Chapter1 夏洛克·福尔摩斯先生-双语名著无障碍阅读丛书——《福尔摩斯探案经典之巴斯克维尔的猎犬The Hound of the Baskervilles》

4 珠 7 Chapter 1 Mr.Sherlock Holmes Mr.Sherlock Holmes,who was usually very late in the mornings,save upon those not infrequent occasions when he was up all night,was seated at the breakfast table.I stood upon the hearth-rug and picked up the stick which our visitor had left behind him the night before.It was a fine,thick piece of wood, bulbous-headed,of the sort which is known as a"Penang lawyer."Just under the head was a broad silver band,nearly an inch across."To James Mortimer, M.R.C.S.,from his friends of the C.C.H.,"was engraved upon it,with the date "1884."It was just such a stick as the old-fashioned family practitioner used to carry-dignified,solid,and reassuring “Well,Watson,.what do you make of⑤it?” Holmes was sitting with his back to me,and I had given him no sign of my occupation. "How did you know what I was doing?I believe you have eyes in the back of your head." "I have,at least,a well-polished,silver-plated coffee-pot in front of me," said he."But,tell me,Watson,what do you make of our visitor's stick?Since we have been so unfortunate as to miss him and have no notion of his errand, this accidental souvenir becomes of importance.Let me hear you reconstruct the man by an examination of it." "I think,"said I,following as far as I could the methods of my companion, "that Dr.Mortimer is a successful,elderly medical man,well-esteemed,since those who know him give him this mark of their appreciation®，” ·002· 第一章夏洛克·福尔摩斯先生 @save{seiv]conf.除了 夏洛克·福尔摩斯先生坐在餐桌边用早餐。他除了 那些并不在少数的彻夜不眠的日子之外，早晨通常很晚 起床。我站在壁炉前的地毯上，拿起了头天晚上我们的 客人落下的手杖。这是一根木制手杖，制作精巧，很有 分量，顶端呈圆球状，木料产于槟榔屿，叫做“山槟榔 ②bulbous ['bAlbas]a.球茎 的，鳞茎状的，鼓凸 木手杖”。靠近手杖顶端处扎了一圈很宽的银箍，差不 的 多有一英寸宽，上面刻着“赠予MR.C.S詹姆斯·莫蒂 默，C.C.H.的朋友们敬赠”字样，还附上了“1884”这 practitioner [prak'tifono] :（尤指医生、律师等) 个日期。这种手杖通常是那种旧式私人医生使用的 开业者；从业者 显得高贵儒雅，沉稳体面，温和友爱。 ④reassuring【ri:ofuorinl a. 安慰的：鼓励的 “对啦，华生，你怎么看这根手杖呢？” ③make of对…有某种看 福尔摩斯背朝我坐着，再说，我先前并没有弄出什 法：理解；解释 么动静来。 “你怎么知道我在干什么事情呢？我看你的后脑勺 上也长了一双眼睛吧。” “我面前至少还摆着一把锃亮的镀银咖啡壶吧，”他 说，“不过，请告诉我，华生，你从我们客人的手杖上 ⑥errand['erand]n.特殊的 都看出了什么端倪呢？很遗憾啊，我们没能见到手杖的 任务，使命 主人，也就不知道他此行的目的，因此，这件意外的纪 念物就至关重要了。你已经细心地观察过手杖了，给我 描述一下它主人的情况吧。” ⑦esteem [i'sti:mlk尊敬， “我觉得，”我说，尽可能遵循我同伴的推理方法， 尊重 appreciation [opri:fieifan] “这位莫蒂默医生必定在医学上成就卓著，接近老年， n感激，感谢 所以，那些认识他的人土这才把这个纪念物赠送给了 ·003· Chapter 1 Mr.Sherlock Holmes “Good!”said Holmes.