巴斯克维尔的猎犬 回忆（4）

 

"Having conceived the idea he proceeded to carry it out with considerable finesse. Anordinary schemer would have been content to work with a savage hound. The use of artificialmeans to make the creature diabolical was a flash of genius upon his part. The dog he bought inLondon from Ross and Mangles, the dealers in Fulham Road. It was the strongest and most savagein their possession. He brought it down by the North Devon line and walked a great distance overthe moor so as to get it home without exciting any remarks. He had already on his insect huntslearned to penetrate the Grimpen Mire, and so had found a safe hiding-place for the creature. Herehe kennelled it and waited his chance.

“心里有了这个念头之后， 他就费了相当的心机设法使其实现。一个普通的阴谋计划者，利用一只凶恶的猎狗也就满足了。 可是他还采用了人工的方法使这动物变得象魔鬼一样的可怕， 这就要算是他的机智和天才了 。 那狗是他从伦敦福莱姆街的贩狗商人罗斯和曼格斯那里买来的， 是他们所有的货色之中最强壮、 最凶恶的一只了。 他坐北德文郡铁路的车把它带回家来， 为了怕引起别人的注意， 他牵着狗穿过沼地走了很长的路。 他已经在捕捉昆虫的时候学会了怎样走进格林盆泥潭去， 因此能给那只猎狗找到一处安全的藏身 之所。 他就把它关在那里， 待机使用。

"But it was some time coming. The old gentleman could not be decoyed outside of hisgrounds at night. Several times Stapleton lurked about with his hound, but without avail. It wasduring these fruitless quests that he, or rather his ally, was seen by peasants, and that the legend ofthe demon dog received a new confirmation. He had hoped that his wife might lure Sir Charles tohis ruin, but here she proved unexpectedly independent. She would not endeavour to entangle theold gentleman in a sentimental attachment which might deliver him over to his enemy. Threats andeven, I am sorry to say, blows refused to move her. She would have nothing to do with it, and for atime Stapleton was at a deadlock.

“可是好机会不是很快就能来到的， 夜间没法把那老绅士从家中引出来， 好几次， 斯台普吞带着他那猎狗埋伏在外面， 可是毫无结果。 就在这些次一无结果的跟踪追寻当中， 他，或者不如说是他的同伙， 被农民看到了， 因此， 那段魔狗的传说就又得到了新的证实。 他曾希望过， 他太太也许能将查尔兹引向毁灭， 可是在这问题上， 她竟表现出意想不到的不听话。

她不肯把老绅士拖进情网， 因为这样一来就可能把他交给了他的死敌， 恐吓、 甚至我连提都不愿提起的殴打， 都没能动摇她的决心， 她丝毫也不愿参预这件事， 有一段时期， 斯台普吞甚至到了一筹莫展的地步。