博斯科姆比溪谷秘案 39水落石出(6)

"When I went down there I found him talking with his son,

当我走到那里的时候，我发现他正在和他儿子谈话，

so I smoked a cigar and waited behind a tree until he should be alone.

我只好抽支雪茄烟在一棵树后面等待，等到他单独一个人在那里时再过去。

But as I listened to his talk all that was black and bitter in me seemed to come uppermost.

但是，当我听着他的谈话的时候，愤激的情绪简直达到了极点。

He was urging his son to marry my daughter with as little regard for what she might think

他正在极力促使他儿子和我女儿结婚，根本不考虑她本人可能有什么意见，

as if she were a slut from off the streets.

好像她是马路上的妓女似的。

It drove me mad to think that I and all that I held most dear should be in the power of such a man as this.

一想到我和我所心爱的一切竟然受这样一个人主宰，我简直气得发疯。

Could I not snap the bond? I was already a dying and a desperate man.

我能不能冲破这个束缚呢？我已经是一个快要死去和绝望了的人。

Though clear of mind and fairly strong of limb, I knew that my own fate was sealed.

虽然我头脑还清醒，四肢还相当强壮，但我知道自己这一生已经完了。

But my memory and my girl! Both could be saved if I could but silence that foul¹ tongue.

可是，我记忆中的往事和我的女儿啊！只要我能使这条邪恶的舌头保持沉默，那么，我记忆中的往事和我的女儿两者都得以保全。

I did it, Mr. Holmes. I would do it again.

福尔摩斯先生，我是这样做了，要我再来一次我都做得出来。

Deeply as I have sinned, I have led a life of martyrdom to atone² for it.

我是罪孽深重，为了赎罪而过一辈子活受罪的生活是应该的。

But that my girl should be entangled³ in the same meshes⁴ which held me was more than I could suffer.

但是把我的女孩也卷进束缚我的罗网之中，这个我可受不了。

I struck him down with no more compunction than if he had been some foul and venomous beast.

我把他打翻在地犹如打击一头十分凶恶的野兽一样，心中毫无不安的感觉。

His cry brought back his son; but I had gained the cover of the wood,

他的呼喊声使他儿子赶了回来；这时我已跑到树林里躲起来了，

though I was forced to go back to fetch the cloak which I had dropped in my flight.

我倒是不得不再跑回去取我那件逃跑时丢下的大衣。

That is the true story, gentlemen, of all that occurred."

先生，这就是所发生的全部真实情况。"

1 foul   

adj.污秽的；邪恶的；v.弄脏；妨害；犯规；n.犯规

参考例句：

• Take off those foul clothes and let me wash them.脱下那些脏衣服让我洗一洗。
• What a foul day it is!多么恶劣的天气！

2 atone   

v.赎罪，补偿

参考例句：

• He promised to atone for his crime.他承诺要赎自己的罪。
• Blood must atone for blood.血债要用血来还。

3 entangled   

adj.卷入的；陷入的；被缠住的；缠在一起的v.使某人（某物/自己）缠绕，纠缠于（某物中），使某人（自己）陷入（困难或复杂的环境中）( entangle的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The bird had become entangled in the wire netting. 那只小鸟被铁丝网缠住了。
• Some military observers fear the US could get entangled in another war. 一些军事观察家担心美国会卷入另一场战争。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 meshes   

网孔( mesh的名词复数 )； 网状物； 陷阱； 困境

参考例句：

• The net of Heaven has large meshes, but it lets nothing through. 天网恢恢，疏而不漏。
• This net has half-inch meshes. 这个网有半英寸见方的网孔。