波希米亚丑闻 29设计圈套(4)

Now it was clear to me that our lady of to-day had nothing in the house more precious to her than what we are in quest of.

现在我已经清楚，在这房子的东西里，对于我们当前这位夫人来说，没有比我们去追寻的那件东西更为宝贵的了。

She would rush to secure it. The alarm of fire was admirably done.

她一定会冲上前去把它抢到身边。着火的警报放得很出色。

The smoke and shouting were enough to shake nerves of steel. She responded beautifully.

喷出的烟雾和惊呼声足以震动钢铁般的神经。她的反应妙极了。

The photograph is in a recess¹ behind a sliding panel just above the right bell- pull.

那张照片收藏在壁龛里，这个壁龛恰好位于右边铃的拉索上面的那块能挪动的嵌板后面。

She was there in an instant, and I caught a glimpse of it as she half- drew it out.

她在那地方只呆了片刻的时间。当她把那张照片抽出一半的时候，我一眼看到了它。

When I cried out that it was a false alarm, she replaced it,

当我高喊那是一场虚惊时，她又把它放回去了。

glanced at the rocket, rushed from the room, and I have not seen her since.

她看了一下烟火筒，就奔出了屋子，此后我就没再看到她了。

I rose, and, making my excuses, escaped from the house.

我站了起来，找个借口偷偷溜出那所房子。

I hesitated whether to attempt to secure the photograph at once;

我曾犹豫是否应该试着把那张照片马上弄到手，

but the coachman had come in, and as he was watching me narrowly it seemed safer to wait.

但是马车夫进来了。他注意地盯着我，因此要等待时机，这样似乎安全些。

A little over-precipitance may ruin all." "And now?" I asked.

否则，只要有一点过分鲁莽，就会把整个事情搞糟。""现在怎么办？"我问道。

1 recess   

n.短期休息，壁凹（墙上装架子，柜子等凹处）

参考例句：

• The chairman of the meeting announced a ten-minute recess.会议主席宣布休会10分钟。
• Parliament was hastily recalled from recess.休会的议员被匆匆召回开会。