绿玉皇冠案 33失而复得(4)

"I will do so, and I will show you the steps by which I reached it.

"我是要这样做的，并且我要对你说明我为弄清事情的底细所采取的步骤。

And let me say to you, first, that which it is hardest for me to say and for you to hear:

让我从头讲给你听，首先，这话我觉得很难说出口，你也很难听入耳：

there has been an understanding between Sir George Burnwell and your niece Mary. They have now fled together."

那就是乔治·伯恩韦尔爵士和你的侄女玛丽有默契。他们俩人现在已经一块逃走了。"

"My Mary? Impossible!"

"我的玛丽？不可能！"

"It is unfortunately more than possible; it is certain.

"不幸的是它不只是可能，而且是肯定的事实。

Neither you nor your son knew the true character of this man when you admitted him into your family circle.

当你们将此人接纳到你们家中时，不论是你或是你的儿子，都不很了解他的真实脾性。

He is one of the most dangerous men in England–a ruined gambler, an absolutely desperate villain¹, a man without heart or conscience.

他是英国最危险的人物之一--一个潦倒的赌徒，一个凶恶透顶的流氓，一个没有心肝和良知的人。

Your niece knew nothing of such men.

你的侄女对这种人一无所知。

When he breathed his vows² to her, as he had done to a hundred before her, she flattered herself that she alone had touched his heart.

当他对她信誓旦旦一如他以前向成百个其他女人所做的一样时，她自鸣得意，认为只有她一个人触动了他的心。

The devil knows best what he said, but at least she became his tool and was in the habit of seeing him nearly every evening."

这个恶魔深知如何用花言巧语使她能为他所利用，并且几乎每晚都和他幽会。"

"I cannot, and I will not, believe it!" cried the banker with an ashen³ face.

"我不能，也决不会相信有这种事！"银行家脸色灰白地嚷道。

"I will tell you, then, what occurred in your house last night.

"那么，让我来告诉你，前天晚上你家里所发生的一切。

Your niece, when you had, as she thought, gone to your room, slipped down and talked to her lover through the window which leads into the stable lane.

你的侄女，当她认为你已经回到你的房间去后，悄悄地溜下来在那扇朝向马厩小道的窗口和她的情人谈话。

His footmarks had pressed right through the snow, so long had he stood there.

他的脚印因为久站在那里而深深地印透了地上的雪。

She told him of the coronet. His wicked lust⁴ for gold kindled⁵ at the news, and he bent⁶ her to his will.

她和他谈到那顶皇冠。这消息燃起了他对金子的邪恶贪欲，他就强迫她服从他的意愿。

I have no doubt that she loved you, but there are women in whom the love of a lover extinguishes all other loves, and I think that she must have been one.

我不怀疑她是爱你的，但是常有这种女人，她们对情人的爱会淹没对所有其他人的爱，而我认为她，必定也是这样一个女人。

She had hardly listened to his instructions when she saw you coming downstairs, on which she closed the window rapidly

她还没有听完他的指使，就见你下楼来，她急忙把窗户关上，

and told you about one of the servants' escapade with her wooden-legged lover, which was all perfectly⁷ true."

并向你诉说那女仆和她那装木头假腿的情人的越轨行为，那倒是确有其事。"

1 villain   

n.反派演员，反面人物；恶棍；问题的起因

参考例句：

• He was cast as the villain in the play.他在戏里扮演反面角色。
• The man who played the villain acted very well.扮演恶棍的那个男演员演得很好。

2 vows   

誓言( vow的名词复数 )； 郑重宣布，许愿

参考例句：

• Matrimonial vows are to show the faithfulness of the new couple. 婚誓体现了新婚夫妇对婚姻的忠诚。
• The nun took strait vows. 那位修女立下严格的誓愿。

3 ashen   

adj.灰的

参考例句：

• His face was ashen and wet with sweat.他面如土色，汗如雨下。
• Her ashen face showed how much the news had shocked her.她灰白的脸显示出那消息使她多么震惊。

4 lust   

n.性(淫)欲；渴(欲)望；vi.对…有强烈的欲望

参考例句：

• He was filled with lust for power.他内心充满了对权力的渴望。
• Sensing the explorer's lust for gold, the chief wisely presented gold ornaments as gifts.酋长觉察出探险者们垂涎黄金的欲念，就聪明地把金饰品作为礼物赠送给他们。

5 kindled   

（使某物）燃烧，着火( kindle的过去式和过去分词 )； 激起（感情等）； 发亮，放光

参考例句：

• We watched as the fire slowly kindled. 我们看着火慢慢地燃烧起来。
• The teacher's praise kindled a spark of hope inside her. 老师的赞扬激起了她内心的希望。

6 bent   

n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的

参考例句：

• He was fully bent upon the project.他一心扑在这项计划上。
• We bent over backward to help them.我们尽了最大努力帮助他们。

7 perfectly   

adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。
• Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。