PART1 Chapter4 约翰·兰斯的叙述-双语名著无障碍阅读丛书——《福尔摩斯探案经典之血字的研究A Study in Scarlet》

Chater 4 What fohn Rance Had to Tell It was one o'clock when we left No. 3. Lauriston Gardens. Sherlock Holmes led me to the nearest telegraph office, whence he dispatched^{}a long telegram. He then hailed a cab, and ordered the driver to take us to the address given us by Lestrade. "There is nothing like first hand evidence," he remarked: "as a matter of fact, my mind is entirely made up upon the case, but still we may as well learr all that is to be learned." "You amaze me, Holmes," said I. "Surely you are not as sure as you pretend to be of all those particulars^{②}which you gave." "There's no room for a mistake," he answered. "The very first thing which I observed on arriving there was that a cab had made two ruts{} with its wheels close to the curb④. Now, up to last night, we have had no rain for a week, so that those wheels which left such a deep impression must have been there during the night. There were the marks of the horse's hoofs^{}, too, the outline of one of which was far more clearly cut than that of the other three, showing that that was a new shoe. Since the cab was there after the rain began, and was not there at any time during the morning-I have Gregson's word for that-it follows that it must have been there during the night, and therefore, that it .066. 第四章 的翰·兰斯的叙述 我们离开劳里斯顿花园三号时,已是下午一点钟 ① dispatch [di'spaetfl: 发H 了。夏洛克·福尔摩斯把我领到了最近的一家电报局, 他在那儿发了一封很长的电报。随后,他雇了辆马车 让车夫按菜斯特雷德给的地址送我们过去。 “没有什么比第一手材料更加重要的了,”他说 “实际上,本案我心里已经完全有数了,但是,我们还 是要把该了解的情况都了解一下。” “你让我吃惊啊,福尔摩斯,”我说,“毫无疑问 你对自己说出的那些细节,并不像你装出来的那样有把 ② particular Ipa'tikjulal n. 细 握。” ③rut Iratln. 车辙 “不可能出错的,”他回答说,“我一到那儿,注意 ④curb lka:b]n.(马路)键 到的第一件事情就是,紧挨着道路边上有两道车辙。 边 对啦,直到昨天夜间,已经有一个星期没有下过雨了。 所以昨夜一定有马车经过那里,才会留下那么深的车 hoof lhu:fln. 马蹄 辙。另外,还有马蹄的印迹,其中一只蹄印比另外三 只要清晰得多,说明这块蹄铁是新换的。下雨之后, 那里才有马车经过,而整个早上那里都没有见到一辆 马车一一这一点是格雷格森告诉我的,可见,马车是 晚上到那儿的,因此,就是这辆马车把那两个人送到 ·067. Chapter 4 what John Rance Had to Telf brought those two individuals to the house." "That seems simple enough," said I: "but how about the other man's height?" "Why, the height of a man, in nine cases out of ten, can be told from the length of his stride{}. It is a simple calculation enough, though there is no use my boring you with figures. I had this fellow's stride both on the clay outside and on the dust within. Then I had a way of checking my calculation. When a man writes on a wall, his instinct leads him to write about the level of his own eyes. Now that writing was just over six feet from the ground. It was child's play." "And his age?"I asked “Well, if a man can stride four and a-half feet without the smallest effort he can't be quite in the sere{②} and yellow. That was the breadth of a puddle{③} on the garden walk which he had evidently walked across. Patent-leather boots had gone round, and Square-toes had hopped{} over. There is no mystery about it at all. I am simply applying to ordinary life a few of those precepts of observation and deduction which I advocated in that article. Is there anything else that puzzles you?" "The finger nails and the Trichinopoly," I suggested "The writing on the wall was done with a man's forefinger dipped in blood. My glass allowed me to observe that the plaster{} was slightly scratched in doing it, which would not have been the case if the man's nail had been trimmed. I gathered up some scattered ash from the floor. It was dark in colou and flakey{-such an ash as is only made by a Trichinopoly. I have made a special study of cigar ashes-in fact, I have written a monograph^{} upon the subject. I flatter myself that I can distinguish at a glance the ash of any known brand. either of cigar or of tobacco. It is iust in such details that the skilled detective differs from the Gregson and Lestrade type." "And the florid^{} face?"I asked “Ah. that was a more daring shot, though I have no doubt that I was right .068. 