巴斯克维尔的猎犬 岩岗上的人（13）

 

　　"Some poaching case, no doubt?" said I with an indifferent manner~“肯定是件偷猎的案子吧？ ” 我带着漠不关心的神气说道。

　　"Ha, ha, my boy, a very much more important matter than that! What about the convict on themoor?"

　　“啊哈， 老兄， 是一件比这重要得多的事啊！ 在沼地里的那个犯人怎么样了 ？ ”

　　I stared. "You don't mean that you know where he is?" said I.

　　我听了大吃一惊。“难道说您知道他在哪里吗？ ” 我说道。

　　"I may not know exactly where he is, but I am quite sure that I could help the police to laytheir hands on him. Has it never struck you that the way to catch that man was to find out wherehe got his food and so trace it to him?"

　　“虽然我并不知道他确实是在哪里， 可是我肯定地知道， 我能帮助警察把他抓住。 难道您从没有想到过抓这个人的办法就是先找出他从哪里弄到食物， 然后再根据这条线索去找到他吗？ ”

　　He certainly seemed to be getting uncomfortably near the truth. "No doubt," said I; "but howdo you know that he is anywhere upon the moor?"他的话确已愈加使人不安地接近了 事实。“当然罗， ” 我说道， “可是您怎么知道他确实是在沼地里呢？ ”

　　"I know it because I have seen with my own eyes the messenger who takes him his food."“我知道， 因为我亲眼看到过那个给他送饭的人。”

　　My heart sank for Barrymore. It was a serious thing to be in the power of this spiteful oldbusybody. But his next remark took a weight from my mind.

　　我为白瑞摩担起心来。 被这样一个专好惹是生非、 爱管闲事的老头抓住了 小辫， 确是一件很可怕的事。 可是他底下那句话又使我感到如释重负了。

　　"You'll be surprised to hear that his food is taken to him by a child. I see him every daythrough my telescope upon the roof. He passes along the same path at the same hour, and to whomshould he be going except to the convict?"“当您听到他的食物是一个小孩给他送去的时候， 您一定会感吃惊吧。 我每天都从屋顶上的那架望远镜里看到他， 他每天都在同一时间走过同一条道路； 除了 到那罪犯那里去之外，他还会到谁那里去呢？ ”

　　Here was luck indeed! And yet I suppressed all appearance of interest. A child! Barrymorehad said that our unknown was supplied by a boy. It was on his track, and not upon the convict's,that Frankland had stumbled. If I could get his knowledge it might save me a long and weary hunt.

　　But incredulity and indifference were evidently my strongest cards.

　　这可真是运气！ 我抑制住自己对这件事感觉兴趣的一切表现。 一个小孩！ 白瑞摩曾经说过， 我们弄不清楚的那个人是由一个小孩给他送东西的。 弗兰克兰所发现的是他的线索， 而不是那逃犯的线索。 如果我能从那里了解到他所知道的事， 就可以省得我作长久而疲惫的追踪了。 可是， 显然我还必须对此表示怀疑和淡漠。