牛津書蟲系列 巴斯史維爾獵犬(中英雙語)14

14 Death on the Moor

14 沼地上的一起死亡事件

Holmes started running over the moor，and I followed him.From somewhere in front of us came one more hopeless scream.It was followed by the sound of something falling heavily.We stopped and listened.

福爾摩斯開始在沼地上跑了起來，我跟在他的后面。從我們前面的某處又發(fā)出了一聲絕望的尖叫，然后就是一個(gè)東西重重地栽在地上時(shí)的那么一聲。我們站住了并傾聽著。

I saw Holmes put his hand to his head.’ He has won，Wat-son.We’ re too late.I was mad not to act sooner.And you，Watson，look what happens when you leave the man I asked you to guard.But if the worst has happened，we shall see that Stapleton doesn’t go free.’

我看到福爾摩斯把手按在頭上。“他已經(jīng)贏了，華生。我們來得太晚了。我真是發(fā)瘋了，竟不及早采取行動(dòng)。而你呢，華生，看到離開我讓你保護(hù)的那個(gè)人會(huì)有什么后果了吧?？墒牵亲畈恍业氖虑橐讶话l(fā)生了的話，那么我們就不能叫斯臺(tái)普頓給逃脫了。”

We ran through the dark towards the place where the cries had come from.We reached a rocky edge from which a steep side fell away.Below us we saw the body of a man.He was ly-ing with his face down on the ground.He had fallen on his head，which was bent under him，and his neck was broken.Holmes lit a match.We saw with horror the blood running out onto the ground from his head.

我們在黑暗之中朝發(fā)出喊叫聲的那個(gè)地方跑去。我們到了一條巖脊邊上，那兒有個(gè)很陡的懸崖伸展下去。我們由那里向下看到了一個(gè)人。他臉朝下躺在地上。他是頭向下摔倒的，頭在身體下面窩著，脖子也給折斷了。福爾摩斯點(diǎn)著了一根火柴。我們驚恐地看到了一灘血正從他的頭顱里冒出來汩汩地流到地上。

We both remembered clearly the suit the man was wearing.It was a thick，red-brown country suit.It was the suit Sir Hen-ry had been wearing on the morning when we first met him in Baker Street.We saw it for a moment and then the match went out.Our hearts turned sick and cold inside us.

我們倆都清楚地記得那個(gè)人的衣著。那是一件厚厚的、棕紅色的、帶有土風(fēng)色彩的外套。就是亨利爵士在我們第一次在貝克街見到他的那個(gè)早上穿著的那一件。我們只看了一眼，那根火柴接著就滅了。我們感到深為悲傷、深為恐怖。

’The devil!The murderer!I shall never forgive myself for leaving Sir Henry alone，’I whispered angrily.

“這個(gè)惡棍!這個(gè)兇手!我永遠(yuǎn)也不能原諒自己，我竟離開了他的身旁，讓他獨(dú)自一人呆著，”我憤怒地低聲說道。

’It’s more my fault than yours，’said Holmes.’I have let this good man die because I was busy with the last details of my case.It is the greatest mistake I have ever made.But why did he come out onto the moor?I told him it would lead to his death.Now both Sir Henry and his uncle have been murdered.By heavens，clever as he is，I shall trap Stapleton before another day is past.’

“我的罪過比你還要深重，”福爾摩斯說道。“因?yàn)槲艺τ谧龊闷瓢钢暗墓ぷ?，我竟任這位好人去死。這是我一生中所犯的最大的錯(cuò)誤。可是，他為何要從屋里溜到沼地上來呢?我告訴過他，這會(huì)要他的命的?，F(xiàn)在，亨利爵士及其伯父都已被人謀殺了。蒼天在上，過不了另一天我就要誘捕他，雖然他很狡猾。”

With heavy hearts we stood on either side of the broken body.Then Holmes bent over the body and began to move it.All of a sudden he began to laugh and jump up and down.

我們心情沉重地站在這具血肉模糊的尸體的兩側(cè)。接著，福爾摩斯在尸體旁邊彎著腰，并且開始動(dòng)彈它。突然之間，他開始又笑又跳起來。

’Look at the face!’he shouted，hitting me on the back.’It is not Sir Henry.It’s Selden，the escaped prisoner.’

