工程师大拇指案 36一片火海(2)

The road topped a low hill, and there was a great widespread whitewashed¹ building in front of us,

这条路一直通到一座低矮的小山顶上，在我们面前出现了一座高大的白灰粉刷的建筑物，

spouting² fire at every chink and window,

每一扇窗，每一道缝都还在向外喷着火舌，

while in the garden in front three fire-engines were vainly striving to keep the flames under.

前面的花园里三辆救火车正徒劳地尽力想把火势压下去。

"That's it!" cried Hatherley, in intense excitement. "There is the graveldrive, and there are the rose-bushes where I lay.

"就是这里！"哈瑟利显得特别激动地喊着，"瞧这沙石路！那边就是我躺过的蔷薇花丛。

That second window is the one that I jumped from."

那第二扇窗就是我跳出来的地方！"

"Well, at least," said Holmes, "you have had your revenge upon them.

"那么，"福尔摩斯说，"起码您已经报了仇了。

There can be no question that it was your oil-lamp which, when it was crushed in the press, set fire to the wooden walls,

毫无疑问，是您的油灯被那台机器压碎的时候烧着了木板墙。

though no doubt they were too excited in the chase after you to observe it at the time.

无疑他们在追赶您的时候太激动了，以至当时没有发觉。

Now keep your eyes open in this crowd for your friends of last night,

您现在睁大眼睛看看，人群里有没有您昨天晚上的那几位朋友？

though I very much fear that they are a good hundred miles off by now."

不过，我恐怕他们目前已经走出足足有一百英里了。"

And Holmes's fears came to be realized,

福尔摩斯的担心果然成为事实，

for from that day to this no word has ever been heard either of the beautiful woman, the sinister³ German, or the morose⁴ Englishman.

从那一天气直到现在，无论是那位漂亮的女人，那个阴险的德国人，还是那乖僻的英国人，再也没有人知道他们的踪迹。

Early that morning a peasant had met a cart containing several people and some very bulky boxes driving rapidly in the direction of Reading,

当天清晨，有一位农民遇到过一辆马车，载着几个人和几只沉重的大箱子，朝着雷丁的方向飞快地驶去，

but there all traces of the fugitives⁵ disappeared,

但是这些亡命之徒逃到那里以后就销声匿迹了，

and even Holmes's ingenuity⁶ failed ever to discover the least clue as to their whereabouts.

甚至足智多谋的福尔摩斯，也无从发现哪怕只是一点点有关他们去向的线索。

1 whitewashed   

粉饰，美化，掩饰( whitewash的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The wall had been whitewashed. 墙已粉过。
• The towers are in the shape of bottle gourds and whitewashed. 塔呈圆形，状近葫芦，外敷白色。 来自汉英文学 - 现代散文

2 spouting   

n.水落管系统v.（指液体）喷出( spout的现在分词 )；滔滔不绝地讲；喋喋不休地说；喷水

参考例句：

• He's always spouting off about the behaviour of young people today. 他总是没完没了地数落如今年轻人的行为。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Blood was spouting from the deep cut in his arm. 血从他胳膊上深深的伤口里涌出来。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 sinister   

adj.不吉利的，凶恶的，左边的

参考例句：

• There is something sinister at the back of that series of crimes.在这一系列罪行背后有险恶的阴谋。
• Their proposals are all worthless and designed out of sinister motives.他们的建议不仅一钱不值，而且包藏祸心。

4 morose   

adj.脾气坏的，不高兴的

参考例句：

• He was silent and morose.他沉默寡言、郁郁寡欢。
• The publicity didn't make him morose or unhappy?公开以后，没有让他郁闷或者不开心吗？

5 fugitives   

n.亡命者，逃命者( fugitive的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Three fugitives from the prison are still at large. 三名逃犯仍然未被抓获。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Members of the provisional government were prisoners or fugitives. 临时政府的成员或被捕或逃亡。 来自演讲部分

6 ingenuity   

n.别出心裁；善于发明创造

参考例句：

• The boy showed ingenuity in making toys.那个小男孩做玩具很有创造力。
• I admire your ingenuity and perseverance.我钦佩你的别出心裁和毅力。