四签名 17寻求解答（4）

The situation was a curious one.

我们所处的环境是奇特的。

We were driving to an unknown place, on an unknown errand.

我们既不知道上哪里去，又不知道去做什么。

Yet our invitation was either a complete hoax--which was an inconceivable hypothesis--

若说是被人愚弄吧？又好象是不可能，

or else we had good reason to think that important issues might hang upon our journey.

想来还不至于白跑一趟，总可以得些重要的结果的。

Miss Morstan's demeanour was as resolute¹ and collected as ever.

摩斯坦小姐的态度还是象以前一样的坚决和镇定。

I endeavoured to cheer and amuse her by reminiscences of my adventures in Afghanistan;

我竭力设法鼓励和安慰她，我给她说我在阿富汗冒险的故事。

but, to tell the truth, I was myself so excited at our situation

可是，说实话，我自己也正因为我们所处的环境和难测的命运感觉紧张和不安，

and so curious as to our destination that my stories were slightly involved.

以致我所讲的故事未免乱七八糟。

To this day she declares that I told her one moving anecdote²

直到今天，她还把我告诉她的那个生动的故事用作笑话呢：

as to how a musket³ looked into my tent at the dead of night, and how I fired a double-barrelled tiger cub⁴ at it.

我如何在深夜里用一只小老虎打死了钻到帐篷里来的一支双筒枪。

At first I had some idea as to the direction in which we were driving;

起初，我还能辨别我们所经的道路，

but soon, what with our pace, the fog, and my own limited knowledge of London,

可是不久，因为路远多雾，再加上我对伦敦地理的生疏，

I lost my bearings and knew nothing save that we seemed to be going a very long way.

我就迷了方向，除了行程似乎很长以外，其余的我就一概全都不知道了。

Sherlock Holmes was never at fault, however,

福尔摩斯并没有迷路；

and he muttered the names as the cab rattled⁵ through squares and in and out by tortuous⁶ by-streets. "Rochester Row," said he.

车子经过的地方，他都能喃喃地说出地名来。他道："罗奇斯特路，

"Now Vincent Square. Now we come out on the Vauxhall Bridge Road. We are making for the Surrey side apparently⁷.

这是文森特广场。现在我们似乎是在从沃克斯豪尔桥路走向萨利区去。

Yes, I thought so. Now we are on the bridge. You can catch glimpses of the river."

不错，正是这样地走。我们现在上了桥面，你们可以看见河水的闪光。"

We did indeed get a fleeting⁸ view of a stretch of the Thames, with the lamps shining upon the broad, silent water;

我们果然看见了灯光照耀下的泰晤士河的景色，

but our cab dashed on and was soon involved in a labyrinth⁹ of streets upon the other side.

可是我们的车仍在向前奔驰，不久就到达河对岸令人迷惑的街道上去了。

"Wordsworth Road," said my companion.

我的伙伴又道："沃兹沃斯路，

"Priory Road. Lark¹⁰ Hall Lane. Stockwell Place. Robert Street. Cold Harbour Lane.

修道院路，拉克豪尔衖，斯陶克维尔街，罗伯特街，冷港衖，

Our quest does not appear to take us to very fashionable regions."

我们的路径不象是向着高尚区域去的。"

We had indeed reached a questionable¹¹ and forbidding neighbourhood.

我们的确到了一个可疑和可怕的区域。

Long lines of dull brick houses were only relieved by the coarse glare and tawdry brilliancy of public-houses at the corner.

直到在街角看到一些粗俗、耀眼的酒肆以前，两旁一直都是连续不断的暗灰色的砖房。

Then came rows of two- storied villas¹², each with a fronting of miniature garden, and then again interminable lines of new, staring brick buildings

随后又是几排两层楼房的住宅，每幢楼前有一个小小的花园，夹杂着一些砖造的新楼房

the monster tentacles¹³ which the giant city was throwing out into the country.

是这个大城市在郊区扩建的新区域。

At last the cab drew up at the third house in a new terrace.

最后，车子停在这新衖的第三个门前。

None of the other houses were inhabited, and that at which we stopped was as dark as its neighbours, save for a single glimmer¹⁴ in the kitchen-window.

所有其他的房子还没有人住，在我们停车的房子前面，除了从厨房窗户射出的一线微光外，也和其他的房子一样的黑暗。

On our knocking, however, the door was instantly thrown open by a Hindoo servant, clad in a yellow turban, white loose-fitting clothes, and a yellow sash.

