四签名 50贝克街的侦探小队（3）

"A wooden-legged man?" said Holmes with bland¹ surprise.

福尔摩斯惊讶地问道：“一个装木腿的人？"

"Yes, sir, a brown, monkey-faced chap that's called more'n once for my old man.

"是呀，先生！一个猴头猴脑的小子，来过不止一次，

It was him that roused him up yesternight,

昨天晚上就是他把我老伴从床上叫起来的。

and, what's more, my man knew he was comin', for he had steam up in the launch.

还有，我老伴在事前就知道他要来，因为他已经把汽船升火等着了。

I tell you straight, sir, I don't feel easy in my mind about it."

先生，我老实告诉您，我实在是不放心。"

"But, my dear Mrs. Smith," said Holmes, shrugging his shoulders,

福尔摩斯耸肩说道：“可是我亲爱的斯密司太太，

"you are frightening yourself about nothing.

您不用自己瞎着急。

How could you possibly tell that it was the wooden-legged man who came in the night?

您怎么知道昨天晚上来的就是那个装木腿的人呢？

I don't quite understand how you can be so sure."

我不明白怎么您就肯定是他呢？"

"His voice, sir. I knew his voice, which is kind o' thick and foggy.

"先生，听他那样粗重模糊的口音，我就知道了。

He tapped at the winder--about three it would be.

他弹了几下窗--那时大概是三点钟

'Show a leg, matey,' says he: 'time to turn out guard.'

说道：'伙计，快起来，咱们该走了！'

My old man woke up Jim--that's my eldest--and away they went without so much as a word to me.

我老伴把吉姆--我的大儿子也叫醒了，没有跟我说一个字，他们爷俩就走了。

I could hear the wooden leg clackin' on the stones."

我还听见那只木腿走在石头上的声音呢。"

"And was this wooden-legged man alone?"

"来的就是那装木腿的一个人，没有同伴吗？"

"Couldn't say, I am sure, sir. I didn't hear no one else."

"先生，我说不清，我没有听见还有别人。"

"I am sorry, Mrs. Smith, for I wanted a steam launch,

"斯密司太太，太不巧啦，我想租一只汽船，

and I have heard good reports of the...Let me see, what is her name?"

因为我老早就听说过这只……让我想想！这只船叫……？"

"The Aurora², sir."

"先生，船名叫'曙光'。"

"Ah! She's not that old green launch with a yellow line, very broad in the beam?"

"啊！是不是那只绿色的、船帮上画着宽宽的黄线的旧船？"

"No, indeed. She's as trim a little thing as any on the river.

"不，不是。是跟在河上常见的整洁的小船一样，

She's been fresh painted, black with two red streaks³."

新刷的油，黑色船身上画着两条红线。"

"Thanks. I hope that you will hear soon from Mr. Smith.

"谢谢您，我希望斯密司先生不久就能回来了。

I am going down the river, and if I should see anything of the Aurora I shall let him know that you are uneasy.

我现在往下游去，如果碰到'曙光'号，我就告诉他您在惦记着他。

A black funnel⁴, you say?"

您方才说，那只船的烟囱是黑的吗？"

"No, sir. Black with a white band."

"不是，是有白线的黑烟囱。"

"Ah, of course. It was the sides which were black. Good-morning, Mrs. Smith.

"啊，对了，那船身是黑色的。斯密司太太，再见吧！

There is a boatman here with a wherry, Watson.

华生，那儿有一只小舢板，

We shall take it and cross the river."

叫他把咱们渡到河那边去。"

1 bland   

adj.淡而无味的，温和的，无刺激性的

参考例句：

• He eats bland food because of his stomach trouble.他因胃病而吃清淡的食物。
• This soup is too bland for me.这汤我喝起来偏淡。

2 aurora   

n.极光

参考例句：

• The aurora is one of nature's most awesome spectacles.极光是自然界最可畏的奇观之一。
• Over the polar regions we should see aurora.在极地高空,我们会看到极光。

3 streaks   

n.（与周围有所不同的）条纹( streak的名词复数 )；（通常指不好的）特征（倾向）；（不断经历成功或失败的）一段时期v.快速移动( streak的第三人称单数 )；使布满条纹

参考例句：

• streaks of grey in her hair 她头上的绺绺白发
• Bacon has streaks of fat and streaks of lean. 咸肉中有几层肥的和几层瘦的。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

4 funnel   

n.漏斗；烟囱；v.汇集

参考例句：

• He poured the petrol into the car through a funnel.他用一个漏斗把汽油灌入汽车。
• I like the ship with a yellow funnel.我喜欢那条有黄烟囱的船。