巴斯克威尔的猎犬 梅利琵宅邸的主人斯台普吞（15）

 

　　I could not doubt that this was the Miss Stapleton of whom I had been told, since ladies of any sort must be few upon the moor¹, and I remembered that I had heard someone describe her asbeing a beauty. The woman who approached me was certainly that, and of a most uncommon² type.There could not have been a greater contrast between brother and sister, for Stapleton was neutraltinted, with light hair and gray eyes, while she was darker than any brunette whom I have seen inEngland -- slim, elegant, and tall. She had a proud, finely cut face, so regular that it might haveseemed impassive were it not for the sensitive mouth and the beautiful dark, eager eyes. With herperfect figure and elegant dress she was, indeed, a strange apparition³ upon a lonely moorland path.Her eyes were on her brother as I turned, and then she quickened her pace towards me. I hadraised my hat and was about to make some explanatory remark when her own words turned all mythoughts into a new channel.

　　我相信这位就是我曾听说过的斯台普吞小姐， 因为在沼地里太太小姐很少， 而且我还记得曾听人把她形容成是个美人。 向我走过来的这个女人， 的确是应归入最不平凡的类型的。

　　兄妹相貌的不同， 大概再也没有比这更显著的了。 斯台普吞的肤色适中， 长着淡色的头发和灰色的眼睛； 而她的肤色呢， 比我在英伦见过的任何深肤色型的女郎都更深， 身 材纤长， 仪态万方。 她生就一副高傲而美丽的面孔， 五官那样端正， 要不是配上善感的双唇和美丽的黑色而又热切的双眸的话就会显得冷淡了。 她有着完美的身段， 再加以高贵的衣着， 简直就象是寂静的沼地小路上的一个怪异的幽灵。 在我转过身 来的时候， 她正在看着她的哥哥， 随后她就快步向我走了过来。 我摘下了帽子正想说几句解释的话， 她的话就把我的思潮引进了一条新路。

　　"Go back!" she said. "Go straight back to London, instantly."“回去吧！” 她说道， “马上回到伦敦去， 马上就走。”

　　I could only stare at her in stupid surprise. Her eyes blazed at me, and she tapped the groundimpatiently with her foot.

　　我只能吃惊得发愣地盯着她。 她的眼对我发着火焰似的光芒， 一只脚不耐烦地在地上拍打着。

　　"Why should I go back?" I asked.

　　“我为什么就应该回去呢？ ” 我问道。

　　"I cannot explain." She spoke⁴ in a low, eager voice, with a curious lisp in her utterance⁵. "Butfor God's sake do what I ask you. Go back and never set foot upon the moor again."

　　“我不能解释。” 她的声音低微而恳切， 带有奇怪的大舌头似的声音，“可是看在上帝的面上， 按照我所请求您的那样做吧， 回去吧， 再也不要到沼地里来。”

　　"But I have only just come."

　　“可是我刚才来啊！”

1 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。

2 uncommon   

adj.罕见的，非凡的，不平常的

参考例句：

• Such attitudes were not at all uncommon thirty years ago.这些看法在30年前很常见。
• Phil has uncommon intelligence.菲尔智力超群。

3 apparition   

n.幽灵，神奇的现象

参考例句：

• He saw the apparition of his dead wife.他看见了他亡妻的幽灵。
• But the terror of this new apparition brought me to a stand.这新出现的幽灵吓得我站在那里一动也不敢动。

4 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

5 utterance   

n.用言语表达，话语，言语

参考例句：

• This utterance of his was greeted with bursts of uproarious laughter.他的讲话引起阵阵哄然大笑。
• My voice cleaves to my throat,and sob chokes my utterance.我的噪子哽咽，泣不成声。