巴斯克威尔的猎犬 疑案（3）

 

"Excellent! This is a colleague, Watson, after our own heart. But the marks?"“太妙了， 华生， 简直是个同行， 思路和咱们一样。 可是脚印呢？ ”

"He had left his own marks all over that small patch of gravel¹. I could discern no others."“在那一小片沙砾地面上到处都留下了他的脚印； 我看不出来有别人的脚印。”

Sherlock Holmes struck his hand against his knee with an impatient gesture.

歇洛克· 福尔摩斯带着不耐烦的神情敲着膝盖。

"If I had only been there!" he cried. "It is evidently a case of extraordinary interest, and onewhich presented immense opportunities to the scientific expert. That gravel page upon which Imight have read so much has been long ere this smudged by the rain and defaced by the clogs² ofcurious peasants. Oh, Dr. Mortimer, Dr. Mortimer, to think that you should not have called me in!

You have indeed much to answer for."

“要是我在那里该多好！” 他喊道，“显然这是一个极有意思的案件， 它为犯罪学专家提供了进行研究工作的广泛的好机会。 我本可在那片沙砾地面上看出不少线索来的； 但是， 现在那些痕迹已被雨水和爱看热闹的农民的木鞋所消灭了。 啊！ 摩梯末医生， 摩梯末医生啊，当时您为什么不叫我去呢！ 说真的， 您该对这件事负责。”

"I could not call you in, Mr. Holmes, without disclosing these facts to the world, and I havealready given my reasons for not wishing to do so. Besides, besides --"“福尔摩斯先生， 我无法既请了您去， 而又不把这些真相暴露于世， 而且我也已经说明不愿这样做的原因了 。 同时， 同时——”

"Why do you hesitate?"

“为什么您犹豫不说呢？ ”

"There is a realm in which the most acute and most experienced of detectives is helpless."“有的问题， 就连最精明老练的侦探也是毫无办法的。”

"You mean that the thing is supernatural?"

“您是说， 这是一件神怪的事情吗？ ”

"I did not positively³ say so."

“我并没有肯定这样说。”

"No, but you evidently think it."

“您是没有肯定这样说。 但是， 显然您是这样想的。”

"Since the tragedy, Mr. Holmes, there have come to my ears several incidents which are hardto reconcile with the settled order of Nature."“福尔摩斯先生， 自从这件悲剧发生之后， 我曾听到过一些很难与自然法则相符合的事情。 ”

"For example?"

“请举例说吧。”

"I find that before the terrible event occurred several people had seen a creature upon themoor which corresponds with this Baskerville demon⁵, and which could not possibly be any animalknown to science. They all agreed that it was a huge creature, luminous⁶, ghastly, and spectral⁷. Ihave cross-examined these men, one of them a hard-headed countryman, one a farrier, and one amoorland farmer, who all tell the same story of this dreadful apparition⁸, exactly corresponding tothe hell-hound of the legend. I assure you that there is a reign⁹ of terror in the district, and that it isa hardy¹⁰ man who will cross the moor⁴ at night."“我知道在这可怕的事情发生之前， 就有些人曾在沼地里看到过跟所说的这个巴斯克维尔的怪物形状相同的动物， 而且决不是科学界所已知道的兽类。 他们异口同声地说是一只大家伙， 发着光， 狰狞得象魔鬼似的。 我曾盘问过那些人； 其中有一个是精明的乡 下人， 一个是马掌铁匠， 还有一个是沼地里的农户； 他们都说了关于这个可怕的幽灵的相同的故事， 完全和传说之中的狰狞可怕的猎狗相符。 您可以相信， 全区都被恐惧所笼罩了， 敢在夜晚走过沼地的真可以算是大胆的人了 。”

1 gravel   

n.砂跞；砂砾层；结石

参考例句：

• We bought six bags of gravel for the garden path.我们购买了六袋碎石用来铺花园的小路。
• More gravel is needed to fill the hollow in the drive.需要更多的砾石来填平车道上的坑洼。

2 clogs   

木屐； 木底鞋，木屐( clog的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Clogs are part of the Netherlands national costume. 木屐是荷兰民族服装的一部分。
• Clogs are part of the Dutch traditional costume. 木屐是荷兰传统装束的一部分。

3 positively   

adv.明确地，断然，坚决地；实在，确实

参考例句：

• She was positively glowing with happiness.她满脸幸福。
• The weather was positively poisonous.这天气着实讨厌。

4 moor   

n.荒野，沼泽；vt.(使)停泊；vi.停泊

参考例句：

• I decided to moor near some tourist boats.我决定在一些观光船附近停泊。
• There were hundreds of the old huts on the moor.沼地上有成百上千的古老的石屋。

5 demon   

n.魔鬼，恶魔

参考例句：

• The demon of greed ruined the miser's happiness.贪得无厌的恶习毁掉了那个守财奴的幸福。
• He has been possessed by the demon of disease for years.他多年来病魔缠身。

6 luminous   

adj.发光的，发亮的；光明的；明白易懂的；有启发的

参考例句：

• There are luminous knobs on all the doors in my house.我家所有门上都安有夜光把手。
• Most clocks and watches in this shop are in luminous paint.这家商店出售的大多数钟表都涂了发光漆。

7 spectral   

adj.幽灵的，鬼魂的

参考例句：

• At times he seems rather ordinary.At other times ethereal,perhaps even spectral.有时他好像很正常，有时又难以捉摸，甚至像个幽灵。
• She is compelling,spectral fascinating,an unforgettably unique performer.她极具吸引力，清幽如鬼魅，令人着迷，令人难忘，是个独具特色的演员。

8 apparition   

n.幽灵，神奇的现象

参考例句：

• He saw the apparition of his dead wife.他看见了他亡妻的幽灵。
• But the terror of this new apparition brought me to a stand.这新出现的幽灵吓得我站在那里一动也不敢动。

9 reign   

n.统治时期，统治，支配，盛行；v.占优势

参考例句：

• The reign of Queen Elizabeth lapped over into the seventeenth century.伊丽莎白王朝延至17世纪。
• The reign of Zhu Yuanzhang lasted about 31 years.朱元璋统治了大约三十一年。

10 hardy   

adj.勇敢的，果断的，吃苦的；耐寒的

参考例句：

• The kind of plant is a hardy annual.这种植物是耐寒的一年生植物。
• He is a hardy person.他是一个能吃苦耐劳的人。