四签名 59线索的中断（3）

We did not, however. Not a word came to us either from Wiggins or from the other agencies.

一天过去了，维金斯和其他的搜查人员都没有消息。

There were articles in most of the papers upon the Norwood tragedy.

大多数的报纸全登着诺伍德惨案的报道。

They all appeared to be rather hostile to the unfortunate Thaddeus Sholto.

他们对那不幸的塞笛尼斯·舒尔托都攻击得很厉害。

No fresh details were to be found, however, in any of them,

除了官方将在第二天验尸之外，

save that an inquest was to be held upon the following day.

各报纸也没有什么新的消息。

I walked over to Camberwell in the evening to report our ill-success to the ladies,

我在傍晚步行到坎伯韦尔，把我们的失败情况向两位女士作了报告。

and on my return I found Holmes dejected and somewhat morose¹.

我回来的时候看见福尔摩斯依然是垂头丧气，很不高兴，

He would hardly reply to my questions and busied himself all the evening in an abstruse² chemical analysis

甚至对于我的问话也淡然不理。整个晚上他在那里忙着作一个玄妙的化学实验，

which involved much heating of retorts and distilling³ of vapours,

蒸馏气加热后所发出的恶臭，

ending at last in a smell which fairly drove me out of the apartment.

使我不得不离开这间屋子。

Up to the small hours of the morning I could hear the clinking of his test-tubes

一直快到天亮，我还听见试管的声音，

which told me that he was still engaged in his malodorous experiment.

知道他还在那里进行着这恶臭的实验。

In the early dawn I woke with a start and was surprised to find him standing⁴ by my bedside,

第二天清晨，我惊醒过来，看见福尔摩斯已经站在我的床前。

clad in a rude sailor dress with a pea-jacket and a coarse red scarf round his neck.

他穿着一身水手的服装，外面罩着一件短大衣，颈上围着一条红色的围巾。

"I am off down the river, Watson," said he.

他道："华生，我现在亲身到下游去。

"I have been turning it over in my mind, and I can see only one way out of it. It is worth trying, at all events."

我经过再三考虑，觉得只有这一着了，无论如何是值得一试的。"

"Surely I can come with you, then?" said I.

我道："那末我和你一同去好不好？"

"No; you can be much more useful if you will remain here as my representative.

"不好。你留在这里作我的代表是比较有用的。

I am loath⁵ to go, for it is quite on the cards that some message may come during the day,

我自己也不愿意去，虽然昨晚维金斯很泄气，

though Wiggins was despondent⁶ about it last night.

可是我想今天肯定会有消息的。

I want you to open all notes and telegrams, and to act on your own judgment⁷ if any news should come.

所有的来信、来电都请你代拆，按照你的判断便宜行事。

Can I rely upon you?"

你可不可以代劳呢？"

"Most certainly."

"当然愿意。"

"I am afraid that you will not be able to wire to me, for I can hardly tell yet where I may find myself.

"我的行踪不定，恐怕你也无法给我电报。

If I am in luck, however, I may not be gone so very long.

可是假若运气好，我未必耽搁很久。

I shall have news of some sort or other before I get back."

回来以后总会有些消息向你报告的。"

I had heard nothing of him by breakfast time.

早餐的时候，他还没有消息。

On opening the Standard, however, I found that there was a fresh allusion⁸ to the business.

可是打开《旗帜报》，看见上面登载着这个案子的新发展。

With reference to the Upper Norwood tragedy, it remarked,

它报道道：关于上诺伍德的惨案，

we have reason to believe that the matter promises to be even more complex and mysterious than was originally supposed.

据悉案情内容非常复杂，不似预料那么简单。

Fresh evidence has shown that it is quite impossible that Mr. Thaddeus Sholto could have been in any way concerned in the matter.

新的发现证明：塞笛厄斯·舒尔托先生确无嫌疑。

He and the housekeeper⁹, Mrs. Bernstone, were both released yesterday evening.

昨晚舒尔托先生和女管家博恩斯通太太已被警署释放。

It is believed, however, that the police have a clue as to the real culprits,

至于真正的凶犯，警署方面已有新的线索。

and that it is being prosecuted¹⁰ by Mr. Athelney Jones, of Scotland Yard, with all his well-known energy and sagacity.

此案现由苏格兰场干练的埃瑟尔尼·琼斯先生负责缉凶，

Further arrests may be expected at any moment.

预料日内即可破案云云。

1 morose   

adj.脾气坏的，不高兴的

参考例句：

• He was silent and morose.他沉默寡言、郁郁寡欢。
• The publicity didn't make him morose or unhappy?公开以后，没有让他郁闷或者不开心吗？

2 abstruse   

adj.深奥的，难解的

参考例句：

• Einstein's theory of relativity is very abstruse.爱因斯坦的相对论非常难懂。
• The professor's lectures were so abstruse that students tended to avoid them.该教授的课程太深奥了，学生们纷纷躲避他的课。

3 distilling   

n.蒸馏（作用）v.蒸馏( distil的过去式和过去分词 )( distilled的过去分词 )；从…提取精华

参考例句：

• Water can be made pure by distilling it. 水经蒸馏可变得纯净。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• More ammonium sulphate solution is being recovered in the process of distilling oil shale. 在提炼油页岩的过程中回收的硫酸铵液比过去多了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

5 loath   

adj.不愿意的；勉强的

参考例句：

• The little girl was loath to leave her mother.那小女孩不愿离开她的母亲。
• They react on this one problem very slow and very loath.他们在这一问题上反应很慢，很不情愿。

6 despondent   

adj.失望的，沮丧的，泄气的

参考例句：

• He was up for a time and then，without warning,despondent again.他一度兴高采烈，但忽然又情绪低落下来。
• I feel despondent when my work is rejected.作品被拒后我感到很沮丧。

7 judgment   

n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见

参考例句：

• The chairman flatters himself on his judgment of people.主席自认为他审视人比别人高明。
• He's a man of excellent judgment.他眼力过人。

8 allusion   

n.暗示，间接提示

参考例句：

• He made an allusion to a secret plan in his speech.在讲话中他暗示有一项秘密计划。
• She made no allusion to the incident.她没有提及那个事件。

9 housekeeper   

n.管理家务的主妇，女管家

参考例句：

• A spotless stove told us that his mother is a diligent housekeeper.炉子清洁无瑕就表明他母亲是个勤劳的主妇。
• She is an economical housekeeper and feeds her family cheaply.她节约持家，一家人吃得很省。

10 prosecuted   

a.被起诉的

参考例句：

• The editors are being prosecuted for obscenity. 编辑因刊载污秽文字而被起诉。
• The company was prosecuted for breaching the Health and Safety Act. 这家公司被控违反《卫生安全条例》。