波希米亚丑闻 03高贵的委托者（1）

One night, it was on the twentieth of March, 1888

有一天晚上，一八八八年三月二十日的晚上，

I was returning from a journey to a patient (for I had now returned to civil practice),

我在出诊回来的途中（此时我已又开业行医），

when my way led me through Baker¹ Street. As I passed the well-remembered door,

正好经过贝克街。那所房子的大门，我还记忆犹新。

which must always be associated in my mind with my wooing, and with the dark incidents of the Study in Scarlet²,

在我的心中，我总是把它同我所追求的东西并同在"血字的研究"一案中的神秘事件联系在一起。

I was seized with a keen desire to see Holmes again, and to know how he was employing his extraordinary powers.

当我路过那大门时，我突然产生了与福尔摩斯叙谈叙谈的强烈愿望，想了解他那非凡的智力目前正倾注于什么问题。

His rooms were brilliantly lit, and, even as I looked up, I saw his tall, spare figure pass twice in a dark silhouette³ against the blind.

他的几间屋子，灯光雪亮。我抬头仰视，可以看见反映在窗帘上的他那瘦高条黑色侧影两次掠过。

He was pacing the room swiftly, eagerly, with his head sunk upon his chest and his hands clasped behind him.

他的头低垂胸前，两手紧握在背后，迅速而又急切地在屋里踱来踱去。

To me, who knew his every mood and habit, his attitude and manner told their own story. He was at work again.

我深悉他的各种精神状态和生活习惯，所以对我来说，他的姿态和举止本身就显示出那是怎么一回事--他又在工作了。

He had risen out of his drug-created dreams and was hot upon the scent⁴ of some new problem.

他一定是刚从服药后的睡梦中起身，正热衷于探索某些新问题的线索。

I rang the bell and was shown up to the chamber⁵ which had formerly⁶ been in part my own.

我揿了揿电铃，然后被引到一间屋子里，而这间屋子以前有一部分是属于我的。

His manner was not effusive⁷. It seldom was; but he was glad, I think, to see me.

他的态度不很热情，这种情况是少见的，但是我认为他看到我时还是高兴的。

With hardly a word spoken, but with a kindly⁸ eye, he waved me to an armchair,

他几乎一言不发，可是目光亲切，指着一张扶手椅让我坐下，

threw across his case of cigars, and indicated a spirit case and a gasogene in the corner.

然后把他的雪茄烟盒扔了过来，并指了指放在角落里的酒精瓶和小型煤气炉。

Then he stood before the fire and looked me over in his singular introspective fashion.

他站在壁炉前，用他那独特的内省的神态看着我。

1 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。

2 scarlet   

n.深红色，绯红色，红衣；adj.绯红色的

参考例句：

• The scarlet leaves of the maples contrast well with the dark green of the pines.深红的枫叶和暗绿的松树形成了明显的对比。
• The glowing clouds are growing slowly pale,scarlet,bright red,and then light red.天空的霞光渐渐地淡下去了，深红的颜色变成了绯红，绯红又变为浅红。

3 silhouette   

n.黑色半身侧面影，影子，轮廓；v.描绘成侧面影，照出影子来，仅仅显出轮廓

参考例句：

• I could see its black silhouette against the evening sky.我能看到夜幕下它黑色的轮廓。
• I could see the silhouette of the woman in the pickup.我可以见到小卡车的女人黑色半身侧面影。

4 scent   

n.气味，香味，香水，线索，嗅觉；v.嗅，发觉

参考例句：

• The air was filled with the scent of lilac.空气中弥漫着丁香花的芬芳。
• The flowers give off a heady scent at night.这些花晚上散发出醉人的芳香。

5 chamber   

n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所

参考例句：

• For many,the dentist's surgery remains a torture chamber.对许多人来说，牙医的治疗室一直是间受刑室。
• The chamber was ablaze with light.会议厅里灯火辉煌。

6 formerly   

adv.从前，以前

参考例句：

• We now enjoy these comforts of which formerly we had only heard.我们现在享受到了过去只是听说过的那些舒适条件。
• This boat was formerly used on the rivers of China.这船从前航行在中国内河里。

7 effusive   

adj.热情洋溢的；感情(过多)流露的

参考例句：

• Every visitor noticed that her effusive welcome was not sincere.所有的客人都看出来她那过分热情的欢迎是不真诚的。
• Her effusive thanks embarrassed everybody.她道谢时非常激动，弄得大家不好意思。

8 kindly   

adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地

参考例句：

• Her neighbours spoke of her as kindly and hospitable.她的邻居都说她和蔼可亲、热情好客。
• A shadow passed over the kindly face of the old woman.一道阴影掠过老太太慈祥的面孔。