四签名 03演绎法的研究（3）

"The only unofficial detective?" I said, raising my eyebrows¹.

我抬眼问道："唯一的私人侦探吗？"

"The only unofficial consulting detective," he answered.

他答道："唯一私家咨询侦探。

"I am the last and highest court of appeal in detection.

我是侦探的最高裁决机关。

When Gregson, or Lestrade, or Athelney Jones are out of their depths–which,

当葛莱森、雷斯垂德或埃瑟尔尼·琼斯遇到困难的时候

by the way, is their normal state–the matter is laid before me.

这倒是他们常有的事，他们就来向我请教。

I examine the data, as an expert, and pronounce a specialist's opinion.

我以专家的资格，审查材料，贡献一个专家的意见。

I claim no credit in such cases. My name figures in no newspaper.

我不居功，报纸上也不发表我的名字。

The work itself, the pleasure of finding a field for my peculiar² powers, is my highest reward.

工作本身使我的特殊精力得到发挥的这种快乐，就是我无上的报酬。

But you have yourself had some experience of my methods of work in the Jefferson Hope case."

你总还记得在杰弗逊·侯波案里我的工作方法所给你的一些经验吧？"

"Yes, indeed," said I cordially.

我热诚地答道："不错，我还记得。

"I was never so struck by anything in my life.

那是我平生从未遇到过的奇案。

I even embodied³ it in a small brochure, with the somewhat fantastic title of 'A Study in Scarlet⁴.'"

我已经把始末写成一本册子，用了一个新颖的标题：《血字的研究》。"

He shook his head sadly. "I glanced over it," said he.

他不满意地摇头道："我约略看过一遍，

"Honestly, I cannot congratulate you upon it.

实在不敢恭维。

Detection is, or ought to be, an exact science and should be treated in the same cold and unemotional manner.

要知道，侦探术是——或者应当是一种精确的科学，应当用同样冷静而不是感情用事的方法来研究它。

You have attempted to tinge⁵ it with romanticism,

你把它渲染上一层小说色彩，

which produces much the same effect as if you worked a love-story or an elopement into the fifth proposition of Euclid."

结果就弄得象是在几何定理里掺进了恋爱故事一样了。"

"But the romance was there," I remonstrated⁶. "I could not tamper⁷ with the facts."

我反驳他道："但是书中确有象小说的情节，我不能歪曲事实。"

"Some facts should be suppressed, or, at least, a just sense of proportion should be observed in treating them.

"有些事实可以不写，至少要把重点所在显示出来。

The only point in the case which deserved mention was the curious analytical⁸ reasoning from effects to causes,

这案件里唯一值得提出的，只是我怎样从事实的结果找出原因，

by which I succeeded in unravelling⁹ it."

再经过精密的分析和推断而破案的过程。"

I was annoyed at this criticism of a work which had been specially¹⁰ designed to please him.

我写那篇短文，本来是想要得到他的欢心，没想到反而受到了批评，心中很不愉快。

I confess, too, that I was irritated by the egotism

我承认，正是他的自负激怒了我，

which seemed to demand that every line of my pamphlet should be devoted¹¹ to his own special doings.

他的要求似乎是：我的著作必须完全用来描写他个人的行为。

More than once during the years that I had lived with him in Baker¹² Street

在我和他同住在贝克街的几年里，

I had observed that a small vanity underlay¹³ my companion's quiet and didactic manner.

我不止一次地发觉我那伙伴在静默和说教的态度里，总隐藏着一些骄傲和自负。

I made no remark, however, but sat nursing my wounded leg.

我不愿多说了，只是坐着抚摩我的伤腿，

I had had a Jezail bullet through it some time before,

我的腿以前曾被枪弹打穿，

and though it did not prevent me from walking it ached wearily at every change of the weather.

虽然不碍走路，但是一遇天气变化就感到痛楚难堪。

1 eyebrows   

眉毛( eyebrow的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Eyebrows stop sweat from coming down into the eyes. 眉毛挡住汗水使其不能流进眼睛。
• His eyebrows project noticeably. 他的眉毛特别突出。

2 peculiar   

adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的

参考例句：

• He walks in a peculiar fashion.他走路的样子很奇特。
• He looked at me with a very peculiar expression.他用一种很奇怪的表情看着我。

3 embodied   

v.表现( embody的过去式和过去分词 )；象征；包括；包含

参考例句：

• a politician who embodied the hopes of black youth 代表黑人青年希望的政治家
• The heroic deeds of him embodied the glorious tradition of the troops. 他的英雄事迹体现了军队的光荣传统。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 scarlet   

n.深红色，绯红色，红衣；adj.绯红色的

参考例句：

• The scarlet leaves of the maples contrast well with the dark green of the pines.深红的枫叶和暗绿的松树形成了明显的对比。
• The glowing clouds are growing slowly pale,scarlet,bright red,and then light red.天空的霞光渐渐地淡下去了，深红的颜色变成了绯红，绯红又变为浅红。

5 tinge   

vt.(较淡)着色于，染色；使带有…气息；n.淡淡色彩，些微的气息

参考例句：

• The maple leaves are tinge with autumn red.枫叶染上了秋天的红色。
• There was a tinge of sadness in her voice.她声音中流露出一丝忧伤。

6 remonstrated   

v.抗议( remonstrate的过去式和过去分词 )；告诫

参考例句：

• They remonstrated with the official about the decision. 他们就这一决定向这位官员提出了抗议。
• We remonstrated against the ill-treatment of prisoners of war. 我们对虐待战俘之事提出抗议。 来自辞典例句

7 tamper   

v.干预，玩弄，贿赂，窜改，削弱，损害

参考例句：

• Do not tamper with other's business.不要干预别人的事。
• They had strict orders not to tamper with the customs of the minorities.他们得到命令严禁干涉少数民族的风俗习惯。

8 analytical   

adj.分析的；用分析法的

参考例句：

• I have an analytical approach to every survey.对每项调查我都采用分析方法。
• As a result,analytical data obtained by analysts were often in disagreement.结果各个分析家所得的分析数据常常不一致。

9 unravelling   

解开，拆散，散开( unravel的现在分词 )； 阐明； 澄清； 弄清楚

参考例句：

• Nail head clamp the unravelling of nail exteriorize broken nails and clean. 钉头卡钉，拆开钉头取出碎钉并清洁。
• The ends of ropes are in good condition and secured without unravelling. 缆绳端部状况良好及牢固，并无松散脱线。

10 specially   

adv.特定地；特殊地；明确地

参考例句：

• They are specially packaged so that they stack easily.它们经过特别包装以便于堆放。
• The machine was designed specially for demolishing old buildings.这种机器是专为拆毁旧楼房而设计的。

11 devoted   

adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的

参考例句：

• He devoted his life to the educational cause of the motherland.他为祖国的教育事业贡献了一生。
• We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。

12 baker   

n.面包师

参考例句：

• The baker bakes his bread in the bakery.面包师在面包房内烤面包。
• The baker frosted the cake with a mixture of sugar and whites of eggs.面包师在蛋糕上撒了一层白糖和蛋清的混合料。

13 underlay   

v.位于或存在于（某物）之下( underlie的过去式 )；构成…的基础（或起因），引起n.衬垫物

参考例句：

• That would depend upon whether the germs of staunch comradeship underlay the temporary emotion. 这得看这番暂时的情感里，是否含有生死不渝友谊的萌芽。 来自辞典例句
• Sticking and stitching tongue overlay and tongue underlay Sticking 3㎜ reinforcement. 贴车舌上片与舌下片：贴3㎜补强带。 来自互联网