巴斯克威尔的猎犬 梅利琵宅邸的主人斯台普吞（9）

 

　　"It is a wonderful place, the moor," said he, looking round over the undulating downs, longgreen rollers, with crests¹ of jagged granite² foaming³ up into fantastic surges. "You never tire of themoor. You cannot think the wonderful secrets which it contains. It is so vast, and so barren, and somysterious."

　　“这片沼地可真是个奇妙的地方， ” 他说道， 一面向四周环顾。 起伏不平的丘原， 象是绵延的绿色浪潮； 参差不齐的花岗岩山巅， 好象是被浪涛激起的奇形怪状的水花。“您永远也不会对这沼地感到厌烦的， 沼地里绝妙的隐秘之处您简直就无法想象， 那样的广大， 那样的荒凉， 那样的神秘。”

　　"You know it well, then?"

　　“那么说， 您对沼地一定知道得很清楚啰？ ”

　　"I have only been here two years. The residents would call me a newcomer. We came shortlyafter Sir Charles settled. But my tastes led me to explore every part of the country round, and Ishould think that there are few men who know it better than I do."“我在这里才只住了 两年， 当地居民还把我称作新来的呢， 我们来的时候， 查尔兹爵士也是刚在这里住下没有多久。 我的兴趣促使我观察了这乡 间的每一部分， 所以我想很少有人能比我对这里知道得更清楚了 。”

　　"Is it hard to know?"

　　“要想弄清楚是很难的事吗？ ”

　　"Very hard. You see, for example, this great plain to the north here with the queer hillsbreaking out of it. Do you observe anything remarkable⁴ about that?"“很难。 您要知道， 比如说吧， 北面的这个大平原， 中间矗起了几座奇形怪状的小山。

　　您可看得出来有什么特殊之处吗？ ”

　　"It would be a rare place for a gallop⁵."

　　“这倒是个少有的纵马奔驰的好地方。”

　　"You would naturally think so and the thought has cost several their lives before now. Younotice those bright green spots scattered⁶ thickly over it?"“您自然会这样想， 可是到现在为止， 这种想法已不知葬送了多少性命了。 您看得见那些密布着嫩绿草地的地方吗？ ”

　　"Yes, they seem more fertile than the rest."“是啊， 看来那地方要比其他地方更肥沃些呢。”

　　Stapleton laughed.

　　斯台普吞大笑起来。

1 crests   

v.到达山顶（或浪峰）( crest的第三人称单数 )；到达洪峰，达到顶点

参考例句：

• The surfers were riding in towards the beach on the crests of the waves. 冲浪者们顺着浪头冲向岸边。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The correspondent aroused, heard the crash of the toppled crests. 记者醒了，他听见了浪头倒塌下来的轰隆轰隆声。 来自辞典例句

2 granite   

adj.花岗岩，花岗石

参考例句：

• They squared a block of granite.他们把一块花岗岩加工成四方形。
• The granite overlies the older rocks.花岗岩躺在磨损的岩石上面。

3 foaming   

adj.布满泡沫的；发泡

参考例句：

• He looked like a madman, foaming at the mouth. 他口吐白沫，看上去像个疯子。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He is foaming at the mouth about the committee's decision. 他正为委员会的决定大发其火。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 remarkable   

adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的

参考例句：

• She has made remarkable headway in her writing skills.她在写作技巧方面有了长足进步。
• These cars are remarkable for the quietness of their engines.这些汽车因发动机没有噪音而不同凡响。

5 gallop   

v./n.(马或骑马等)飞奔；飞速发展

参考例句：

• They are coming at a gallop towards us.他们正朝着我们飞跑过来。
• The horse slowed to a walk after its long gallop.那匹马跑了一大阵后慢下来缓步而行。

6 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。