身份案 22玩弄感情的骗子(3)

Mr. Windibank gave a violent start and dropped his gloves.

温迪班克先生听了身子猛然震动了一下，手套掉在地上。

"I am delighted to hear it," he said.

他说道："听到你这番话，高兴极了。"

"It is a curious thing," remarked Holmes, "that a typewriter has really quite as much individuality as a man's handwriting.

"奇怪的是，"福尔摩斯说，"打字也象手书一样表现出一个人的个性。

Unless they are quite new, no two of them write exactly alike.

除非打字机是新的，否则两台打字机打出来的字是不会一模一样的。

Some letters get more worn than others, and some wear only on one side.

有的字母比别的字母磨损得更厉害些，有的字母只磨损了一边。

Now, you remark in this note of yours, Mr. Windibank,

温迪班克先生，请看你自己打的这张短笺，

that in every case there is some little slurring¹ over of the 'e,' and a slight defect in the tail of the 'r.'

字母'e'总是有点模糊不清，字母'r'的尾巴总有点儿缺损。

There are fourteen other characteristics, but those are the more obvious."

还有其它十四个更加明显的特征。"

"We do all our correspondence with this machine at the office, and no doubt it is a little worn," our visitor answered,

"我们的来往信函都是使用事务所里的这台打字机打的，当然它有点儿磨损了，"我们的客人说着，

glancing keenly at Holmes with his bright little eyes.

发亮的小眼睛迅速地瞥了一下福尔摩斯。

"And now I will show you what is really a very interesting study, Mr. Windibank," Holmes continued.

"温迪班克先生，现在我要告诉你什么是真正有趣的研究，"福尔摩斯继续说，

"I think of writing another little monograph² some of these days on the typewriter and its relation to crime.

"我想在这几天再写一篇短的专题论文来阐述打字机以及打字机与犯罪的关系。

It is a subject to which I have devoted³ some little attention.

这是我起为注意的一个题目。

I have here four letters which purport⁴ to come from the missing man. They are all typewritten.

我手边有四封写明是来自失踪的那个男人的信，全是打字的。

In each case, not only are the 'e's' slurred⁵ and the 'r's' tailless,

不仅每封信中字母'e'都是模糊的，字母'r'都是缺尾巴的，

but you will observe, if you care to use my magnifying lens,

而且你如果愿意使用我的放大镜看一看，

that the fourteen other characteristics to which I have alluded⁶ are there as well."

那么我提到的那其余十四个特征也是历历在目的。"

1 slurring   

含糊地说出( slur的现在分词 )； 含糊地发…的声； 侮辱； 连唱

参考例句：

• She was slumped in the saddle and slurring her words. 她从马鞍上掉了下去，嘴里含糊不清地说着什么。
• Your comments are slurring your co-workers. 你的话诋毁了你的同事。

2 monograph   

n.专题文章，专题著作

参考例句：

• This monograph belongs to the category of serious popular books.这本专著是一本较高深的普及读物。
• It's a monograph you wrote six years ago.这是你六年前写的的专论。

3 devoted   

adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的

参考例句：

• He devoted his life to the educational cause of the motherland.他为祖国的教育事业贡献了一生。
• We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。

4 purport   

n.意义，要旨，大要；v.意味著，做为...要旨，要领是...

参考例句：

• Many theories purport to explain growth in terms of a single cause.许多理论都标榜以单一的原因解释生长。
• Her letter may purport her forthcoming arrival.她的来信可能意味着她快要到了。

5 slurred   

含糊地说出( slur的过去式和过去分词 )； 含糊地发…的声； 侮辱； 连唱

参考例句：

• She had drunk too much and her speech was slurred. 她喝得太多了，话都说不利索了。
• You could tell from his slurred speech that he was drunk. 从他那含糊不清的话语中你就知道他喝醉了。

6 alluded   

提及，暗指( allude的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• In your remarks you alluded to a certain sinister design. 在你的谈话中，你提到了某个阴谋。
• She also alluded to her rival's past marital troubles. 她还影射了对手过去的婚姻问题。