“看看這張面孔!”他喊叫道，在我后背上擊了一下。“此人并非亨利爵士。是塞爾登，那個(gè)逃犯。”

We turned the body over.There was no doubt about it.I had seen the face before，on the night Sir Henry and I had chased Selden over the moor.Then I suddenly remembered，and everything became clear.Sir Henry had told me how he gave his old clothes to Barrymore.I realized that this suit had been among the clothes Barrymore had left for Selden，and I told Holmes.

我們把死尸翻了過來。無疑是這么一回事。在我與亨利爵士在沼地上追趕塞爾登的那個(gè)晚上我曾見過這張臉。然后，我忽然記起了什么，一切都清楚明白了。亨利爵士曾告訴我他如何把自己的舊衣物送給了白瑞摩。我意識(shí)到這件外套就是白瑞摩留給塞爾登的那些衣物中的一件，于是便把事情的來由告訴了福爾摩斯。

’Then the clothes have caused the death of the poor man.The hound had been given something of Sir Henry’s to smell so that it would pick up his scent and follow him.I think that is why the shoe was taken from the hotel in London.So the hound followed the scent and bunted this man.But there is one thing I don’t understand.How did Selden know that the hound was following him? We know he ran a long way.He was screaming for a long time before he fell，and we could hear that he was running as he screamed.So the hound was a long way behind him when he began to run.How could he see it in the dark? How did he know it was there，until it was close be- hind him?’

“那么說，這身衣服導(dǎo)致了這個(gè)可憐的人的死。那個(gè)獵犬曾讓聞過亨利爵士的某件東西，以便它能嗅出他的氣味并追蹤他。我認(rèn)為這就是那只鞋子在倫敦的那個(gè)旅館里被偷的原因所在了。如此一來獵犬就循著氣味搜尋這個(gè)人?？墒?，有一件事情我不大明白。塞爾登如何知道那獵犬跟在他后面呢?我們知道他跑了很長的一段路。他在摔倒在地之前已尖叫了很長一段時(shí)間，我們也能聽出他尖叫時(shí)正在跑著。因此，他開始跑時(shí)那個(gè)獵犬還在他的身后很遠(yuǎn)之處。他是怎么在黑暗之中看到獵犬的呢?在獵犬緊跟他之前他是怎么知道它就在那兒的呢?”

’I cannot answer that，’I said，’ but there is something else I don’ t understand.Why was the hound out on the moor tonight?Stapleton would not let it go out unless he thought Sir Henry was there.’

“我回答不上來，”我說道。“但是，還有一事我不大理解。為什么獵犬單單在今晚被放出來在沼地上活動(dòng)呢?除非是斯臺(tái)普頓覺得亨利爵士會(huì)到那里去，否則他是不會(huì)把它放出來的。”

’We may know the answer to that question very soon，’said Holmes.’Here comes Stapleton.’

“我們可能很快就能知道問題的答案了，”福爾摩斯講道。“斯臺(tái)普頓來了。”

His sharp eyes had seen a figure moving in the darkness in front of us，and the man came closer，I could see that it was indeed Stapleton.

他那敏銳的眼睛已經(jīng)看到了黑暗之中在我們的前面移動(dòng)的一個(gè)輪廓，而且在這個(gè)人走近時(shí)，我可以看出正是斯臺(tái)普頓。

’We must be very careful not to show that we suspect him，’Holmes warned me.

“我們必須謹(jǐn)慎行事，不要表現(xiàn)出懷疑他的樣子，”福爾摩斯警告我說。

Stapleton stopped when he saw us，and then walked forward again.’Dr Watson，is that you?I didn’t expect to see you on the moor at this time of night But，dear me，what’s this? Somebody hurt? Not—don’t tell me that it’s our friend Sir Henry!’

斯臺(tái)普頓看到我們時(shí)停下了腳步，然后又向前走了起來。“華生醫(yī)生，是您嗎?我沒想到會(huì)在晚上的這個(gè)時(shí)候在沼地上看到您?？墒?，天哪，這是怎么回事?有人受傷了嗎?不——不要告訴我這就是咱們的朋友亨利爵士!”

