巴斯克维尔的猎犬 回忆（12）

 

"He could not hope to frighten Sir Henry to death as he had done the old uncle with his bogiehound."

“他是不能指望用他那只可怕的猎狗， 象弄死老伯父那样地吓死亨利爵士的。”

"The beast was savage and half-starved. If its appearance did not frighten its victim to death,at least it would paralyze the resistance which might be offered."“那畜生很凶猛， 而且只喂得半饱。 它的外表即使没有把它所追踪的人吓死， 至少也能使他丧失抵抗力。”

"No doubt. There only remains one difficulty. If Stapleton came into the succession, howcould he explain the fact that he, the heir, had been living unannounced under another name soclose to the property? How could he claim it without causing suspicion and inquiry?"“当然了。 还剩下一个难题。 如果斯台普吞继承了财产， 他怎样来解释这样的事实呢：

他——继承人——为什么一直更名改姓地隐居在离财产这么近的地方呢？ 他怎么能要求继承权而不引起别人的怀疑和要求进行调查呢？ ”

"It is a fomlidable difficulty, and I fear that you ask too much when you expect me to solve it.

The past and the present are within the field of my inquiry, but what a man may do in the future isa hard question to answer. Mrs. Stapleton has heard her husband discuss the problem on severaloccasions. There were three possible courses. He might claim the property from South America,establish his identity before the British authorities there and so obtain the fortune without evercoming to England at all, or he might adopt an elaborate disguise during the short time that heneed be in London; or, again, he might furnish an accomplice with the proofs and papers, puttinghim in as heir, and retaining a claim upon some proportion of his income. We cannot doubt fromwhat we know of him that he would have found some way out of the difficulty. And now, my dearWatson, we have had some weeks of severe work, and for one evening, I think, we may turn ourthoughts into more pleasant channels. I have a box for 'Les Huguenots.' Have you heard the DeReszkes? Might I trouble you then to be ready in half an hour, and we can stop at Marcini's for alittle dinner on the way?"

“这是一个绝大的困难， 想要让我去解决这个问题， 恐怕你是要求过高了。 过去和现在的事我都调查过了。 可是一个人将来会怎么样， 这倒是个很难回答的问题。 斯台普吞太太曾经几次听到她丈夫谈论这个问题， 有三条路可走： 他也许要从南美洲要求继承这份财产， 让当地的英国当局证明他的身份， 这样可以根本不来英格兰就把财产弄到手； 或者住在伦敦的短时期内采取隐蔽身 份的办法； 或者， 还许找一个同谋， 带着证明文件的证物， 证明他的继承人的身份， 可是对他收入的一部保留所有权。 根据咱们对他的了解， 他总是能设法解决这些困难的。 啊， 我亲爱的华生， 咱们已经干了 几个星期严肃认真的工作了 ， 我想， 咱们还是换换口味， 今晚想些愉快的事吧。 我在虞格诺戏院订了 一个包厢。 你听过德· 雷兹凯演的歌剧吗？ 请你在半小时之内穿戴好， 途中咱们还可以到玛齐尼饭店吃晚饭呢。”