红发会 04红发的主顾(4)

"Beyond the obvious facts that he has at some time done manual labour,

"他干过一段时间的体力活，

that he takes snuff, that he is a Freemason, that he has been in China,

吸鼻烟，是个共济会会员，到过中国，

and that he has done a considerable amount of writing lately, I can deduce nothing else."

最近写过不少东西。除了这些显而易见的情况以外，我推断不出别的什么。"

Mr. Jabez Wilson started up in his chair, with his forefinger¹ upon the paper, but his eyes upon my companion.

杰贝兹·威尔逊先生在他的座椅上突然挺直了身子，他的食指仍然压着报纸，但眼睛已转过来看着我的同伴。

"How, in the name of good-fortune, did you know all that, Mr. Holmes?" he asked.

他问道："我的老天爷！福尔摩斯先生，你怎么知道这么多我的事？

"How did you know, for example, that I did manual labour?

比如，你怎么知道我干过体力活？

It's as true as gospel, for I began as a ship's carpenter."

那是像福音一样千真万确，我最初就是在船上当木匠的。"

"Your hands, my dear sir. Your right hand is quite a size larger than your left.

"我亲爱的先生，你看你这双手，你的右手比左手大多了。

You have worked with it, and the muscles are more developed."

你用右手干活，所以右手的肌肉比左手发达。"

"Well, the snuff, then, and the Freemasonry?"

"唔，那么吸鼻烟和共济会会员呢？"

"I won't insult your intelligence by telling you how I read that, especially as,

"我不会告诉你我是怎么看出来的，因为我不愿把你的理解力看低了，

rather against the strict rules of your order, you use an arc- and-compass breastpin."

何况你还不顾你们的团体的严格规定，带了一个弓形指南针模样的别针呢。"

"Ah, of course, I forgot that. But the writing?"

"噢，是的，我忘了这个。可是写作呢？"

"What else can be indicated by that right cuff² so very shiny for five inches,

"还有别的什么更能说明问题吗？那就是：你右手袖子上足有五寸长的地方闪闪发光，

and the left one with the smooth patch near the elbow where you rest it upon the desk?" "Well, but China?"

而左袖子靠近手腕经常贴在桌面上的地方打了个整洁的补丁。""那么，中国又怎么样？"

"The fish that you have tattooed⁴ immediately above your right wrist could only have been done in China.

"你的右手腕上边一点的地方文刺的鱼只能是在中国干的。

I have made a small study of tattoo³ marks and have even contributed to the literature of the subject.

我对刺花纹作过点研究，甚至还写过这种题材的稿子。

That trick of staining the fishes' scales of a delicate pink is quite peculiar⁵ to China.

用细腻的粉红色给大小不等的鱼着色这种绝技，只有在中国才有。

When, in addition, I see a Chinese coin hanging from your watch-chain, the matter becomes even more simple."

此外，我看见你的表链上还挂着一块中国钱币，那岂不是更加一目了然了吗？"

1 forefinger   

n.食指

参考例句：

• He pinched the leaf between his thumb and forefinger.他将叶子捏在拇指和食指之间。
• He held it between the tips of his thumb and forefinger.他用他大拇指和食指尖拿着它。

2 cuff   

n.袖口；手铐；护腕；vt.用手铐铐；上袖口

参考例句：

• She hoped they wouldn't cuff her hands behind her back.她希望他们不要把她反铐起来。
• Would you please draw together the snag in my cuff?请你把我袖口上的裂口缝上好吗？

3 tattoo   

n.纹身，(皮肤上的)刺花纹；vt.刺花纹于

参考例句：

• I've decided to get my tattoo removed.我已经决定去掉我身上的纹身。
• He had a tattoo on the back of his hand.他手背上刺有花纹。

4 tattooed   

v.刺青，文身( tattoo的过去式和过去分词 )；连续有节奏地敲击；作连续有节奏的敲击

参考例句：

• He had tattooed his wife's name on his upper arm. 他把妻子的名字刺在上臂上。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The sailor had a heart tattooed on his arm. 那水兵在手臂上刺上一颗心。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

5 peculiar   

adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的

参考例句：

• He walks in a peculiar fashion.他走路的样子很奇特。
• He looked at me with a very peculiar expression.他用一种很奇怪的表情看着我。