红发会 36逮捕罪犯(5)

I surprised you by beating upon the pavement with my stick.

我用手杖敲打人行道使你感到惊讶，

I was ascertaining¹ whether the cellar stretched out in front or behind. It was not in front.

我当时是要弄清楚地下室是朝前还是朝后延伸的。它不是朝前延伸。

Then I rang the bell, and, as I hoped, the assistant answered it.

然后我按门铃，正如我所希望的，是那伙计出来开门。

We have had some skirmishes, but we had never set eyes upon each other before.

我们曾经有过一些较量。但是，在这以前，彼此从未面对面相见过。

I hardly looked at his face. His knees were what I wished to see.

我几乎没看他的脸，我想要看的是他的膝盖。

You must yourself have remarked how worn, wrinkled, and stained they were.

你自己也一定觉察到，他的裤子膝部那个地方是多么破旧、皱褶和肮脏。

They spoke² of those hours of burrowing³. The only remaining point was what they were burrowing for.

这些情况说明，他花了多少时间去挖地道。这样唯一未解决的问题是，他们为什么挖地道？

I walked round the corner, saw the City and Suburban⁴ Bank abutted⁵ on our friend's premises⁶, and felt that I had solved my problem.

于是，我在那拐角周围巡视一番，我看到原来那城市与郊区银行和我们的朋友的房子紧挨着。我觉得问题解决了。

When you drove home after the concert I called upon Scotland Yard and upon the chairman of the bank directors,

当你在我们听完音乐坐车回家的时候，我走访了苏格兰场和这家银行的董事长，

with the result that you have seen."

结果如何，你已经看到了。"

"And how could you tell that they would make their attempt to-night?" I asked.

"我问他："你怎么能断定他们会在当天晚上作案呢？"

"Well, when they closed their League offices that was a sign

"唔，他们的红发会办公室关门大吉是个讯号：

that they cared no longer about Mr. Jabez Wilson's presence–in other words, that they had completed their tunnel.

他们对杰贝兹·威尔逊先生人在当铺里已不在乎了。换句话说，他们的地道已经挖通了。

But it was essential that they should use it soon, as it might be discovered, or the bullion⁷ might be removed.

但是，最重要的是，由于地道有可能被发现，黄金有可能被搬走，所以他们务必尽快利用这条地道。

Saturday would suit them better than any other day, as it would give them two days for their escape.

星期六比其他日子对他们更合适，这样他们有两天的空隙可供逃跑。

For all these reasons I expected them to come to-night."

根据上述种种理由，我预料他们会在今天晚上下手。"

"You reasoned it out beautifully," I exclaimed in unfeigned admiration⁸. "It is so long a chain, and yet every link rings true."

我以毫不掩饰的钦佩心情赞叹道："你这样推理真是太棒了。这一连串的推理可谓长矣，但每个环节都证明你的推断是正确的。"

"It saved me from ennui," he answered, yawning. "Alas⁹! I already feel it closing in upon me.

他回答说："这免得我感到无聊。"他打个哈欠，接着说，"唉，我已觉得生活够无聊的了。

My life is spent in one long effort to escape from the commonplaces of existence. These little problems help me to do so."

我的一生就是力求不要在庸庸碌碌中虚度过去。这些小小的案件帮了我的忙。"

"And you are a benefactor¹⁰ of the race," said I.

我说："你真是造福人类啊！"

He shrugged¹¹ his shoulders. "Well, perhaps, after all, it is of some little use," he remarked.

他耸了耸肩，说道，"唔，总而言之，这也许还有点用处。

"'L'homme c'est rien–l'oeuvre c'est tout,' as Gustave Flaubert wrote to George Sand."

正如居斯塔夫·福楼拜在给乔治·桑的信中所说的，'人是渺小的--著作就是一切。'"

1 ascertaining   

v.弄清，确定，查明( ascertain的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• I was ascertaining whether the cellar stretched out in front or behind. 我当时是要弄清楚地下室是朝前还是朝后延伸的。 来自辞典例句
• The design and ascertaining of permanent-magnet-biased magnetic bearing parameter are detailed introduced. 并对永磁偏置磁悬浮轴承参数的设计和确定进行了详细介绍。 来自互联网

2 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

3 burrowing   

v.挖掘（洞穴），挖洞( burrow的现在分词 )；翻寻

参考例句：

• What are you burrowing around in my drawer for? 你在我抽屉里乱翻什么？ 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The forepaws are also used for burrowing and for dragging heavier logs. 它们的前爪还可以用来打洞和拖拽较重的树干。 来自辞典例句

4 suburban   

adj.城郊的，在郊区的

参考例句：

• Suburban shopping centers were springing up all over America. 效区的商业中心在美国如雨后春笋般地兴起。
• There's a lot of good things about suburban living.郊区生活是有许多优点。

5 abutted   

v.（与…）邻接( abut的过去式和过去分词 )；（与…）毗连；接触；倚靠

参考例句：

• Their house abutted against the hill. 他们的房子紧靠着山。 来自辞典例句
• The sidewalk abutted on the river. 人行道紧挨着河川。 来自辞典例句

6 premises   

n.建筑物，房屋

参考例句：

• According to the rules,no alcohol can be consumed on the premises.按照规定，场内不准饮酒。
• All repairs are done on the premises and not put out.全部修缮都在家里进行，不用送到外面去做。

7 bullion   

n.金条，银条

参考例句：

• In the London bullion market yesterday,the price of gold was steady.昨天伦敦金银市场黄金价格稳定。
• Police have launched a man-hunt for the bullion robbers.警方已大举搜捕抢劫金条的罪犯。

8 admiration   

n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕

参考例句：

• He was lost in admiration of the beauty of the scene.他对风景之美赞不绝口。
• We have a great admiration for the gold medalists.我们对金牌获得者极为敬佩。

9 alas   

int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等)

参考例句：

• Alas!The window is broken!哎呀！窗子破了！
• Alas,the truth is less romantic.然而，真理很少带有浪漫色彩。

10 benefactor   

n. 恩人，行善的人，捐助人

参考例句：

• The chieftain of that country is disguised as a benefactor this time. 那个国家的首领这一次伪装出一副施恩者的姿态。
• The first thing I did, was to recompense my original benefactor, my good old captain. 我所做的第一件事, 就是报答我那最初的恩人, 那位好心的老船长。

11 shrugged   

vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• Sam shrugged and said nothing. 萨姆耸耸肩膀，什么也没说。
• She shrugged, feigning nonchalance. 她耸耸肩，装出一副无所谓的样子。 来自《简明英汉词典》