工程师大拇指案 08向福尔摩斯叙述故事(2)

"You must know," said he, "that I am an orphan¹ and a bachelor, residing alone in lodgings² in London.

"您二位要知道，"他说，"我是个孤儿，又是个单身汉，孤单一个人住在伦敦。

By profession I am a hydraulic³ engineer,

就职业来说，我是水利工程师，

and I have had considerable experience of my work

我获得了这一行相当丰富的经验，

during the seven years that I was apprenticed⁴ to Venner & Matheson, the well- known firm, of Greenwich.

在格林威治的一家著名的文纳和马西森公司的七年学徒生涯中。

Two years ago, having served my time, and having also come into a fair sum of money through my poor father's death,

两年前，我学徒期满。在可怜的爸爸去世后，我又继承了一笔相当可观的钱，

I determined⁵ to start in business for myself and took professional chambers⁶ in Victoria Street.

于是我就决心自己开业，并在维多利亚大街租到了几间办公室。

I suppose that everyone finds his first independent start in business a dreary⁸ experience.

我想，每个人都会发现，第一次独自开业是一件枯燥无味的事。

To me it has been exceptionally so.

这对我来说，尤譬如此。

During two years I have had three consultations⁹ and one small job, and that is absolutely all that my profession has brought me.

两年之间，我只受理过三次咨询和一件小活儿，而这就是我的职业带给我的全部工作。

My gross takings amount to 27 pounds 10 shiling.

我的总收入共计二十七英镑十先令。

Every day, from nine in the morning until four in the afternoon, I waited in my little den⁷,

每天从上午九点到下午四点，我都在我的斗室里期待着，

until at last my heart began to sink, and I came to believe that I should never have any practice at all.

直到最后心灰意冷为止吗，我终于意识到，将永远不会有任何一个主顾上门了。

1 orphan   

n.孤儿；adj.无父母的

参考例句：

• He brought up the orphan and passed onto him his knowledge of medicine.他把一个孤儿养大，并且把自己的医术传给了他。
• The orphan had been reared in a convent by some good sisters.这个孤儿在一所修道院里被几个好心的修女带大。

2 lodgings   

n. 出租的房舍, 寄宿舍

参考例句：

• When he reached his lodgings the sun had set. 他到达公寓房间时，太阳已下山了。
• I'm on the hunt for lodgings. 我正在寻找住所。

3 hydraulic   

adj.水力的；水压的，液压的；水力学的

参考例句：

• The boat has no fewer than five hydraulic pumps.这艘船配有不少于5个液压泵。
• A group of apprentics were operating the hydraulic press.一群学徒正在开动水压机。

4 apprenticed   

学徒，徒弟( apprentice的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• I was apprenticed to a builder when I was fourteen. 14岁时，我拜一个建筑工人为师当学徒。
• Lucius got apprenticed to a stonemason. 卢修斯成了石匠的学徒。

5 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。

6 chambers   

n.房间( chamber的名词复数 )；（议会的）议院；卧室；会议厅

参考例句：

• The body will be removed into one of the cold storage chambers. 尸体将被移到一个冷冻间里。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Mr Chambers's readable book concentrates on the middle passage: the time Ransome spent in Russia. Chambers先生的这本值得一看的书重点在中间：Ransome在俄国的那几年。 来自互联网

7 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。

8 dreary   

adj.令人沮丧的，沉闷的，单调乏味的

参考例句：

• They live such dreary lives.他们的生活如此乏味。
• She was tired of hearing the same dreary tale of drunkenness and violence.她听够了那些关于酗酒和暴力的乏味故事。

9 consultations   

n.磋商（会议）( consultation的名词复数 )；商讨会；协商会；查找

参考例句：

• Consultations can be arranged at other times by appointment. 磋商可以通过预约安排在其他时间。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Consultations are under way. 正在进行磋商。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》