身份案 28尾声(2)

"And how did you verify them?"

"你怎样证实它们呢？"

"Having once spotted¹ my man, it was easy to get corroboration².

"一旦认出了犯人，就很容易证实罪行。

I knew the firm for which this man worked. Having taken the printed description,

我认识这个人工作的商行。我一接到那份印刷出来的寻人启事，

I eliminated everything from it which could be the result of a disguise -- the whiskers, the glasses, the voice,

我就从那启事描述的外貌特征中除掉可能是伪装的结果的部分--络腮胡子啦、眼镜啦、声音啦

and I sent it to the firm, with a request that they would inform me whether it answered to the description of any of their travellers.

然后把这份寻人品事寄给商行，请他们告诉我去掉了伪装部分的外貌特征是否同他们商行里哪位出外旅行的人相象。

I had already noticed the peculiarities³ of the typewriter, and I wrote to the man himself at his business address, asking him if he would come here.

我已注意到打字机的特点，我写信到他的办公地点给他本人，请他是否来这里一趟。

As I expected, his reply was typewritten and revealed the same trivial but characteristic defects.

如我所料，他的回信是用打字机打的，从回信中可以看出打字机的种种同样细微的但有特征的毛病。

The same post brought me a letter from Westhouse And Marbank, of Fenchurch Street,

同一个邮局给我送来了一封来自芬丘破街韦斯特豪斯·马班克商行的信，

to say that the description tallied⁴ in every respect with that of their employee, James Windibank. Voila tout⁵!"

信中说，外貌描述与他们的雇员詹姆斯·温迪班克的各个方面完全相符。全部情况，就是这样。"

"And Miss Sutherland?"

"那么，萨瑟兰小姐呢？"

"If I tell her she will not believe me. You may remember the old Persian saying,

"假如我把事情告诉她，她将不会相信的。你也许还记得有句波斯谚语：

'There is danger for him who taketh the tiger cub⁶, and danger also for whoso snatches a delusion⁷ from a woman.'

'打消女人心中的痴想，险似从虎爪下抢夺乳虎。'

There is as much sense in Hafiz as in Horace, and as much knowledge of the world."

哈菲兹的道理跟贺拉斯一样丰富，哈菲兹的人情世故也跟贺拉斯一样深刻。"

1 spotted   

adj.有斑点的，斑纹的，弄污了的

参考例句：

• The milkman selected the spotted cows,from among a herd of two hundred.牛奶商从一群200头牛中选出有斑点的牛。
• Sam's shop stocks short spotted socks.山姆的商店屯积了有斑点的短袜。

2 corroboration   

n.进一步的证实，进一步的证据

参考例句：

• Without corroboration from forensic tests,it will be difficult to prove that the suspect is guilty. 没有法医化验的确证就很难证明嫌疑犯有罪。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Definitely more independent corroboration is necessary. 有必要更明确地进一步证实。 来自辞典例句

3 peculiarities   

n. 特质, 特性, 怪癖, 古怪

参考例句：

• the cultural peculiarities of the English 英国人的文化特点
• He used to mimic speech peculiarities of another. 他过去总是模仿别人讲话的特点。

4 tallied   

v.计算，清点( tally的过去式和过去分词 )；加标签（或标记）于；（使）符合；（使）吻合

参考例句：

• The girl tallied them with her eyes for a moment. 新娘用目光把这些化妆品清点了一下。 来自教父部分
• His account of the accident tallied with hers. 他对事故的陈述和她的相吻合。 来自辞典例句

5 tout   

v.推销，招徕；兜售；吹捧，劝诱

参考例句：

• They say it will let them tout progress in the war.他们称这将有助于鼓吹他们在战争中的成果。
• If your case studies just tout results,don't bother requiring registration to view them.如果你的案例研究只是吹捧结果，就别烦扰别人来注册访问了。

6 cub   

n.幼兽，年轻无经验的人

参考例句：

• The lion cub's mother was hunting for what she needs. 这只幼师的母亲正在捕猎。
• The cub licked the milk from its mother's breast. 这头幼兽吸吮着它妈妈的奶水。

7 delusion   

n.谬见，欺骗，幻觉，迷惑

参考例句：

• He is under the delusion that he is Napoleon.他患了妄想症，认为自己是拿破仑。
• I was under the delusion that he intended to marry me.我误认为他要娶我。