四签名 15寻求解答（2）（在线收听）

I picked up my hat and my heaviest stick,

我戴上帽子，拿了一支最粗重的手杖，

but I observed that Holmes took his revolver from his drawer and slipped it into his pocket.

福尔摩斯从抽屉里拿了他的手枪放进衣袋里。

It was clear that he thought that our night's work might be a serious one.

这说明他料到今晚的工作或许是一个冒险的尝试。

Miss Morstan was muffled in a dark cloak, and her sensitive face was composed but pale.

摩斯坦小姐穿着黑色的衣服，缠着围巾，她虽然还保持着镇定，可是面色惨白。

She must have been more than woman if she did not feel some uneasiness at the strange enterprise upon which we were embarking,

假若她对于我们今晚奇特的冒险不觉得有些不安的话，她的毅力确是超过平常一般女子的了。

yet her self-control was perfect, and she readily answered the few additional questions which Sherlock Holmes put to her.

她能够完全控制住自己的感情，对于歇洛克·福尔摩斯所提出的几个新问题，她全能够立刻答复。

"Major Sholto was a very particular friend of Papa's," she said.

她道："舒尔托少校是爸爸的一位特别要好的朋友。

"His letters were full of allusions to the major.

在他的来信里面总是常常提到少校。

He and Papa were in command of the troops at the Andaman Islands, so they were thrown a great deal together.

他和爸爸同是安达曼群岛驻军的指挥官，所以他们时常在一起。

By the way, a curious paper was found in Papa's desk which no one could understand.

还有，在我爸爸的书桌里发现过一张没人能懂的字条，

I don't suppose that it is of the slightest importance,

我想未必和本案有关，

but I thought you might care to see it, so I brought it with me. It is here."

但您也许愿意看一看，所以我把它带来了。这就是。"

Holmes unfolded the paper carefully and smoothed it out upon his knee.

福尔摩斯小心地把纸打开，放在膝盖上平铺，

He then very methodically examined it all over with his double lens.

然后用双层放大镜有条不紊地细看了一遍。

"It is paper of native Indian manufacture," he remarked. "It has at some time been pinned to a board.

他指出："这纸是印度的土产，过去曾经在板上钉过。

The diagram upon it appears to be a plan of part of a large building with numerous halls, corridors, and passages.

纸上的图似乎是一所大建筑图样的一部分，其中有许多大房间、走廊和甬道。

At one point is a small cross done in red ink, and above it is '3.37 from left,' in faded pencil-writing.

中间一点有用红墨水画的十字，在这上面写有模糊的用铅笔写的'从左边3.37' 。

In the left-hand corner is a curious hieroglyphic like four crosses in a line with their arms touching.

纸的左上角有一个有神秘意味的怪字，象四个联接的十字形。

Beside it is written, in very rough and coarse characters,

在旁边用极粗陋的笔法写着，

'The sign of the four--Jonathan Small, Mahomet Singh, Abdullah Khan, Dost Akbar.'

'四个签名--琼诺赞·斯茂，莫郝米特·辛格，爱勃德勒·克汗，德斯特·阿克勃尔' 。

No, I confess that I do not see how this bears upon the matter.

我实在也不能断定这个和本案有什么关联！

Yet it is evidently a document of importance.

可是无疑地是一个重要文件。

It has been kept carefully in a pocketbook, for the one side is as clean as the other."

这张纸曾经在皮夹里小心地收藏过，因为两面全都同样干净。"

"It was in his pocketbook that we found it."

"这是我们从他的皮夹里找到的。"

"Preserve it carefully, then, Miss Morstan, for it may prove to be of use to us.

"摩斯坦小姐，您好好地将它保存起来吧，可能以后对我们还有用处。

I begin to suspect that this matter may turn out to be much deeper and more subtle than I at first supposed. I must reconsider my ideas."

现在我觉得这个案情比我最初所想象的更要深奥和费解了。我需要重新考虑一下。"

He leaned back in the cab, and I could see by his drawn brow and his vacant eye that he was thinking intently.

说着他就向后靠在车座靠背上。从他紧皱的眉毛和发呆的目光中，我可以看出，他正在深思。

Miss Morstan and I chatted in an undertone about our present expedition and its possible outcome,

摩斯坦小姐和我轻轻地聊天，谈到我们目前的行动和可能的结果，

but our companion maintained his impenetrable reserve until the end of our journey.

但是我们的伙伴却始终保持着静默，一直到我们抵达旅程的终点。