铜山毛榉案 14预言应验(3)

By eleven o'clock the next day we were well upon our way to the old English capital.

第二天十一点钟，我们已经顺利地在前往英国旧都的途中了。

Holmes had been buried in the morning papers all the way down,

福尔摩斯一路上只是埋头翻阅晨报，

but after we had passed the Hampshire border he threw them down and began to admire the scenery.

但在我们过了汉普郡边界以后，他扔下报纸，开始欣赏起风景来了。

It was an ideal spring day, a light blue sky, flecked with little fleecy white clouds drifting across from west to east.

这是春天的一个理想的日子，蔚蓝色的天空中点缀着朵朵飘浮的白云，由西往东悠悠地飘去。

The sun was shining very brightly, and yet there was an exhilarating nip in the air, which set an edge to a man's energy.

阳光灿烂耀眼，然而早春天气仍然凛冽清新，令人心旷神怡，力气倍增。

All over the countryside, away to the rolling hills around Aldershot,

远至环绕着奥尔德肖特的重叠出岗，展开了一片乡村景色，

the little red and gray roofs of the farm-steadings peeped out from amid the light green of the new foliage¹.

从青翠的新绿中到处隐约地现出红色和灰色的农舍小屋顶。

"Are they not fresh and beautiful?" I cried with all the enthusiasm of a man fresh from the fogs of Baker² Street.

"多么清新美丽的景色啊！"来自烟雾腾腾的贝克街的我，耳目为之一新而不禁充满热情地大声赞叹气来。

But Holmes shook his head gravely. "Do you know, Watson," said he,

但是福尔摩斯严肃地摇摇头。"你知道吗，华生，"他说，

"that it is one of the curses of a mind with a turn like mine that I must look at everything with reference to my own special subject.

"我观察每一件事情都一定要和自己探讨的特殊问题联系起来，这就是我的性格应该受到诅咒的一个方面。"

You look at these scattered³ houses, and you are impressed by their beauty.

你目睹这些星星点点散布于树丛间的房屋，它们的秀丽景色给你留下了深刻的印象。

I look at them, and the only thought which comes to me is a feeling of their isolation⁴

但我看到它们时，心里涌现的唯一想法是觉得这些房子互相隔离，

and of the impunity⁵ with which crime may be committed there."

会使那里可能发生的犯罪行为得不到应有的惩罚。"

"Good heavens!" I cried. "Who would associate crime with these dear old homesteads?"

"我的天啊！"我叫了起来，"谁会想到把犯罪和这些可爱的古老乡村房屋联系起来呢？"

"They always fill me with a certain horror.

"它们经常使我充满某种恐怖之感。

It is my belief, Watson, founded upon my experience,

我的这个信条，华生，是根据我的经验来的，

that the lowest and vilest⁶ alleys⁷ in London do not present a more dreadful record of sin than does the smiling and beautiful countryside."

那就是说，伦敦最卑贱、最恶劣的小巷，也不会比这令人愉悦的美丽的乡村里发生更加可怕的犯罪行为。"

"You horrify⁸ me!"

"你把我吓坏了！"

1 foliage   

n.叶子，树叶，簇叶

参考例句：

• The path was completely covered by the dense foliage.小路被树叶厚厚地盖了一层。
• Dark foliage clothes the hills.浓密的树叶覆盖着群山。

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 scattered   

adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的

参考例句：

• Gathering up his scattered papers,he pushed them into his case.他把散乱的文件收拾起来，塞进文件夹里。

4 isolation   

n.隔离，孤立，分解，分离

参考例句：

• The millionaire lived in complete isolation from the outside world.这位富翁过着与世隔绝的生活。
• He retired and lived in relative isolation.他退休后，生活比较孤寂。

5 impunity   

n.(惩罚、损失、伤害等的)免除

参考例句：

• You will not escape with impunity.你不可能逃脱惩罚。
• The impunity what compulsory insurance sets does not include escapement.交强险规定的免责范围不包括逃逸。

6 vilest   

adj.卑鄙的( vile的最高级 )；可耻的；极坏的；非常讨厌的

参考例句：

7 alleys   

胡同，小巷( alley的名词复数 )； 小径

参考例句：

• I followed him through a maze of narrow alleys. 我紧随他穿过一条条迂迴曲折的窄巷。
• The children lead me through the maze of alleys to the edge of the city. 孩子们领我穿过迷宫一般的街巷，来到城边。

8 horrify   

vt.使恐怖，使恐惧，使惊骇

参考例句：

• His family were horrified by the change.他的家人对这一变化感到震惊。
• When I saw these figures I was horrified.我看到这些数字时无比惊骇。