四签名 63线索的中断（7）

A heavy step was heard ascending¹ the stair,

传来一阵沉重的上楼的脚步声，

with a great wheezing² and rattling³ as from a man who was sorely put to it for breath.

喘息的声音很重，说明这个人呼吸困难；

Once or twice he stopped, as though the climb were too much for him,

中间稍停了一两次，好象他上楼梯很费起力似的。

but at last he made his way to our door and entered.

最后他走进屋来，

His appearance corresponded to the sounds which we had heard.

他的容貌和我们所听见的声音是符合的。

He was an aged⁴ man, clad in seafaring garb⁵, with an old pea-jacket buttoned up to his throat.

一个老人，穿着一身水手的衣服，外面套着大衣，纽扣一直扣到颈间。

His back was bowed, his knees were shaky, and his breathing was painfully asthmatic.

他弯着腰，两腿颤抖，气喘得很痛苦。

As he leaned upon a thick oaken cudgel his shoulders heaved in the effort to draw the air into his lungs.

他手拄一根粗粗的木棍，两肩不断耸动，好象呼吸很吃力。

He had a coloured scarf round his chin,

他的面目，除了一双闪烁的眼睛以外，

and I could see little of his face save a pair of keen dark eyes,

只有白的眉毛和灰的髭须，

overhung by bushy white brows and long gray side-whiskers.

其余全被他的围巾遮盖住了。

Altogether he gave me the impression of a respectable master mariner⁶ who had fallen into years and poverty.

整个地看来，他象是一个年事已高、景况潦倒而令人尊敬的航海家。

"What is it, my man?" I asked.

我问道："朋友，有什么事吗？"

He looked about him in the slow methodical fashion of old age.

他用老年人所特有的习惯，慢条斯理地向四周看了看。

"Is Mr. Sherlock Holmes here?" said he.

他问道："歇洛克·福尔摩斯先生在家吗？"

"No; but I am acting⁷ for him. You can tell me any message you have for him."

"没有在家。可是我可以代表他，您有什么话全都可以告诉我。"

"It was to him himself I was to tell it," said he.

他道："我只能向他本人说。"

1 ascending   

adj.上升的，向上的

参考例句：

• Now draw or trace ten dinosaurs in ascending order of size.现在按照体型由小到大的顺序画出或是临摹出10只恐龙。

2 wheezing   

v.喘息，发出呼哧呼哧的喘息声( wheeze的现在分词 )；哮鸣

参考例句：

• He was coughing and wheezing all night. 他整夜又咳嗽又喘。
• A barrel-organ was wheezing out an old tune. 一架手摇风琴正在呼哧呼哧地奏着一首古老的曲子。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

3 rattling   

adj. 格格作响的, 活泼的, 很好的 adv. 极其, 很, 非常 动词rattle的现在分词

参考例句：

• This book is a rattling good read. 这是一本非常好的读物。
• At that same instant,a deafening explosion set the windows rattling. 正在这时，一声震耳欲聋的爆炸突然袭来，把窗玻璃震得当当地响。

4 aged   

adj.年老的，陈年的

参考例句：

• He had put on weight and aged a little.他胖了，也老点了。
• He is aged,but his memory is still good.他已年老，然而记忆力还好。

5 garb   

n.服装，装束

参考例句：

• He wore the garb of a general.他身着将军的制服。
• Certain political,social,and legal forms reappear in seemingly different garb.一些政治、社会和法律的形式在表面不同的外衣下重复出现。

6 mariner   

n.水手号不载人航天探测器，海员，航海者

参考例句：

• A smooth sea never made a skillful mariner.平静的大海决不能造就熟练的水手。
• A mariner must have his eye upon rocks and sands as well as upon the North Star.海员不仅要盯着北极星，还要注意暗礁和险滩。

7 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。