歪唇男人 37揭开迷雾(10)

Well, very soon I found that I was saving considerable sums of money.

不久，我就发现我已积起大笔钱财。

I do not mean that any beggar in the streets of London could earn 700 pounds a year -- which is less than my average takings

我不是说：任何乞丐在伦敦的街头，一年都能挣到七百英镑（这还够不上我的平均收入），

but I had exceptional advantages in my power of making up, and also in a facility of repartee¹,

但我有巧于化装和善于应付的特殊才能，而这两方面又越练越精，

which improved by practice and made me quite a recognized character in the City.

这就使我成为城里为人所赏识的人物。

All day a stream of pennies, varied² by silver, poured in upon me, and it was a very bad day in which I failed to take 2 pounds.

整天都有各种各样的银币流水般地进入我的囊中，如果哪天收入不到两英镑，那就算是运气不济的了。

As I grew richer I grew more ambitious, took a house in the country,

我越发财，野心越大。我在郊区买了所房子，

and eventually married, without anyone having a suspicion as to my real occupation.

后来结婚成家。没有任何人怀疑我的真正职业。

My dear wife knew that I had business in the City. She little knew what.

我的爱妻只知道我在城里做生意，她却不知道我究竟干的是些什么。

Last Monday I had finished for the day and was dressing³ in my room above the opium⁴ den⁵ when I looked out of my window and saw,

上一个星期一，我刚结束了一天的营生，正在烟馆楼上的房间里换衣服，不料向窗外一望，

to my horror and astonishment⁶, that my wife was standing⁷ in the street, with her eyes fixed⁸ full upon me.

忽见我妻子站在街心，眼睛正对着我瞧，这使我惶恐万状。

I gave a cry of surprise, threw up my arms to cover my face,

我惊叫一声，连忙用手臂遮住脸，

and, rushing to my confidant, the lascar, entreated⁹ him to prevent anyone from coming up to me.

接着立即跑去找我的知交，那个印度阿三，求他阻止任何人上楼来找我。

I heard her voice downstairs, but I knew that she could not ascend¹⁰.

我听见她在楼下的声音，但知道她一时还上不来。

Swiftly I threw off my clothes, pulled on those of a beggar, and put on my pigments¹¹ and wig¹².

我飞快地脱下衣服，穿上乞丐的那一身装束，涂上颜色，戴上假发。

Even a wife's eyes could not pierce so complete a disguise.

这样，甚至于一个妻子的眼睛也不能识破这伪装。

But then it occurred to me that there might be a search in the room, and that the clothes might betray me.

不过马上我又想到也许在这屋子里要进行搜查，那些衣服可能会泄露我的秘密。

I threw open the window, reopening by my violence a small cut which I had inflicted¹³ upon myself in the bedroom that morning.

我忙把窗户打开，由于用力过猛，竟又碰破我清晨在卧室里割破的创口。

Then I seized my coat, which was weighted by the coppers¹⁴ which I had just transferred to it from the leather bag in which I carried my takings.

我抓起因装满铜板而沉甸甸的这件衣服，平常我要来的钱都放在一个皮袋里，我刚把其中的铜板掏出来塞在上衣兜里。

I hurled¹⁵ it out of the window, and it disappeared into the Thames.

扔出窗外，它掉在泰晤士河里不见了。

The other clothes would have followed, but at that moment there was a rush of constables¹⁶ up the stair,

其它的衣服本来也要扔下去，但是就在此转瞬之间，有些警察正冲上楼，

and a few minutes after I found, rather, I confess, to my relief,

我承认，使我感到欣慰的是，一会儿，

that instead of being identified as Mr. Neville St. Clair, I was arrested as his murderer.

我就发现我未被认出是内维尔·圣克莱尔先生，而是把我当作谋杀他的嫌疑犯被逮捕起来了。

1 repartee   

n.机敏的应答

参考例句：

• This diplomat possessed an excellent gift for repartee.这位外交官具有卓越的应对才能。
• He was a brilliant debater and his gift of repartee was celebrated.他擅长辩论，以敏于应答著称。

2 varied   

adj.多样的，多变化的

参考例句：

• The forms of art are many and varied.艺术的形式是多种多样的。
• The hotel has a varied programme of nightly entertainment.宾馆有各种晚间娱乐活动。

3 dressing   

n.(食物)调料；包扎伤口的用品，敷料

参考例句：

• Don't spend such a lot of time in dressing yourself.别花那么多时间来打扮自己。
• The children enjoy dressing up in mother's old clothes.孩子们喜欢穿上妈妈旧时的衣服玩。

4 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。

5 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。

6 astonishment   

n.惊奇，惊异

参考例句：

• They heard him give a loud shout of astonishment.他们听见他惊奇地大叫一声。
• I was filled with astonishment at her strange action.我对她的奇怪举动不胜惊异。

7 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

8 fixed   

adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的

参考例句：

• Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗？
• Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定，我们就不应该随意改变。

9 entreated   

恳求，乞求( entreat的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• They entreated and threatened, but all this seemed of no avail. 他们时而恳求，时而威胁，但这一切看来都没有用。
• 'One word,' the Doctor entreated. 'Will you tell me who denounced him?' “还有一个问题，”医生请求道，“你可否告诉我是谁告发他的？” 来自英汉文学 - 双城记

10 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。

11 pigments   

n.（粉状）颜料( pigment的名词复数 )；天然色素

参考例句：

• The Romans used natural pigments on their fabrics and walls. 古罗马人在织物和墙壁上使用天然颜料。 来自辞典例句
• The original white lead pigments have oxidized and turned black. 最初的白色铅质颜料氧化后变成了黑色。 来自辞典例句

12 wig   

n.假发

参考例句：

• The actress wore a black wig over her blond hair.那个女演员戴一顶黑色假发罩住自己的金黄色头发。
• He disguised himself with a wig and false beard.他用假发和假胡须来乔装。

13 inflicted   

把…强加给，使承受，遭受( inflict的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• They inflicted a humiliating defeat on the home team. 他们使主队吃了一场很没面子的败仗。
• Zoya heroically bore the torture that the Fascists inflicted upon her. 卓娅英勇地承受法西斯匪徒加在她身上的酷刑。

14 coppers   

铜( copper的名词复数 )； 铜币

参考例句：

• I only paid a few coppers for it. 我只花了几个铜板买下这东西。
• He had only a few coppers in his pocket. 他兜里仅有几个铜板。

15 hurled   

v.猛投，用力掷( hurl的过去式和过去分词 )；大声叫骂

参考例句：

• He hurled a brick through the window. 他往窗户里扔了块砖。
• The strong wind hurled down bits of the roof. 大风把屋顶的瓦片刮了下来。 来自《简明英汉词典》

16 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