第四章 约翰·兰斯的叙述 那嶂房子去的。” “这看起来够简单的,”我说,“但是,另外那个人 的身高又是怎么回事呢?” “啊,一个人的身高嘛,十之八九可以根据他的步 ① stride Istraidl n.步长 长推算出来。这是道够简单的计算题,但我现在一步步 教给你也无用。我从室外的泥土表面和室内的尘埃上获 取了那个人的步长。我有一种检测计算的办法,一个人 在墙上写字时,写字的高度会本能地与眼睛同高。他写 的字距离地面六英尺多,连小孩子都猜得出来。” “那他的年龄呢?”我问。 “是啊,如果一个人可以轻而易举地迈出四英尺半 的步长,说明他不可能是个面色蜡黄的干瘦老头。花园 ②sere siala. 干枯的 小径上的一个水坑就有那么宽,而他显然是迈步跨过去 ③puddle I'padll n. 水坑 的。穿漆皮靴的人是绕过去的,而穿方头靴的人却是跳 过去的。这里面没有什么玄妙不解的东西,我只不过是 ④hop lhoplv跳 把我那篇文章里提到的观察和推理,用于平常生活当中 罢了。你还有什么别的东西迷惑不解的吗?” “那手指甲和特里其雪茄烟呢?”我提议说。 “墙上的字是一个男人用食指蘸血写的。我用放大 镜观察到,他写字时把一些墙灰刮了下来。如果此人修 剪过指甲,那情况就不会是这样的。我还从地板上收集 plaster I'pla:staln. 墙灰 到一些散落的烟灰,颜色很深而且呈片状,只有特里其 雪茄的烟灰才呈现那个样子。我专门研究过雪茄烟灰的 特点一-事实上,我还就这个问题写过一篇专门的论文 flakey Ifleiki]a. 片状的 呢。我不谦虚地说,不管是雪茄还是烟卷,只要警上一 monograph I'monoqra:f] n 眼烟灰,任何知名品牌的烟我都可以识别出来。技艺高 专论 超的贞探之所以不同于格雷格森和菜斯特雷德之流,恰 恰就是这些细节。” “那红润的脸又是怎么回事呢?”我问。 “啊,那是个更大胆的推测了,不过我毫不怀疑 ⑧ florid 'flaridla 红红的 自己是正确的。眼下案件正在办中,这个问题你还是 ·069. Chapter 4 What lohn Rance Had to Teff You must not ask me that at the present state of the affair." I passed my hand over my brow. "My head is in a whirl^{}" I remarked: “the more one thinks of it the more mysterious it grows. How came these two men-if there were two men-into an empty house? What has become of the cabman who drove them? How could one man compel^{②} another to take poison? Where did the blood come from? What was the object of the murderer since robbery had no part in it? How came the woman's ring there? Aboye all. why should the second man write up the German word RACHE before decamping③}? I confess that I cannot see any possible way of reconciling all these facts." My companion smiled approvingly. "You sum up the difficulties of the situation succinctly④ and well," he said."There is much that is still obscure, though I have quite made up my mind on the main facts. As to poor Lestrade's discovery, it was simply a blind intended to put the police upon a wrong track, by suggesting Socialism and secret societies. It was not done by a German. The A, if you noticed, was printed somewhat after the German fashion. Now, a real German invariably prints in the Latin character, so that we may safely say that this was not written by one, but by a clumsy{ imitator who overdid his part. It was simply a ruse to divert inquiry into a wrong channel. I'm not going to tell you much more of the case, Doctor. You know a conjurer*} gets no credit when once he has explained his trick, and if I show you too much of my method of working, you will come to the conclusion that I am a very ordinary individual after all." "I shall never do that." I answered: "you have brought detection as near an exact science as it ever will be brought in this world." My companion flushed up with pleasure at my words, and the earnest way in which I uttered them. I had already observed that he was as sensitive to flattery} on the score of his art as any girl could be of her beauty. "I'll tell you one other thing,"he said. "Patent leathers and Square- .070· 第四章 约翰·兰斯的叙述 别问了吧。” ①whirl lhwa:ll n. 