巴斯克威尔的猎犬 梅利琵宅邸的主人斯台普吞（14）

　　"What are they? Sheep-pens?"

　　“是什么呢， 是羊圈吗？ ”

　　"No, they are the homes of our worthy¹ ancestors. Prehistoric² man lived thickly on the moor³,and as no one in particular has lived there since, we find all his little arrangements exactly as heleft them. These are his wigwams with the roofs off. You can even see his hearth⁴ and his couch ifyou have the curiosity to go inside.

　　“不， 那是咱们可敬的祖先的住处， 在史前时期住在沼地里的人很多， 因为从那时以后再没有人在那里住过， 所以我们看到的那些安排的细微之处还和他们离开房子以前一模一样。 那些是他们的缺了房顶的小屋。 如果您竟因为好奇而到里面去走一趟的话， 您还能看到他们的炉灶和床呢。”

　　"But it is quite a town. When was it inhabited?"“真够个市镇的规模呢。 在什么时候还有人住过呢？ ”

　　"Neolithic⁵ man -- no date."

　　“大约在新石器时代——没有确实的年代可考。”

　　"What did he do?"

　　“他们那时干些什么呢？ ”

　　"He grazed his cattle on these slopes, and he learned to dig for tin when the bronze swordbegan to supersede⁶ the stone axe⁷. Look at the great trench⁸ in the opposite hill. That is his mark.Yes, you will find some very singular points about the moor, Dr. Watson. Oh, excuse me an instant!It is surely Cyclopides."

　　“他们在这些山坡上牧放牛群， 当青铜的刀开始代替石斧的时候， 他们就学会了 开掘锡矿。 您看对面山上的壕沟， 那就是挖掘的遗迹。 是的， 华生医生， 您会发现沼地的一些很特别的地方的， 噢， 对不起， 请等一会儿！ 一定是赛克罗派德大飞蛾。”

　　A small fly or moth⁹ had fluttered across our path, and in an instant Stapleton was rushingwith extraordinary energy and speed in pursuit of it. To my dismay the creature flew straight forthe great mire¹⁰, and my acquaintance never paused for an instant, bounding from tuft to tuft behindit, his green net waving in the air. His gray clothes and jerky, zigzag¹¹, irregular progress made himnot unlike some huge moth himself. I was standing¹² watching his pursuit with a mixture ofadmiration for his extraordinary activity and fear lest he should lose his footing in the treacherousmire when I heard the sound of steps and, turning round, found a woman near me upon the path.She had come from the direction in which the plume¹³ of smoke indicated the position of MerripitHouse, but the dip of the moor had hid her until she was quite close.

　　一只不知是蝇还是蛾的东西横过了 小路， 翩翩地飞了过去， 顷刻之间斯台普吞就以少有的力量和速度扑了过去。 使我大吃一惊的是， 那只小动物竟一直向大泥潭飞了过去， 而我的朋友却挥舞着他那绿色的网兜， 一步不停地在一丛丛小树中间跳跃前进着。 他穿着灰色的衣服， 加以猛然纵跳、 曲折前进的动作， 使他本身看来就宛如一只大飞蛾。 我怀着既羡慕他那敏捷异常的动作又害怕他会在那莫测深浅的泥潭里失足的复杂心情， 站在那里望着他往前追去。 由于听到了脚步声， 我转过身来， 看到在离我不远的路边有一个女子， 她是从浮游着一抹烟雾、 说明是梅利琵所在之处的方向来的， 因为一直被沼地的洼处遮着， 所以直到她走得很近时才被我发现。

1 worthy   

adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的

参考例句：

• I did not esteem him to be worthy of trust.我认为他不值得信赖。
• There occurred nothing that was worthy to be mentioned.没有值得一提的事发生。

2 prehistoric   

adj.（有记载的）历史以前的，史前的，古老的

参考例句：

• They have found prehistoric remains.他们发现了史前遗迹。
• It was rather like an exhibition of prehistoric electronic equipment.这儿倒像是在展览古老的电子设备。

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 hearth   

n.壁炉炉床，壁炉地面

参考例句：

• She came and sat in a chair before the hearth.她走过来，在炉子前面的椅子上坐下。
• She comes to the hearth,and switches on the electric light there.她走到壁炉那里，打开电灯。

5 neolithic   

adj.新石器时代的

参考例句：

• Cattle were first domesticated in Neolithic times.新石器时代有人开始驯养牛。
• The monument was Stone Age or Neolithic.该纪念碑是属于石器时代或新石器时代的。

6 supersede   

v.替代；充任

参考例句：

• We must supersede old machines by new ones.我们必须以新机器取代旧机器。
• The use of robots will someday supersede manual labor.机器人的使用有一天会取代人力。

7 axe   

n.斧子；v.用斧头砍，削减

参考例句：

• Be careful with that sharp axe.那把斧子很锋利，你要当心。
• The edge of this axe has turned.这把斧子卷了刃了。

8 trench   

n./v.(挖)沟，(挖)战壕

参考例句：

• The soldiers recaptured their trench.兵士夺回了战壕。
• The troops received orders to trench the outpost.部队接到命令在前哨周围筑壕加强防卫。

9 moth   

n.蛾，蛀虫

参考例句：

• A moth was fluttering round the lamp.有一只蛾子扑打着翅膀绕着灯飞。
• The sweater is moth-eaten.毛衣让蛀虫咬坏了。

10 mire   

n.泥沼，泥泞；v.使...陷于泥泞，使...陷入困境

参考例句：

• I don't want my son's good name dragged through the mire.我不想使我儿子的名誉扫地。
• He has rescued me from the mire of misery.他把我从苦海里救了出来。

11 zigzag   

n.曲折，之字形；adj.曲折的，锯齿形的；adv.曲折地，成锯齿形地；vt.使曲折；vi.曲折前行

参考例句：

• The lightning made a zigzag in the sky.闪电在天空划出一道Z字形。
• The path runs zigzag up the hill.小径向山顶蜿蜒盘旋。

12 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

13 plume   

n.羽毛；v.整理羽毛，骚首弄姿，用羽毛装饰

参考例句：

• Her hat was adorned with a plume.她帽子上饰着羽毛。
• He does not plume himself on these achievements.他并不因这些成就而自夸。