“Excellent!” "I think also that the probability is in favour of his being a country practitioner who does a great deal of his visiting on foot." “Why so? "Because this stick,though originally a very handsome one,has been so knocked about that I can hardly imagine a town practitioner carrying it.The thick iron ferrule is worn down,so it is evident that he has done a great amount of walking with it." "Perfectly sound!"said Holmes. "And then again,there is the 'friends of the C.C.H.'I should guess that to be the Something Hunt,the local hunt to whose members he has possibly given some surgical assistance,and which has made him a small presentation in return.” "Really,Watson,you excel yourself,"said Holmes,pushing back his chair and lighting a cigarette."I am bound to say that in all the accountswhich you have been so good as to give of my own small achievements you have habitually underrated your own abilities.It may be that you are not yourself luminous,but you are a conductor of light.Some people without possessing genius have a remarkable power of stimulating it.I confess,my dear fellow, that I am very much in your debt." He had never said as much before,and I must admit that his words gave me keen pleasure,for I had often been piqued by his indifference to my admiration and to the attempts which I had made to give publicity to his methods.I was proud,too,to think that I had so far mastered his system as to apply it in a way which earned his approval.He now took the stick from my hands and examined it for a few minutes with his naked eyes.Then with an expression of interest he laid down his cigarette,and carrying the cane to the window,he looked over it again with a convex lens. "Interesting,though elementary,"said he as he returned to his favourite corner of the settee."There are certainly one or two indications upon the stick. It gives us the basis for several deductions." "Has anything escaped me?"I asked with some self-importance."I trust that there is nothing of consequence which I have overlooked ? ·004· 第一葷 夏洛克·福尔摩斯先生【 他，以表达他们的敬意。” “很好！”福尔摩斯说，“好极了！” “我还觉得，他很可能是一位在乡村行医的医生， 出诊时，多数时候要靠步行。” “何以见得？” “因为这根手杖原本很漂亮，但现在下端已经被敲 ferruleI'feru:lm.(伞 碰得很厉害了，我很难想象一位在城里行医的医生会携 棍、棒等工具顶端的】 金属箍，金属环，金属 带这样一根手杖。包在下端的厚铁包头也已经磨损了， 包头 很显然，他曾经拄着手杖走很远的路程。” ②evident'evidant]n,显而 见的，明显的，显然 “很有道理啊！”福尔摩斯说。 的 “还有就是，上面还刻着‘C.C.H的朋友们'。于是 ③hunt [hAnt]m.猎区，猎 场 我猜测，那是当地的一个狩猎协会，他很可能曾经给该 presentation [.prezon'tei 协会的会员提供过一些外科救助，因此，他们送了这件 nln,礼物，赠品 ⑤excel[ik'selV(在成就 小礼物给他以表谢意。” 等方面)优于，胜过， “实际上，华生，你真了不起啊，”福尔摩斯说着， 超过 ⑥be bound to应当，理 把椅子向后推了一下，点燃一支烟，“我必须得说，你 应：有义务要 在费脑伤神叙述我的那些微不足道的所谓成就时，总是 ⑦account la'kaunt]n.记 述：报道；记事 习惯性地忽略了你自己的本领。你可能本身并不能发 ⑧underrate [Ando'reit)v低 光，但一定是个光的传导体。有些人自身并没有什么天 估 luminous ['lju:minas]a. 分，但却有着非凡的激发天分的能力。我承认，亲爱的 发光的，发亮的 朋友，我真是幸亏有了你啊。” keen[ki:nla.(感觉)强 烈的，激烈的，深切的 他可从未说过我这么多好话啊。我承认，他的话 ①pique [pi:k]k使生气： 令我听了很受用，因为我先前每每对他表露饮佩之意并 伤害…的自尊心 且试图将他的推理方法公之于众时，他总是抱着不以为 然的态度。我琢磨着，自己现在已经掌握了他的那套方 法，而且还在实际中较好地加以运用了，所以这才得到 了他的赞许。想到这儿，我心里洋溢着自豪感。这时， 他把手杖从我的手里拿了过去，用肉跟审视了几分钟。 随即显露出一副兴致勃勃的神情，他放下手里的烟卷， convex [kon'veks]a.凸面 拿起手杖走到窗前，再用放大镜仔细观察起来。 的，凸形的，凸圆的 “虽说简单，但挺有意思啊，”他说着，坐回到了长 椅上他喜爱的那一角，“手杖上的确有一两处能够说明 问题的地方，我们可以据此做出几点推断。” “我遗漏了什么情况吗？”我问，有点自以为是， 8 overlook【ouvo'luk】'漏 “我相信，没有忽略掉重要的情况吧？” 