血字的研究 84案情回顾(6)

"He walked down the road and went into one or two liquor shops,

"他在路上走着，并且走进一两家酒店中去。

staying for nearly half an hour in the last of them.

他在最后一家酒店中，几乎停留了半个钟头。

When he came out, he staggered in his walk, and was evidently pretty well on.

他出来的时候，已是步履蹒跚，显然他已醉得够劲了。

There was a hansom just in front of me, and he hailed it.

在我的前面恰好有一辆双轮小马车，于是他就招呼着坐了上去。

I followed it so close that the nose of my horse was within a yard of his driver the whole way.

我一路紧紧地跟着。我的马的鼻子距离前面马车的车夫的身体最多只有一码远。

We rattled¹ across Waterloo Bridge and through miles of streets,

我们经过了滑铁卢大桥，在大街上跑了好几英里路。

until, to my astonishment², we found ourselves back in the terrace in which he had boarded.

可是，使我感到诧异的是，我们竟然又回到了他原来居住的地方。

I could not imagine what his intention was in returning there;

我想象不出，他回到那里去究竟是想干些什么。

but I went on and pulled up my cab a hundred yards or so from the house.

但是，我还是跟了下去，在距离这所房屋大约一百码的地方，我便把车子停了下来。

He entered it, and his hansom drove away.

他走进了这座房子，他的马车也就走开了。

Give me a glass of water, if you please.

请给我一杯水，

My mouth gets dry with the talking."

我的嘴都说干了。"

I handed him the glass, and he drank it down.

我递给他一杯水，他一饮而尽。

"That's better," he said.

他说："这就好些了。

"Well, I waited for a quarter of an hour, or more,

好，我等了一刻钟，或者还要久一点，

when suddenly there came a noise like people struggling inside the house.

突然房子里面传来一阵打架似的吵闹声。

Next moment the door was flung open and two men appeared,

接着，大门忽然大开，出现了两个人，

one of whom was Drebber, and the other was a young chap whom I had never seen before.

其中一个就是锥伯，另一个是个年轻的小伙子，这个人我以前从来没有见到过。

This fellow had Drebber by the collar,

这个小伙子一把抓住锥伯的衣领，

and when they came to the head of the steps he gave him a shove and a kick which sent him half across the road.

当他们走到台阶边的时候，他便用力一推，紧跟着又是一脚，把锥伯一直踹到了大街当中。

'You hound!' he cried, shaking his stick at him;

他对着锥伯摇晃着手中的木棍大声喝道：

'I'll teach you to insult an honest girl!'

'狗东西！我教训教训你，你竟敢污辱良家妇女！'

He was so hot that I think he would have thrashed Drebber with his cudgel,

他是那样的怒不可遏，要不是这个坏蛋拖着两条腿拚命地向街中逃去，

only that the cur staggered away down the road as fast as his legs would carry him.

我想，那小伙子一定要用棍子把他痛打一顿呢。

He ran as far as the corner, and then seeing my cab, he hailed me and jumped in.

锥伯一直跑到转弯的地方，正好看见了我的马车，于是招呼着我，一脚就跳上车来。

'Drive me to Halliday's Private Hotel,' said he.

他说：'把我送到郝黎代旅馆去。'

"When I had him fairly inside my cab,

"我一见他坐进了我的马车，

my heart jumped so with joy that I feared lest at this last moment my aneurism might go wrong.

简直喜出望外，我的心跳动得非常厉害。我深怕就在这个千钧一发的当儿，我的血瘤要迸裂了。

I drove along slowly, weighing in my own mind what it was best to do.

我慢慢地赶着马车往前走，心中盘算着究竟该怎么办才妥善。

I might take him right out into the country, and there in some deserted³ lane have my last interview with him.

我满可以把他一直拉到乡间去，在那荒凉无人的小路上，和他算一次总帐。

I had almost decided⁴ upon this, when he solved the problem for me.

我几乎已经决定这么办的时候，他忽然替我解决了这个难题。

The craze for drink had seized him again, and he ordered me to pull up outside a gin palace.

这时，他的酒瘾又发作了，他叫我在一家大酒店外面停下来。

He went in, leaving word that I should wait for him.

他一面吩咐我等着他，一面走了进去。

There he remained until closing time,

他在里面一直呆到酒店收市，

and when he came out he was so far gone that I knew the game was in my own hands.

等出来的时候，他已经是烂醉如泥了，我知道，我已是胜券在握了。

1 rattled   

慌乱的，恼火的

参考例句：

• The truck jolted and rattled over the rough ground. 卡车嘎吱嘎吱地在凹凸不平的地面上颠簸而行。
• Every time a bus went past, the windows rattled. 每逢公共汽车经过这里，窗户都格格作响。

2 astonishment   

n.惊奇，惊异

参考例句：

• They heard him give a loud shout of astonishment.他们听见他惊奇地大叫一声。
• I was filled with astonishment at her strange action.我对她的奇怪举动不胜惊异。

3 deserted   

adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的

参考例句：

• The deserted village was filled with a deathly silence.这个荒废的村庄死一般的寂静。
• The enemy chieftain was opposed and deserted by his followers.敌人头目众叛亲离。

4 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。