四签名 30樱沼别墅的惨案（5）（在线收听）

Sherlock Holmes bent down to it and instantly rose again with a sharp intaking of the breath.

歇洛克·福尔摩斯弯下腰从钥匙孔往里看了看，立刻又站起来，倒吸了一大口气。

"There is something devilish in this, Watson," said he, more moved than I had ever before seen him. "What do you make of it?"

我从来没有看见过他这样激动。他说："华生，这儿确实是有点可怕，你来看看这是怎么一回事。"

I stooped to the hole and recoiled in horror.

我从钥匙孔往里一望，吓得我立刻缩了回来。

Moonlight was streaming into the room, and it was bright with a vague and shifty radiance.

淡淡的月光直照屋内，隐约中有一张好象挂在半空中的脸

Looking straight at me and suspended, as it were, in the air, for all beneath was in shadow,

在向我注视，脸以下都浸在黑影里。

there hung a face–the very face of our companion Thaddeus.

这个脸和我们的伙伴塞笛厄斯的脸完全一样，

There was the same high, shining head, the same circular bristle of red hair, the same bloodless countenance.

同样的光亮的秃顶，同样的一撮红发，同样的无血色的脸，可是表情是死板板的。

The features were set, however, in a horrible smile, a fixed and unnatural grin,

一种可怕的狞笑，一种不自然露出牙齿的笑。

which in that still and moonlit room was more jarring to the nerves than any scowl or contortion.

在这样沉寂和月光照耀之下的屋里，看到这样的笑脸，比看到愁眉苦脸的样子更使人毛骨悚然。

So like was the face to that of our little friend that I looked round at him to make sure that he was indeed with us.

屋里的脸这样同我们那矮小的朋友相像，我不免回过头来看看他是否还在身边。

Then I recalled to mind that he had mentioned to us that his brother and he were twins.

我忽然又想起来他曾经说过，他和他哥哥是孪生兄弟。

"This is terrible!" I said to Holmes. "What is to be done?"

我向福尔摩斯说道："这太可怕啦，怎么办呢？"

"The door must come down," he answered, and springing against it, he put all his weight upon the lock.

他答道："门一定要打开。"说着就对着门跳上去，把全身重量都加到锁上。

It creaked and groaned but did not yield.

门响了响，可是没有推开。

Together we flung ourselves upon it once more, and this time it gave way with a sudden snap,

我们就一起合力猛冲，这次砰的一声，门锁断了，

and we found ourselves within Bartholomew Sholto's chamber.

我们已进入了巴索洛谬的屋里。

It appeared to have been fitted up as a chemical laboratory.

这间屋子收拾得好象是化学试验室。

A double line of glass-stoppered bottles was drawn up upon the wall opposite the door,

对着门的墙上摆着两层带玻璃塞的玻璃瓶子。

and the table was littered over with Bunsen burners, test-tubes, and retorts.

桌子上摆满了本生灯、试验管和蒸馏气。

In the corners stood carboys of acid in wicker baskets.

墙的一角有许多盛着酸类的瓶子，外面笼着藤络。

One of these appeared to leak or to have been broken, for a stream of dark- coloured liquid had trickled out from it,

其中一个似乎已经破漏，流出来一股黑色的液体。

and the air was heavy with a peculiarly pungent, tarlike odour.

空气中充满了一种特别刺鼻的柏油气味。

A set of steps stood at one side of the room in the midst of a litter of lath and plaster,

屋的一边，在一堆散乱的板条和灰泥上，立着一副梯子，

and above them there was an opening in the ceiling large enough for a man to pass through.

梯子上面的天花板上有一个洞，大小可以容人出入。

At the foot of the steps a long coil of rope was thrown carelessly together.

梯子下面有一卷长绳，零乱地盘放在地上。

By the table in a wooden armchair the master of the house was seated all in a heap,

在桌子旁边的一张有扶手的木椅上，坐着房间的主人，

with his head sunk upon his left shoulder and that ghastly, inscrutable smile upon his face.

头歪在左肩上，面露惨笑。他已变得僵冷，显然是已经死去很久了。

He was stiff and cold and had clearly been dead many hours.

看来不只他的面孔表情特别，

It seemed to me that not only his features but all his limbs were twisted and turned in the most fantastic fashion.

就是他的四肢也蜷曲得和正常死人不同。

By his hand upon the table there lay a peculiar instrument–a brown, close-grained stick,

他那扶在桌子上的一只手旁边，放着一个奇怪的器具

with a stone head like a hammer, rudely lashed on with coarse twine.

一个粗糙的棕色木棒，上面用粗麻线捆着一块石头，象是一把锤子。

Beside it was a torn sheet of note-paper with some words scrawled upon it.

旁边放着一张从记事簿上撕下来的破纸，上边潦草地写着几个字。