旋轼 我一只手放在自已额头上。“我都晕头转向了,”我 说,“越想越觉得案件扑朔迷离。那两个人怎么--如 果真有两个人的话-一会进入到那憧空房子里去呢?把 他们送到那儿去的马车夫怎么样了呢?其中一个人如何 ②compel lkam'pellv 强迫 能迫使另一个人服毒呢?血是哪来的?既然凶手不是图 财害命,那他的杀人动机是什么?女式结婚戒指是哪儿 来的?最重要的是,凶手逃离现场前为何要用德文写下 ③ decamp ldi'kaempl v 逃走 “复仇'呢?我承认,自已无法把这一切事联起来。” 我同伴会心地露出了微笑。 “你完整地总结了案件存在的难点,简明而又准 确,”他说,“含糊不清的地方还有很多,不过我对主要 ④ succinctly [sok'sinktlil ad 简洁地 的事实都已经了然于心了。至于可怜的菜斯特雷德的那 个发现,那纯粹就是个障眼法,目的是为了转移警方的 视线,暗示那是社会党或秘密团体所为。血字并不是德 国人写的。如果你注意了一下的话,会发现A有点模仿 德文体写上去的。但是真正的德国人总是会使用拉丁字 体的,所以,我们可以很有把握地说,这不是德国人的 手迹,而是个拙劣的模仿者所为,不过模仿得过了头 clumsy I'klAmzil a. 笨拙 的 了。这只不过是个诡异仗俩而已,目的是要把调查的方 向引入歧途。关于案件,我不能对你说更多情况了。要 conjurer Ikandgaral n. 魔 术师 知道,一位魔术师如果把自已的戏法说穿了,那就得不 到人们的喝彩了。如果我把破方法全都讲给你听,你 会得出结论,说我也只不过是个平凡之辈而已。” “我才不会那么说呢,”我回答说,“你把破工作 建立成了世界上一门精准的科学了。” 我同伴听到我这么一说,而且说得极为诚恳,高兴 得涨红了脸了。我已经注意到了,他非常敏感,很爱听 别人称赞他的破艺术,就像姑娘喜爱听人家赞扬其美 flattery I'flaetoril n. 奉承话 貌一样。 “我告诉你另外一个情况,”他说,“穿漆革靴子的 ·071· Chapter 4 what John Rance Had to Telfl toes came in the same cab, and they walked down the pathway together as friendly as possible-arm-in-arm, in all probability. When they got inside they walked up and down the room-or rather, Patent-leathers stood stil while Sauare-toes walked up and down. I could read all that in the dust: and I could read that as he walked he grew more and more excited. That is shown by the increased length of his strides. He was talking all the while and working himself up, no doubt, into a fury^{①}. Then the tragedy occurred. I've told you all I know myself now, for the rest is mere surmise②} and conjecture③. We have a good working basis, however, on which to start. We must hurry up, for I want to go to Halle's concert to hear Norman Neruda this afternoon." This conversation had occurred while our cab had been threading its way through a long succession of dingy streets and dreary④ byways. In the dingiest and dreariest of them our driver suddenly came to a stand. "That's Audley Cour in there." he said. pointing to a narrow slit in the line of dead-coloured brick "You'll find me here when you come back." Audley Court was not an attractive locality. The narrow passage led us into a quadrangle paved with flags and lined by sordid dwellings. We picked our way among groups of dirty children, and through lines of discoloured linen, until we came to Number 46, the door of which was decorated with a small slip of brass on which the name Rance was engraved On inauiry we found that the constable was in bed. and we were shown intc a little front parlour to await his coming He appeared presently, looking a little irritable{ at being disturbed in his slumbers^{}."I made my report at the office,"he said. Holmes took a half-sovereign from his pocket and played with it pensively “We thought that we should like to hear it all from your own lips."he said "I shall be most happy to tell you anything I can." the constable answered with his eyes upon the little golden disc .072· 第四章 约翰·兰斯的叙述 人和穿方头靴子的人乘同一辆马车到达那儿,然后一同 顺着花园小径行走,显得再友好不过了--很可能是手 挽着手。他们进屋之后,便在室内来回走着一或者 说,穿着漆革靴子的站着没动,而穿方头靴子的则来回 走着。这个情况是我根据尘土上的脚印判断出来的。而 且我还看出了,他越走心里越激动,这一点从他步伐的 ① fury I'fiuariln. 狂怒 加大可以看出。他一直不停地在说着话,然后冒火了, 毫无疑问,最后怒不可遏,悲剧便发生了。现在我都把 ② surmise [sa'maizl n. 猜测 ③ conjecture lkan'dgektfol n 自己知道的全部情况告诉你啦,其余的只是些猜测而 猜测 已。不过,我们一开始就有了个好基础。我们得抓紧时 间,因为下午我还要去哈勒音乐会听诺尔曼·聂鲁达演 奏呢。” 我们说着这些话时,马车一直在穿街走巷地行进 ④dreary Idriorila. 沉闷的 着,穿过了一条条航脏漫长、阴郁沉闷的街道。