五个桔核 01怪诞案件的开端(1)

The Five Orange Pips

五个桔核

When I glance over my notes and records of the Sherlock Holmes cases between the years '82 and '90,

当我粗略地看了一遍我积存的一八八二年至一八九零年间福尔摩斯侦探案的笔记和记录时，

I am faced by so many which present strange and interesting features

我发觉摆在我眼前离奇有趣的材料浩如烟海，实在太多了，

that it is no easy matter to know which to choose and which to leave.

竟不知如何取舍是好。

Some, however, have already gained publicity¹ through the papers,

有些案件通过报纸已经广为流传，

and others have not offered a field for those peculiar² qualities which my friend possessed³ in so high a degree,

但是也有些案件缺乏可供我的朋友尽情发挥其出类拔萃的才能的余地，

and which it is the object of these papers to illustrate⁴.

而我的朋友的这种卓越才能正是那些报纸亟想报道的主要题材。

Some, too, have baffled his analytical⁵ skill, and would be, as narratives⁶, beginnings without an ending,

还有些案件使得他的擅长于分析的本领无法施展，正像有些故事一样，成为有头无尾的了。

while others have been but partially⁷ cleared up, and have their explanations founded

又有一些案件，他仅搞清楚了一部分，对其情节的剖析只是出于推测或臆断，

rather upon conjecture⁸ and surmise⁹ than on that absolute logical proof which was so dear to him.

而不是以我的朋友所珍视的、准确无误的逻辑论证为依据。

There is, however, one of these last which was so remarkable¹⁰ in its details and so startling in its results

在上述最后一类案件中，有一个案件情节异常、结局离奇，

that I am tempted¹¹ to give some account of it

使我不禁要有所叙述，

in spite of the fact that there are points in connection with it which never have been,

尽管与这桩案子有关的一些真相是从未弄明白过，

and probably never will be, entirely¹² cleared up.

而且也许是永远弄不明白的。

The year '87 furnished us with a long series of cases of greater or less interest, of which I retain the records.

一八八七年我们经手过一系列颇为有趣和趣味不大的案件，有关这些案件的记录，我都保留着。

Among my headings under this one twelve months I find an account of the adventure of the Paradol Chamber¹³,

在这一年的十二个月的记录的标题中，有关于如下各案的记载："帕拉多尔大厦案"；

of the Amateur Mendicant¹⁴ Society, who held a luxurious¹⁵ club in the lower vault¹⁶ of a furniture warehouse¹⁷,

"业余乞丐团案"，这个业余乞丐团在一个家具店库房的地下室拥有一个穷奢极侈的俱乐部；

of the facts connected with the loss of the British bark Sophy Anderson,

"美国帆船'索菲·安德森'号失事真相案"；

of the singular adventures of the Grice Patersons in the island of Uffa, and finally of the Camberwell poisoning case.

"格赖斯·彼得森在乌法岛上的奇案"；还有"坎伯韦尔放毒案"。

In the latter, as may be remembered, Sherlock Holmes was able, by winding¹⁸ up the dead man's watch,

记得在最后一案里，当歇洛克·福尔摩斯给死者的表上发条时，

to prove that it had been wound up two hours before, and that therefore the deceased had gone to bed within that time

发现该表在两小时前曾被上紧了发条，从而证明在那段时间里死者业已上床就寝。

a deduction¹⁹ which was of the greatest importance in clearing up the case.

这一推论对于廓清案情至关重要。

All these I may sketch²⁰ out at some future date,

所有这些案件，我有朝一日也许会略述其梗概，

but none of them present such singular features as the strange train of circumstances which I have now taken up my pen to describe.

