巴斯克维尔的猎犬 华生医生的第二份报告（11）

 

　　"His sister is everything in his life, he says. That is natural enough, and I am glad that heshould understand her value. They have always been together, and according to his account he hasbeen a very lonely man with only her as a companion, so that the thought of losing her was reallyterrible to him. He had not understood, he said, that I was becoming attached to her, but when hesaw with his own eyes that it was really so, and that she might be taken away from him, it gavehim such a shock that for a time he was not responsible for what he said or did. He was very sorryfor all that had passed, and he recognized how foolish and how selfish it was that he shouldimagine that he could hold a beautiful woman like his sister to himself for her whole life. If shehad to leave him he had rather it was to a neighbour like myself than to anyone else. But in anycase it was a blow to him and it would take him some time before he could prepare himself tomeet it. He would withdraw all opposition upon his part if I would promise for three months to letthe matter rest and to be content with cultivating the lady's friendship during that time withoutclaiming her love. This I promised, and so the matter rests."“他说他妹妹是他生活中的一切。 这是很自然的事， 而且他能这样重视她， 我也高兴。

　　他们一直就生活在一起， 而且正象他自己所说的那样， 他是个非常孤独的人， 只有她陪伴着，因此， 当他一想到将要失去她的时候， 那是多么可怕啊！ 他说他本来并没有认为我已爱上了她， 可是当他亲眼看到了 这确是事实， 而且感觉到我可能从他手中把她夺去的时候， 便使他大为震惊， 以至他对自己当时的言行都无法负责了。 他对发生过的事感到十分抱歉， 并且也认识到， 自己妄想为了个人而将象他妹妹那样美丽的女子的一生， 束缚在自己的身旁是多么的愚蠢和自私。 如果她非得离开他不可的话， 他也情愿把她嫁给象我这样的邻居， 而不愿嫁给其他的人。 可是无论如何， 对他说来这毕竟是一个严重的打击， 因此他还需要一些时间，以便他对这件事的来临做好精神准备。 如果我答应在今后三个月之内把这件事暂搁一下， 在这期间只是培养与女士的友情而不要求她的爱情的话， 他就决定不再反对了。 这一点我答应了， 于是事情也就平息下来了 。”

　　So there is one of our small mysteries cleared up. It is something to have touched bottomanywhere in this bog in which we are floundering. We know now why Stapleton looked withdisfavour upon his sister's suitor -- even when that suitor was so eligible a one as Sir Henry. Andnow I pass on to another thread which I have extricated out of the tangled skein, the mystery of thesobs in the night, of the tear-stained face of Mrs. Barrymore, of the secret journey of the butler tothe western lattice window. Congratulate me, my dear Holmes, and tell me that I have notdisappointed you as an agent -- that you do not regret the confidence which you showed in mewhen you sent me down. All these things have by one night's work been thoroughly cleared.

　　在我们那些不大的谜里， 就这样地弄清了一个。 正好象当我们在泥沼之中挣扎的时候，在什么地方碰到了底似的。 现在我们懂得了， 为什么斯台普吞那样看不上他妹妹的追求者——即使那位追求者是象亨利爵士那样恰当的人。 现在我再转到由一团乱线里抽出来的另一条线索上去吧， 就是那夜半哭声和白瑞摩太太满面泪痕的秘密， 还有管家到西面格子窗前去的秘密。 祝贺我吧， 亲爱的福尔摩斯， 你得说我没有辜负你的嘱托了吧， 你不会后悔在派我来的时候所寄予我的信任的。 这些事经过一夜的努力就都彻底弄清了。