波希米亚丑闻 15乔装打扮(1)

At three o'clock precisely¹ I was at Baker² Street, but Holmes had not yet returned.

三点钟整，我到了贝克街，福尔摩斯尚未回来。

The landlady³ informed me that he had left the house shortly after eight o'clock in the morning.

据女房东说，他是在早晨刚过八点的时候出去的。

I sat down beside the fire, however, with the intention of awaiting him, however long he might be.

尽管如此，我在壁炉旁坐下，打算不管他去多久都要等待，

I was already deeply interested in his inquiry⁴, for,

因为我已经对他的调查深感兴趣。

though it was surrounded by none of the grim and strange features which were associated with the two crimes which I have already recorded,

虽然这案子缺乏我记录过的那两件罪案所具有的那种残忍和不可思议的特征，

still, the nature of the case and the exalted⁵ station of his client gave it a character of its own.

可是，这案子的性质及其委托人的高贵地位，却使它具有其本身应有的特色。

Indeed, apart from the nature of the investigation⁶ which my friend had on hand,

的确，除了我的朋友正在进行调查的案子的性质外，

there was something in his masterly grasp of a situation, and his keen, incisive⁷ reasoning,

他那种巧妙地掌握情况和敏锐而又透彻地推理的工作方式，

which made it a pleasure to me to study his system of work,

让我从中得到很大乐趣

and to follow the quick, subtle methods by which he disentangled the most inextricable mysteries.

以及那种解决最难解决的奥秘的迅速而精细的方法，很值得我去研究和学习。

So accustomed was I to his invariable success that the very possibility of his failing had ceased to enter into my head.

他一贯取胜，这在我已是司空见惯。所以，在我的脑海里从未产生过他也有可能失败的想法。

It was close upon four before the door opened, and a drunken-looking groom⁸, ill-kempt and side-whiskered,

四点钟左右，屋门开了，走进来一个醉醺醺的马夫。他样子邋邋遢遢，留着络腮胡须，

with an inflamed⁹ face and disreputable clothes, walked into the room.

面红耳赤，衣衫破烂不堪。

Accustomed as I was to my friend's amazing powers in the use of disguises,

尽管我对我朋友的化装术的惊人技巧已经习以为常了，

I had to look three times before I was certain that it was indeed he.

我还是要再三审视才敢肯定真的是他。

With a nod he vanished into the bedroom, whence he emerged in five minutes tweed-suited and respectable, as of old.

他向我点头招呼一下就进了卧室。不消五分钟，他就和往常一样身穿花呢衣服，风度高雅地出现在我面前。

1 precisely   

adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地

参考例句：

• It's precisely that sort of slick sales-talk that I mistrust.我不相信的正是那种油腔滑调的推销宣传。
• The man adjusted very precisely.那个人调得很准。

2 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。

3 landlady   

n.女房东，女地主

参考例句：

• I heard my landlady creeping stealthily up to my door.我听到我的女房东偷偷地来到我的门前。
• The landlady came over to serve me.女店主过来接待我。

4 inquiry   

n.打听，询问，调查，查问

参考例句：

• Many parents have been pressing for an inquiry into the problem.许多家长迫切要求调查这个问题。
• The field of inquiry has narrowed down to five persons.调查的范围已经缩小到只剩5个人了。

5 exalted   

adj.(地位等)高的，崇高的；尊贵的，高尚的

参考例句：

• Their loveliness and holiness in accordance with their exalted station.他们的美丽和圣洁也与他们的崇高地位相称。
• He received respect because he was a person of exalted rank.他因为是个地位崇高的人而受到尊敬。

6 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

7 incisive   

adj.敏锐的，机敏的，锋利的，切入的

参考例句：

• His incisive remarks made us see the problems in our plans.他的话切中要害，使我们看到了计划中的一些问题。
• He combined curious qualities of naivety with incisive wit and worldly sophistication.他集天真质朴的好奇、锐利的机智和老练的世故于一体。

8 groom   

vt.给（马、狗等）梳毛，照料，使...整洁

参考例句：

• His father was a groom.他父亲曾是个马夫。
• George was already being groomed for the top job.为承担这份高级工作，乔治已在接受专门的培训。

9 inflamed   

adj.发炎的，红肿的v.（使）变红，发怒，过热( inflame的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• His comments have inflamed teachers all over the country. 他的评论激怒了全国教师。
• Her joints are severely inflamed. 她的关节严重发炎。 来自《简明英汉词典》