但是其中没有一个案件比我现在就要执笔描述的有着一连串扑朔迷离的情节的案件更加怪诞不经。

1 publicity   

n.众所周知，闻名；宣传，广告

参考例句：

• The singer star's marriage got a lot of publicity.这位歌星的婚事引起了公众的关注。
• He dismissed the event as just a publicity gimmick.他不理会这件事，只当它是一种宣传手法。

2 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。

3 possessed   

adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的

参考例句：

• He flew out of the room like a man possessed.他像着了魔似地猛然冲出房门。
• He behaved like someone possessed.他行为举止像是魔怔了。

4 illustrate   

v.举例说明，阐明；图解，加插图

参考例句：

• The company's bank statements illustrate its success.这家公司的银行报表说明了它的成功。
• This diagram will illustrate what I mean.这个图表可说明我的意思。

5 analytical   

adj.分析的；用分析法的

参考例句：

• I have an analytical approach to every survey.对每项调查我都采用分析方法。
• As a result,analytical data obtained by analysts were often in disagreement.结果各个分析家所得的分析数据常常不一致。

6 narratives   

记叙文( narrative的名词复数 )； 故事； 叙述； 叙述部分

参考例句：

• Marriage, which has been the bourne of so many narratives, is still a great beginning. 结婚一向是许多小说的终点，然而也是一个伟大的开始。
• This is one of the narratives that children are fond of. 这是孩子们喜欢的故事之一。

7 partially   

adv.部分地，从某些方面讲

参考例句：

• The door was partially concealed by the drapes.门有一部分被门帘遮住了。
• The police managed to restore calm and the curfew was partially lifted.警方设法恢复了平静，宵禁部分解除。

8 conjecture   

n./v.推测，猜测

参考例句：

• She felt it no use to conjecture his motives.她觉得猜想他的动机是没有用的。
• This conjecture is not supported by any real evidence.这种推测未被任何确切的证据所证实。

9 surmise   

v./n.猜想，推测

参考例句：

• It turned out that my surmise was correct.结果表明我的推测没有错。
• I surmise that he will take the job.我推测他会接受这份工作。

10 remarkable   

adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的

参考例句：

• She has made remarkable headway in her writing skills.她在写作技巧方面有了长足进步。
• These cars are remarkable for the quietness of their engines.这些汽车因发动机没有噪音而不同凡响。

11 tempted   

v.怂恿（某人）干不正当的事；冒…的险（tempt的过去分词）

参考例句：

• I was sorely tempted to complain, but I didn't. 我极想发牢骚，但还是没开口。
• I was tempted by the dessert menu. 甜食菜单馋得我垂涎欲滴。

12 entirely   

ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
• His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。

13 chamber   

n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所

参考例句：

• For many,the dentist's surgery remains a torture chamber.对许多人来说，牙医的治疗室一直是间受刑室。
• The chamber was ablaze with light.会议厅里灯火辉煌。

14 mendicant   

n.乞丐；adj.行乞的

参考例句：

• He seemed not an ordinary mendicant.他好象不是寻常的乞丐。
• The one-legged mendicant begins to beg from door to door.独腿乞丐开始挨门乞讨。

15 luxurious   

adj.精美而昂贵的；豪华的

参考例句：

• This is a luxurious car complete with air conditioning and telephone.这是一辆附有空调设备和电话的豪华轿车。
• The rich man lives in luxurious surroundings.这位富人生活在奢侈的环境中。

16 vault   

n.拱形圆顶，地窖，地下室

参考例句：

• The vault of this cathedral is very high.这座天主教堂的拱顶非常高。
• The old patrician was buried in the family vault.这位老贵族埋在家族的墓地里。

17 warehouse   

n.仓库；vt.存入仓库

参考例句：

• We freighted the goods to the warehouse by truck.我们用卡车把货物运到仓库。
• The manager wants to clear off the old stocks in the warehouse.经理想把仓库里积压的存货处理掉。

18 winding   

n.绕，缠，绕组，线圈

参考例句：

• A winding lane led down towards the river.一条弯弯曲曲的小路通向河边。
• The winding trail caused us to lose our orientation.迂回曲折的小道使我们迷失了方向。

19 deduction   

n.减除，扣除，减除额；推论，推理，演绎

参考例句：

• No deduction in pay is made for absence due to illness.因病请假不扣工资。
• His deduction led him to the correct conclusion.他的推断使他得出正确的结论。

20 sketch   

n.草图；梗概；素描；v.素描；概述

参考例句：

• My sister often goes into the country to sketch. 我姐姐常到乡间去写生。
• I will send you a slight sketch of the house.我将给你寄去房屋的草图。