“格洛里亚斯科特”号三桅帆船18

“‘Such, in a few words, my dear boy, is the history of this terrible business in which I was involved. Next day we were picked up by the brig Hotspur, bound for Australia, whose captain found no difficulty in believing that we were the survivors¹ of a passenger ship which had foundered². The transport ship Gloria Scott was set down by the Admiralty as being lost at sea, and no word has ever leaked out as to her true fate. After an excellent voyage the Hotspur landed us at Sydney, where Evans and I changed our names and made our way to the diggings, where, among the crowds who were gathered from all nations, we had no difficulty in losing our former identities. The rest I need not relate. We prospered³, we traveled, we came back as rich colonials to England, and we bought country estates. For more than twenty years we have led peaceful and useful lives, and we hoped that our past was forever buried. Imagine, then, my feelings when in the seaman⁴ who came to us I recognized instantly the man who had been picked off the wreck⁵. He had tracked us down somehow, and had set himself to live upon our fears. You will understand now how it was that I strove to keep the peace with him, and you will in some measure sympathize with me in the fears which fill me, now that he has gone from me to his other victim with threats upon his tongue.’

“Underneath is written in a hand so shaky as to be hardly legible, ‘Beddoes writes in cipher⁶ to say H. has told all. Sweet Lord, have mercy on our souls!’

“That was the narrative⁷ which I read that night to young Trevor, and I think, Watson, that under the circumstances it was a dramatic one. The good fellow was heart-broken at it, and went out to the Terai tea planting, where I hear that he is doing well. As to the sailor and Beddoes, neither of them was ever heard of again after that day on which the letter of warning was written. They both disappeared utterly⁸ and completely. No complaint had been lodged⁹ with the police, so that Beddoes had mistaken a threat for a deed. Hudson had been seen lurking¹⁰ about, and it was believed by the police that he had done away with Beddoes and had fled. For myself I believe that the truth was exactly the opposite. I think that it is most probable that Beddoes, pushed to desperation and believing himself to have been already betrayed, had revenged himself upon Hudson, and had fled from the country with as much money as he could lay his hands on. Those are the facts of the case, Doctor, and if they are of any use to your collection, I am sure that they are very heartily¹¹ at your service.”

“‘我亲一爱一的孩子，简单说来，涉及到我的可怕事件的过程就是这样。第二天，一艘开往澳大利亚的双桅船“霍特斯泼”号搭救了我们。该船船长轻易地相信了我们是遇难客船的幸存者。海军部将“格洛里亚斯科特”号运输船作为海上失事记录在案，而它的真实命运却一点也没泄露出去。经过一段顺利航程之后，“霍特斯泼”号让我们在悉尼上岸，伊文斯和我更名改姓前去采矿，在各国人麇集之中，我们毫不费力地隐瞒了过去的身份。其余的事我也不必细说了。后来我们发迹了，周游一番，以富有的殖民地居民身份返回英国，购置了产业。二十多年来，我们安居乐业，生活美满，希望把过去的事永远埋葬。后来，这个水手来找我们，我一眼就认出他就是我们从沉船残骸上救上来的那个人，当时我的感觉就可想而知了。他不知怎样追踪到此，欺我们畏惧之心，对我们进行敲诈勒索。你现在该明白，我为什么极力对他和好了，你也该多少同情我内心充满的恐惧了。他虽然离开我到另一个受欺者那里去了，可是还在对我进行虚声恫吓。’

“下面的字写时手已颤栗不止，几乎难以辨认，‘贝多斯写来密信说，赫德森已全部检举。上帝啊，可怜可怜我们吧！’

“这就是那天晚上我读给小特雷佛听的故事。华生，这种情况可算是富有戏剧一性一的案子了。我的好友经过这场风波，肝肠寸断，便迁往特拉伊去种茶树，我听说他在那里混得不错。至于那个水手和贝多斯，自从写了那封告警信以后，便音信全无，无影无踪了。没有人向警局提出检举，所以贝多斯是错把赫德森的威胁当做事实。有人看到赫德森潜伏一在附近，警局认为他杀害贝多斯以后逃跑了。而我确信事实恰恰相反。八成是贝多斯陷入绝境，认为赫德森告发了自己，便报仇雪恨杀死赫德森，携带手头所有现款逃出国去。这就是这件案子的情况，医生，如果它们对你采集资料有所助益，我很乐意供你选用。”

1 survivors   

幸存者，残存者，生还者( survivor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The survivors were adrift in a lifeboat for six days. 幸存者在救生艇上漂流了六天。
• survivors clinging to a raft 紧紧抓住救生筏的幸存者

2 foundered   

v.创始人( founder的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Three ships foundered in heavy seas. 三艘船在波涛汹涌的海面上沉没了。 来自辞典例句
• The project foundered as a result of lack of finance. 该项目因缺乏资金而告吹。 来自辞典例句

3 prospered   

成功，兴旺( prosper的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The organization certainly prospered under his stewardship. 不可否认，这个组织在他的管理下兴旺了起来。
• Mr. Black prospered from his wise investments. 布莱克先生由于巧妙的投资赚了不少钱。

4 seaman   

n.海员，水手，水兵

参考例句：

• That young man is a experienced seaman.那个年轻人是一个经验丰富的水手。
• The Greek seaman went to the hospital five times.这位希腊海员到该医院去过五次。

5 wreck   

n.失事，遇难；沉船；vt.(船等)失事，遇难

参考例句：

• Weather may have been a factor in the wreck.天气可能是造成这次失事的原因之一。
• No one can wreck the friendship between us.没有人能够破坏我们之间的友谊。

6 cipher   

n.零；无影响力的人；密码

参考例句：

• All important plans were sent to the police in cipher.所有重要计划均以密码送往警方。
• He's a mere cipher in the company.他在公司里是个无足轻重的小人物。

7 narrative   

n.叙述，故事；adj.叙事的，故事体的

参考例句：

• He was a writer of great narrative power.他是一位颇有记述能力的作家。
• Neither author was very strong on narrative.两个作者都不是很善于讲故事。

8 utterly   

adv.完全地，绝对地

参考例句：

• Utterly devoted to the people,he gave his life in saving his patients.他忠于人民，把毕生精力用于挽救患者的生命。
• I was utterly ravished by the way she smiled.她的微笑使我完全陶醉了。

9 lodged   

v.存放( lodge的过去式和过去分词 )；暂住；埋入；（权利、权威等）归属

参考例句：

• The certificate will have to be lodged at the registry. 证书必须存放在登记处。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Our neighbours lodged a complaint against us with the police. 我们的邻居向警方控告我们。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 lurking   

潜在

参考例句：

• Why are you lurking around outside my house? 你在我房子外面鬼鬼祟祟的，想干什么？
• There is a suspicious man lurking in the shadows. 有一可疑的人躲在阴暗中。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

11 heartily   

adv.衷心地，诚恳地，十分，很

参考例句：

• He ate heartily and went out to look for his horse.他痛快地吃了一顿，就出去找他的马。
• The host seized my hand and shook it heartily.主人抓住我的手，热情地和我握手。