福爾摩斯探案集·血字的研究 第27期:廣告引來了不速之客(3)

I went to my bedroom and followed his advice.

我回到臥室，照他的話去做了準(zhǔn)備。

When I returned with the pistol, the table had been cleared,

當(dāng)我拿著手槍出來的時候，只見餐桌已經(jīng)收拾干凈，

and Holmes was engaged in his favourite occupation of scraping upon his violin.

福爾摩斯正在擺弄著他心愛的玩意兒---信手撥弄著他的提琴。

"The plot thickens," he said, as I entered;

我進來時，福爾摩斯說："案情越來越有眉目了。

"I have just had an answer to my American telegram.

我發(fā)往美國的電報，剛剛得到了回電，

My view of the case is the correct one."

證明我對這個案子的看法是正確的。"

"And that is– –?" I asked eagerly.

我急忙問道："是那樣嗎？"

"My fiddle would be the better for new strings," he remarked.

"我的提琴換上新弦就更好了，"福爾摩斯說，

"Put your pistol in your pocket. When the fellow comes, speak to him in an ordinary way.

"你把手槍放在衣袋里。那個家伙進來的時候，你要用平常的語起跟他談話，

Leave the rest to me. Don't frighten him by looking at him too hard."

別的我來應(yīng)付。不要大驚小怪，以免打草驚蛇。"

"It is eight o'clock now," I said, glancing at my watch.

我看了一下我的表說："現(xiàn)在八點了。"

"Yes. He will probably be here in a few minutes.

"是啊，或許幾分鐘之內(nèi)他就要到了。

Open the door slightly. That will do. Now put the key on the inside. Thank you!

把門稍開一些。行了。把鑰匙插在門里邊。謝謝你！

This is a queer old book I picked up at a stall yesterday

這是我昨天在書攤子上偶然買到的一本珍奇的古書。

De Jure inter Gentes,published in Latin at Liege in the Lowlands, in 1642.

書名叫' 論各民族的法律' ，是用拉丁文寫的，一六四二年在比利時列日出版的。

Charles's head was still firm on his shoulders when this little brown-backed volume was struck off."

當(dāng)這本棕色封面的小書出版的時候，查理的腦袋還牢靠地長在他的脖子上呢。"

"Who is the printer?"

"印刷人是誰？"

"Philippe de Croy, whoever he may have been.

"是菲利普·德克羅伊，不知道是個什么樣的人物。

On the flyleaf, in very faded ink, is written 'Ex libris Guliolmi Whyte.'

書前扉頁上寫著'古列米·懷特藏書' ，墨水早已褪了色。

I wonder who William Whyte was. Some pragmatical seventeenth-century lawyer, I suppose.

也不知道威廉·懷特是誰，大概是一位十七世紀(jì)實證主義的法律家，

His writing has a legal twist about it.

連他的書法都帶著一種法律家的風(fēng)格呢。

Here comes our man, I think."

我想，那個人來了。"

As he spoke there was a sharp ring at the bell.

他說到這里，忽聽門上鈴聲大震。

Sherlock Holmes rose softly and moved his chair in the direction of the door.

福爾摩斯輕輕地站了起來，把他的椅子向房門口移動了一下。

We heard the servant pass along the hall, and the sharp click of the latch as she opened it.

我們聽到女仆走過門廊，聽到她打開門閂的聲音。

"Does Dr. Watson live here?" asked a clear but rather harsh voice.

"華生醫(yī)生住在這兒嗎？"一個語調(diào)粗魯?shù)芮逦娜藛柕馈?/p>

We could not hear the servant's reply,

我們沒有聽到仆人的回答，

but the door closed, and someone began to ascend the stairs.

只聽見大門又關(guān)上了，有人上樓來了。

The footfall was an uncertain and shuffling one.

腳步聲慢吞吞地，象是拖著步子在走。

A look of surprise passed over the face of my companion as he listened to it.

我的朋友側(cè)耳聽著，臉上顯出驚奇的樣子。

It came slowly along the passage, and there was a feeble tap at the door.

腳步聲緩慢地沿著過道走了過來，接著就聽見輕微的叩門聲。

"Come in," I cried.

"請進。"我高聲說道。

At my summons, instead of the man of violence whom we expected,

應(yīng)聲進來的并不是我們預(yù)料中的那個兇神惡煞，

a very old and wrinkled woman hobbled into the apartment.

而是一位皺紋滿面的老太婆，她蹣跚地走進房來。

She appeared to be dazzled by the sudden blaze of light,

她進來以后，被燈光驟然一照，好象照花了眼。

and after dropping a curtsey, she stood blinking at us with her bleared eyes

她行過禮后，站在那兒，老眼昏花地瞧著我們，

and fumbling in her pocket with nervous, shaky fingers.

她那痙攣顫抖的手指不停地在衣袋里摸索著。