五个桔核 14神秘来信(8)

In this sinister¹ way I came into my inheritance.

在这种不祥的情况下，我继承了遗产。

You will ask me why I did not dispose of it?

您会问我为什么不把它卖掉。

I answer, because I was well convinced that our troubles were in some way dependent upon an incident in my uncle's life,

我的回答是：因为我深信，我们家的灾难在一定程度上是由我伯父生前的某种意外事故所决定的，

and that the danger would be as pressing in one house as in another.

所以不管是在这所房子里，还是在另一所房子里，祸事必将同样紧紧地威胁着我们。

It was in January, '85, that my poor father met his end, and two years and eight months have elapsed since then.

我父亲是在一八八五年一月惨遭不幸的，至今已两年八个月了。

During that time I have lived happily at Horsham,

在这段时间内，我在霍尔舍姆的生活还是幸福的。

福尔摩斯探案集 五个桔核

and I had begun to hope that this curse had passed away from the family,

我已开始抱着这种希望：灾祸业已远离我家，

and that it had ended with the last generation.

它已与我的上一代人一起告终了。

I had begun to take comfort too soon, however;

谁知这样的自我安慰还为时过早。

yesterday morning the blow fell in the very shape in which it had come upon my father."

昨天早上，灾祸又临门了，情况和我父亲当年经历的一模一样。"

The young man took from his waistcoat a crumpled² envelope,

那年轻人从背心的口袋里取出一个揉皱了的信封，

and turning to the table he shook out upon it five little dried orange pips.

走向桌旁，他摇落在桌上五个又小又干的桔核。

"This is the envelope," he continued. "The postmark is London–eastern division.

"这就是那个信封，"他继续说道，"邮戳盖的是伦敦东区。

Within are the very words which were upon my father's last message: 'K. K. K.'; and then 'Put the papers on the sundial.'"

信封里还是我父亲接到的最后一封信里的几个字：'K.K．K'。然后是'把文件放在日晷仪上'。"

1 sinister   

adj.不吉利的，凶恶的，左边的

参考例句：

• There is something sinister at the back of that series of crimes.在这一系列罪行背后有险恶的阴谋。
• Their proposals are all worthless and designed out of sinister motives.他们的建议不仅一钱不值，而且包藏祸心。

2 crumpled   

adj. 弯扭的, 变皱的 动词crumple的过去式和过去分词形式

参考例句：

• She crumpled the letter up into a ball and threw it on the fire. 她把那封信揉成一团扔进了火里。
• She flattened out the crumpled letter on the desk. 她在写字台上把皱巴巴的信展平。