He went past me and bent over the dead man.I heard him breathe in quickly.

他由我們身旁走過，并在那個(gè)死人的身旁彎下腰來。我聽到他的呼吸急促。

’Who…who is this?’ he asked，his voice shaking.

“這是誰……誰呀?”他問道，聲音顫抖著。

’It’s Selden，the escaped prisoner.’

“是塞爾登，那個(gè)逃犯。”

Stapleton quickly managed to hide the look of surprise and disappointment on his face as he turned towards us.He looked sharply from Holmes to me.’Dear me! How terrible! How did he die?’

斯臺(tái)普頓向我們轉(zhuǎn)過身來時(shí)迅速地、設(shè)法掩飾著驚慌和失望的表情。他兩眼死盯著福爾摩斯，又轉(zhuǎn)向我。“天哪!多么可怕啊!他是怎么死的?”

’We think he broke his neck by falling over the edge of these rocks，’I said.

“我們認(rèn)為他從巖脊邊上掉下來便摔斷了脖子，”我說道。

’I heard a cry，and that is why I came out.I was worried about Sir Henry，’Stapleton said.

“我聽到了一聲叫喊，那便是我跑了出來的原因。我很替亨利爵士擔(dān)心，”斯臺(tái)普頓說道。

’Why were you worried about Sir Henry?’I asked.

“您為何要替亨利爵士擔(dān)心呢?”我問道。

’Because I had invited him to my house.When he did not come I was surprised.Then，when I heard cries on the moor，I began to worry about him.I wonder’—his eyes went quickly from my face to Holmes’—’ did you hear anything else at all?’

“因?yàn)槲乙蜒埶轿壹襾?。他沒有來時(shí)我感到很驚訝。接著，當(dāng)我聽到沼地上的叫喊聲時(shí)，我就開始為他擔(dān)憂了。我想知道”——他的眼神從我的臉上忽地轉(zhuǎn)向了福爾摩斯的臉——“您還聽到了什么聲音沒有?”

’No，’said Holmes.’Did you?’

“沒有，”福爾摩斯說道。“您呢?”

’No，’said Stapleton.

“沒有，”斯臺(tái)普頓說道。

’What do you mean，then?’

“那么，您這是什么意思?”

’Oh，you know the stories about the supernatural hound.I wondered if it had been here tonight.’

“噢，您知道關(guān)于那只鬼怪似的獵犬的種種故事的。當(dāng)時(shí)我正在納悶它今晚是否就在此地。”

’We heard nothing of that kind，’I said.

“我們沒有聽到過那一類聲音，”我說道。

’How do you think this poor man fell to his death?’Staple- ton asked.

“你們怎么以為這個(gè)可憐的家伙是摔死的呢?”斯臺(tái)普頓問道。

’I think cold and hunger，and his fear that the police would catch him，drove him mad.He ran round the moor in his mad- ness，and fell over this edge，’I said.

“我認(rèn)為饑寒交迫和怕被警方抓獲的恐懼之情已經(jīng)攫住了他，把他逼得發(fā)瘋了。他一定曾在沼地里瘋狂地奔跑，又摔下了巖脊，”我說道。

’Do you agree，Mr Sherlock Holmes?’asked Stapleton.

“您同意這種看法嗎，歇洛克·福爾摩斯先生?”斯臺(tái)普頓問道。

’You’re quick to guess who I am，’said Holmes.

“您猜人猜得真快，”福爾摩斯說道。

’We’re been expecting you ever since Dr Watson arrived.’

“自從華生醫(yī)生到達(dá)之后，我們一直在期待著您的光臨。”

’I have no doubt my friend is right about the way Selden died，’said Holmes.’It’ s a sad death，but it will not prevent me from returning to London tomorrow.’

“我確信我的朋友有關(guān)塞爾登死去的方式的說法是正確無誤的，”福爾摩斯說道。“死得很慘，可是這也不能阻止我明天就回到倫敦去。”

’Before you return，will you be able to explain the mysteries that we’ve experienced here?’

“在您離去之前，您能解釋得了我們在此經(jīng)歷的種種神秘事件嗎?”

’I am not always as successful as I hope.I need facts，not stories of the supernatural.This hasn’ t been a good case for me.