看：忽视，忽略 “亲爱的华生，你的结论恐怕大多数都不正确呢！ ·005· Chapter 1 Mr.Sherlock Holmes "I am afraid,my dear Watson,that most of your conclusions were erroneous.When I said that you stimulated me I meant,to be frank,that in noting your fallacies I was occasionally guided towards the truth.Not that you are entirely wrong in this instance.The man is certainly a country practitioner.And he walks a good deal." "Then I was right.” "To that extent.” “But that was all..” "No,no,my dear Watson,not all-by no means all.I would suggest,for example,that a presentation to a doctor is more likely to come from a hospital than from a hunt,and that when the initials 'C.C.'are placed before that hospital the words 'Charing Cross'very naturally suggest themselves." “You may be right." "The probability lies in that direction.And if we take this as a working hypothesis we have a fresh basis from which to start our construction of this unknown visitor..” "Well,then,supposing that 'C.C.H.'does stand for 'Charing Cross Hospital,'what further inferences may we draw?" "Do none suggest themselves?You know my methods.Apply them!" "I can only think of the obvious conclusion that the man has practised in town before going to the country." "I think that we might venture a little farther than this.Look at it in this light.On what occasion would it be most probable that such a presentation would be made?When would his friends unite to give him a pledge of their good will?Obviously at the moment when Dr.Mortimer withdrew from the service of the hospital in order to start in practice for himself.We know there has been a presentation.We believe there has been a change from a town hospital to a country practice.Is it,then,stretching our inference too far to say that the presentation was on the occasion of the change?" "It certainly seems probable." "Now,you will observe that he could not have been on the staff of the hospital,since only a man well-established in a London practice could hold such a position,and such a one would not drift into the country.What was he, ·006· 第一童夏洛克·福尔摩斯先生 坦率地说，我刚才说你激发了我的灵感，其真正的含意 ①erroncous [i'rounios]a.含 有（或基于）错误的， 是，通过发现你的谬误之处，我可以偶尔找到真相。但 逐误的，不正确的 这并不是说你这次完全错了。那人肯定是一位在乡村行 ②note[nout以注意，留心 ③fallacy['faclosil n.瀑见， 医的医生，他确实要步行走很远的路程。” 错误 “那我就是说对了。” “仅在这个方面。” “但是，全部情况也就这么多啊。” ④extent [ik'stent]n.程度： 限度 “不，不，亲爱的华生，根本不是全部—绝对不 是全部。我给你提示一下，比如说，给一位医生赠送纪 念品的人很有可能是医院的，而不是什么狩猎协会的。 而在医院(Hospital)前面加上字母C.C.自然就是查令十 字(Charing Cross)两个单词的首字母了。” “你或许是对的。” “有这方面的可能性。如果我们把这当成一种有效 的假设，那就有了一个推测我们的客人身份的新依据 hypothesis [hai poBisis]n. 了。” 假说，假设 “行啊，我们就假定C.C.H代表查令十字医院，那 又如何据此做进一步的推断呢？” “难道没有一点结论凸显出来吗？你了解我的推理 方法，使用一下吧！” “我只能得出一个显而易见的结论，那就是，那人 先是在城里行医，然后才到乡村去的。” “我觉得，我们可以大胆地往深里探讨一下这个问 题。如此看来，我们就要考虑，这件纪念品最有可能是 在什么样的情形下赠送出的呢？他那些朋友在什么时候 @pledge [pled3]n.信物， 会联合赠送给他一件礼物以表达他们良好的祝愿呢？