血字的研究 31葛莱森大显身手(2)

Sherlock Holmes and I read these notices over together at breakfast,

早饭时，福尔摩斯和我一同读完了这些报道；

and they appeared to afford him considerable amusement.

这些报道似乎使他感到非常有趣。

"I told you that, whatever happened, Lestrade and Gregson would be sure to score."

"我早就对你说过，不论情况如何，功劳总归是属于雷斯垂德和葛莱森这两个人的。"

"That depends on how it turns out."

"那也要看结果如何呀。"

"Oh, bless you, it doesn't matter in the least.

"哦，老兄，这才没有一点关系呢。

If the man is caught, it will be on account of their exertions¹;

如果凶手捉到了，自然是由于他们两个人的黾勉从公；

if he escapes, it will be in spite of their exertions.

如果凶手逃跑了，他们又可以说：虽然历尽艰辛，

It's heads I win and tails you lose.

但是不管怎么说，好事总是他们的，坏事永远归于别人

Whatever they do, they will have followers².

不管他们干什么，总会有人给他们歌功颂德的。

'Un sot trouve toujours un plus sot qui l'admire.'"

有句法国俗语说得好：'笨蛋虽笨，但是还有比他更笨的笨蛋为他喝彩。'"

"What on earth is this?" I cried,

我们正说着，

for at this moment there came the pattering of many steps in the hall and on the stairs,

过道里和楼梯上突然响起了一阵杂乱的脚步声，

accompanied by audible expressions of disgust upon the part of our landlady³.

夹杂着房东太太的抱怨声，我不禁喊道："这是怎么一回事？"

"It's the Baker⁴ Street division of the detective police force," said my companion gravely;

"这是侦缉队贝克街分队。"我的伙伴煞有介事地说。

and as he spoke⁵ there rushed into the room half a dozen of the dirtiest and most ragged⁶ street Arabs that ever I clapped eyes on.

说时，只见六个街头流浪顽童冲将进来，我从来没见过这样十分肮脏、衣裳褴褛的孩子。

'Tention!" cried Holmes, in a sharp tone,

""立正！"福尔摩斯厉声喝道。

and the six dirty little scoundrels stood in a line like so many disreputable statuettes.

于是这六个小流氓就象六个不象样的小泥人似地一条线地站立在那里。

"In future you shall send up Wiggins alone to report, and the rest of you must wait in the street.

"以后你们叫维金斯一个人上来报告，其余的必须在街上等着。

Have you found it, Wiggins?"

找到了吗，维金斯？"

"No, sir, we hain't," said one of the youths.

一个孩子答道："没有，先生，我们还没有找到呢。"

"I hardly expected you would. You must keep on until you do. Here are your wages."

"我估计你们也没有找到，一定要继续查找，不找到不算完。这是你们的工资，"

He handed each of them a shilling.

福尔摩斯每人给了一个先令。

"Now, off you go, and come back with a better report next time."

"好，现在去吧，下一次报告时，我等着你们带来好消息。"

He waved his hand, and they scampered⁷ away downstairs like so many rats,

福尔摩斯挥了挥手，这群孩子就象一窝小耗子似地下楼而去。

and we heard their shrill⁸ voices next moment in the street.

接着，由街上传来了他们尖锐的喧闹声。

"There's more work to be got out of one of those little beggars than out of a dozen of the force," Holmes remarked.

福尔摩斯说："这些小家伙一个人的工作成绩，要比一打官方侦探的还要来得大。

"The mere⁹ sight of an official- looking person seals men's lips.

官方人士一露面，人家就闭口不言了。

These youngsters, however, go everywhere and hear everything.

可是，这些小家伙什么地方都能去，什么事都能打听到。

They are as sharp as needles, too; all they want is organization."

他们很机灵，就象针尖一样，无缝不入。他们就是缺乏组织。"

"Is it on this Brixton case that you are employing them?" I asked.

