血字的研究 85案情回顾(7)

"Don't imagine that I intended to kill him in cold blood.

"你们不要以为我会冷不防一刀，把他结果就算了事。

It would only have been rigid¹ justice if I had done so,

如果这样做，只不过是死板板地执行严正的审判而已。

but I could not bring myself to do it.

但是，我不会那样干的。

I had long determined² that he should have a show for his life if he chose to take advantage of it.

我早已决定给他一个机会，如果他能把握住这个机会的话，他还可以有一线生机。

Among the many billets which I have filled in America during my wandering life,

当我在美洲流浪的那些日子里，我干过各种各样的差事。

I was once janitor³ and sweeper-out of the laboratory at York College.

我曾经一度做过' 约克学院' 实验室的看门人和扫地工友。

One day the professor was lecturing on poisons,

有一天，教授正在讲解毒药问题时，

and he showed his students some alkaloid, as he called it,

他把一种叫做生物硷的东西给学生们看。

which he had extracted from some South American arrow poison,

这是他从一种南美洲土人制造毒箭的毒药中提炼出来的。

and which was so powerful that the least grain meant instant death.

这种毒药毒性非常猛烈，只要沾着一点儿，立刻就能致人死命。

I spotted⁴ the bottle in which this preparation was kept,

我记住了那个放毒药品子的所在，

and when they were all gone, I helped myself to a little of it.

在他们走了以后，我就倒了一点出来。

I was a fairly good dispenser,

我是一个相当高明的配药能手，

so I worked this alkaloid into small, soluble⁵ pills,

于是，我就把这些毒药做成了一些易于溶解的小丸。

and each pill I put in a box with a similar pill made without the poison.

我在每个盒子里装进一粒，同时再放进一粒样子相同但是无毒的。

I determined at the time that when I had my chance my gentlemen should each have a draw out of one of these boxes,

我当时决定，只要一旦我能得手，这两位先生就要每人分得一盒，让他们每个人先吞服一粒，

while I ate the pill that remained.

剩下的一粒就由我来吞服。

It would be quite as deadly and a good deal less noisy than firing across a handkerchief.

这样做，和枪口蒙上手帕射击一样，可以置人于死地，而且还没有响声。

From that day I had always my pill boxes about with me,

从那一天起，我就一直把这些装着药丸的盒子带在身边；

and the time had now come when I was to use them.

现在到了我使用它们的时候了。

"It was nearer one than twelve, and a wild, bleak⁶ night, blowing hard and raining in torrents⁷.

"当时已经是午夜过后，快一点钟的光景。这是一个凄风苦雨的深夜。风刮得很厉害，大雨倾盆而下。

Dismal⁸ as it was outside, I was glad within–so glad that I could have shouted out from pure exultation⁹.

外面虽然是一惨淡的景象，可是我的心里却是乐不可言，我高兴得几乎要大声欢叫起来。

If any of you gentlemen have ever pined for a thing,

诸位先生，如果你们之中哪一位曾经为着一件事朝思暮想，

and longed for it during twenty long years,

一直盼望了二十多年，

and then suddenly found it within your reach, you would understand my feelings.

一旦伸手可得，那么，你们就会理解到我当时的心情了。

I lit a cigar, and puffed¹⁰ at it to steady my nerves,

我点燃了一支雪茄，喷着烟雾，借此安定我的紧张情绪。

but my hands were trembling and my temples throbbing¹¹ with excitement.

可是由于过分激动，我的手不住地在战抖，太阳穴也突突地乱跳。

As I drove, I could see old John Ferrier and sweet Lucy looking at me out of the darkness and smiling at me,

当我赶着马车前进时，我看见老约翰·费瑞厄和可爱的露茜在黑暗中瞧着我微笑。我看得清清楚楚，

just as plain as I see you all in this room.

就象我现在在这间屋子里看见你们诸位一样。

All the way they were ahead of me,

一路之上，他们总是在我的前面，

one on each side of the horse until I pulled up at the house in the Brixton Road.

一边一个地走在马的两旁，一直跟我来到布瑞克斯顿路的那所空宅。

It would only have been rigid justice if I had done so,

如果这样做，只不过是死板板地执行严正的审判而已。

but I could not bring myself to do it.

但是，我不会那样干的。

I had long determined that he should have a show for his life if he chose to take advantage of it.

我早已决定给他一个机会，如果他能把握住这个机会的话，他还可以有一线生机。

Among the many billets which I have filled in America during my wandering life,

当我在美洲流浪的那些日子里，我干过各种各样的差事。

I was once janitor and sweeper-out of the laboratory at York College.

我曾经一度做过' 约克学院' 实验室的看门人和扫地工友。

One day the professor was lecturing on poisons,

有一天，教授正在讲解毒药问题时，

and he showed his students some alkaloid, as he called it,

他把一种叫做生物硷的东西给学生们看。

which he had extracted from some South American arrow poison,

这是他从一种南美洲土人制造毒箭的毒药中提炼出来的。

and which was so powerful that the least grain meant instant death.

这种毒药毒性非常猛烈，只要沾着一点儿，立刻就能致人死命。

I spotted the bottle in which this preparation was kept,

我记住了那个放毒药品子的所在，

and when they were all gone, I helped myself to a little of it.

