铜山毛榉案 33秘密潜入(2)

It was an old rickety door and gave at once before our united strength.

这是一扇老朽的、摇摇晃晃的门，我俩合起来一使劲，门便立刻塌下来。

Together we rushed into the room. It was empty.

我们两人冲进门一看，只是一间空荡荡的房间。

There was no furniture save a little pallet bed, a small table, and a basketful of linen¹.

除了一张简陋的小床，一张小桌子以及一筐衣服，没有其他家具。

The skylight above was open, and the prisoner gone.

上面的天窗开着，被囚禁的人已无影无踪了。

"There has been some villainy here," said Holmes;

"这里面有些鬼把戏，"福尔摩斯说，

"this beauty has guessed Miss Hunter's intentions and has carried his victim off." "But how?"

"这个家伙大概已经猜到了亨特小姐的意图，先一步将受害者弄走了。" "怎么弄出去的？"

"Through the skylight. We shall soon see how he managed it."

"从天窗。我们很快就可以知道他是怎么弄出去的。"

He swung himself up onto the roof. "Ah, yes," he cried, "here's the end of a long light ladder against the eaves. That is how he did it."

他攀登到屋顶，"哎呀，是这样，"他叫喊着说，"这里有一架长的轻便扶梯，一头靠在屋檐上，他就是这样干的。"

"But it is impossible," said Miss Hunter; "the ladder was not there when the Rucastles went away."

"但这是不可能的，'亨特小姐说，"鲁卡斯尔夫妇出去的时候，这扶梯不在那里。"

"He has come back and done it. I tell you that he is a clever and dangerous man.

"他又跑回来搬的，我告诉过你他是一个狡猾而又危险的人物。

I should not be very much surprised if this were he whose step I hear now upon the stair.

我现在听见有脚步声上楼来。如果这不是他那才怪哩。

I think, Watson, that it would be as well for you to have your pistol² ready."

我想，华生，你最好也把你的手枪准备好。"

The words were hardly out of his mouth before a man appeared at the door of the room,

他话声未落，只见有一个人已经站在房门口，

a very fat and burly man, with a heavy stick in his hand.

一个很肥胖的、粗壮结实的人，手里拿着一根粗棍子。

Miss Hunter screamed and shrunk³ against the wall at the sight of him, but Sherlock Holmes sprang forward and confronted⁴ him.

亨特小姐一看见他，立即尖叫一声，缩着身子靠在墙上，但是歇洛克·福尔摩斯纵身向前，镇定地面对着他。

1 linen   

n.亚麻布，亚麻线，亚麻制品；adj.亚麻布制的，亚麻的

参考例句：

• The worker is starching the linen.这名工人正在给亚麻布上浆。
• Fine linen and cotton fabrics were known as well as wool.精细的亚麻织品和棉织品像羊毛一样闻名遐迩。

2 pistol   

n.手枪

参考例句：

• He drew his pistol and aimed at the enemy soldier.他拔出枪对准敌兵。
• The escaped criminal fell at the sound of a pistol.手枪一响，逃犯应声倒下。

3 shrunk   

shrink的过去式和过去分词:收缩,缩短,皱缩,退避

参考例句：

• I confess it with shame--shrunk icily into myself, like a snail. 我羞愧地忏悔了——冷冰冰地退缩，像个蜗牛。
• The peasantry has shrunk from 74.6 millions to 65.5. 农民人数已从7460万减至6550万。

4 confronted   

面对( confront的过去式和过去分词 )； 使面对； 使对质； 处理

参考例句：

• When we confronted him, he denied everything. 我们与他当面对质时，他什么都不承认。
• The writer confronted his pile of work with determination. 那作家下决心面对成堆的工作。