歪唇男人 14圣克莱尔的故事(3)

"Convinced that something was amiss with him, she rushed down the steps

"她确信他出了什么事故，便顺着台阶飞奔下去

for the house was none other than the opium¹ den² in which you found me to-night

因为这房子恰恰就是今晚你发现我呆过的那个烟馆

and running through the front room she attempted to ascend³ the stairs which led to the first floor.

闯进那栋房子的前屋，当她穿过屋子正想登上通往二楼的楼梯时，

At the foot of the stairs, however, she met this lascar scoundrel of whom I have spoken, who thrust her back and,

在楼梯口，她遇到了我说过的那个印度人，被他推了回来，

aided by a Dane, who acts as assistant there, pushed her out into the street.

接着又来了一个丹麦助手，一起把她推到街上。

Filled with the most maddening doubts and fears, she rushed down the lane and, by rare good-fortune,

她心里充满了无穷的疑虑和震惊，急忙沿着小巷冲了出去，万想不到非常幸运，

met in Fresno Street a number of constables⁴ with an inspector⁵, all on their way to their beat.

在弗雷斯诺街头，遇见了正在去值岗上班途中的一位巡官和几名巡捕。

The inspector and two men accompanied her back, and in spite of the continued resistance of the proprietor⁶,

那巡官同两名巡捕随她回去，尽管那烟馆老板再三阻拦，

they made their way to the room in which Mr. St. Clair had last been seen.

他们仍然进入了刚才发现圣克莱尔先生的那间屋子。

There was no sign of him there.

在那间屋子里看不出有他在那儿呆过的迹象。

In fact, in the whole of that floor there was no one to be found save a crippled wretch⁷ of hideous⁸ aspect, who, it seems, made his home there.

事实上，在整个那层楼上，除了一个跛脚的、面目可憎的家伙似乎在那里住家以外，没有见到有其他任何人。

Both he and the lascar stoutly⁹ swore that no one else had been in the front room during the afternoon.

这家伙和那个印度人同声赌咒发誓说，那天下午没有任何人到过那层楼的前屋。

So determined¹⁰ was their denial that the inspector was staggered,

他们矢口否认，使得巡官无所适从，

and had almost come to believe that Mrs. St.Clair had been deluded¹¹ when, with a cry,

并且几乎认为圣克莱尔太太看错了人；这时，她突然大喊一声，

she sprang at a small deal box which lay upon the table and tore the lid from it.

猛扑到桌上的一个小松木盒前，把盒盖掀开。

Out there fell a cascade¹² of children's bricks. It was the toy which he had promised to bring home.

哗地倒出来一大堆儿童玩具积木。这就是他曾答应要带回家去的玩具。

1 opium   

n.鸦片；adj.鸦片的

参考例句：

• That man gave her a dose of opium.那男人给了她一剂鸦片。
• Opium is classed under the head of narcotic.鸦片是归入麻醉剂一类的东西。

2 den   

n.兽穴；秘密地方；安静的小房间，私室

参考例句：

• There is a big fox den on the back hill.后山有一个很大的狐狸窝。
• The only way to catch tiger cubs is to go into tiger's den.不入虎穴焉得虎子。

3 ascend   

vi.渐渐上升，升高；vt.攀登，登上

参考例句：

• We watched the airplane ascend higher and higher.我们看着飞机逐渐升高。
• We ascend in the order of time and of development.我们按时间和发展顺序向上溯。

4 constables   

n.警察( constable的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The constables made a desultory attempt to keep them away from the barn. 警察漫不经心地拦着不让他们靠近谷仓。 来自辞典例句
• There were also constables appointed to keep the peace. 城里也有被派来维持治安的基层警员。 来自互联网

5 inspector   

n.检查员，监察员，视察员

参考例句：

• The inspector was interested in everything pertaining to the school.视察员对有关学校的一切都感兴趣。
• The inspector was shining a flashlight onto the tickets.查票员打着手电筒查看车票。

6 proprietor   

n.所有人；业主；经营者

参考例句：

• The proprietor was an old acquaintance of his.业主是他的一位旧相识。
• The proprietor of the corner grocery was a strange thing in my life.拐角杂货店店主是我生活中的一个怪物。

7 wretch   

n.可怜的人，不幸的人；卑鄙的人

参考例句：

• You are really an ungrateful wretch to complain instead of thanking him.你不但不谢他，还埋怨他，真不知好歹。
• The dead husband is not the dishonoured wretch they fancied him.死去的丈夫不是他们所想象的不光彩的坏蛋。

8 hideous   

adj.丑陋的，可憎的，可怕的，恐怖的

参考例句：

• The whole experience had been like some hideous nightmare.整个经历就像一场可怕的噩梦。
• They're not like dogs,they're hideous brutes.它们不像狗，是丑陋的畜牲。

9 stoutly   

adv.牢固地，粗壮的

参考例句：

• He stoutly denied his guilt.他断然否认自己有罪。
• Burgess was taxed with this and stoutly denied it.伯杰斯为此受到了责难，但是他自己坚决否认有这回事。

10 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

11 deluded   

v.欺骗，哄骗( delude的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Don't be deluded into thinking that we are out of danger yet. 不要误以为我们已脱离危险。
• She deluded everyone into following her. 她骗得每个人都听信她的。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 cascade   

n.小瀑布，喷流；层叠；vi.成瀑布落下

参考例句：

• She watched the magnificent waterfall cascade down the mountainside.她看着壮观的瀑布从山坡上倾泻而下。
• Her hair fell over her shoulders in a cascade of curls.她的卷发像瀑布一样垂在肩上。