四签名 08演绎法的研究（8）

For example, I began by stating that your brother was careless.

举例来说吧，我开始时曾说你哥哥的行为很不谨慎。

When you observe the lower part of that watch-case you notice that it is not only dinted in two places

请看这只表，不仅下面边缘上有凹痕两处，整个表的上面还有无数的伤痕，

but it is cut and marked all over from the habit of keeping other hard objects, such as coins or keys, in the same pocket.

这是因为惯于把表放在有钱币、钥匙一类硬东西的衣袋里的缘故。

Surely it is no great feat¹ to assume that a man who treats a fifty-guinea watch so cavalierly must be a careless man.

对一只价值五十多金镑的表这样不经心，说他生活不检点，总不算是过分吧！

Neither is it a very far-fetched inference that a man who inherits one article of such value is pretty well provided for in other respects."

单是这只表已经如此贵重，若说遗产不丰富，也是没有道理的。"

I nodded to show that I followed his reasoning.

我点着头，表示领会了他的道理。

"It is very customary for pawnbrokers² in England,

"伦敦当票的惯例是：

when they take a watch, to scratch the numbers of the ticket with a pin-point upon the inside of the case.

每收进一只表，必定要用针尖把当票的号码刻在表的里面，

It is more handy than a label as there is no risk of the number being lost or transposed.

这个办法比较挂一个牌子好，可以免去号码失掉或混乱的危险。

There are no less than four such numbers visible to my lens on the inside of this case.

用放大镜细看里面，发现了这类号码至少有四个。

Inference–that your brother was often at low water.

结论是：你哥哥常常窘困；

Secondary inference–that he had occasional bursts of prosperity, or he could not have redeemed³ the pledge.

附带的结论是：他有时景况很好，否则他就不会有力量去赎当了。

Finally, I ask you to look at the inner plate, which contains the keyhole.

最后请你注意这有钥匙孔的里盖，

Look at the thousands of scratches all round the hole–marks where the key has slipped.

围绕钥匙孔有上千的伤痕，这是由于被钥匙摩擦而造成的。

What sober man's key could have scored those grooves⁴?

清醒的人插钥匙，不是一插就进去吗？

But you will never see a drunkard's watch without them.

醉汉的表没有不留下这些痕迹的。

He winds it at night, and he leaves these traces of his unsteady hand.

他晚上上弦，所以留下了手腕颤抖的痕迹。

Where is the mystery in all this?"

这还有什么玄妙呢？"

"It is as clear as daylight," I answered.

我答道："一经说破，如见天日。

"I regret the injustice⁵ which I did you.

我对你的冒犯，请你原谅。

I should have had more faith in your marvellous faculty⁶.

我应当对你的神妙能力有更大的信心才对，

May I ask whether you have any professional inquiry⁷ on foot at present?"

请问你目前手里还有没有侦查的案件？"

"None. Hence the cocaine⁸. I cannot live without brainwork.

"没有，所以才注射可卡因啊。不用动脑筋，我就活不下去。

What else is there to live for? Stand at the window here.

除却这个还有什么生趣呢？请站到窗前来。

Was ever such a dreary⁹, dismal¹⁰, unprofitable world?

难道有过这样凄凉惨淡而又无聊的世界吗？

See how the yellow fog swirls¹¹ down the street and drifts across the dun-coloured houses.

看哪，那黄雾沿街滚滚而下，擦着那些暗褐色的房屋飘浮而过，

What could be more hopelessly prosaic¹² and material?

还有再比这个更平凡无聊的吗？

What is the use of having powers, Doctor, when one has no field upon which to exert them?

医师，试想英雄无用武之地，有劲头又有什么用呢？

Crime is commonplace, existence is commonplace, and no qualities save those which are commonplace have any function upon earth."

犯罪是寻常的事，人生在世也是寻常的事，在这个世界上除了寻常的事还有什么呢？"

I had opened my mouth to reply to this tirade¹³ when, with a crisp knock,

我正要开口回答他那激烈的言论，忽然敲门声音很急。

our landlady¹⁴ entered, bearing a card upon the brass¹⁵ salver.

我们的房东走了进来，托着一个铜盘，上面放着一张名片。

"A young lady for you, sir," she said, addressing my companion.

她对我的伙伴说道："一位年轻的妇女求见。"

"Miss Mary Morstan," he read. "Hum! I have no recollection of the name.

