福爾摩斯探案集·四簽名 第58期:線索的中斷(2)

It was evening before I left Camberwell, and quite dark by the time I reached home.

我從坎伯韋爾回到家中的時候已經(jīng)很晚了。

My companion's book and pipe lay by his chair, but he had disappeared.

我伙伴的書和煙斗還放在他的椅子旁邊，可是他本人卻不見了。

I looked about in the hope of seeing a note, but there was none.

我四周看了一遍，希望他留下一張字條，可是沒有找到片紙只字。

"I suppose that Mr. Sherlock Holmes has gone out," I said to Mrs. Hudson as she came up to lower the blinds.

赫德森太太進屋來放窗簾，我問道："歇洛克·福爾摩斯先生是出去了嗎？"

"No, sir. He has gone to his room, sir. Do you know, sir,"

"先生，他沒有出去，他在他自己的屋里。先生，您知道嗎"

sinking her voice into an impressive whisper, "I am afraid for his health."

她放低了聲音，悄悄地說道："我怕他是病了！"

"Why so, Mrs. Hudson?"

"赫德森太太，您怎么知道他病了？"

"Well, he's that strange, sir.

"先生，事情有些古怪。

After you was gone he walked and he walked, up and down, and up and down,

您走了以后，他在屋里走來走去，走來走去，

until I was weary of the sound of his footstep.

他的腳步聲使我都聽煩了。

Then I heard him talking to himself and muttering,

后來又聽見他自言自語，

and every time the bell rang out he came on the stairhead, with 'What is that, Mrs. Hudson?'

每次有人叫門，他就跑到樓梯口喊問：'赫德森太太，是誰呀？'

And now he has slammed off to his room, but I can hear him walking away the same as ever.

現(xiàn)在他把自己關在屋里，可是我依然可以聽見他在屋里走來走去的聲音。

I hope he's not going to be ill, sir.

先生，我希望他沒有病。

I ventured to say something to him about cooling medicine, but he turned on me, sir,

方才我冒昧地告訴他吃些涼藥，可是，先生，他瞪了我一眼，

with such a look that I don't know how ever I got out of the room."

嚇得我都不知道自己是怎樣從那間屋子跑出來的。"

"I don't think that you have any cause to be uneasy, Mrs. Hudson," I answered.

我答道："赫德森太太，我想您可以不必著急，

"I have seen him like this before.

我以前也看見過他這個樣子的。

He has some small matter upon his mind which makes him restless."

他有事在心，所以使他心神不安。"

I tried to speak lightly to our worthy landlady,

我就這樣故作輕松地和我們的好房東談著，

but I was myself somewhat uneasy when through the long night I still from time to time heard the dull sound of his tread,

可是我在整個長夜里不斷地隱約地聽見他的腳步聲音，

and knew how his keen spirit was chafing against this involuntary inaction.

我知道，他那迫切的心情已因不能采取行動而變得益發(fā)焦躁起來。

At breakfast-time he looked worn and haggard,

第二天早餐時，他的面容器倦而瘦削，

with a little fleck of feverish colour upon either cheek.

兩頰微微的發(fā)紅。

"You are knocking yourself up, old man," I remarked. "I heard you marching about in the night."

我道："老兄，你把自己累垮了。我聽見你夜里在屋內(nèi)踱來踱去。"

"No, I could not sleep," he answered. "This infernal problem is consuming me.

他答道："我睡不著，這討厭的問題把我急壞了。

It is too much to be balked by so petty an obstacle, when all else had been overcome.

所有的大困難都已經(jīng)克服了，現(xiàn)在反而叫一個很不算什么的障礙給難住了，未免叫人太不甘心。

I know the men, the launch, everything; and yet I can get no news.

現(xiàn)在咱們已經(jīng)知道匪徒是誰，知道船的名字和其他一切了，可是就是得不到船的消息。

I have set other agencies at work and used every means at my disposal.

其他方面也都已行動起來，我已用盡了我的方法，

The whole river has been searched on either side,

整條河的兩岸已經(jīng)都搜遍了，

but there is no news, nor has Mrs. Smith heard of her husband.

還是沒有消息。斯密司太太那里也沒有她丈夫的音信，

I shall come to the conclusion soon that they have scuttled the craft.

我差不多認為他們已經(jīng)把船沉到河底了，

But there are objections to that."

可是這一層亦存在著一定的矛盾。"

"Or that Mrs. Smith has put us on a wrong scent."

"咱們可能是受了斯密司太太的愚弄了。"

"No, I think that may be dismissed.

"不然，我想這一層可以不用過慮，

I had inquiries made, and there is a launch of that description."

因為經(jīng)過調查，這樣的汽船確是有一只的。"

"Could it have gone up the river?"

"它會不會是到上游去了？"

"I have considered that possibility, too,

"我也想到了這個可能性，

and there is a search-party who will work up as far as Richmond.

我已經(jīng)派出一批搜查的人上溯到瑞奇門德一帶去了。

If no news comes today I shall start off myself tomorrow and go for the men rather than the boat.

如果今天再沒有消息，我明天當親自出馬去找匪徒而放棄尋找汽船了。

But surely, surely, we shall hear something."

可是肯定的，肯定咱們會得到一些消息的。"