巴斯克维尔的猎犬 华生医生的第一份报告（1）

　　Chapter 8 - First Report of Dr. Watson

　　第八章 华生医生的第一份报告

　　From this point onward¹ I will follow the course of events by transcribing² my own letters toMr. Sherlock Holmes which lie before me on the table. One page is missing, but otherwise theyare exactly as written and show my feelings and suspicions of the moment more accurately³ thanmy memory, clear as it is upon these tragic⁴ events, can possibly do.

　　从此以后， 我要按照事情发生的前后， 把放在我面前的桌子上的、 我写给歇洛克· 福尔摩斯先生的信件抄录下来。 虽然其中一篇已经遗失， 但我相信我现在所写的内容与事实绝无出入。 我对这些可悲的事件记忆得很清楚， 可是这些信总还是能更准确地说明我当时的感觉和怀疑的。

　　Baskerville Hall, October 13th.

　　寄自巴斯克维尔庄园十月十三日

　　My dear Holmes:

　　我亲爱的福尔摩斯：

　　My previous letters and telegrams have kept you pretty well up to date as to all that hasoccurred in this most God-forsaken corner of the world. The longer one stays here the more doesthe spirit of the moor⁵ sink into one's soul, its vastness, and also its grim charm. When you are onceout upon its bosom⁶ you have left all traces of modern England behind you, but, on the other hand,you are conscious everywhere of the homes and the work of the prehistoric⁷ people. On all sides ofyou as you walk are the houses of these forgotten folk, with their graves and the huge monolithswhich are supposed to have marked their temples. As you look at their gray stone huts against thescarred hillsides you leave your own age behind you, and if you were to see a skin-clad, hairy mancrawl out from the low door fitting a flint-tipped arrow on to the string of his bow, you wouid feelthat his presence there was more natural than your own. The strange thing is that they should havelived so thickly on what must always have been most unfruitful soil. I am no antiquarian, but Icould imagine that they were some unwarlike and harried⁸ race who were forced to accept thatwhich none other would occupy.

　　我以前发的信和电报， 谅已使你及时地了 解了在这个最荒凉的角落里所发生的一切。 一个人在这里呆得愈久， 沼地的神貌就会愈深地渗入你的心灵， 它是那样的广大， 具有那样可怕的魔力。 只要你一到了 沼地的中心， 你就要看不到近代英国的丝毫的痕迹了： 可是另一方面， 你在这里到处都能看到史前人的房屋和劳动成果。 在你散步的时候， 四周都是这些被人遗忘的人们的房屋， 还有他们的坟墓和粗大的石柱， 这些石柱， 可能就标明了 他们的庙宇之所在。 当你在斑驳的山坡上看到那些用灰色岩石建成的小屋的时候， 你就会忘记你现在所处的年代了， 如果你竟看到从低矮的门洞里爬出一个身 披兽皮、 毛发茸茸的人， 将燧石箭头的箭搭在弓弦上， 你会感到他的出现比你本人在这里还要自然得多呢。 奇怪的倒是在这一直都是最贫瘠的土地上， 他们竟会住得那样稠密。 我并不是个考古学家， 可是我能想象得出， 他们都是些不喜争斗而受人蹂躏的种族， 被迫接受了这块谁也不愿居住的地方。

 

1 onward   

adj.向前的，前进的；adv.向前，前进，在先

参考例句：

• The Yellow River surges onward like ten thousand horses galloping.黄河以万马奔腾之势滚滚向前。
• He followed in the steps of forerunners and marched onward.他跟随着先辈的足迹前进。

2 transcribing   

（用不同的录音手段）转录( transcribe的现在分词 )； 改编（乐曲）（以适应他种乐器或声部）； 抄写； 用音标标出（声音）

参考例句：

• They continue to remove molecules until the cell stops transcribing the gene. 他们继续除去分子，直到细胞不再转录基因为止。
• Q: Can I use Voice-to-Text software to help with the transcribing? 问：我能使用声音-到-本文的软件帮助转换吗？

3 accurately   

adv.准确地，精确地

参考例句：

• It is hard to hit the ball accurately.准确地击中球很难。
• Now scientists can forecast the weather accurately.现在科学家们能准确地预报天气。

4 tragic   

adj.悲剧的，悲剧性的，悲惨的

参考例句：

• The effect of the pollution on the beaches is absolutely tragic.污染海滩后果可悲。
• Charles was a man doomed to tragic issues.查理是个注定不得善终的人。

5 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。

6 bosom   

n.胸，胸部；胸怀；内心；adj.亲密的

参考例句：

• She drew a little book from her bosom.她从怀里取出一本小册子。
• A dark jealousy stirred in his bosom.他内心生出一阵恶毒的嫉妒。

7 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。

8 harried   

v.使苦恼( harry的过去式和过去分词 )；不断烦扰；一再袭击；侵扰

参考例句：

• She has been harried by the press all week. 整个星期她都受到新闻界的不断烦扰。
• The soldiers harried the enemy out of the country. 士兵们不断作骚扰性的攻击直至把敌人赶出国境为止。 来自《简明英汉词典》