在他们走了以后，我就倒了一点出来。

I was a fairly good dispenser,

我是一个相当高明的配药能手，

so I worked this alkaloid into small, soluble pills,

于是，我就把这些毒药做成了一些易于溶解的小丸。

and each pill I put in a box with a similar pill made without the poison.

我在每个盒子里装进一粒，同时再放进一粒样子相同但是无毒的。

I determined at the time that when I had my chance my gentlemen should each have a draw out of one of these boxes,

我当时决定，只要一旦我能得手，这两位先生就要每人分得一盒，让他们每个人先吞服一粒，

while I ate the pill that remained.

剩下的一粒就由我来吞服。

It would be quite as deadly and a good deal less noisy than firing across a handkerchief.

这样做，和枪口蒙上手帕射击一样，可以置人于死地，而且还没有响声。

From that day I had always my pill boxes about with me,

从那一天起，我就一直把这些装着药丸的盒子带在身边；

and the time had now come when I was to use them.

现在到了我使用它们的时候了。

"It was nearer one than twelve, and a wild, bleak night, blowing hard and raining in torrents.

"当时已经是午夜过后，快一点钟的光景。这是一个凄风苦雨的深夜。风刮得很厉害，大雨倾盆而下。

Dismal as it was outside, I was glad within–so glad that I could have shouted out from pure exultation.

外面虽然是一惨淡的景象，可是我的心里却是乐不可言，我高兴得几乎要大声欢叫起来。

If any of you gentlemen have ever pined for a thing,

诸位先生，如果你们之中哪一位曾经为着一件事朝思暮想，

and longed for it during twenty long years,

一直盼望了二十多年，

and then suddenly found it within your reach, you would understand my feelings.

一旦伸手可得，那么，你们就会理解到我当时的心情了。

I lit a cigar, and puffed at it to steady my nerves,

我点燃了一支雪茄，喷着烟雾，借此安定我的紧张情绪。

but my hands were trembling and my temples throbbing with excitement.

可是由于过分激动，我的手不住地在战抖，太阳穴也突突地乱跳。

As I drove, I could see old John Ferrier and sweet Lucy looking at me out of the darkness and smiling at me,

当我赶着马车前进时，我看见老约翰·费瑞厄和可爱的露茜在黑暗中瞧着我微笑。我看得清清楚楚，

just as plain as I see you all in this room.

就象我现在在这间屋子里看见你们诸位一样。

All the way they were ahead of me,

一路之上，他们总是在我的前面，

one on each side of the horse until I pulled up at the house in the Brixton Road.

一边一个地走在马的两旁，一直跟我来到布瑞克斯顿路的那所空宅。

1 rigid   

adj.严格的，死板的；刚硬的，僵硬的

参考例句：

• She became as rigid as adamant.她变得如顽石般的固执。
• The examination was so rigid that nearly all aspirants were ruled out.考试很严，几乎所有的考生都被淘汰了。

2 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

3 janitor   

n.看门人，管门人

参考例句：

• The janitor wiped on the windows with his rags.看门人用褴褛的衣服擦着窗户。
• The janitor swept the floors and locked up the building every night.那个看门人每天晚上负责打扫大楼的地板和锁门。

4 spotted   

adj.有斑点的，斑纹的，弄污了的

参考例句：

• The milkman selected the spotted cows,from among a herd of two hundred.牛奶商从一群200头牛中选出有斑点的牛。
• Sam's shop stocks short spotted socks.山姆的商店屯积了有斑点的短袜。

5 soluble   

adj.可溶的；可以解决的

参考例句：

• These tablets are soluble in water.这些药片可在水中溶解。
• Camphor is soluble in alcohol.樟脑在酒精中可以溶化。

6 bleak   

adj.(天气)阴冷的；凄凉的；暗淡的

参考例句：

• They showed me into a bleak waiting room.他们引我来到一间阴冷的会客室。
• The company's prospects look pretty bleak.这家公司的前景异常暗淡。

7 torrents   

n.倾注；奔流( torrent的名词复数 )；急流；爆发；连续不断

参考例句：

• The torrents scoured out a channel down the hill side. 急流沿着山腰冲刷出一条水沟。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Sudden rainstorms would bring the mountain torrents rushing down. 突然的暴雨会使山洪暴发。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

8 dismal   

adj.阴沉的，凄凉的，令人忧郁的，差劲的

参考例句：

• That is a rather dismal melody.那是一支相当忧郁的歌曲。
• My prospects of returning to a suitable job are dismal.我重新找到一个合适的工作岗位的希望很渺茫。

9 exultation   

n.狂喜，得意

参考例句：

• It made him catch his breath, it lit his face with exultation. 听了这个名字，他屏住呼吸，乐得脸上放光。
• He could get up no exultation that was really worthy the name. 他一点都激动不起来。

10 puffed   

adj.疏松的v.使喷出( puff的过去式和过去分词 )；喷着汽（或烟）移动；吹嘘；吹捧

参考例句：

• He lit a cigarette and puffed at it furiously. 他点燃了一支香烟，狂吸了几口。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He felt grown-up, puffed up with self-importance. 他觉得长大了，便自以为了不起。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 throbbing   

a. 跳动的,悸动的

参考例句：

• My heart is throbbing and I'm shaking. 我的心在猛烈跳动，身子在不住颤抖。
• There was a throbbing in her temples. 她的太阳穴直跳。