四签名 94琼诺赞·斯茂的奇异故事（4）

"You forget that we know nothing of all this," said Holmes quietly.

福尔摩斯安详地说道："你忘了，我们对这些事完全不了解。

"We have not heard your story, and we cannot tell how far justice may originally have been on your side."

你没有把整个的经过告诉我们，因此也就没法说本来你是怎样的有理。"

"Well, sir, you have been very fair-spoken to me,

"啊，先生，还是您说的话公平合理，

though I can see that I have you to thank that I have these bracelets¹ upon my wrists.

虽然说我应当感谢您给我戴上了手镯。

Still, I bear no grudge² for that. It is all fair and above-board.

可是，我并不怨恨。这都是光明磊落，公公正正的。

If you want to hear my story, I have no wish to hold it back.

您如果愿意听我的故事，我决不隐瞒，

What I say to you is God's truth, every word of it.

我所要说的句句都是实话。

Thank you, you can put the glass beside me here, and I'll put my lips to it if I am dry. "

谢谢您，请把杯子搁在我身旁，我口渴的时候会把嘴唇靠近杯子来喝的。"

I am a Worcestershire man myself, born near Pershore.

我是伍斯特尔州生人，住在波舒尔城附近。

I dare say you would find a heap³ of Smalls living there now if you were to look.

我们斯茂族在那里住的很多，

I have often thought of taking a look round there,

我有时很想回去看看，

but the truth is that I was never much of a credit⁴ to the family,

可是因为我素来行为不检，

and I doubt if they would be so very glad to see me.

族人们未必对我欢迎。

They were all steady, chapel-going folk, small farmers, well known and respected over the countryside, while I was always a bit of a rover.

他们全是稳重的教徒，都是在乡里受人尊敬的农民，而我却一直就是个流浪汉。

At last, however, when I was about eighteen, I gave them no more trouble, for I got into a mess over a girl

在十八岁的时候我惹出了麻烦，因为我和一个女孩有不清楚的关系，

and could only get out of it again by taking the Queen's shilling⁵ and joining the Third Buffs, which was just starting for India.

我为脱身计，只能在就要调往印度的步兵三团中入了伍。

1 bracelets   

n.手镯，臂镯( bracelet的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The lamplight struck a gleam from her bracelets. 她的手镯在灯光的照射下闪闪发亮。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• On display are earrings, necklaces and bracelets made from jade, amber and amethyst. 展出的有用玉石、琥珀和紫水晶做的耳环、项链和手镯。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 grudge   

n.不满，怨恨，妒嫉；vt.勉强给，不情愿做

参考例句：

• I grudge paying so much for such inferior goods.我不愿花这么多钱买次品。
• I do not grudge him his success.我不嫉妒他的成功。

3 heap   

n./vt.堆；一堆；堆积；许多，大量；装载

参考例句：

• The gardener began to heap up the fallen leaves.园丁开始把落叶堆起来。
• There was a big heap of stones in the road.路上有一大堆石头。

4 credit   

n.信用，荣誉，贷款，学分；v.归功于，赞颂，信任

参考例句：

• I credit him with a certain amount of sense.我认为他有一定的见识。
• He got the credit,and we did the dirty work.他得荣誉，我们做不讨好的工作。

5 shilling   

n.先令

参考例句：

• He handed each of them a shilling.他给了每人一个先令。
• I bet people will pay a shilling to see this.我想人们一定愿意花一先令来看它这样子。