蓝宝石案 04一顶奇怪的帽子(4)

The facts are these: about four o'clock on Christmas morning, Peterson, who, as you know, is a very honest fellow,

事情是这样的：圣诞节破晓大约四点钟的时候，彼得森，正如你所知道的，为人淳朴诚实，

was returning from some small jollification and was making his way homeward down Tottenham Court Road.

在某处参加了一个小小的欢宴之后正在归家途中，他是取道托特纳姆法院路走回家去的。

In front of him he saw, in the gaslight, a tallish man,

在煤气灯下，他看见一个身材颇高的人在他前面走着，

walking with a slight stagger, and carrying a white goose slung¹ over his shoulder.

步伐有些蹒跚，肩上背着一只白鹅。

As he reached the corner of Goodge Street, a row broke out between this stranger and a little knot of roughs.

当彼得森途经古治街拐角时，这个陌生人忽然和几个流氓发生了一场争吵。

One of the latter knocked off the man's hat, on which he raised his stick to defend himself and,

一个流氓把他的帽子打落在地，为此他抡起棍子进行自卫，

swinging it over his head, smashed the shop window behind him.

他高举棍子四处挥舞，一下子把身后商店的玻璃橱窗打得粉碎。

Peterson had rushed forward to protect the stranger from his assailants;

彼得森正想挺身而出，助这个陌生人一臂之力以对付这帮无赖，

but the man, shocked at having broken the window, and seeing an official-looking person in uniform rushing towards him,

但那个陌生人正因打碎玻璃而感到惊慌，同时又瞧见一个身穿制服、状如警官的人冲他而来，

dropped his goose, took to his heels, and vanished amid the labyrinth² of small streets which lie at the back of Tottenham Court Road.

于是把鹅丢下，拔腿就跑，很快地消失在托特纳姆法院路后面弯弯曲曲的小巷里。

The roughs had also fled at the appearance of Peterson, so that he was left in possession of the field of battle,

那帮流氓看见彼得森正在赶来也逃之夭夭了，这样，只留下了彼得森在那里，不仅占领了战场，

and also of the spoils of victory in the shape of this battered³ hat and a most unimpeachable⁴ Christmas goose."

而且掳获了这两样战利品：一顶破旧的毡帽和一只上等的圣诞大肥鹅。"

1 slung   

抛( sling的过去式和过去分词 )； 吊挂； 遣送； 押往

参考例句：

• He slung the bag over his shoulder. 他把包一甩，挎在肩上。
• He stood up and slung his gun over his shoulder. 他站起来把枪往肩上一背。

2 labyrinth   

n.迷宫；难解的事物；迷路

参考例句：

• He wandered through the labyrinth of the alleyways.他在迷宫似的小巷中闲逛。
• The human mind is a labyrinth.人的心灵是一座迷宫。

3 battered   

adj.磨损的；v.连续猛击；磨损

参考例句：

• He drove up in a battered old car.他开着一辆又老又破的旧车。
• The world was brutally battered but it survived.这个世界遭受了惨重的创伤,但它还是生存下来了。

4 unimpeachable   

adj.无可指责的；adv.无可怀疑地

参考例句：

• He said all five were men of unimpeachable character.他说这五个都是品格完美无缺的人。
• It is the revenge that nature takes on persons of unimpeachable character.这是自然对人品无瑕的人的报复。