工程师大拇指案 37一片火海(3)（在线收听）

The firemen had been much perturbed at the strange arrangements which they had found within,

消防队员们发现房子里面的布置很奇怪，感到很伤脑筋，

and still more so by discovering a newly severed human thumb upon a window-sill of the second floor.

更使他们不安的是在三楼的一个窗台上发现了一截刚被砍下来的大拇指。

About sunset, however, their efforts were at last successful, and they subdued the flames,

大约在日落西山的时候，他们才总算没有白费劲，终于控制了这场大火，

but not before the roof had fallen in, and the whole place been reduced to such absolute ruin that,

但是房顶已经烧塌了，整个现场已变成了一片废墟，

save some twisted cylinders and iron piping,

以至除了一些弯曲的气缸和铁管子外，

not a trace remained of the machinery which had cost our unfortunate acquaintance so dearly.

我们的不幸的朋友为之付出如此巨大代价的那台机器，竟没有留下任何其它的遗迹。

Large masses of nickel and of tin were discovered stored in an out-house, but no coins were to be found,

我们发现了贮藏在一间附属的外屋里的大量镍锭和锡锭，但却没有找到硬币，

which may have explained the presence of those bulky boxes which have been already referred to.

这情况也许可以说明为什么有上面提到的那些沉重的大箱子。

How our hydraulic engineer had been conveyed from the garden to the spot where he recovered his senses

我们这位水利工程师是如何从花园里被送到他恢复知觉的那个地方，

might have remained forever a mystery were it not for the soft mould, which told us a very plain tale.

可能会永远是个谜，如果不是那块松软的泥土给我们留下了清楚的足迹的话。

He had evidently been carried down by two persons, one of whom had remarkably small feet and the other unusually large ones.

显而易见他是被两个人抬过去的。一个人的脚异常小，另一个人的脚却大得出奇。

On the whole, it was most probable that the silent Englishman, being less bold or less murderous than his companion,

总的来说，很可能那个沉默寡言的英国人不像他的同伙那么胆大妄为，或者说不象他的同伙那么凶残，

had assisted the woman to bear the unconscious man out of the way of danger.

是他帮助那个女人把失去知觉的人抬离险地的。

"Well," said our engineer ruefully as we took our seats to return once more to London, "it has been a pretty business for me!

当我们再次坐上火车返回伦敦的时候，我们的这位工程师沮丧地说，"唉，这对我说来真是件糟糕的事情。

I have lost my thumb and I have lost a fifty-guinea fee, and what have I gained?"

我失去了我的大拇指，失去了五十畿尼的酬金，而我得到的是什么呢？"

"Experience," said Holmes, laughing. "Indirectly it may be of value, you know;

"经验！"福尔摩斯笑着说，"您要明白，间接地说这可能是有价值的；

you have only to put it into words to gain the reputation of being excellent company for the remainder of your existence."

只要这事一宣扬出去，在您今后的生活中，您的事务所就会获得很好的声誉。"