福爾摩斯探案集·紅發(fā)會 第5期:紅發(fā)的主顧(5)
Mr. Jabez Wilson laughed heavily. "Well, I never!" said he.
杰貝茲·威爾遜大笑起來。他說："好，這個我怎么也想不到啊！
"I thought at first that you had done something clever, but I see that there was nothing in it, after all."
我起初想，你簡直是神機妙算，但說穿了也就沒什么奧妙了。"
"I begin to think, Watson," said Holmes, "that I make a mistake in explaining.
福爾摩斯說："華生，我現(xiàn)在才想起來，我真不應該這么樣攤開來說。
'Omne ignotum pro magnifico,' you know, and my poor little reputation, such as it is,
要'大智若愚'，你知道，我的名聲本來就不怎么樣，
will suffer shipwreck if I am so candid. Can you not find the advertisement, Mr. Wilson?"
心眼太實是要身敗名裂的。威爾遜先生，你能找到那個廣告嗎？"
"Yes, I have got it now," he answered with his thick red finger planted halfway down the column.
"能，就在我這里。"他回答時他的又粗又紅的手指正指在那欄廣告的中間。
"Here it is. This is what began it all. You just read it for yourself, sir."
他說："就在這兒，這就是整個事情的起因。先生，你們自己讀好了。"
I took the paper from him and read as follows: TO THE RED-HEADED LEAGUE:
我從他手里把報紙拿過來，照著它的內容念："紅發(fā)會：
On account of the bequest of the late Ezekiah Hopkins, of Lebanon, Pennsylvania, U.S.A.,
由于原住美國賓夕法尼亞州已故黎巴嫩人伊齊基亞·霍普金斯之遺贈，
there is now another vacancy open which entitles a member of the League to a salary of 4 pounds a week for purely nominal services.
現(xiàn)留有另一空職，凡紅發(fā)會會員皆有資格申請。薪給為每周四英鎊，工作則實系掛名而已。
All red-headed men who are sound in body and mind, and above the age of twenty-one years, are eligible.
凡紅發(fā)男性，年滿二十一歲，身體健康，智力健全者即屬符合條件。
Apply in person on Monday, at eleven o'clock, to Duncan Ross, at the offices of the League, 7 Pope's Court, Fleet Street.
應聘者請于星期一上午十一時親至艦隊街、教皇院7號紅發(fā)會辦公室鄧肯·羅斯處提出申請為荷。"
"What on earth does this mean?" I ejaculated after I had twice read over the extraordinary announcement.
我讀了兩遍這個不尋常的廣告后不禁喊道："這究竟是怎么回事？"
Holmes chuckled and wriggled in his chair, as was his habit when in high spirits.
福爾摩斯坐在椅子上格格地笑得扭動不已，他高興的時候總是這個樣子。
"It is a little off the beaten track, isn't it?" said he.
他說："這個廣告很不尋常，是不是？
"And now, Mr. Wilson, off you go at scratch and tell us all about yourself, your household,
好啦，威爾遜先生，你現(xiàn)在就痛痛快快地把關于你自己的一切，以及和你同住在一起的人，
and the effect which this advertisement had upon your fortunes.
這個廣告給了你多大的好處，統(tǒng)統(tǒng)講出來吧。
You will first make a note, Doctor, of the paper and the date."
大夫，你先把報紙的名稱和日期記下來。"
