福爾摩斯探案集·四簽名 第57期:線索的中斷

Chapter 9 A break in the chain

第九章 線索的中斷

It was late in the afternoon before I woke, strengthened and refreshed.

下午我醒來(lái)的時(shí)候，時(shí)間已經(jīng)不早，我的精神也已完全恢復(fù)了。

Sherlock Holmes still sat exactly as I had left him,

福爾摩斯已把提琴放在一旁，

save that he had laid aside his violin and was deep in a book.

坐在那里拿著一本書(shū)用心細(xì)讀。

He looked across at me as I stirred, and I noticed that his face was dark and troubled.

他看到我醒來(lái)，對(duì)我望了望，神色很不愉快。

"You have slept soundly," he said. "I feared that our talk would wake you."

他道："你睡得很香，我恐怕我們說(shuō)話的聲音要把你吵醒了。"

"I heard nothing," I answered. "Have you had fresh news, then?"

我答道："我什么也沒(méi)有聽(tīng)到，你得到什么新的消息沒(méi)有？"

"Unfortunately, no. I confess that I am surprised and disappointed.

"不幸得很，還是沒(méi)有。我真沒(méi)有想到，也很失望，

I expected something definite by this time. Wiggins has just been up to report.

我預(yù)計(jì)到這時(shí)候總應(yīng)當(dāng)有確實(shí)消息來(lái)了。維金斯剛剛來(lái)報(bào)告過(guò)，

He says that no trace can be found of the launch.

他說(shuō)汽船的蹤跡一點(diǎn)兒也沒(méi)有，

It is a provoking check, for every hour is of importance."

真是叫人著急。因?yàn)闀r(shí)機(jī)緊迫了，每一個(gè)鐘頭都是要緊的。"

"Can I do anything? I am perfectly fresh now, and quite ready for another night's outing."

"我能幫忙嗎？我的精神已恢復(fù)了，再出去一夜也是沒(méi)有問(wèn)題。"

"No; we can do nothing. We can only wait.

"不，現(xiàn)在咱們什么也不能做，咱們只有等候消息。

If we go ourselves the message might come in our absence and delay be caused.

如果咱們現(xiàn)在出去，要是有消息到來(lái)，反而誤事。

You can do what you will, but I must remain on guard."

你有事可隨尊便，我必須在這里守候。"

"Then I shall run over to Camberwell and call upon Mrs. Cecil Forrester. She asked me to, yesterday."

"那么我想到坎伯韋爾去訪問(wèn)西色爾·弗里斯特夫人，昨天她已和我約定了。"

"On Mrs. Cecil Forrester?" asked Holmes with the twinkle of a smile in his eyes.

福爾摩斯的眼睛里閃動(dòng)著笑意問(wèn)道："是去訪西色爾·弗里斯特夫人嗎？"

"Well, of course on Miss Morstan, too. They were anxious to hear what happened."

"當(dāng)然還有摩斯坦小姐，她們都急于要知道這個(gè)案子的消息。"

"I would not tell them too much," said Holmes.

福爾摩斯道："不要告訴她們太多，

"Women are never to be entirely trusted–not the best of them."

即使是最好的女人，也決不能完全信賴(lài)她們。"

I did not pause to argue over this atrocious sentiment.

對(duì)他這種不講理的話，我并沒(méi)有和他爭(zhēng)辯，

"I shall be back in an hour or two," I remarked.

我說(shuō)道："我在一兩個(gè)鐘頭內(nèi)就可以回來(lái)。"

"All right! Good luck! But, I say, if you are crossing the river you may as well return Toby,

"好吧！祝你一切順利！如果你過(guò)河去的話，不妨把透比送回去，

for I don't think it is at all likely that we shall have any use for him now."

因?yàn)槲蚁朐蹅儸F(xiàn)在不會(huì)再用它了。"

I took our mongrel accordingly and left him,

我依照他的話把透比歸還了它的主人，

together with a half-sovereign, at the old naturalist's in Pinchin Lane.

在品琴里酬謝了他半個(gè)英鎊。

At Camberwell I found Miss Morstan a little weary after her night's adventures but very eager to hear the news.

到了坎伯韋爾，會(huì)見(jiàn)了摩斯坦小姐。她經(jīng)過(guò)昨夜的冒險(xiǎn)，至今還有些疲倦，可是正在盼望著消息。

Mrs. Forrester, too, was full of curiosity.

弗里斯特夫人也是好奇心勝，

I told them all that we had done, suppressing, however, the more dreadful parts of the tragedy.

我向她們述說(shuō)了所有的經(jīng)過(guò)，保留一些兇險(xiǎn)的地方?jīng)]有說(shuō)。

Thus, although I spoke of Mr. Sholto's death,

雖然說(shuō)到舒爾托先生的被害，

I said nothing of the exact manner and method of it.

可是沒(méi)有描寫(xiě)那些可怕的情況和兇手所用的兇器。

With all my omissions, however, there was enough to startle and amaze them.

就是如此約略地講述了一遍，還是夠叫她們聽(tīng)著驚奇有味的。

"It is a romance!" cried Mrs. Forrester.

弗里斯特夫人道："簡(jiǎn)直是一本小說(shuō)！

"An injured lady, half a million in treasure, a black cannibal, and a wooden-legged ruffian.

一個(gè)被冤的女郎，五十萬(wàn)鎊的寶物，一個(gè)吃人的黑生番，還有一個(gè)裝木腿的匪徒。

They take the place of the conventional dragon or wicked earl."

這和一般小說(shuō)的情節(jié)大不相同呢。"

"And two knight-errants to the rescue," added Miss Morstan with a bright glance at me.

摩斯坦小姐愉快地眼望著我說(shuō)道："還有兩位俠士的拯救呢。"

"Why, Mary, your fortune depends upon the issue of this search.

"可是梅麗，你的財(cái)富全依靠著這次的搜尋了。

I don't think that you are nearly excited enough.

我看你并不覺(jué)得怎樣興奮。

Just imagine what it must be to be so rich and to have the world at your feet!"

請(qǐng)想一想，若是一旦變成巨富，是多么可喜的事呀?！?/p>

It sent a little thrill of joy to my heart to notice that she showed no sign of elation at the prospect.

看到她對(duì)于即將致富這件事并沒(méi)有什么特別高興的表示，使我的心里感到無(wú)限的安慰。

On the contrary, she gave a toss of her proud head, as though the matter were one in which she took small interest.

她把頭搖了搖，似乎對(duì)于這件事并不怎樣關(guān)心。

"It is for Mr. Thaddeus Sholto that I am anxious," she said.

她道："我所最關(guān)心的就是塞笛厄斯·舒爾托先生的安全，

"Nothing else is of any consequence; but I think that he has behaved most kindly and honourably throughout.

其余的都不足掛齒。他在全案經(jīng)過(guò)中的表現(xiàn)是非常厚道和可敬的，

It is our duty to clear him of this dreadful and unfounded charge."

我們有責(zé)任把他從這可恥和無(wú)根據(jù)的冤枉里洗刷出來(lái)。"