我们敲门以后，立刻就有一个头戴黄色包头、身穿肥大的白色衣服、系着黄带子的印度仆人开了门。

There was something strangely incongruous in this Oriental figure framed in the commonplace doorway¹⁵ of a third-rate suburban¹⁶ dwelling-house.

在这个普通三等郊区住宅的门前出现了一个东方仆人，是有一些不调和的。

"The sahib awaits you," said he, and even as he spoke¹⁷, there came a high, piping voice from some inner room.

他道："我的主人正在等候。"他还没有说完，就有人在屋内高声喊道：

"Show them in to me, khitmutgar," it said. "Show them straight in to me."

"吉特穆特迦，请他们到我这里来吧，请他们一直到我这里来。"

1 resolute   

adj.坚决的，果敢的

参考例句：

• He was resolute in carrying out his plan.他坚决地实行他的计划。
• The Egyptians offered resolute resistance to the aggressors.埃及人对侵略者作出坚决的反抗。

2 anecdote   

n.轶事，趣闻，短故事

参考例句：

• He departed from the text to tell an anecdote.他偏离课文讲起了一则轶事。
• It had never been more than a family anecdote.那不过是个家庭趣谈罢了。

3 musket   

n.滑膛枪

参考例句：

• I hunted with a musket two years ago.两年前我用滑膛枪打猎。
• So some seconds passed,till suddenly Joyce whipped up his musket and fired.又过了几秒钟，突然，乔伊斯端起枪来开了火。

4 cub   

n.幼兽，年轻无经验的人

参考例句：

• The lion cub's mother was hunting for what she needs. 这只幼师的母亲正在捕猎。
• The cub licked the milk from its mother's breast. 这头幼兽吸吮着它妈妈的奶水。

5 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。

6 tortuous   

adj.弯弯曲曲的，蜿蜒的

参考例句：

• We have travelled a tortuous road.我们走过了曲折的道路。
• They walked through the tortuous streets of the old city.他们步行穿过老城区中心弯弯曲曲的街道。

7 apparently   

adv.显然地；表面上，似乎

参考例句：

• An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。
• He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。

8 fleeting   

adj.短暂的，飞逝的

参考例句：

• The girls caught only a fleeting glimpse of the driver.女孩们只匆匆瞥了一眼司机。
• Knowing the life fleeting,she set herself to enjoy if as best as she could.她知道这种日子转瞬即逝，于是让自已尽情地享受。

9 labyrinth   

n.迷宫；难解的事物；迷路

参考例句：

• He wandered through the labyrinth of the alleyways.他在迷宫似的小巷中闲逛。
• The human mind is a labyrinth.人的心灵是一座迷宫。

10 lark   

n.云雀，百灵鸟；n.嬉戏，玩笑；vi.嬉戏

参考例句：

• He thinks it cruel to confine a lark in a cage.他认为把云雀关在笼子里太残忍了。
• She lived in the village with her grandparents as cheerful as a lark.她同祖父母一起住在乡间非常快活。

11 questionable   

adj.可疑的，有问题的

参考例句：

• There are still a few questionable points in the case.这个案件还有几个疑点。
• Your argument is based on a set of questionable assumptions.你的论证建立在一套有问题的假设上。

12 villas   

别墅，公馆( villa的名词复数 )； （城郊）住宅

参考例句：

• Magnificent villas are found throughout Italy. 在意大利到处可看到豪华的别墅。
• Rich men came down from wealthy Rome to build sea-side villas. 有钱人从富有的罗马来到这儿建造海滨别墅。

13 tentacles   

n.触手( tentacle的名词复数 )；触角；触须；触毛

参考例句：

• Tentacles of fear closed around her body. 恐惧的阴影笼罩着她。
• Many molluscs have tentacles. 很多软体动物有触角。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 glimmer   

v.发出闪烁的微光；n.微光，微弱的闪光

参考例句：

• I looked at her and felt a glimmer of hope.我注视她，感到了一线希望。
• A glimmer of amusement showed in her eyes.她的眼中露出一丝笑意。

15 doorway   

n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径

参考例句：

• They huddled in the shop doorway to shelter from the rain.他们挤在商店门口躲雨。
• Mary suddenly appeared in the doorway.玛丽突然出现在门口。

16 suburban   

adj.城郊的，在郊区的

参考例句：

• Suburban shopping centers were springing up all over America. 效区的商业中心在美国如雨后春笋般地兴起。
• There's a lot of good things about suburban living.郊区生活是有许多优点。

17 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。