四签名 56贝克街的侦探小队（9）

Mark that, Watson. Now, then listen to this.

注意这个，华生！再听下边的：

"They are naturally hideous¹, having large, misshapen heads, small fierce eyes, and distorted features.

'他们天生可怕，畸形的大头、凶狠的小眼睛、奇怪的面貌

Their feet and hands, however, are remarkably² small.

特别小的手和脚。

So intractable and fierce are they,

由于他们凶狠、倔强已极，

that all the efforts of the British officials have failed to win them over in any degree.

英国官吏虽竭尽一切努力，也丝毫无法把他们争取过来。

They have always been a terror to shipwrecked crews,

对于船只遭难的水手们说来，他们永远是个祸害，

braining the survivors³ with their stone-headed clubs or shooting them with their poisoned arrows.

往往被他们用镶着石头的木棒击碎脑袋，或用毒箭刺死。

These massacres⁴ are invariably concluded by a cannibal feast. "

这种屠杀的结果总是毫无例外地以人肉盛筵作为结束。'

Nice, amiable⁵ people, Watson!

可真是可爱的好人哪！华生！

If this fellow had been left to his own unaided devices,

如果这个小子没有人管着，叫他自由行动，

this affair might have taken an even more ghastly turn.

那结果更不堪设想了。

I fancy that, even as it is, Jonathan Small would give a good deal not to have employed him."

我觉得，就是琼诺赞·斯茂雇用他，恐怕也是出于不得已吧。"

"But how came he to have so singular a companion?"

"可是他怎么就找到一个这样奇怪的同谋呢？""可是他怎么就找到一个这样奇怪的同谋呢？"

"Ah, that is more than I can tell.

"啊，这个就不得而知了。

Since, however, we had already determined⁶ that Small had come from the Andamans,

可是咱们既然知道斯茂是从安达曼群岛来的，

it is not so very wonderful that this islander should be with him.

这个土人和他在一起也就没有什么稀奇了。

No doubt we shall know all about it in time.

毫无疑问，以后咱们还要知道些详情呢。

Look here, Watson; you look regularly done.

华生，看来你是疲倦极了，

Lie down there on the sofa and see if I can put you to sleep."

你在那张沙发上躺下，等我来催你入睡吧。"

He took up his violin from the corner,

他从屋角那里拿起小提琴来，

and as I stretched myself out he began to play some low, dreamy, melodious⁷ air

开始奏起一支低沉的催眠曲

his own, no doubt, for he had a remarkable⁸ gift for improvisation⁹.

无疑是他的自编曲，因为他有一种即景作曲的本领。

I have a vague remembrance of his gaunt limbs, his earnest face and the rise and fall of his bow.

我直到现在还能模糊地记得他那瘦削的手，诚恳的脸和弓弦上下的动作呢。

Then I seemed to be floated peacefully away upon a soft sea of sound until I found myself in dreamland,

那时我一身孓然在音乐声中，进入了梦境，

with the sweet face of Mary Morstan looking down upon me.

我看见梅丽·摩斯坦甜蜜的脸容在向我微笑。

1 hideous   

adj.丑陋的，可憎的，可怕的，恐怖的

参考例句：

• The whole experience had been like some hideous nightmare.整个经历就像一场可怕的噩梦。
• They're not like dogs,they're hideous brutes.它们不像狗，是丑陋的畜牲。

2 remarkably   

ad.不同寻常地，相当地

参考例句：

• I thought she was remarkably restrained in the circumstances. 我认为她在那种情况下非常克制。
• He made a remarkably swift recovery. 他康复得相当快。

3 survivors   

幸存者，残存者，生还者( survivor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The survivors were adrift in a lifeboat for six days. 幸存者在救生艇上漂流了六天。
• survivors clinging to a raft 紧紧抓住救生筏的幸存者

4 massacres   

大屠杀( massacre的名词复数 )； 惨败

参考例句：

• The time is past for guns and killings and massacres. 动不动就用枪、动不动就杀、大规模屠杀的时代已经过去了。 来自教父部分
• Numberless recent massacres were still vivid in their recollection. 近来那些不可胜数的屠杀，在他们的头脑中记忆犹新。

5 amiable   

adj.和蔼可亲的，友善的，亲切的

参考例句：

• She was a very kind and amiable old woman.她是个善良和气的老太太。
• We have a very amiable companionship.我们之间存在一种友好的关系。

6 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。

7 melodious   

adj.旋律美妙的，调子优美的，音乐性的

参考例句：

• She spoke in a quietly melodious voice.她说话轻声细语，嗓音甜美。
• Everybody was attracted by her melodious voice.大家都被她悦耳的声音吸引住了。

8 remarkable   

adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的

参考例句：

• She has made remarkable headway in her writing skills.她在写作技巧方面有了长足进步。
• These cars are remarkable for the quietness of their engines.这些汽车因发动机没有噪音而不同凡响。

9 improvisation   

n.即席演奏(或演唱)；即兴创作

参考例句：

• a free-form jazz improvisation 自由创作的爵士乐即兴演出
• Most of their music was spontaneous improvisation. 他们的大部分音乐作品都是即兴创作的。