福爾摩斯探案集·血字的研究 第13期:勞瑞斯頓花園街的慘案(1)

Chapter 3

第三章

THE LAURISTON GARDEN MYSTERY

勞瑞斯頓花園街的慘案

I CONFESS that I was considerably startled by this fresh proof of the practical nature of my companion's theories.

我同伴的理論的實(shí)踐性又一次得到了證明。我承認(rèn)，

My respect for his powers of analysis increased wondrously.

這確實(shí)使我大吃一驚，因此我對(duì)他的分析能力也就更加欽佩了。

There still remained some lurking suspicion in my mind, however,

但是在我心中仍然潛藏著某些懷疑，

that the whole thing was a prearranged episode, intended to dazzle me,

唯恐這是他事先布置好的圈套，打算捉弄我一下；

though what earthly object he could have in taking me in was past my comprehension.

至于捉弄我的目的何在，我就不能理解了。

When I looked at him, he had finished reading the note,

當(dāng)我瞧著他的時(shí)候，他已讀完來信，

and his eyes had assumed the vacant, lack-lustre expression which showed mental abstraction.

兩眼茫然出神，若有所思。

"How in the world did you deduce that?" I asked.

我問道："你怎么推斷出來的呢？"

"Deduce what?" said he, petulantly.

他粗聲粗平地問道："推斷什么？"

"Why, that he was a retired sergeant of Marines."

"嗯，你怎么知道他是個(gè)退伍的海軍陸戰(zhàn)隊(duì)的軍曹呢？"

"I have no time for trifles," he answered, brusquely;

"我沒有工夫談這些瑣碎的事，"他粗魯?shù)鼗卮鹫f，

then with a smile, "Excuse my rudeness. You broke the thread of my thoughts; but perhaps it is as well.

然后又微笑著說，"請(qǐng)?jiān)徫业臒o禮。你把我的思路打斷了，但這不要緊。

So you actually were not able to see that that man was a sergeant of Marines?"

那么說，你真的看不出他曾是個(gè)海軍陸戰(zhàn)隊(duì)的軍曹嗎？"

"No, indeed."

"真的看不出。"

"It was easier to know it than to explain why I know it.

"了解這件事是比較容易的，可是要說明我怎樣了解它的，卻不是那么簡單。

If you were asked to prove that two and two made four, you might find some difficulty,

如果要你證明二加二等于四，你不免要覺得有些困難了，

and yet you are quite sure of the fact.

然而你卻知道這是無可懷疑的事實(shí)。

Even across the street I could see a great blue anchor tattooed on the back of the fellow's hand.

我隔著一條街就看見這個(gè)人手背上刺著一只藍(lán)色大錨，這是海員的特征。

That smacked of the sea. He had a military carriage, however, and regulation side whiskers.

況且他的舉止又頗有軍人品概，留著軍人式的絡(luò)腮胡子；因此，我們就可以說，他是個(gè)海軍陸戰(zhàn)隊(duì)員。

There we have the marine. He was a man with some amount of self-importance and a certain air of command.

他的態(tài)度有些自高自大，而且?guī)в幸恍┌l(fā)號(hào)施令的神氣。

You must have observed the way in which he held his head and swung his cane.

你一定也看到他那副昂首揮杖的姿態(tài)了吧。

A steady, respectable, middle-aged man, too, on the face of him---all facts which led me to believe that he had been a sergeant."

從他的外表上看來，他又是一個(gè)既穩(wěn)健而又莊重的中年人---所以根據(jù)這些情況，我就相信他當(dāng)過軍曹。"

"Wonderful!" I ejaculated.

我情不自禁地喊道："妙極了！"

"Commonplace," said Holmes,

"這也平淡無奇，"福爾摩斯說。

though I thought from his expression that he was pleased at my evident surprise and admiration.

但是，從他的臉上的表情看來，我認(rèn)為他見到我十分驚訝、并且流露出欽佩的神情，他也感到很高興。

"I said just now that there were no criminals. It appears that I am wrong---look at this!"

"我剛才還說沒有罪犯，看來我是說錯(cuò)了---看看這個(gè)！"

He threw me over the note which the commissionaire had brought.

他說著就把送來的那封短信扔到我的面前。

"Why," I cried, as I cast my eye over it, "this is terrible!"

"哎呀，"我草草地看了一下，不由地叫了起來，"這真可怕！"

"It does seem to be a little out of the common," he remarked, calmly.

他很鎮(zhèn)靜地說："這件事看來確實(shí)不尋常。

"Would you mind reading it to me aloud?"

請(qǐng)你大聲地把信給我念一念好嗎？"

This is the letter which I read to him,

下面就是我念給他聽的那封信：

"MY DEAR MR.S HERLOCK HOLMES:

親愛的福爾摩斯先生：

"There has been a bad business during the night at 3, Lauriston Gardens, off the Brixton Road.

昨夜，在布瑞克斯頓路的盡頭、勞瑞斯頓花園街３號(hào)發(fā)生了一件兇殺案。

Our man on the beat saw a light there about two in the morning,

今晨兩點(diǎn)鐘左右，巡邏警察忽見該處有燈光，

and as the house was an empty one, suspected that something was amiss.

因素悉該房無人居住，故而懷疑出了什么差錯(cuò)。

He found the door open, and in the front room, which is bare of furniture,

該巡警發(fā)現(xiàn)房門大開，前室空無一物，

discovered the body of a gentleman, well dressed, and having cards in his pocket bearing the name of 'Enoch J. Drebber,Cleveland,Ohio,U.S.A.'

中有男尸一具。該尸衣著齊整，袋中裝有名片，上有"伊瑙克·錐伯，美國俄亥俄州克利夫蘭城人"等字樣。

There had been no robbery, nor is there any evidence as to how the man met his death.

既無被搶劫跡象，亦未發(fā)現(xiàn)任何能說明致死原因之證據(jù)。

There are marks of blood in the room, but there is no wound upon his person.

屋中雖有幾處血跡，但死者身上并無傷痕。

We are at a loss as to how he came into the empty house; indeed, the whole affair is a puzzler.

死者如何進(jìn)入空屋，我們百思莫解，深感此案棘手之至。

If you can come round to the house any time before twelve, you will find me there.

至希在十二時(shí)以前惠臨該處，我將在此恭候。

I have left everything in statu quo until I hear from you.

在接奉回示前，現(xiàn)場(chǎng)一切均將保持原狀。

If you are unable to come, I shall give you fuller details,

如果不能蒞臨，亦必將詳情奉告，

and would esteem it a great kindness if you would favour me with your opinions.

倘蒙指教，則不勝感荷之至。

"Yours faithfully,TOBIAS GREGSON."

特白厄斯·葛萊森上。