希腊翻译（22）

“You get a trifle beyond me there,” said the inspector¹, shrugging his shoulder. “It will not be an easy door to force, but we will try if we cannot make some one hear us.”

He hammered loudly at the knocker and pulled at the bell, but without any success. Holmes had slipped away, but he came back in a few minutes.

“I have a window open,” said he.

“It is a mercy that you are on the side of the force, and not against it, Mr. Holmes,” remarked the inspector, as he noted² the clever way in which my friend had forced back the catch. “Well, I think that under the circumstances we may enter without an invitation.”

One after the other we made our way into a large apartment, which was evidently that in which Mr. Melas had found himself. The inspector had lit his lantern, and by its light we could see the two doors, the curtain, the lamp, and the suit of Japanese mail as he had described them. On the table lay two glasses, and empty brandy-bottle, and the remains³ of a meal.

“What is that?” asked Holmes, suddenly.

We all stood still and listened. A low moaning sound was coming from somewhere over our heads. Holmes rushed to the door and out into the hall. The dismal⁴ noise came from upstairs. He dashed up, the inspector and I at his heels, while his brother Mycroft followed as quickly as his great bulk would permit.

Three doors faced up upon the second floor, and it was from the central of these that the sinister⁵ sounds were issuing, sinking sometimes into a dull mumble⁶ and rising again into a shrill⁷ whine⁸. It was locked, but the key had been left on the outside. Holmes flung open the door and rushed in, but he was out again in an instant, with his hand to his throat.

“你比我看得仔细，”警长耸了耸双肩，说道，“我们很难破门而入，不过我们可以试一试，加果我们叫门没有人答应的话。”警长用力捶打门环，又拼命按铃，可是毫无效果。歇洛克．福尔摩斯走开了，过了几分钟又返回来。

“我已经打开了一扇窗户，”歇洛克·福尔摩斯说道。

“幸好你是赞成破门而入，而不是反对这样做，福尔摩斯先生，”警长看见我的朋友这么机灵地把窗闩拉开，说道，“好，我想在这种情况下，我们可以不邀而入了。”

我们从窗户鱼贯而入，来到一间大屋子，这显然就是梅拉斯先生上次来过的地方。警长把提灯点上，我们借助灯光看到了梅拉斯对我们说过的两个门、窗帘、灯和一副日本铬甲。桌上有两个玻璃杯，一个空白兰地酒瓶和一些残肴剩饭。

“什么声音？”歇洛克·福尔摩斯突然问道。

我们都静静地站在那里仔细倾听。从我们头顶上什么地方传来一阵低微的呻一吟声。歇洛克·福尔摩斯急忙冲向门口，跑进前厅。这凄凉的声音是从搂上传来的。他跑上楼去，警长和我紧跟在后，他哥哥迈兑罗夫特虽然块头很大，也尽快赶上。出来，有时低如呓语，有时高声哀号。门是锁着的，可是钥匙留在外面。歇洛克·福尔摩斯很快打开门冲了进去，不过马上又用手按着喉咙，退了出来。

1 inspector   

n.检查员，监察员，视察员

参考例句：

• The inspector was interested in everything pertaining to the school.视察员对有关学校的一切都感兴趣。
• The inspector was shining a flashlight onto the tickets.查票员打着手电筒查看车票。

2 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

3 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

4 dismal   

adj.阴沉的，凄凉的，令人忧郁的，差劲的

参考例句：

• That is a rather dismal melody.那是一支相当忧郁的歌曲。
• My prospects of returning to a suitable job are dismal.我重新找到一个合适的工作岗位的希望很渺茫。

5 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。

6 mumble   

n./v.喃喃而语，咕哝

参考例句：

• Her grandmother mumbled in her sleep.她祖母含混不清地说着梦话。
• He could hear the low mumble of Navarro's voice.他能听到纳瓦罗在小声咕哝。

7 shrill   

adj.尖声的；刺耳的；v尖叫

参考例句：

• Whistles began to shrill outside the barn.哨声开始在谷仓外面尖叫。
• The shrill ringing of a bell broke up the card game on the cutter.刺耳的铃声打散了小汽艇的牌局。

8 whine   

v.哀号，号哭；n.哀鸣

参考例句：

• You are getting paid to think,not to whine.支付给你工资是让你思考而不是哀怨的。
• The bullet hit a rock and rocketed with a sharp whine.子弹打在一块岩石上，一声尖厉的呼啸，跳飞开去。