巴斯克维尔的猎犬 华生医生的第一份报告（2）

 

　　All this, however, is foreign to the mission on which you sent me and will probably be veryuninteresting to your severely¹ practical mind. I can still remember your complete indifference² asto whether the sun moved round the earth or the earth round the sun. Let me, therefore, return tothe facts concerning Sir Henry Baskerville.

　　显然， 这些都是和你将我派来这里执行的任务毫无关系的东西， 而且对你这样最讲求实际的人来说， 可能会感到很乏味。 我还记得在谈到究竟是太阳围着地球转还是地球围太阳转这个问题的时候， 你的那种漠不关心的态度。 还是让我回到关于亨利· 巴斯克维尔爵士的事情上来吧。

　　If you have not had any report within the last few days it is because up to to-day there wasnothing of importance to relate. Then a very surprising circumstance occurred, which I shall tellyou in due course. But, first of all, I must keep you in touch with some of the other factors in thesituation.

　　如果说你前些天没有收到任何报告的话， 那是因为一直还没有发生过什么值得报告的重要情况。 可是， 后来发生了一件很惊人的事情， 我现在就一五一十地向你报告吧。 首先， 我得使你对于整个情况中的其他一些有关的因素有个了解。

　　One of these, concerning which I have said little, is the escaped convict upon the moor³. Thereis strong reason now to believe that he has got right away, which is a considerable relief to thelonely householders of this district. A fortnight has passed since his flight, during which he has notbeen seen and nothing has been heard of him. It is surely inconceivable that he could have heldout upon the moor during all that time. Of course, so far as his concealment⁴ goes there is nodifficulty at all. Any one of these stone huts would give him a hiding-place. But there is nothing toeat unless he were to catch and slaughter⁵ one of the moor sheep. We think, therefore, that he hasgone, and the outlying farmers sleep the better in consequence.

　　其中之一就是我很少谈到的沼地里的那个逃犯。 现已完全可以相信， 他已经跑了 ， 这对在本区住得很分散的居民说来， 是可以大大地松一口气了。 从他逃跑以来已有两星期了， 在这期间， 没有人看见过他， 也没有听到过关于他的消息。 确实很难想象， 他在这段时间内能始终坚持呆在沼地里。 当然了， 如果单就藏匿这个问题来看， 他是毫无困难的， 任何一所石头小房都可以作为他的藏身之所。 可是除非他能捕杀沼地里的羊， 否则他是什么吃的东西都没有的。 因此我们就认为他已经逃走了 ， 而那些住得边远的农民们也就可以睡得稍为安心些了。

1 severely   

adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地

参考例句：

• He was severely criticized and removed from his post.他受到了严厉的批评并且被撤了职。
• He is severely put down for his careless work.他因工作上的粗心大意而受到了严厉的批评。

2 indifference   

n.不感兴趣，不关心，冷淡，不在乎

参考例句：

• I was disappointed by his indifference more than somewhat.他的漠不关心使我很失望。
• He feigned indifference to criticism of his work.他假装毫不在意别人批评他的作品。

3 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。

4 concealment   

n.隐藏, 掩盖，隐瞒

参考例句：

• the concealment of crime 对罪行的隐瞒
• Stay in concealment until the danger has passed. 把自己藏起来，待危险过去后再出来。

5 slaughter   

n.屠杀，屠宰；vt.屠杀，宰杀

参考例句：

• I couldn't stand to watch them slaughter the cattle.我不忍看他们宰牛。
• Wholesale slaughter was carried out in the name of progress.大规模的屠杀在维护进步的名义下进行。