歪唇男人 21拜访圣克莱尔夫人(1)

While Sherlock Holmes had been detailing this singular series of events,

当歇洛克·福尔摩斯细说着这一连串奇怪的事情的时候，

we had been whirling through the outskirts¹ of the great town until the last straggling houses had been left behind,

我们的马车正飞快地驶过这座大城市的郊区，直到最后把那些零零落落的房子甩在后面。

and we rattled² along with a country hedge upon either side of us.

接着马车顺着两旁有篱笆的乡间道路辚辚前进。

Just as he finished, however, we drove through two scattered³ villages, where a few lights still glimmered⁴ in the windows.

他刚一讲完，我们正从两个疏疏落落的村庄之间驶过，有几家窗户里灯光闪烁着微光。

"We are on the outskirts of Lee," said my companion.

"现在已经到了李镇的郊区，"我的伙伴说，

"We have touched on three English counties in our short drive,

"在我们短短的旅途中，一路上竟接触了英格兰的三个郡县，

starting in Middlesex, passing over an angle of Surrey, and ending in Kent.

从米德尔赛克斯出发，经过萨里的一隅，最后到达了肯特郡。

See that light among the trees? That is The Cedars⁵,

你看到了那树丛中的灯光了吗？那就是杉园。

and beside that lamp sits a woman whose anxious ears have already, I have little doubt, caught the clink of our horse's feet."

在那灯旁坐着一位妇女，她忧心如焚，静聆动静的耳朵无疑已经听到我们马蹄得得的声音了。"

"But why are you not conducting the case from Baker⁶ Street?" I asked.

"可是你为什么不在贝克街办这件案子呢？"我问道。

"Because there are many inquiries⁷ which must be made out here.

"因为有许多事情要在这里进行侦察。

Mrs. St. Clair has most kindly⁸ put two rooms at my disposal,

圣克莱尔太太已经盛情地安排了两间屋子供我使用。

and you may rest assured that she will have nothing but a welcome for my friend and colleague.

你可以放心，她一定对我的朋友兼伙伴表示热烈欢迎。

I hate to meet her, Watson, when I have no news of her husband. Here we are. Whoa, there, whoa!"

华生，在我还没有得到她丈夫的消息以前，我可真怕见她。我们到啦。"

1 outskirts   

n.郊外，郊区

参考例句：

• Our car broke down on the outskirts of the city.我们的汽车在市郊出了故障。
• They mostly live on the outskirts of a town.他们大多住在近郊。

2 rattled   

慌乱的，恼火的

参考例句：

• The truck jolted and rattled over the rough ground. 卡车嘎吱嘎吱地在凹凸不平的地面上颠簸而行。
• Every time a bus went past, the windows rattled. 每逢公共汽车经过这里，窗户都格格作响。

3 scattered   

adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的

参考例句：

• Gathering up his scattered papers,he pushed them into his case.他把散乱的文件收拾起来，塞进文件夹里。

4 glimmered   

v.发闪光，发微光( glimmer的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• "There glimmered the embroidered letter, with comfort in its unearthly ray." 她胸前绣着的字母闪着的非凡的光辉，将温暖舒适带给他人。 来自英汉 - 翻译样例 - 文学
• The moon glimmered faintly through the mists. 月亮透过薄雾洒下微光。 来自辞典例句

5 cedars   

雪松，西洋杉( cedar的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The old cedars were badly damaged in the storm. 风暴严重损害了古老的雪松。
• Open thy doors, O Lebanon, that the fire may devour thy cedars. 1黎巴嫩哪，开开你的门，任火烧灭你的香柏树。

6 baker   

n.面包师

参考例句：

• The baker bakes his bread in the bakery.面包师在面包房内烤面包。
• The baker frosted the cake with a mixture of sugar and whites of eggs.面包师在蛋糕上撒了一层白糖和蛋清的混合料。

7 inquiries   

n.调查( inquiry的名词复数 )；疑问；探究；打听

参考例句：

• He was released on bail pending further inquiries. 他获得保释，等候进一步调查。
• I have failed to reach them by postal inquiries. 我未能通过邮政查询与他们取得联系。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

8 kindly   

adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地

参考例句：

• Her neighbours spoke of her as kindly and hospitable.她的邻居都说她和蔼可亲、热情好客。
• A shadow passed over the kindly face of the old woman.一道阴影掠过老太太慈祥的面孔。