四签名 73凶手的末日（6）

"It is just these very simple things which are extremely liable to be overlooked. However, I determined¹ to act on the idea.

"正因为很简单，才容易被忽略了。于是我决定照着这个途径去进行侦查。

I started at once in this harmless seaman's rig and inquired at all the yards down the river.

我立刻穿了一身水手的服装到下游的每个船坞里去询问。

I drew blank at fifteen, but at the sixteenth--Jacobson's

问了十五个船坞全失败了，可是问到第十六个--杰克勃森船坞

I learned that the Aurora² had been handed over to them two days ago by a wooden-legged man, with some trivial directions as to her rudder.

得知在两天前曾有一个装木腿的人把'曙光'号送进船坞修理船舵。

'There ain't naught³ amiss with her rudder,' said the foreman. 'There she lies, with the red streaks⁴.'

那里的工头和我说：'就是那个画着红线的船舵，其实一点儿毛病也没有。'

At that moment who should come down but Mordecai Smith, the missing owner. He was rather the worse for liquor.

正说着，从那边来了一个人。不是别人，正是失踪的船主茂迪凯·斯密司，他喝了不少的酒。

I should not, of course, have known him, but he bellowed⁵ out his name and the name of his launch.

我自然不会认识他，是他喊出了自己的名字和船的名字，

'I want her to-night at eight o'clock,' said he 'eight o'clock sharp, mind, for I have two gentlemen who won't be kept waiting.'

并说道：'今晚八点钟我们的船要出坞去。记住了，准八点钟。有两位客人要坐船，不要耽误了。'

They had evidently paid him well, for he was very flush of money, chucking shillings about to the men.

匪徒们一定给了他不少的钱，他对工人们拍着他满口袋的银币，叮当作响。

I followed him some distance, but he subsided⁶ into an alehouse;

我跟踪了他几步，他跑进了一家酒馆。

so I went back to the yard, and, happening to pick up one of my boys on the way, I stationed him as a sentry⁷ over the launch.

于是我又回到船坞，在途中碰巧遇到了我的一个小帮手，我把他安置在那里，盯住汽船。

He is to stand at the water's edge and wave his handkerchief to us when they start.

让他站在船坞的出口地方，预约定了，当票船出坞的时节，向我们挥动手巾作为暗号。

We shall be lying off in the stream, and it will be a strange thing if we do not take men, treasure, and all."

我们在河上歇一下，看着他的去路，要不是人赃并获那才是怪事呢。"

1 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。

2 aurora   

n.极光

参考例句：

• The aurora is one of nature's most awesome spectacles.极光是自然界最可畏的奇观之一。
• Over the polar regions we should see aurora.在极地高空,我们会看到极光。

3 naught   

n.无，零 [=nought]

参考例句：

• He sets at naught every convention of society.他轻视所有的社会习俗。
• I hope that all your efforts won't go for naught.我希望你的努力不会毫无结果。

4 streaks   

n.（与周围有所不同的）条纹( streak的名词复数 )；（通常指不好的）特征（倾向）；（不断经历成功或失败的）一段时期v.快速移动( streak的第三人称单数 )；使布满条纹

参考例句：

• streaks of grey in her hair 她头上的绺绺白发
• Bacon has streaks of fat and streaks of lean. 咸肉中有几层肥的和几层瘦的。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

5 bellowed   

v.发出吼叫声，咆哮（尤指因痛苦）( bellow的过去式和过去分词 )；（愤怒地）说出（某事），大叫

参考例句：

• They bellowed at her to stop. 他们吼叫着让她停下。
• He bellowed with pain when the tooth was pulled out. 当牙齿被拔掉时，他痛得大叫。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

6 subsided   

v.（土地）下陷（因在地下采矿）( subside的过去式和过去分词 )；减弱；下降至较低或正常水平；一下子坐在椅子等上

参考例句：

• After the heavy rains part of the road subsided. 大雨过后，部分公路塌陷了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• By evening the storm had subsided and all was quiet again. 傍晚， 暴风雨已经过去，四周开始沉寂下来。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

7 sentry   

n.哨兵，警卫

参考例句：

• They often stood sentry on snowy nights.他们常常在雪夜放哨。
• The sentry challenged anyone approaching the tent.哨兵查问任一接近帐篷的人。