血字的研究 37一线光明(1)

Chapter 7

第七章

LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS

一线光明

THE intelligence with which Lestrade greeted us was so momentous¹ and so unexpected that we were all three fairly dumfounded.

雷斯垂德给我们带来的消息既重要又突然，完全出乎意料之外。我们听了以后，全都惊愕不已，哑口无言。

Gregson sprang out of his chair and upset the remainder of his whisky and water.

葛莱森猛地从椅子上站了起来，竟把杯中剩下的威士忌酒起翻了。

I stared in silence at Sherlock Holmes, whose lips were compressed and his brows drawn² down over his eyes.

我默默地注视着福尔摩斯，只见他嘴唇紧闭，一双眉毛紧紧地压在眼睛上面。

"Stangerson too!" he muttered. "The plot thickens."

福尔摩斯喃喃地说："斯坦节逊也被暗杀了，案情更加复杂了。"

"It was quite thick enough before," grumbled³ Lestrade, taking a chair.

"早就够复杂的了，"雷斯垂德抱怨着说，一面在椅子上坐了下来，

"I seem to have dropped into a sort of council of war."

"我简直象参加什么军事会议一样，一点头绪也摸不着。"

"Are you–are you sure of this piece of intelligence?" stammered⁴ Gregson.

葛莱森结结巴巴地问道："你，你这消息可确实吗？"

"I have just come from his room," said Lestrade. "I was the first to discover what had occurred."

雷斯垂德说："我刚从他住的房间那里来，我还是第一个发现这个情况的人哩。"

"We have been hearing Gregson's view of the matter," Holmes observed."Would you mind letting us know what you have seen and done?"

福尔摩斯说："我们刚才正在听着葛莱森对于这件案子的高见呢。可否也请你把你所看见的和所做的事情告诉我们知道？"

"I have no objection," Lestrade answered, seating himself.

"我不反对，"雷斯垂德于是坐了下来，回答说，

"I freely confess that I was of the opinion that Stangerson was concerned in the death of Drebber.

"我坦白承认，我原来认为锥伯的被害是和斯坦节逊有关的。

This fresh development has shown me that I was completely mistaken.

这个新的发展使我明白我完全弄错了。

Full of the one idea, I set myself to find out what had become of the secretary.

我抱定了这样一个想法，于是就着手侦查这位秘书的下落。

They had been seen together at Euston Station about half-past eight on the evening of the 3rd.

有人曾在三日晚间八点半钟前后，在尤斯顿车站看见他们两个人在一起。

At two in the morning Drebber had been found in the Brixton Road.

四日清晨两点钟，锥伯的尸体就在布瑞克斯顿路被发现了。

The question which confronted me was to find out how Stangerson had been employed between 8:30 and the time of the crime, and what had become of him afterwards.

我当时面临着的问题就是要弄清楚从八点半以后一直到谋杀案发生的这段时间之内，斯坦节逊究竟都干了些什么，后来他又到哪里去了。

I telegraphed to Liverpool, giving a description of the man, and warning them to keep a watch upon the American boats.

我一面给利物浦拍了个电报，说明斯坦节逊的外貌，并且要他们监视美国的船只；

I then set to work calling upon all the hotels and lodging-houses in the vicinity of Euston.

一面就在尤斯顿车站附近的每家旅馆和公寓里查找。

You see, I argued that if Drebber and his companion had become separated,

你们瞧，当时我是认为，如果锥伯和他的朋友已经分手，

the natural course for the latter would be to put up somewhere in the vicinity for the night, and then to hang about the station again next morning."

按常理来说，斯坦节逊当天晚上必然要在车站附近找个地方住下，第二天早晨他才会再到车站去。"

"They would be likely to agree on some meeting-place beforehand," remarked Holmes.

福尔摩斯说："他们很可能先约好了会面的地点。"

"So it proved. I spent the whole of yesterday evening in making inquiries⁵ entirely⁶ without avail.

"事实证明确是如此。昨天我整整跑了一个晚上打听他的下落，可是毫无结果。

This morning I began very early, and at eight o'clock I reached Halliday's Private Hotel, in Little George Street.

今天早晨我很早又开始查访了。八点钟，我来到了小乔治街的郝黎代旅馆。

On my inquiry⁷ as to whether a Mr. Stangerson was living there, they at once answered me in the affirmative.

在我询问是否有一位斯坦节逊先生住在这里的时候，他们立刻回答说有。

"'No doubt you are the gentleman whom he was expecting,' they said. 'He has been waiting for a gentleman for two days.'"

"他们说：'你一定就是他所等候的那位先生了，他等候一位先生已经等了两天了。'"

'Where is he now?' I asked.

'他现在哪里？'我问道。

"'He is upstairs in bed. He wished to be called at nine.' "

"'他还在楼上睡着呢。他吩咐过，到九点钟才叫醒他。'"

'I will go up and see him at once,' I said.

'我要立刻上去找他，' 我说。

"It seemed to me that my sudden appearance might shake his nerves and lead him to say something unguarded.

"我当时是那么盘算的，我出岂不意地出现，可能使他大吃一惊，在他措手不及之中，也许会吐露些什么出来。

The boots volunteered to show me the room: it was on the second floor, and there was a small corridor leading up to it.

一个擦鞋的茶房自愿领我上去。这个房间是在三楼，有一条不长的走廊可以直达。

The boots pointed⁸ out the door to me, and was about to go downstairs again when I saw something that made me feel sickish, in spite of my twenty years' experience.

茶房把房门指给我看了以后，正要下楼，我突然看到一种景象，使我十分恶心，要想呕吐，我虽然有二十年的经历，这时也不能自持，

1 momentous   

adj.重要的，重大的

参考例句：

• I am deeply honoured to be invited to this momentous occasion.能应邀出席如此重要的场合，我深感荣幸。
• The momentous news was that war had begun.重大的新闻是战争已经开始。

2 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

3 grumbled   

抱怨( grumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 发牢骚； 咕哝； 发哼声

参考例句：

• He grumbled at the low pay offered to him. 他抱怨给他的工资低。
• The heat was sweltering, and the men grumbled fiercely over their work. 天热得让人发昏，水手们边干活边发着牢骚。

4 stammered   

v.结巴地说出( stammer的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He stammered most when he was nervous. 他一紧张往往口吃。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• Barsad leaned back in his chair, and stammered, \"What do you mean?\" 巴萨往椅背上一靠，结结巴巴地说，“你是什么意思？” 来自英汉文学 - 双城记

5 inquiries   

n.调查( inquiry的名词复数 )；疑问；探究；打听

参考例句：

• He was released on bail pending further inquiries. 他获得保释，等候进一步调查。
• I have failed to reach them by postal inquiries. 我未能通过邮政查询与他们取得联系。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

6 entirely   

ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
• His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。

7 inquiry   

n.打听，询问，调查，查问

参考例句：

• Many parents have been pressing for an inquiry into the problem.许多家长迫切要求调查这个问题。
• The field of inquiry has narrowed down to five persons.调查的范围已经缩小到只剩5个人了。

8 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。