斑点带子案 07来龙去脉(1)

"My name is Helen Stoner, and I am living with my stepfather,

"我的名字叫海伦·斯托纳，我和我的继父住在一起，

who is the last survivor¹ of one of the oldest Saxon families in England,

他是位于萨里郡西部边界的斯托克莫兰的罗伊洛特家族，

the Roylotts of Stoke Moran, on the western border of Surrey."

英国最古老的撒克逊家族之一的最后的一个生存者。"

Holmes nodded his head. "The name is familiar to me," said he.

福尔摩斯点点头，"这个名字我很熟悉，"他说。

"The family was at one time among the richest in England,

"这个家族一度是英伦最富有的家族之一，

and the estates extended over the borders into Berkshire in the north, and Hampshire in the west.

它的产业占地极广，超出了本郡的边界，北至伯克郡，西至汉普郡。

In the last century, however, four successive heirs were of a dissolute and wasteful² disposition³,

可是到了上个世纪，连续四代子嗣都属生性荒淫浪荡、挥霍无度之辈，

and the family ruin was eventually completed by a gambler in the days of the Regency.

到了摄政时期终于被一个赌棍最后搞得倾家荡产。

Nothing was left save a few acres of ground, and the two-hundred-year-old house,

除了几亩土地和一座二百年的古老邱宅外，其它都已荡然无存，

which is itself crushed under a heavy mortgage.

而那座邸宅也已典押得差不多了。

The last squire⁴ dragged out his existence there, living the horrible life of an aristocratic pauper⁵;

最后的一位地主在那里苟延残喘地过着落破王孙的可悲生活。

but his only son, my stepfather, seeing that he must adapt himself to the new conditions,

但是他的独生子，我的继父，认识到他必须使自己适应这种新的情况，

obtained an advance from a relative, which enabled him to take a medical degree and went out to Calcutta,

从一位亲戚那里借到一笔钱，这笔钱使他得到了一个医学学位，并且出国到了加尔各答行医，

where, by his professional skill and his force of character, he established a large practice.

在那儿凭借他的医术和坚强的个性，业务非常发达。

In a fit of anger, however, caused by some robberies which had been perpetrated in the house,

可是，由于家里几次被盗，他在盛怒之下，

he beat his native butler to death and narrowly escaped a capital sentence.

殴打当地人管家致死，差一点因为这个被判处死刑。

As it was, he suffered a long term of imprisonment⁶ and afterwards returned to England a morose⁷ and disappointed man."

就这样，他遭到长期监禁。后来，返回英国，变成一个性格暴躁、失意潦倒的人。"

1 survivor   

n.生存者，残存者，幸存者

参考例句：

• The sole survivor of the crash was an infant.这次撞车的惟一幸存者是一个婴儿。
• There was only one survivor of the plane crash.这次飞机失事中只有一名幸存者。

2 wasteful   

adj.（造成）浪费的，挥霍的

参考例句：

• It is a shame to be so wasteful.这样浪费太可惜了。
• Duties have been reassigned to avoid wasteful duplication of work.为避免重复劳动浪费资源，任务已经重新分派。

3 disposition   

n.性情，性格；意向，倾向；排列，部署

参考例句：

• He has made a good disposition of his property.他已对财产作了妥善处理。
• He has a cheerful disposition.他性情开朗。

4 squire   

n.护卫, 侍从, 乡绅

参考例句：

• I told him the squire was the most liberal of men.我告诉他乡绅是世界上最宽宏大量的人。
• The squire was hard at work at Bristol.乡绅在布里斯托尔热衷于他的工作。

5 pauper   

n.贫民，被救济者，穷人

参考例句：

• You lived like a pauper when you had plenty of money.你有大把钱的时候，也活得像个乞丐。
• If you work conscientiously you'll only die a pauper.你按部就班地干，做到老也是穷死。

6 imprisonment   

n.关押，监禁，坐牢

参考例句：

• His sentence was commuted from death to life imprisonment.他的判决由死刑减为无期徒刑。
• He was sentenced to one year's imprisonment for committing bigamy.他因为犯重婚罪被判入狱一年。

7 morose   

adj.脾气坏的，不高兴的

参考例句：

• He was silent and morose.他沉默寡言、郁郁寡欢。
• The publicity didn't make him morose or unhappy?公开以后，没有让他郁闷或者不开心吗？