福爾摩斯探案集·血字的研究 第85期:案情回顧(7)

"Don't imagine that I intended to kill him in cold blood.

"你們不要以為我會冷不防一刀，把他結果就算了事。

It would only have been rigid justice if I had done so,

如果這樣做，只不過是死板板地執(zhí)行嚴正的審判而已。

but I could not bring myself to do it.

但是，我不會那樣干的。

I had long determined that he should have a show for his life if he chose to take advantage of it.

我早已決定給他一個機會，如果他能把握住這個機會的話，他還可以有一線生機。

Among the many billets which I have filled in America during my wandering life,

當我在美洲流浪的那些日子里，我干過各種各樣的差事。

I was once janitor and sweeper-out of the laboratory at York College.

我曾經一度做過' 約克學院' 實驗室的看門人和掃地工友。

One day the professor was lecturing on poisons,

有一天，教授正在講解毒藥問題時，

and he showed his students some alkaloid, as he called it,

他把一種叫做生物鹼的東西給學生們看。

which he had extracted from some South American arrow poison,

這是他從一種南美洲土人制造毒箭的毒藥中提煉出來的。

and which was so powerful that the least grain meant instant death.

這種毒藥毒性非常猛烈，只要沾著一點兒，立刻就能致人死命。

I spotted the bottle in which this preparation was kept,

我記住了那個放毒藥品子的所在，

and when they were all gone, I helped myself to a little of it.

在他們走了以后，我就倒了一點出來。

I was a fairly good dispenser,

我是一個相當高明的配藥能手，

so I worked this alkaloid into small, soluble pills,

于是，我就把這些毒藥做成了一些易于溶解的小丸。

and each pill I put in a box with a similar pill made without the poison.

我在每個盒子里裝進一粒，同時再放進一粒樣子相同但是無毒的。

I determined at the time that when I had my chance my gentlemen should each have a draw out of one of these boxes,

我當時決定，只要一旦我能得手，這兩位先生就要每人分得一盒，讓他們每個人先吞服一粒，

while I ate the pill that remained.

剩下的一粒就由我來吞服。

It would be quite as deadly and a good deal less noisy than firing across a handkerchief.

這樣做，和槍口蒙上手帕射擊一樣，可以置人于死地，而且還沒有響聲。

From that day I had always my pill boxes about with me,

從那一天起，我就一直把這些裝著藥丸的盒子帶在身邊；

and the time had now come when I was to use them.

現(xiàn)在到了我使用它們的時候了。

"It was nearer one than twelve, and a wild, bleak night, blowing hard and raining in torrents.

"當時已經是午夜過后，快一點鐘的光景。這是一個凄風苦雨的深夜。風刮得很厲害，大雨傾盆而下。

Dismal as it was outside, I was glad within–so glad that I could have shouted out from pure exultation.

外面雖然是一慘淡的景象，可是我的心里卻是樂不可言，我高興得幾乎要大聲歡叫起來。

If any of you gentlemen have ever pined for a thing,

諸位先生，如果你們之中哪一位曾經為著一件事朝思暮想，

and longed for it during twenty long years,

一直盼望了二十多年，

and then suddenly found it within your reach, you would understand my feelings.

一旦伸手可得，那么，你們就會理解到我當時的心情了。

I lit a cigar, and puffed at it to steady my nerves,

我點燃了一支雪茄，噴著煙霧，借此安定我的緊張情緒。

but my hands were trembling and my temples throbbing with excitement.

可是由于過分激動，我的手不住地在戰(zhàn)抖，太陽穴也突突地亂跳。

As I drove, I could see old John Ferrier and sweet Lucy looking at me out of the darkness and smiling at me,

當我趕著馬車前進時，我看見老約翰·費瑞厄和可愛的露茜在黑暗中瞧著我微笑。我看得清清楚楚，

just as plain as I see you all in this room.

就象我現(xiàn)在在這間屋子里看見你們諸位一樣。

All the way they were ahead of me,

一路之上，他們總是在我的前面，

one on each side of the horse until I pulled up at the house in the Brixton Road.

