四签名 64线索的中断（8）

"But I tell you that I am acting¹ for him.

"可是我告诉您，我可以代表他，

Was it about Mordecai Smith's boat?"

是不是关于茂迪凯·斯密司汽船的事？"

"Yes. I knows well where it is. An' I knows where the men he is after are.

"是的，我知道这只船在哪里，知道他所追踪的人在哪里，

An' I knows where the treasure is. I knows all about it."

还知道宝物在哪里，我一切全都知道。"

"Then tell me, and I shall let him know."

"您告诉我好了，我会转告他的。"

"It was to him I was to tell it," he repeated with the petulant² obstinacy³ of a very old man.

他十足地表现了老人的易怒和顽固的态度。他道："我只能告诉他本人。"

"Well, you must wait for him."

"那您只好等一等了。"

"No, no; I ain't goin' to lose a whole day to please no one.

"不行，不行，我不能为了这件事浪费一天的光阴，

If Mr. Holmes ain't here, then Mr. Holmes must find it all out for himself.

如果福尔摩斯先生不在家，只好让他自己想法子去打听这些消息了。

I don't care about the look of either of you, and I won't tell a word."

你们两人的尊容我都不喜欢，我一个字也不告诉你们。"

He shuffled⁴ towards the door, but Athelney Jones got in front of him.

他站起来就要出门，可是埃瑟尔尼·琼斯跑到他前面，拦住了他。

"Wait a bit, my friend," said he. "You have important information, and you must not walk off.

琼斯道："朋友，请等一等。您有要紧的消息报告，您不能这样就走。

We shall keep you, whether you like or not, until our friend returns."

不管您愿意不愿意，我们要把您留住，直等到我们的朋友回来。"

The old man made a little run towards the door,

那老人要想夺门而出，

but, as Athelney Jones put his broad back up against it, he recognized the uselessness of resistance.

可是埃瑟尔尼·琼斯早已把背靠在门上，阻住老人的去路。

"Pretty sort o' treatment this!" he cried, stamping his stick.

老人用手杖在地板上怒击着喊道："真是岂有此理！

"I come here to see a gentleman, and you two, who I never saw in my life, seize me and treat me in this fashion!"

我到这里来拜访一位朋友，可是你们二人和我素不相识，硬要把我留下，对待我这样无礼！"

1 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。

2 petulant   

adj.性急的，暴躁的

参考例句：

• He picked the pen up with a petulant gesture.他生气地拿起那支钢笔。
• The thing had been remarked with petulant jealousy by his wife.

3 obstinacy   

n.顽固；（病痛等）难治

参考例句：

• It is a very accountable obstinacy.这是一种完全可以理解的固执态度。
• Cindy's anger usually made him stand firm to the point of obstinacy.辛迪一发怒，常常使他坚持自见，并达到执拗的地步。

4 shuffled   

v.洗（纸牌）( shuffle的过去式和过去分词 )；拖着脚步走；粗心地做；摆脱尘世的烦恼

参考例句：

• He shuffled across the room to the window. 他拖着脚走到房间那头的窗户跟前。
• Simon shuffled awkwardly towards them. 西蒙笨拙地拖着脚朝他们走去。 来自《简明英汉词典》