四签名 34福尔摩斯作出判断（3）

"What is your theory, then, as to those footmarks?" I asked eagerly when we had regained¹ the lower room once more.

我们回到下面屋里，我急急问道："你对于那些脚印的见解是怎样的呢？"

"My dear Watson, try a little analysis yourself," said he with a touch of impatience².

他有些不耐烦地答道："华生，请你自己分析分析吧。

"You know my methods. Apply them, and it will be instructive to compare results."

你知道我的方法，依法实践，然后咱们互相参证结论，彼此也可以多得些经验。"

"I cannot conceive anything which will cover the facts," I answered.

我回答道："在这些事实上面，我想不出什么来。"

"It will be clear enough to you soon," he said, in an offhand³ way.

他不假思索地说道："不久就会完全明白了。

"I think that there is nothing else of importance here, but I will look."

我想这里也许没有什么重要之处了，但是我还要看一看。"

He whipped out his lens and a tape measure and hurried about the room on his knees,

他拿出他的放大镜和气尺，跪在地上。

measuring, comparing, examining, with his long thin nose only a few inches from the planks⁴ and his beady eyes gleaming and deep-set like those of a bird.

他那细长的鼻子，离地只有几英寸，他那圆溜溜发光的眼睛和鸟眼一般。他在屋里来回地度量、比较和察看着。

So swift, silent, and furtive⁵ were his movements, like those of a trained bloodhound picking out a scent⁶,

他那动作的敏捷、无声和鬼祟真象一只熟练的猎犬在找寻气味。

that I could not but think what a terrible criminal he would have made had he turned his energy and sagacity against the law instead of exerting them in its defence.

我不禁联想到：如果他把精力和聪明不用于维护法律而去犯法的话，他会变成一个多么可怕的罪犯啊！

As he hunted about, he kept muttering to himself, and finally he broke out into a loud crow of delight.

他一面侦查，一面自言自语着，最后他突然发出一阵欢喜的呼声。

"We are certainly in luck," said he. "We ought to have very little trouble now.

他说："咱们真走运，问题不大了。

Number One has had the misfortune to tread in the creosote.

第一个人不幸踏在木馏油上面。

You can see the outline of the edge of his small foot here at the side of this evil-smelling mess.

你可以看见，在这难闻的东西的右边，有他的小脚印。

The carboy has been cracked, you see, and the stuff has leaked out."

这盛油的瓶子裂了，里边的东西流了出来。"

"What then?" I asked.

我问道："这又作什么解释呢？"

"Why, we have got him, that's all," said he. "I know a dog that would follow that scent to the world's end.

他道："没有别的，不过咱们就要捉到他罢了。我知道：一只狗凭着嗅觉能够顺着气味寻到尽头；

If a pack can track a trailed herring across a shire,

狼群循着气味就可以找到食物，

how far can a specially⁷ trained hound follow so pungent⁸ a smell as this?

那么一只经过特别训练的猎犬追寻这么强烈的气味，不是更容易吗？

It sounds like a sum in the rule of three. The answer should give us the...

这是个定理，结果定然是...

But hallo! here are the accredited⁹ representatives of the law."

可是，喂！警察们到了。"

Heavy steps and the clamour of loud voices were audible from below, and the hall door shut with a loud crash.

从下面传来了沉重的脚步声、谈话声和关门的声音。

1 regained   

复得( regain的过去式和过去分词 )； 赢回； 重回； 复至某地

参考例句：

• The majority of the people in the world have regained their liberty. 世界上大多数人已重获自由。
• She hesitated briefly but quickly regained her poise. 她犹豫片刻，但很快恢复了镇静。

2 impatience   

n.不耐烦，急躁

参考例句：

• He expressed impatience at the slow rate of progress.进展缓慢，他显得不耐烦。
• He gave a stamp of impatience.他不耐烦地跺脚。

3 offhand   

adj.临时，无准备的；随便，马虎的

参考例句：

• I can't answer your request offhand.我不能随便答复你的要求。
• I wouldn't want to say what I thought about it offhand.我不愿意随便说我关于这事的想法。

4 planks   

（厚）木板( plank的名词复数 )； 政纲条目，政策要点

参考例句：

• The house was built solidly of rough wooden planks. 这房子是用粗木板牢固地建造的。
• We sawed the log into planks. 我们把木头锯成了木板。

5 furtive   

adj.鬼鬼崇崇的，偷偷摸摸的

参考例句：

• The teacher was suspicious of the student's furtive behaviour during the exam.老师怀疑这个学生在考试时有偷偷摸摸的行为。
• His furtive behaviour aroused our suspicion.他鬼鬼祟祟的行为引起了我们的怀疑。

6 scent   

n.气味，香味，香水，线索，嗅觉；v.嗅，发觉

参考例句：

• The air was filled with the scent of lilac.空气中弥漫着丁香花的芬芳。
• The flowers give off a heady scent at night.这些花晚上散发出醉人的芳香。

7 specially   

adv.特定地；特殊地；明确地

参考例句：

• They are specially packaged so that they stack easily.它们经过特别包装以便于堆放。
• The machine was designed specially for demolishing old buildings.这种机器是专为拆毁旧楼房而设计的。

8 pungent   

adj.（气味、味道）刺激性的，辛辣的；尖锐的

参考例句：

• The article is written in a pungent style.文章写得泼辣。
• Its pungent smell can choke terrorists and force them out of their hideouts.它的刺激性气味会令恐怖分子窒息，迫使他们从藏身地点逃脱出来。

9 accredited   

adj.可接受的；可信任的；公认的；质量合格的v.相信( accredit的过去式和过去分词 )；委托；委任；把…归结于

参考例句：

• The discovery of distillation is usually accredited to the Arabs of the 11th century. 通常认为，蒸馏法是阿拉伯人在11世纪发明的。
• Only accredited journalists were allowed entry. 只有正式认可的记者才获准入内。