很 祝愿 显然，是在莫蒂默医生辞去医院职务，去当开业医生 ⑦withdraw [wio'drp:]k离 开，退 时。我们听说过有这种馈赠的情况。我们相信，他是从 城里医院转到乡下行医的。那么，我们由此推断该礼物 正是在他事业转变之时送给他的，这应该不算太牵强 吧？” “看起来确实有这种可能啊。” “是啊，你会注意到，他不可能是一名医院的主治 医师，因为只有在伦敦行医相当有名望的人才能享有这 样的地位，但这样的人是不会流落到乡村的。那么，他 是做什么的呢？如果他是在医院工作，但又不在主治医 ·007· Chapter 1 Mr.Sherlock Holmes then?If he was in the hospital and yet not on the staff he could only have been a house-surgeon or a house-physician-little more than a senior student.And he left five years ago-the date is on the stick.So your grave,middle-aged family practitioner vanishes into thin air,my dear Watson,and there emerges a young fellow under thirty,amiable,unambitious,absent-minded,and the possessor of a favourite dog,which I should describe roughly as being larger than a terrier②and smaller than a mastiff.” I laughed incredulouslyas Sherlock Holmes leaned back in his settee and blew little wavering rings of smoke up to the ceiling. “As to the latter part,,I have no means of checking⑤you,”said I,“but at least it is not difficult to find out a few particulars about the man's age and professional career."From my small medical shelf I took down the Medical Directory and turned up the name.There were several Mortimers,but only one who could be our visitor.I read his record aloud. "Mortimer,James,M.R.C.S.,1882,Grimpen,Dartmoor,Devon. House-surgeon,from 1882 to 1884,at Charing Cross Hospital.Winner of the Jackson prize for Comparative Pathology,with essay entitled 'Is Disease a Reversion?'Corresponding member of the Swedish Pathological Society.Author of 'Some Freaks of Atavism'(LANCET, 1882).'Do We Progress?'(JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGY,March,1883). Medical Officer for the parishes of Grimpen,Thorsley,and High Barrow." "No mention of that local hunt,Watson,"said Holmes with a mischievous smile,"but a country doctor,as you very astutely observed.I think that I am fairly justified in my inferences.As to the adjectives,I said,if I remember right, amiable,unambitious,and absent-minded.It is my experience that it is only an amiable man in this world who receives testimonials,only an unambitious one who abandons a London career for the country,and only an absent-minded one who leaves his stick and not his visiting-card after waiting an hour in your room." “And the dog?m "Has been in the habit of carrying this stick behind his master.Being a heavy stick the dog has held it tightly by the middle,and the marks of his teeth ·008· 第一章夏洛克·福尔摩新先生 师之列，那他就只可能是一个外科住院医生，或者是内 科住院医生一地位和医学院高年级的学生差不多。况 且，他是在五年前离开医院的—这一日期被刻在手杖 上了。因此，亲爱的华生，你推测的那位神情庄重的中 年家庭诊所医生就化为乌有了，取而代之的是一一位三十 D amiable['eimjabll a.令人 愉悦的，悦人的，友善 岁不到的青年人。他亲切和蔼，缺少抱负，健忘马虎， 的 还养了一条心爱的犬，我可以大致描述出犬的体型比狸 ②terrier['teria]m.理犬 ③mastiff [mastif],（耳 犬大，但比獒犬小。” 唇下垂的)猛犬，獒 我满腹狐疑，哈哈笑了起来。夏洛克·福尔摩斯则 ④incredulous [in'kredjulos】 a不相信的：怀疑的 靠在他的长椅上，对着天花板吐着飘荡不定的小烟圈。 @check【tek],检查，检 “至于后面那部分，我无法核实你是否准确，”我 验 说，“但我们至少可以根据他的年龄和从业经历来找出 几个可能的对象，这一点是不难做到的。”我从放医学 书籍的小书架上把那本医疗手册拿下来，翻到了人名栏 所在的页码。里面有好几位姓莫蒂默的医生，但与我们 的来客情况相仿的却只有一位。我大声念出了有关他的 记载： “詹姆斯·莫蒂默，德文郡达特穆尔的格林彭人， 1882年成为皇家外科医师学会的会员，1882至1884年期 间在查令十字医院任外科住院医生。因撰写了题为《疾 病会隔代遗传吗？》的论文而获得杰克逊比较病理学 奖，是瑞典病理学协会的通讯会员。曾撰写过《几种隔 代遗传的畸形症》(1882年刊载于《柳叶刀》)，《我们在 前进吗？》(1883年3月刊载于《心理学学刊》)，并担任 过格林彭、索斯利和高冈等教区的医务官。 “没提到那个当地的狩猎协会吧，华生，”福尔摩斯 ⑤astute【b'stju:ta.精明 说，揶输地微笑着，“但正如你目光敏锐地观察到的那 的，机敏的，敏锐的 样，他是个乡村医生。我认为自己的推论是站得住脚的。 至于那几个形容词，如果我没记错的话，我用的是‘亲 切和蔼，缺少抱负，健忘马虎'。因为以我的经验来看， testimonial Ltesti'mouniol] n纪念品 在这个世界上，只有待人亲切和蔼的人才能收到纪念品， 只有安于现状且不贪功名的人才会放弃伦敦的事业，而 跑到乡下去，也只有健忘马虎的人才会在你屋里等了 个小时后，没留下自己的名片，却落下了自己的手杖。” “那条犬呢？ “它养成了叼着手杖跟在主人后面的习惯。因为这 ·009· Chapter 1 Mr.Sherlock Holmes are very plainly visible.The dog's jaw,as shown in the space between these marks,is too broad in my opinion for a terrier and not broad enough for a mastiff.It may have been-yes,by Jove,it is a curly-haired spaniel." He had risen and paced the room as he spoke.Now he halted in the recess of the window.There was such a ring of conviction in his voice that I glanced up in surprise. "My dear fellow,how can you possibly be so sure of that?" "For the very simple reason that I see the dog himself on our very door- step,and there is the ring of its owner.Don't move,I beg you,Watson.He is a professional brother of yours,and your presence may be of assistance to me. Now is the dramatic moment of fate,Watson,when you hear a step upon the stair which is walking into your life,and you know not whether for good or ill. What does Dr.James Mortimer,the man of science,ask of Sherlock Holmes, the specialist in crime?Come in!" The appearance of our visitor was a surprise to me,since I had expected a typical country practitioner.He was a very tall,thin man,with a long nose like a beak,which jutted out between two keen,gray eyes,set closely together and sparkling brightly from behind a pair of gold-rimmed glasses.He was clad in a professional but rather slovenly fashion,for his frock-coat was dingy and his trousers frayed.Though young,his long back was already bowed, and he walked with a forward thrust of his head and a general air of peering benevolence.As he entered his eyes fell upon the stick in Holmes's hand,and he ran towards it with an exclamation of joy."I am so very glad,"said he."I was not sure whether I had left it here or in the Shipping Office.I would not lose that stick for the world." “A presentation,Isee,”said Holmes. “Yes,sir.” "From Charing Cross Hospital?" "From one or two friends there on the occasion of my marriage." "Dear,dear,that's bad!"said Holmes,shaking his head Dr.Mortimer blinked through his glasses in mild astonishment. “Why was it bad?” "Only that you have disarranged our little deductions.Your marriage, ·010·