎草花

参考例句：

• He hopped onto a car and wanted to drive to town. 他跳上汽车想开向市区。
• He hopped into a car and drove to town. 他跳进汽车，向市区开去。

6 frantically   

ad.发狂地, 发疯地

参考例句：

• He dashed frantically across the road. 他疯狂地跑过马路。
• She bid frantically for the old chair. 她发狂地喊出高价要买那把古老的椅子。

7 vent   

n.通风口，排放口；开衩；vt.表达，发泄

参考例句：

• He gave vent to his anger by swearing loudly.他高声咒骂以发泄他的愤怒。
• When the vent became plugged,the engine would stop.当通风口被堵塞时，发动机就会停转。

8 assorted   

adj.各种各样的，各色俱备的

参考例句：

• There's a bag of assorted sweets on the table.桌子上有一袋什锦糖果。
• He has always assorted with men of his age.他总是与和他年令相仿的人交往。

9 amazement   

n.惊奇，惊讶

参考例句：

• All those around him looked at him with amazement.周围的人都对他投射出惊异的眼光。
• He looked at me in blank amazement.他带着迷茫惊诧的神情望着我。

10 tottering   

adj.蹒跚的，动摇的v.走得或动得不稳( totter的现在分词 )；踉跄；蹒跚；摇摇欲坠

参考例句：

• the tottering walls of the castle 古城堡摇摇欲坠的墙壁
• With power and to spare we must pursue the tottering foe. 宜将剩勇追穷寇。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

11 melancholy   

n.忧郁，愁思；adj.令人感伤（沮丧）的，忧郁的

参考例句：

• All at once he fell into a state of profound melancholy.他立即陷入无尽的忧思之中。
• He felt melancholy after he failed the exam.这次考试没通过，他感到很郁闷。

12 unravel   

v.弄清楚（秘密）；拆开，解开，松开

参考例句：

• He was good with his hands and could unravel a knot or untangle yarn that others wouldn't even attempt.他的手很灵巧，其他人甚至都不敢尝试的一些难解的绳结或缠在一起的纱线，他都能解开。
• This is the attitude that led him to unravel a mystery that long puzzled Chinese historians.正是这种态度使他解决了长期以来使中国历史学家们大惑不解的谜。