工程师大拇指案 01奇怪的病人(1)

The Engineer's Thumb

工程师大拇指案

Of all the problems which have been submitted to my friend, Mr. Sherlock Holmes, for solution during the years of our intimacy¹,

在我们交往很密切的那些年月里，提供我朋友歇洛克·福尔摩斯解决的所有问题中，

there were only two which I was the means of introducing to his notice

只有两件案子是通过我介绍而引其他注意的：

that of Mr. Hatherley's thumb, and that of Colonel Warburton's madness.

一件是哈瑟利先生大拇指案，另一件是沃伯顿上校发疯案。

Of these the latter may have afforded a finer field for an acute and original observer,

在这两件案子中，对一位机敏而又有独到见解的读者来说，后一件可能更值得探讨，

but the other was so strange in its inception² and so dramatic in its details

但是，前一件一开头就十分奇特，事情的细节又非常富有戏剧性，

that it may be the more worthy³ of being placed upon record,

因此它也许更值得记述，

even if it gave my friend fewer openings for those deductive methods of reasoning by which he achieved such remarkable⁴ results.

虽然它很少用得上我朋友取得卓越成就所运用的那些进行推理的演绎法。

The story has, I believe, been told more than once in the newspapers,

我相信，这个故事在报纸上已经登载过不止一次了，

but, like all such narratives⁵, its effect is much less striking when set forth⁶ en bloc⁷ in a single half-column of print

但是，就象所有其它诸如此类的叙述那样，只用半栏篇幅笼统地登出来，结果远未引仆人们的注意，

than when the facts slowly evolve before your own eyes,

因此，还不如让事实慢慢地在你眼前展开，

and the mystery clears gradually away as each new discovery furnishes a step which leads on to the complete truth.

并且让案情之谜随着每一项有助于进一步使人了解全部事实真相的新发现而逐渐得到解决，这样更加引人入胜。

At the time the circumstances made a deep impression upon me,

当时的情景，给我的印象很深，

and the lapse⁸ of two years has hardly served to weaken the effect.

尽管时光流逝，两年过去了，我似乎还记忆犹新。

1 intimacy   

n.熟悉，亲密，密切关系，亲昵的言行

参考例句：

• His claims to an intimacy with the President are somewhat exaggerated.他声称自己与总统关系密切，这有点言过其实。
• I wish there were a rule book for intimacy.我希望能有个关于亲密的规则。

2 inception   

n.开端，开始，取得学位

参考例句：

• The programme has been successful since its inception.这个方案自开始实施以来一直卓有成效。
• Julia's worked for that company from its inception.自从那家公司开办以来，朱莉娅一直在那儿工作。

3 worthy   

adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的

参考例句：

• I did not esteem him to be worthy of trust.我认为他不值得信赖。
• There occurred nothing that was worthy to be mentioned.没有值得一提的事发生。

4 remarkable   

adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的

参考例句：

• She has made remarkable headway in her writing skills.她在写作技巧方面有了长足进步。
• These cars are remarkable for the quietness of their engines.这些汽车因发动机没有噪音而不同凡响。

5 narratives   

记叙文( narrative的名词复数 )； 故事； 叙述； 叙述部分

参考例句：

• Marriage, which has been the bourne of so many narratives, is still a great beginning. 结婚一向是许多小说的终点，然而也是一个伟大的开始。
• This is one of the narratives that children are fond of. 这是孩子们喜欢的故事之一。

6 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

7 bloc   

n.集团；联盟

参考例句：

• A solid bloc of union members support the decision.工会会员团结起来支持该决定。
• There have been growing tensions within the trading bloc.贸易同盟国的关系越来越紧张。

8 lapse   

n.过失，流逝，失效，抛弃信仰，间隔；vi.堕落，停止，失效，流逝；vt.使失效

参考例句：

• The incident was being seen as a serious security lapse.这一事故被看作是一次严重的安全疏忽。
• I had a lapse of memory.我记错了。