铜山毛榉案 16来到铜山毛榉(1)

The Black Swan is an inn of repute in the High Street, at no distance from the station, and there we found the young lady waiting for us.

那"黑天鹅"是这条大路上一家有名的小客栈，离火车站不远，在那里，我们看到那位年轻的小姐正在等待着我们。

She had engaged a sitting-room¹, and our lunch awaited us upon the table.

她已经预定了一个房间，我们的午餐也已经在桌上摆好。

"I am so delighted that you have come," she said earnestly.

"看到你们来了我是多么高兴！"她热情地说，

"It is so very kind of you both; but indeed I do not know what I should do. Your advice will be altogether invaluable² to me."

"非常感谢你们两位；但是我实在不知道该怎么办，你们的指点对我将是十分宝贵的。"

"Pray tell us what has happened to you."

"请告诉我们你碰到了什么事。"

"I will do so, and I must be quick, for I have promised Mr. Rucastle to be back before three.

"我要讲，我还必须赶快讲，因为我答应鲁卡斯尔先生要在三点钟以前回去。

I got his leave to come into town this morning, though he little knew for what purpose."

今天早上我向他请假到城里来，不过他不知道我是为什么事出来的。"

"Let us have everything in its due order." Holmes thrust his long thin legs out towards the fire and composed himself to listen.

"请你将所有的事一件一件地按顺序讲，"福尔摩斯将他的又瘦又长的腿伸到火炉边，镇静自若地准备倾听。

"In the first place, I may say that I have met, on the whole, with no actual ill-treatment from Mr. and Mrs. Rucastle.

"首先，总的来说，我可以说实际上我不曾受到鲁卡斯尔先生和夫人的虐待。

It is only fair to them to say that. But I cannot understand them, and I am not easy in my mind about them."

对他们我这样讲是公平的。但是我无法理解他们，我心里对他们很不放心。"

"What can you not understand?"

"你无法理解他们什么？"

"Their reasons for their conduct. But you shall have it all just as it occurred.

"他们为他们的行为辩解的理由。但是你可以从所发生的事情当中知道一切情况。

When I came down, Mr. Rucastle met me here and drove me in his dog-cart to the Copper³ Beeches⁴.

当初我来到这里时，鲁卡斯尔先生在这里接我，并用他的单马车接我到铜山毛榉。

It is, as he said, beautifully situated⁵, but it is not beautiful in itself,

这里，正如他所说的，环境很优美，但是房子本身却并不美，

for it is a large square block of a house, whitewashed⁶, but all stained and streaked⁷ with damp and bad weather.

因为它是一幢大的、四四方方的房子，刷成白色，然而被潮湿和坏气候侵蚀得全都现出斑斑点点的污渍。

There are grounds round it, woods on three sides, and on the fourth a field

它的周围有场地，三面是树林，另一面是一块斜平地，

which slopes down to the Southampton highroad, which curves past about a hundred yards from the front door.

它通向从这房子门前大约一百码处拐弯的南安普敦公路。

This ground in front belongs to the house, but the woods all round are part of Lord Southerton's preserves.

屋前的这块场地是属于这所房子的，至于周围所有的树林，则是萨瑟顿领主的部分防护林木。

A clump⁸ of copper beeches immediately in front of the hall door has given its name to the place."

一丛铜山毛榉长在这屋子大厅门前的正对面，故而这地方就以铜山毛榉命名。"

1 sitting-room   

n.（BrE）客厅，起居室

参考例句：

• The sitting-room is clean.起居室很清洁。
• Each villa has a separate sitting-room.每栋别墅都有一间独立的起居室。

2 invaluable   

adj.无价的，非常宝贵的，极为贵重的

参考例句：

• A computer would have been invaluable for this job.一台计算机对这个工作的作用会是无法估计的。
• This information was invaluable to him.这个消息对他来说是非常宝贵的。

3 copper   

n.铜；铜币；铜器；adj.铜(制)的；(紫)铜色的

参考例句：

• The students are asked to prove the purity of copper.要求学生们检验铜的纯度。
• Copper is a good medium for the conduction of heat and electricity.铜是热和电的良导体。

4 beeches   

n.山毛榉( beech的名词复数 )；山毛榉木材

参考例句：

• The beeches, oaks and chestnuts all belong to the same family. 山毛榉树、橡树和栗子树属于同科树种。 来自互联网
• There are many beeches in this wood. 这片树林里有许多山毛榉。 来自互联网

5 situated   

adj.坐落在...的，处于某种境地的

参考例句：

• The village is situated at the margin of a forest.村子位于森林的边缘。
• She is awkwardly situated.她的处境困难。

6 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

7 streaked   

adj.有条斑纹的，不安的v.快速移动( streak的过去式和过去分词 )；使布满条纹

参考例句：

• The children streaked off as fast as they could. 孩子们拔脚飞跑 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• His face was pale and streaked with dirt. 他脸色苍白，脸上有一道道的污痕。 来自辞典例句

8 clump   

n.树丛，草丛；vi.用沉重的脚步行走

参考例句：

• A stream meandered gently through a clump of trees.一条小溪从树丛中蜿蜒穿过。
• It was as if he had hacked with his thick boots at a clump of bluebells.仿佛他用自己的厚靴子无情地践踏了一丛野风信子。