“我不像自己希望的那樣總能取得成功。我需要事實(shí)，而不是有關(guān)鬼怪的種種故事。對我來說這個(gè)案子辦得并不好。”

Stapleton looked hard at him，but Holmes had spoken very seriously and his words sounded true.

斯臺(tái)普頓死盯著他，但是福爾摩斯說話時(shí)很一本正經(jīng)，他的話語聽上去也像真的。

We covered the body.Then Stapleton turned to go home，and Holmes and I walked towards Baskerville Hall.

我們把尸體遮蓋起來。然后，斯臺(tái)普頓就轉(zhuǎn)身回家了，我和福爾摩斯朝巴斯克維爾莊園走去。

’He’s a very clever man，and a dangerous enemy，who will be difficult to trap，’ said Holmes.’ Look how he controlled his disappointment when he found that the dead man was not Sir Henry.’

“他是個(gè)聰明人，同時(shí)也是個(gè)危險(xiǎn)的對手，很難被誘捕的，”福爾摩斯講道。“看看，當(dāng)他發(fā)現(xiàn)那個(gè)死去的家伙不是亨利爵士時(shí)，他是多么鎮(zhèn)定地克制自己的失望之情埃”

’I’m sorry that he has seen you，’I said.

“我感到很遺憾，他竟看到了你，”我說道。

’So am I，but there was nothing we could do about it.Now he knows I am here he may be more careful，or he may act more quickly than he planned.’

“我也這么覺得，可是我們當(dāng)時(shí)對此毫無辦法。他現(xiàn)在已經(jīng)知道了我在這里，可能會(huì)變得更加謹(jǐn)慎起來，或許會(huì)比他事先預(yù)謀好的更快地采取行動(dòng)。”

’Why can’t we give him to the police at once?’

“咱們?yōu)槭裁床获R上把他交給警方處理呢?”

’Because we can’t prove anything against him.Sir Charles was found dead because his heart failed.Again，tonight we could not prove that there was a hound.Selden died from a fall.We have no case at present.We shall see Mrs Lyons to- morrow，and she may help us.But whatever happens，I have my own plan.There will be some danger，but by the end of to-morrow I hope to have won this battle.’

“因?yàn)槲覀儧]有與他作對的證據(jù)。查爾斯爵士被發(fā)現(xiàn)是因?yàn)樾呐K不負(fù)重荷才死去的。我們今晚也證明不了這兒曾有過一只獵犬。塞爾登是摔死的。我們目前沒有別的案子要辦。我們明天去見一趟萊昂絲太太，她或許可以幫助我們。但是，不論發(fā)生什么，我都有自己的計(jì)劃。也許會(huì)有些危險(xiǎn)，但是我希望明天結(jié)束之前就能贏得這場戰(zhàn)斗。”

He would say nothing else.

別的話語他就不肯講了。

’Are you coming to the Hall?’I asked.

“你打算來莊園嗎?”我問道。

’Yes，’he replied.’There is no reason for me to hide any longer.But one last word，Watson Say nothing of the hound to Sir Henry.Let him think that Selden died from a fall.If he knows about the hound，he will find it harder to face the dan- gers of tomorrow.I think you told me in your last letter that he is having dinner with the Stapletons tomorrow evening.’

“是的，”他回答道。“我再?zèng)]有什么躲起來的原因了。可是，還有最后一句話，華生?？蓜e對亨利爵士談起那只獵犬的事來。就讓他認(rèn)為塞爾登是摔死的吧。如果他知道了獵犬的事情，他就會(huì)發(fā)現(xiàn)很難面對明天必須經(jīng)受的種種危險(xiǎn)了。我想，你曾經(jīng)在最后一封信里告訴過我他在明晚要到斯臺(tái)普頓家里吃晚飯的吧。”

’And they have invited me，too，’I reminded him.

“還有，他們也邀請了我，”我提醒他道。

’Then you must excuse yourself，and he must go alone.That can easily be arranged And now I think we are both ready for some food.’

“那么你一定得借口謝絕，他必須單身前往。那很容易安排?，F(xiàn)在我想咱們倆人都已準(zhǔn)備就緒，可以去吃些東西了。”