我问道："你是为了布瑞克斯顿路的这个案子雇的他们吗？"

"Yes; there is a point which I wish to ascertain¹⁰.

"是的，有一点我想要弄明白，

It is merely a matter of time.

这只不过是时间问题罢了。

Hullo! we are going to hear some news now with a vengeance¹¹!

啊！现在咱们可就要听到些新闻了！

Here is Gregson coming down the road with beatitude written upon every feature of his face.

你瞧，葛莱森在街上向着咱们这里走来了。他满脸都是得意的神色，"

Bound for us, I know. Yes, he is stopping. There he is!"

我知道他是上咱们这儿来的。你看，他站住了。就是他！

There was a violent peal¹² at the bell,

门铃一阵猛响，

and in a few seconds the fair-haired detective came up the stairs, three steps at a time, and burst into our sitting-room¹³.

一眨眼的功夫，这位美发的侦探先生就一步三级地跳上楼来，一直闯进了我们的客厅。

1 exertions   

n.努力( exertion的名词复数 )；费力；（能力、权力等的）运用；行使

参考例句：

• As long as they lived, exertions would not be necessary to her. 只要他们活着，是不需要她吃苦的。 来自辞典例句
• She failed to unlock the safe in spite of all her exertions. 她虽然费尽力气，仍未能将那保险箱的锁打开。 来自辞典例句

2 followers   

追随者( follower的名词复数 )； 用户； 契据的附面； 从动件

参考例句：

• the followers of Mahatma Gandhi 圣雄甘地的拥护者
• The reformer soon gathered a band of followers round him. 改革者很快就获得一群追随者支持他。

3 landlady   

n.女房东，女地主

参考例句：

• I heard my landlady creeping stealthily up to my door.我听到我的女房东偷偷地来到我的门前。
• The landlady came over to serve me.女店主过来接待我。

4 baker   

n.面包师

参考例句：

• The baker bakes his bread in the bakery.面包师在面包房内烤面包。
• The baker frosted the cake with a mixture of sugar and whites of eggs.面包师在蛋糕上撒了一层白糖和蛋清的混合料。

5 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

6 ragged   

adj.衣衫褴褛的，粗糙的，刺耳的

参考例句：

• A ragged shout went up from the small crowd.这一小群人发出了刺耳的喊叫。
• Ragged clothing infers poverty.破衣烂衫意味着贫穷。

7 scampered   

v.蹦蹦跳跳地跑，惊惶奔跑( scamper的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The cat scampered away. 猫刺棱一下跑了。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The rabbIt'scampered off. 兔子迅速跑掉了。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

8 shrill   

adj.尖声的；刺耳的；v尖叫

参考例句：

• Whistles began to shrill outside the barn.哨声开始在谷仓外面尖叫。
• The shrill ringing of a bell broke up the card game on the cutter.刺耳的铃声打散了小汽艇的牌局。

9 mere   

adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过

参考例句：

• That is a mere repetition of what you said before.那不过是重复了你以前讲的话。
• It's a mere waste of time waiting any longer.再等下去纯粹是浪费时间。

10 ascertain   

vt.发现，确定，查明，弄清

参考例句：

• It's difficult to ascertain the coal deposits.煤储量很难探明。
• We must ascertain the responsibility in light of different situtations.我们必须根据不同情况判定责任。

11 vengeance   

n.报复，报仇，复仇

参考例句：

• He swore vengeance against the men who murdered his father.他发誓要向那些杀害他父亲的人报仇。
• For years he brooded vengeance.多年来他一直在盘算报仇。

12 peal   

n.钟声；v.鸣响

参考例句：

• The bells of the cathedral rang out their loud peal.大教堂响起了响亮的钟声。
• A sudden peal of thunder leaves no time to cover the ears.迅雷不及掩耳。

13 sitting-room   

n.（BrE）客厅，起居室

参考例句：

• The sitting-room is clean.起居室很清洁。
• Each villa has a separate sitting-room.每栋别墅都有一间独立的起居室。