斑点带子案 18离奇死亡(4)

"You have done wisely," said my friend. "But have you told me all?" "Yes, all."

"你这样做很聪明，"我的朋友说，"但是你是否一切全说了？""是的，一切。"

"Miss Roylott, you have not. You are screening your stepfather." "Why, what do you mean?"

"罗伊洛特小姐，你并没有全说。你在袒护你的继父。""哎呀！你这是什么意思？"

For answer Holmes pushed back the frill of black lace¹ which fringed² the hand that lay upon our visitor's knee.

为了回答她的话，福尔摩斯拉起了遮住我们客人放在膝头上那只手的黑色花边袖口的褶边。

Five little livid spots, the marks of four fingers and a thumb, were printed upon the white wrist.

白皙的手腕上，印有五小块乌青的伤痕，那是四个手指和一个拇指的指痕。

"You have been cruelly used," said Holmes.

"你受过虐待。"福尔摩斯说。

The lady coloured deeply and covered over her injured wrist.

这位女士满脸绯红，遮住受伤的手腕。

"He is a hard man," she said, "and perhaps he hardly knows his own strength."

她说道："他是一个身体强健的人，他也许不知道自己的力气有多大。"

There was a long silence, during which Holmes leaned his chin upon his hands and stared into the crackling fire.

大家沉默了好长时间，在这段时间里福尔摩斯将手托着下巴，凝视着劈啪作响的炉火。

"This is a very deep business," he said at last.

最后他说："这是一件十分复杂的案子。

"There are a thousand details which I should desire to know before I decide upon our course of action.

在决定要采取什么步骤以前，我希望了解的细节真是多得不可胜数。

Yet we have not a moment to lose.

不过，我们已经是刻不容缓的了。

If we were to come to Stoke Moran to-day, would it be possible for us to see over these rooms without the knowledge of your stepfather?"

假如我们今天到斯托克莫兰去，我们是否可能在你继父不知道的情况下，查看一下这些房间呢？"

"As it happens, he spoke³ of coming into town to-day upon some most important business.

"很凑巧，他谈起过今天要进城来办理一些十分重要的事情。

It is probable⁴ that he will be away all day, and that there would be nothing to disturb you.

他很可能一整天都不在家，这就不会对你有任何妨碍了。

We have a housekeeper⁵ now, but she is old and foolish, and I could easily get her out of the way."

眼下我们有一位女管家，但是她已年迈而且愚笨，我很容易把她支开。"

1 lace   

n.饰带，花边，缎带；v.结带子，饰以花边

参考例句：

• She let a piece of lace into her dress.她在衣服上镶了一块花边。
• The bride is wearing a wedding dress made of lace.新娘穿一件蕾丝婚纱。

2 fringed   

具流苏的，具…的（等于fringy）； 加穗的； 带边饰的； 毛边

参考例句：

• The house is fringed by fields and woodlands. 这房子的周围是田地和树林。
• A line of trees fringed the pool. 水池周围种植着一排树木。

3 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

4 probable   

adj.可能的，有望发性或实现的

参考例句：

• It is probable to finish the job before dark.天黑之前有可能完成这项工作。
• It is hardly probable that he will succeed.他不会成功。

5 housekeeper   

n.管理家务的主妇，女管家

参考例句：

• A spotless stove told us that his mother is a diligent housekeeper.炉子清洁无瑕就表明他母亲是个勤劳的主妇。
• She is an economical housekeeper and feeds her family cheaply.她节约持家，一家人吃得很省。