巴斯克维尔的猎犬 岩岗上的人（18）

 

　　For a minute I stood there with the paper in my hands thinking out the meaning of this curtmessage. It was I, then, and not Sir Henry, who was being aogged by this secret man. He had notfollowed me himself, but he had set an agent -- the boy, perhaps -- upon my track, and this was hisreport. Possibly I had taken no step since I had been upon the moor which had not been observedand reported. Always there was this feeling of an unseen force, a fine net drawn round us withinfinite skill and delicacy, holding us so lightly that it was only at some supreme moment that onerealized that one was indeed-entangled in its meshes.

　　我手里拿着那张纸， 在那里站了足有一分钟之久， 思考这张短信的寓意何在。 那么说这个秘密的人所跟踪的并不是亨利爵士而是我了 。 他并没有亲自对我跟踪， 而是派了一个人——也许就是那个孩子——跟着我， 这就是他所写的报告。 可能从我到了沼地以来， 没有一步行动是未被他看到并报告了上去的。我总感觉到有一股看不见的力量， 象一张密密的网似的，无比巧妙地围住了我们， 把我们拢得这样松， 是为了到极端紧要的关头时， 才让我们知道自己真的已被纠缠在网眼里了。

　　If there was one report there might be others, so I looked round the hut in search of them.

　　There was no trace, however, of anything of the kind, nor could I discover any sign which mightindicate the character or intentions of the man who lived in this singular place, save that he mustbe of Spartan habits and cared little for the comforts of life. When I thought of the heavy rains andlooked at the gaping roof I understood how strong and immutable must be the purpose which hadkept him in that inhospitable abode. Was he our malignant enemy, or was he by chance ourguardian angel? I swore that I would not leave the hut until I knew.

　　既然有了一份报告， 就可能还有， 于是我就在屋里到处搜寻起来。 可是毫无踪影， 也没有发现任何足以说明住在这个奇怪地方的人的特点和意图的迹象。 只有一点可以确定， 就是他一定有着斯巴达人式的习惯， 对生活中的舒适不大介意。 我看了看这开着大口的屋顶， 再想一想那天的倾盆大雨， 就更深切地了解到他那要想达到目的的意志是多么地坚定不移， 正因为有了这样的意志， 他才能住在这种不舒适的地方。 他真是我们的狠毒的敌人呢， 还是正巧是保护我们的天使呢？ 我下了决心， 不弄清一切， 决不离开这小屋。