单身贵族案 33真相大白(10)

"And how in the world did you find them?"

"你究竟是怎么找到他们的呢？"

"It might have been difficult, but friend Lestrade held information in his hands the value of which he did not himself know.

"本来可能是很难找到的，可是雷斯垂德老兄手里已经掌握了他自己还不知道评价值的情报。

The initials were, of course, of the highest importance,

当然，那几个姓名的起首字母是最重要的，

but more valuable still was it to know that within a week he had settled his bill at one of the most select London hotels."

但是比这更有价值的是，知道了他在一周之内曾经在伦敦一所最高级的旅馆结过帐这个事实。"

"How did you deduce the select?"

"你怎么推断出来是最高级的旅馆呢？"

"By the select prices. Eight shillings for a bed and eightpence for a glass of sherry pointed¹ to one of the most expensive hotels.

"根据这么昂贵的价格推断出来的。八先令一个床位，八便士一杯葡萄酒，由此可以看出那是一家最豪华的旅馆。

There are not many in London which charge at that rate.

伦敦收费这么高的旅馆并不多。

In the second one which I visited in Northumberland Avenue,

在诺森伯兰大街我访问的第二家旅馆里，

I learned by an inspection² of the book that Francis H. Moulton, an American gentleman, had left only the day before,

通过查阅登记簿，我发现有一位美国先生弗朗西斯·H·莫尔顿，刚刚在前一天离开，

and on looking over the entries against him, I came upon the very items which I had seen in the duplicate bill.

在查看他名下的帐目时，我又恰巧发现我在复写的收据上已经看到过的那些帐目。

His letters were to be forwarded to 226 Gordon Square;

这位美国先生留下话要求将他的信件转到戈登广场226号，

so thither³ I travelled, and being fortunate enough to find the loving couple at home,

于是，我就赶到那里，很幸运地发现这对爱侣正好在家，

I ventured to give them some paternal⁴ advice

我冒昧地以长辈的身份向他们提出了一点意见，

and to point out to them that it would be better in every way

我向他们指出，不论从哪方面来说，

that they should make their position a little clearer both to the general public and to Lord St. Simon in particular.

他们都最好向公众，特别是向圣西蒙勋爵将他们的处境表白得更清楚一点。

I invited them to meet him here, and, as you see, I made him keep the appointment."

我邀请他们到这里来和他见面，并且，正如你所看到的，我使他遵守了约会。"

"But with no very good result," I remarked. "His conduct was certainly not very gracious."

"但是，结局不够理想，"我说道，"他的举止肯定不够大方。"

"Ah, Watson," said Holmes, smiling, "perhaps you would not be very gracious either,

"哈，华生，"福尔摩斯微笑着说，"恐怕你也不会很大方的，

if, after all the trouble of wooing and wedding, you found yourself deprived in an instant of wife and of fortune.

假如你经过求婚、结婚等一系列的麻烦事之后，却发现瞬刻之间妻子和财富不翼而飞了。

I think that we may judge Lord St. Simon very mercifully and thank our stars that we are never likely to find ourselves in the same position.

我想我们看待圣西蒙勋爵不妨宽容一些，并且谢天谢地不要有一天让我们落到同样的地步。

Draw your chair up and hand me my violin,

请你将椅子向前挪挪，把那小提琴递给我，

for the only problem we have still to solve is how to while away these bleak⁵ autumnal evenings."

现在还需要我们解决的唯一问题是，如何消磨这以后的凄凉的秋夜。"

1 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

2 inspection   

n.检查，审查，检阅

参考例句：

• On random inspection the meat was found to be bad.经抽查，发现肉变质了。
• The soldiers lined up for their daily inspection by their officers.士兵们列队接受军官的日常检阅。

3 thither   

adv.向那里；adj.在那边的，对岸的

参考例句：

• He wandered hither and thither looking for a playmate.他逛来逛去找玩伴。
• He tramped hither and thither.他到处流浪。

4 paternal   

adj.父亲的，像父亲的，父系的，父方的

参考例句：

• I was brought up by my paternal aunt.我是姑姑扶养大的。
• My father wrote me a letter full of his paternal love for me.我父亲给我写了一封充满父爱的信。

5 bleak   

adj.(天气)阴冷的；凄凉的；暗淡的

参考例句：

• They showed me into a bleak waiting room.他们引我来到一间阴冷的会客室。
• The company's prospects look pretty bleak.这家公司的前景异常暗淡。