巴斯克威尔的猎犬 疑案（10）

 

"Yes, I have thought a good deal of it in the course of the day."“是的， 白天的时候我想得很多。”

"What do you make of it?"

“你的看法怎么样呢？ ”

"It is very bewildering."

“太扑朔迷离了 。”

"It has certainly a character of its own. There are points of distinction about it. That change inthe footprints, for example. What do you make of that?"“这案件确有其独特之处。 它有几个突出的地方。 譬如说吧， 那足迹的变化， 对这一点你的看法是怎样的呢？ ”

"Mortimer said that the man had walked on tiptoe down that portion of the alley¹."“摩梯末说过， 那人在那一段夹道上是用足尖走路的。”

"He only repeated what some fool had said at the inquest Why should a man walk on tiptoedown the alley?"“他不过是重复了 一个傻瓜在验尸时说过的话。 为什么一个人会沿着夹道用足尖走路呢？ ”

"What then?"

“那么， 该怎样解释呢？ ”

"He was running, Watson -- running desperately², running for his life, running until he bursthis heart-and fell dead upon his face."“他是跑着呢， 华生——拼命地跑着， 他在逃命， 一直跑到心脏破裂伏在地上死去为止。”

"Running from what?"

“他是为了逃避什么才跑的呢？ ”

"There lies our problem. There are indications that the man was crazed with fear before everhe began to run."“咱们的问题就在这里。 种种迹象都说明， 这人在开始跑以前已经吓得发疯了。”

"How can you say that?"

“你为什么这样说呢？ ”

"I am presuming that the cause of his fears came to him across the moor³. If that were so, andit seems most probable only a man who had lost his wits would have run from the house instead oftowards it. If the gipsy's evidence may be taken as true, he ran with cries for help in the directionwhere help was least likely to be. Then, again, whom was he waiting for that night, and why washe waiting for him in the yew⁴ alley rather than in his own house?"“据我想象他恐惧的原因是来自沼地的。 如果是这样的话， 看来最可能的是： 只有一个被吓得神魂颠倒的人才会不向房子而向相反的方向跑。如果那吉卜赛人的证词可以被认为是真实的话， 他就是边跑边呼救命， 而他所跑的方向却正是最不可能得到救助的方向。 还有就是， 当晚他在等谁呢？ 为什么他要在水松夹道而不在自己的房子里等人呢？ ”

"You think that he was waiting for someone?"

“你认为他是在等人吗？ ”

"The man was elderly and infirm. We can understand his taking an evening stroll, but theground was damp and the night inclement⁵. Is it natural that he should stand for five or ten minutes,as Dr. Mortimer, with more practical sense than I should have given him credit for, deduced fromthe cigar ash?"“那人年事较长并且身体虚弱， 我们可以理解， 他会在傍晚时分散散步的； 可是地面潮湿而夜里又那样冷。 摩梯末医生的智慧确是值得我大大赞赏的； 他根据雪茄烟灰所得出的结论， 说明他竟站了五分钟或十分钟的时间， 难道这是很自然的事吗？ ”

"But he went out every evening."

“可是他每天晚上都出去啊！”

"I think it unlikely that he waited at the moor-gate every evening. On the contrary, theevidence is that he avoided the moor. That night he waited there. It was the night before he madehis departure for London. The thing takes shape, Watson. It becomes coherent. Might I ask you tohand me my violin, and we will postpone⁶ all further thought upon this business until we have hadthe advantage of meeting Dr. Mortimer and Sir Henry Baskerville in the morning."“我不以为他每天晚上都在通向沼地的门前伫立等待。 相反的， 有证据能说明他是躲避沼地的。 那天晚上他是在那里等过的， 而且是在他要出发到伦敦去的前一个晚上。 事情已经略具端倪了， 华生， 变得前后相符了。 请你把我的小提琴拿给我， 这件事等咱们明晨和摩梯末医生与亨利· 巴斯克维尔爵士见面时再进一步考虑吧。”

1 alley   

n.小巷，胡同；小径，小路

参考例句：

• We live in the same alley.我们住在同一条小巷里。
• The blind alley ended in a brick wall.这条死胡同的尽头是砖墙。

2 desperately   

adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地

参考例句：

• He was desperately seeking a way to see her again.他正拼命想办法再见她一面。
• He longed desperately to be back at home.他非常渴望回家。

3 moor   

n.荒野，沼泽；vt.(使)停泊；vi.停泊

参考例句：

• I decided to moor near some tourist boats.我决定在一些观光船附近停泊。
• There were hundreds of the old huts on the moor.沼地上有成百上千的古老的石屋。

4 yew   

n.紫杉属树木

参考例句：

• The leaves of yew trees are poisonous to cattle.紫杉树叶会令牛中毒。
• All parts of the yew tree are poisonous,including the berries.紫杉的各个部分都有毒，包括浆果。

5 inclement   

adj.严酷的，严厉的，恶劣的

参考例句：

• The inclement weather brought forth a host of diseases.恶劣的天气引起了种种疾病。
• They kept on going,even through the inclement weather.即使天气恶劣，他们还是执意要去。

6 postpone   

v.延期，推迟

参考例句：

• I shall postpone making a decision till I learn full particulars.在未获悉详情之前我得从缓作出决定。
• She decided to postpone the converastion for that evening.她决定当天晚上把谈话搁一搁。