福爾摩斯探案集·四簽名 第33期:福爾摩斯作出判斷(2)

"This is all very well," said I; "but the thing becomes more unintelligible than ever.

我道："這都不錯，可是事情愈搞愈奧妙了。

How about this mysterious ally? How came he into the room?"

誰是他的同謀呢？他又是怎么進來的呢？"

"Yes, the ally!" repeated Holmes pensively. "There are features of interest about this ally.

福爾摩斯沉思著重復說道："不錯，還有那個同謀！這個人確有些有趣的情形。

He lifts the case from the regions of the commonplace.

他把這案子搞得很不平凡。

I fancy that this ally breaks fresh ground in the annals of crime in this country

我想這個同謀給我國的犯罪方式又開辟了一條新路子，

though parallel cases suggest themselves from India and, if my memory serves me, from Senegambia."

可是在印度有過先例，如果我沒有記錯，在森尼干比亞曾發(fā)生過同樣的情形。"

"How came he, then?" I reiterated.

我反復地問道："那么究竟他是怎么進來的呢？

"The door is locked; the window is inaccessible. Was it through the chimney?"

門是鎖著的，窗戶又夠不著，難道是從煙囪進來的？"

"The grate is much too small," he answered. "I had already considered that possibility."

他答道："我也想到了這個可能性，但是煙囪太窄，不能通過。"

"How, then?" I persisted.

我追問道："到底是怎么樣呢？"

"You will not apply my precept," he said, shaking his head.

他搖頭說道："你總是不按著我的理論研究。

"How often have I said to you that when you have eliminated the impossible,

我不是曾經(jīng)和你說過多少次嗎？當你把絕不可能的因素都除去以后，

whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth?

不管剩下的是什么--不管多么難以相信的事--那就是實情嗎？

We know that he did not come through the door, the window, or the chimney.

咱們知道，他不是從門進來的，不是從窗進來的，也不是從煙囪進來的。

We also know that he could not have been concealed in the room,

咱們也知道他不會預先藏在屋里邊，

as there is no concealment possible. When, then, did he come?"

因為屋里沒有藏身的地方，那么他是從哪里進來的呢？"

"He came through the hole in the roof!" I cried.

我嚷道："他從屋頂那個洞進來的。"

"Of course he did. He must have done so.

"當然是從那個洞進來的了，這是毫無疑義的。

If you will have the kindness to hold the lamp for me, we shall now extend our researches to the room above

你給我提著燈，咱們到上邊的屋子里去察看一下

the secret room in which the treasure was found."

就是到發(fā)現(xiàn)藏著寶物的那間屋子去。"

He mounted the steps, and, seizing a rafter with either hand, he swung himself up into the garret.

他登上梯子，兩手按住了椽木，翻身上了屋頂室。

Then, lying on his face, he reached down for the lamp and held it while I followed him.

他俯身朝下接過燈去，我也隨著上去了。

The chamber in which we found ourselves was about ten feet one way and six the other.

這間屋頂室大約有十英尺長，六英尺寬。

The floor was formed by the rafters, with thin lath and plaster between,

椽木架成的地板中間鋪了些薄板條，敷了一層灰泥。

so that in walking one had to step from beam to beam.

我們走路時必須踩在一根一根的椽子上。

The roof ran up to an apex and was evidently the inner shell of the true roof of the house.

屋頂呈尖形，也就是這所房子的真正屋頂了。

There was no furniture of any sort, and the accumulated dust of years lay thick upon the floor.

屋里沒有陳設(shè)，多年的塵土，積得很厚。

"Here you are, you see," said Sherlock Holmes, putting his hand against the sloping wall.

歇洛克·福爾摩斯把手扶在斜坡的墻上說道："你看，

"This is a trapdoor which leads out on to the roof.

這就是一個通屋頂外面的暗門，

I can press it back, and here is the roof itself, sloping at a gentle angle.

我把這個暗門拉開，外面就是坡度不大的屋頂，

This, then, is the way by which Number One entered.

這就是第一個人的來路，

Let us see if we can find some other traces of his individuality?"

咱們找一找，看他有沒有留下什么能說明他個人特征的痕跡。"

He held down the lamp to the floor,

他把燈往地板上照著，

and as he did so I saw for the second time that night a startled, surprised look come over his face.

今晚我又第二次看到在他臉上出現(xiàn)的驚奇表情。

For myself, as I followed his gaze, my skin was cold under my clothes.

我隨著往他所注視的地方看去，也被嚇得全身發(fā)起冷來。

The floor was covered thickly with the prints of a naked foot–clear, well-defined, perfectly formed,

地上滿都是沒有穿鞋的赤足腳印，很清楚，很完整，

but scarce half the size of those of an ordinary man.

可是不及平常人腳的一半大。

"Holmes," I said in a whisper, "a child has done this horrid thing."

我輕輕地說道："福爾摩斯，一個小孩子做了這樣怕人的勾當！"

He had recovered his self-possession in an instant. "I was staggered for the moment," he said, "but the thing is quite natural.

他神色略定以后說道："起初我也是吃了一驚，其實這件事是很平常的。

My memory failed me, or I should have been able to foretell it.

我一時忘記了，我本當預料到的。

There is nothing more to be learned here. Let us go down."

這里沒有什么可搜查的了，咱們下去吧。"