一邊一個地走在馬的兩旁，一直跟我來到布瑞克斯頓路的那所空宅。

It would only have been rigid justice if I had done so,

如果這樣做，只不過是死板板地執(zhí)行嚴正的審判而已。

but I could not bring myself to do it.

但是，我不會那樣干的。

I had long determined that he should have a show for his life if he chose to take advantage of it.

我早已決定給他一個機會，如果他能把握住這個機會的話，他還可以有一線生機。

Among the many billets which I have filled in America during my wandering life,

當我在美洲流浪的那些日子里，我干過各種各樣的差事。

I was once janitor and sweeper-out of the laboratory at York College.

我曾經一度做過' 約克學院' 實驗室的看門人和掃地工友。

One day the professor was lecturing on poisons,

有一天，教授正在講解毒藥問題時，

and he showed his students some alkaloid, as he called it,

他把一種叫做生物鹼的東西給學生們看。

which he had extracted from some South American arrow poison,

這是他從一種南美洲土人制造毒箭的毒藥中提煉出來的。

and which was so powerful that the least grain meant instant death.

這種毒藥毒性非常猛烈，只要沾著一點兒，立刻就能致人死命。

I spotted the bottle in which this preparation was kept,

我記住了那個放毒藥品子的所在，

and when they were all gone, I helped myself to a little of it.

在他們走了以后，我就倒了一點出來。

I was a fairly good dispenser,

我是一個相當高明的配藥能手，

so I worked this alkaloid into small, soluble pills,

于是，我就把這些毒藥做成了一些易于溶解的小丸。

and each pill I put in a box with a similar pill made without the poison.

我在每個盒子里裝進一粒，同時再放進一粒樣子相同但是無毒的。

I determined at the time that when I had my chance my gentlemen should each have a draw out of one of these boxes,

我當時決定，只要一旦我能得手，這兩位先生就要每人分得一盒，讓他們每個人先吞服一粒，

while I ate the pill that remained.

剩下的一粒就由我來吞服。

It would be quite as deadly and a good deal less noisy than firing across a handkerchief.

這樣做，和槍口蒙上手帕射擊一樣，可以置人于死地，而且還沒有響聲。

From that day I had always my pill boxes about with me,

從那一天起，我就一直把這些裝著藥丸的盒子帶在身邊；

and the time had now come when I was to use them.

現(xiàn)在到了我使用它們的時候了。

"It was nearer one than twelve, and a wild, bleak night, blowing hard and raining in torrents.

"當時已經是午夜過后，快一點鐘的光景。這是一個凄風苦雨的深夜。風刮得很厲害，大雨傾盆而下。

Dismal as it was outside, I was glad within–so glad that I could have shouted out from pure exultation.

外面雖然是一慘淡的景象，可是我的心里卻是樂不可言，我高興得幾乎要大聲歡叫起來。

If any of you gentlemen have ever pined for a thing,

諸位先生，如果你們之中哪一位曾經為著一件事朝思暮想，

and longed for it during twenty long years,

一直盼望了二十多年，

and then suddenly found it within your reach, you would understand my feelings.

一旦伸手可得，那么，你們就會理解到我當時的心情了。

I lit a cigar, and puffed at it to steady my nerves,

我點燃了一支雪茄，噴著煙霧，借此安定我的緊張情緒。

but my hands were trembling and my temples throbbing with excitement.

可是由于過分激動，我的手不住地在戰(zhàn)抖，太陽穴也突突地亂跳。

As I drove, I could see old John Ferrier and sweet Lucy looking at me out of the darkness and smiling at me,

當我趕著馬車前進時，我看見老約翰·費瑞厄和可愛的露茜在黑暗中瞧著我微笑。我看得清清楚楚，

just as plain as I see you all in this room.

就象我現(xiàn)在在這間屋子里看見你們諸位一樣。

All the way they were ahead of me,

一路之上，他們總是在我的前面，

one on each side of the horse until I pulled up at the house in the Brixton Road.

一邊一個地走在馬的兩旁，一直跟我來到布瑞克斯頓路的那所空宅。