他读着名片："梅丽·摩斯坦小姐。

Ask the young lady to step up, Mrs. Hudson.

嗯！这个名字生疏得很。赫德森太太，请她进来。

Don't go, Doctor. I should prefer that you remain."

医生，你别走，我愿你留在这里。"

1 feat   

n.功绩；武艺，技艺；adj.灵巧的，漂亮的，合适的

参考例句：

• Man's first landing on the moon was a feat of great daring.人类首次登月是一个勇敢的壮举。
• He received a medal for his heroic feat.他因其英雄业绩而获得一枚勋章。

2 pawnbrokers   

n.当铺老板( pawnbroker的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• To exploit this demand, pawnbrokers are shedding their dingy, Dickensian image. 为了开拓市场，典当商人正在试图摆脱他们过去阴暗的狄更斯时代的形象。 来自互联网
• Each state and territory has legislation that requires pawnbrokers to be licensed. 各个州和地区的法律都规定当铺老板必须取得特许执照。 来自互联网

3 redeemed   

adj. 可赎回的，可救赎的 动词redeem的过去式和过去分词形式

参考例句：

• She has redeemed her pawned jewellery. 她赎回了当掉的珠宝。
• He redeemed his watch from the pawnbroker's. 他从当铺赎回手表。

4 grooves   

n.沟( groove的名词复数 )；槽；老一套；（某种）音乐节奏v.沟( groove的第三人称单数 )；槽；老一套；（某种）音乐节奏

参考例句：

• Wheels leave grooves in a dirt road. 车轮在泥路上留下了凹痕。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Sliding doors move in grooves. 滑动门在槽沟中移动。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

5 injustice   

n.非正义，不公正，不公平，侵犯（别人的）权利

参考例句：

• They complained of injustice in the way they had been treated.他们抱怨受到不公平的对待。
• All his life he has been struggling against injustice.他一生都在与不公正现象作斗争。

6 faculty   

n.才能；学院，系；(学院或系的)全体教学人员

参考例句：

• He has a great faculty for learning foreign languages.他有学习外语的天赋。
• He has the faculty of saying the right thing at the right time.他有在恰当的时候说恰当的话的才智。

7 inquiry   

n.打听，询问，调查，查问

参考例句：

• Many parents have been pressing for an inquiry into the problem.许多家长迫切要求调查这个问题。
• The field of inquiry has narrowed down to five persons.调查的范围已经缩小到只剩5个人了。

8 cocaine   

n.可卡因，古柯碱（用作局部麻醉剂）

参考例句：

• That young man is a cocaine addict.那个年轻人吸食可卡因成瘾。
• Don't have cocaine abusively.不可滥服古柯碱。

9 dreary   

adj.令人沮丧的，沉闷的，单调乏味的

参考例句：

• They live such dreary lives.他们的生活如此乏味。
• She was tired of hearing the same dreary tale of drunkenness and violence.她听够了那些关于酗酒和暴力的乏味故事。

10 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。

11 swirls   

n.旋转( swirl的名词复数 )；卷状物；漩涡；尘旋v.旋转，打旋( swirl的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Swirls of smoke rose through the trees. 树林中升起盘旋的青烟。 来自辞典例句
• On reaching the southeast corner of Himalaya-Tibet, It'swirls cyclonically across the Yunnan Plateau. 在到达喜马拉雅--西藏高原东南角处，它作气旋性转向越过云南高原。 来自辞典例句

12 prosaic   

adj.单调的，无趣的

参考例句：

• The truth is more prosaic.真相更加乏味。
• It was a prosaic description of the scene.这是对场景没有想象力的一个描述。

13 tirade   

n.冗长的攻击性演说

参考例句：

• Her tirade provoked a counterblast from her husband.她的长篇大论激起了她丈夫的强烈反对。
• He delivered a long tirade against the government.他发表了反政府的长篇演说。

14 landlady   

n.女房东，女地主

参考例句：

• I heard my landlady creeping stealthily up to my door.我听到我的女房东偷偷地来到我的门前。
• The landlady came over to serve me.女店主过来接待我。

15 brass   

n.黄铜；黄铜器，铜管乐器

参考例句：

• Many of the workers play in the factory's brass band.许多工人都在工厂铜管乐队中演奏。
• Brass is formed by the fusion of copper and zinc.黄铜是通过铜和锌的熔合而成的。