在一处 最最航脏阴沉的地方,车夫突然停住了马车。“那边就 是奥德利庭院,”车夫说,一边指着一排深暗色的砖墙 处一个狭窄的入口,“你们返回时,到这儿来找我。” 奥德利庭院是个毫不起眼的所在。我们穿过了狭窄 quadrangle ['kwodraengll 的过道,来到了一座方形的院落,里面的地面是石板铺 n.四方院子 的,四周是些鄙陋的住房。我们从一群脏兮兮的孩子中 间挤过,又钻过一排排晒的褪色的衣服,找到了四十六 号,门上钉着一个小铜牌,上面刻着兰斯的名字。一打 听,才知道警察还在床上睡觉呢。于是,我们被领进一 间小接待室候着他。 他很快就出现了,由于打断了他的好梦,看上去有 irritable I'iritabll a. 易怒 点不爽。“我已经向局里报告过了,”他说。 的 slumber I'slAmbol n. 熟睡 福尔摩斯从衣服口袋里拘出一个半镑的金币,若有 所思地把玩着。“我们很想听听您亲口给我们讲述事情 的经过,”他说。 “我很乐意把自已知道的一切情况告诉您,”警察回 答说,两眼紧紧盯住那枚小小的金币。 ·073· Chapter 4 what John Rance Had to Teff "Just let us hear it all in your own way as it occurred." Rance sat down on the horsehair sofa, and knitted his brows as though determined not to omit^{ anything in his narrative. "I'll tell it ye from the beginning." he said. "My time is from ten at night to six in the morning. At eleven there was a fight at the 'White Hart': but ba that all was guiet enough on the beat. At one o'clock it began to rain, and I met Harry Murcherhim who has the Holland Grove beat-and we stood togethe at the corner of Henrietta Street a-talkin'. Presently-maybe about two or a little after-I thought I would take a look round and see that all was right down the Brixton Road. It was precious dirty and lonely. Not a soul did I meet all the way down, though a cab or two went past me. I was a strollin' down, thinkin' between ourselyes how uncommon handy a four of gin hot would be. when suddenly the glint^{②} of a light caught my eye in the window of that same house. Now, I knew that them two houses in Lauriston Gardens was empty on account of him that owns them who won't have the drains③ seen to, though the very last tenant^{} what lived in one of them died o' typhoid^{} fever. I was knocked all in a heap{* therefore, at seeing a light in the window, and I suspected as something was wrong. When I got to the door-" "You stopped, and then walked back to the garden gate," my companion interrupted. "What did you do that for?" Rance gave a violent jump, and stared at Sherlock Holmes with the utmost amazement upon his features. “Why, that's true, sir."he said: "though how you come to know it. Heaver only knows, Ye see, when I got up to the door it was so still and so lonesome that I thought I'd be none the worse for some one with me. I ain't afeared of anything on this side o' the grave: but I thought that maybe it was him that died o the typhoid inspecting the drains what killed him. The thought gave me a kind o'turn, and I walked back to the gate to see if I could see Murcher's lantern, but there wasn't no sign of him nor of anyone else." ·074· 第四章 约翰·兰斯的叙述 “那您就按照自己的方式把事情的经过讲给我们 听吧。” ①omit au'mit]v 省略 兰斯在马毛沙发上坐了下来,眉头紧锁,像是在下 定决心,确保叙述中不遗漏掉任何情节。 “我从刚一开始时讲起,”他说,“我值班的时间是 从夜间十点钟到早晨六点钟。夜间十一点钟时,白鹿 酒馆'有人在斗殿。但除此之外,我的整个巡逻期间 都很平静的。一点钟时,天开始下雨了。我遇到了哈 里·默切尔-他在荷兰树林区一带巡逻-我们两个 站在亨利埃塔街的拐角处聊天。紧接着可能是两点钟 或者两点钟过一点点--我觉得自已要转过头看一看 布里克斯顿大街是否一切正常。那条街特别航脏,特别 僻静。我一路上都没有遇见一个人,不过身边有一两辆 ②glint lalintln. 闪光 马车经过。我一边溜达,一边寻思着,如果能来杯温热 的杜松子酒该多爽啊。这时,我警见了那房子的窗户 ③ drain ldreinln. 下水道 里透出灯光。啊,我知道,劳里斯顿花园的那两嶂房子 ④ tenant I'tenant] n. 房客 typhoid I'taifoidl n. 伤寒 一直空着,因为房东一直没请人把下水道修好。即使其 heap lhi:pl n. 堆积 中一嶂房子的上一任房客得伤寒病死了,他也不愿意 修。所以,看到窗口里有灯光,我吓了一大跳,怀疑情 况不对头。当我到达门口时” “您停住了脚步,然后转身走回到花园门口,”我同 伴打断了他的话,“您为何要那样做呢?” 兰斯猛然跳了起来,目不转晴看着福尔摩斯,一脸 的惊讶。 “啊,确实如此,先生,”他说,“但您是怎么知道的 呢?只有上帝才知道啊!您看,当我到达门口边时,周围 十分安静,十分凄凉,我觉得,最好还是找个人来陪着自 己。在这个世界上,我没有什么可害怕的,但自已当时想 到,说不定是那个死于伤寒病的房客回来检查那段害得他 丢了性命的下水道吧。这个念头吓得我怔了一下,于是转 身返回到花园门口边,看看是不是还可以看见默切尔的提 .075·