四签名 58线索的中断（2）

It was evening before I left Camberwell, and quite dark by the time I reached home.

我从坎伯韦尔回到家中的时候已经很晚了。

My companion's book and pipe lay by his chair, but he had disappeared.

我伙伴的书和烟斗还放在他的椅子旁边，可是他本人却不见了。

I looked about in the hope of seeing a note, but there was none.

我四周看了一遍，希望他留下一张字条，可是没有找到片纸只字。

"I suppose that Mr. Sherlock Holmes has gone out," I said to Mrs. Hudson as she came up to lower the blinds.

赫德森太太进屋来放窗帘，我问道："歇洛克·福尔摩斯先生是出去了吗？"

"No, sir. He has gone to his room, sir. Do you know, sir,"

"先生，他没有出去，他在他自己的屋里。先生，您知道吗"

sinking her voice into an impressive whisper, "I am afraid for his health."

她放低了声音，悄悄地说道："我怕他是病了！"

"Why so, Mrs. Hudson?"

"赫德森太太，您怎么知道他病了？"

"Well, he's that strange, sir.

"先生，事情有些古怪。

After you was gone he walked and he walked, up and down, and up and down,

您走了以后，他在屋里走来走去，走来走去，

until I was weary of the sound of his footstep.

他的脚步声使我都听烦了。

Then I heard him talking to himself and muttering,

后来又听见他自言自语，

and every time the bell rang out he came on the stairhead, with 'What is that, Mrs. Hudson?'

每次有人叫门，他就跑到楼梯口喊问：'赫德森太太，是谁呀？'

And now he has slammed off to his room, but I can hear him walking away the same as ever.

现在他把自己关在屋里，可是我依然可以听见他在屋里走来走去的声音。

I hope he's not going to be ill, sir.

先生，我希望他没有病。

I ventured to say something to him about cooling medicine, but he turned on me, sir,

方才我冒昧地告诉他吃些凉药，可是，先生，他瞪了我一眼，

with such a look that I don't know how ever I got out of the room."

吓得我都不知道自己是怎样从那间屋子跑出来的。"

"I don't think that you have any cause to be uneasy, Mrs. Hudson," I answered.

我答道："赫德森太太，我想您可以不必着急，

"I have seen him like this before.

我以前也看见过他这个样子的。

He has some small matter upon his mind which makes him restless."

他有事在心，所以使他心神不安。"

I tried to speak lightly to our worthy¹ landlady²,

我就这样故作轻松地和我们的好房东谈着，

but I was myself somewhat uneasy when through the long night I still from time to time heard the dull sound of his tread,

可是我在整个长夜里不断地隐约地听见他的脚步声音，

and knew how his keen spirit was chafing³ against this involuntary inaction.

我知道，他那迫切的心情已因不能采取行动而变得益发焦躁起来。

At breakfast-time he looked worn and haggard,

第二天早餐时，他的面容器倦而瘦削，

with a little fleck⁴ of feverish⁵ colour upon either cheek.

两颊微微的发红。

"You are knocking yourself up, old man," I remarked. "I heard you marching about in the night."

我道："老兄，你把自己累垮了。我听见你夜里在屋内踱来踱去。"

"No, I could not sleep," he answered. "This infernal problem is consuming me.

他答道："我睡不着，这讨厌的问题把我急坏了。

It is too much to be balked⁶ by so petty an obstacle, when all else had been overcome.

所有的大困难都已经克服了，现在反而叫一个很不算什么的障碍给难住了，未免叫人太不甘心。

I know the men, the launch, everything; and yet I can get no news.

现在咱们已经知道匪徒是谁，知道船的名字和其他一切了，可是就是得不到船的消息。

I have set other agencies at work and used every means at my disposal.

其他方面也都已行动起来，我已用尽了我的方法，

The whole river has been searched on either side,

整条河的两岸已经都搜遍了，

but there is no news, nor has Mrs. Smith heard of her husband.

还是没有消息。斯密司太太那里也没有她丈夫的音信，

I shall come to the conclusion soon that they have scuttled⁷ the craft.

我差不多认为他们已经把船沉到河底了，

But there are objections to that."

可是这一层亦存在着一定的矛盾。"

"Or that Mrs. Smith has put us on a wrong scent⁸."

"咱们可能是受了斯密司太太的愚弄了。"

"No, I think that may be dismissed.

"不然，我想这一层可以不用过虑，

I had inquiries⁹ made, and there is a launch of that description."

因为经过调查，这样的汽船确是有一只的。"

"Could it have gone up the river?"

"它会不会是到上游去了？"

"I have considered that possibility, too,

"我也想到了这个可能性，

and there is a search-party who will work up as far as Richmond.

我已经派出一批搜查的人上溯到瑞奇门德一带去了。

If no news comes today I shall start off myself tomorrow and go for the men rather than the boat.

如果今天再没有消息，我明天当亲自出马去找匪徒而放弃寻找汽船了。

But surely, surely, we shall hear something."

可是肯定的，肯定咱们会得到一些消息的。"

1 worthy   

adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的

参考例句：

• I did not esteem him to be worthy of trust.我认为他不值得信赖。
• There occurred nothing that was worthy to be mentioned.没有值得一提的事发生。

2 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。

3 chafing   

n.皮肤发炎v.擦热（尤指皮肤）( chafe的现在分词 )；擦痛；发怒；惹怒

参考例句：

• My shorts were chafing my thighs. 我的短裤把大腿磨得生疼。 来自辞典例句
• We made coffee in a chafing dish. 我们用暖锅烧咖啡。 来自辞典例句

4 fleck   

n.斑点，微粒 vt.使有斑点，使成斑驳

参考例句：

• The garlic moss has no the yellow fleck and other virus. 蒜苔无黄斑点及其它病毒。
• His coat is blue with a grey fleck.他的上衣是蓝色的，上面带有灰色的斑点。

5 feverish   

adj.发烧的，狂热的，兴奋的

参考例句：

• He is too feverish to rest.他兴奋得安静不下来。
• They worked with feverish haste to finish the job.为了完成此事他们以狂热的速度工作着。

6 balked   

v.畏缩不前，犹豫( balk的过去式和过去分词 )；（指马）不肯跑

参考例句：

• He balked in his speech. 他忽然中断讲演。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• They balked the robber's plan. 他们使强盗的计划受到挫败。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

7 scuttled   

v.使船沉没( scuttle的过去式和过去分词 )；快跑，急走

参考例句：

• She scuttled off when she heard the sound of his voice. 听到他的说话声，她赶紧跑开了。
• The thief scuttled off when he saw the policeman. 小偷看见警察来了便急忙跑掉。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 scent   

n.气味，香味，香水，线索，嗅觉；v.嗅，发觉

参考例句：

• The air was filled with the scent of lilac.空气中弥漫着丁香花的芬芳。
• The flowers give off a heady scent at night.这些花晚上散发出醉人的芳香。

9 inquiries   

n.调查( inquiry的名词复数 )；疑问；探究；打听

参考例句：

• He was released on bail pending further inquiries. 他获得保释，等候进一步调查。
• I have failed to reach them by postal inquiries. 我未能通过邮政查询与他们取得联系。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》