四签名 17寻求解答（4）（在线收听）

The situation was a curious one.

我们所处的环境是奇特的。

We were driving to an unknown place, on an unknown errand.

我们既不知道上哪里去，又不知道去做什么。

Yet our invitation was either a complete hoax--which was an inconceivable hypothesis--

若说是被人愚弄吧？又好象是不可能，

or else we had good reason to think that important issues might hang upon our journey.

想来还不至于白跑一趟，总可以得些重要的结果的。

Miss Morstan's demeanour was as resolute and collected as ever.

摩斯坦小姐的态度还是象以前一样的坚决和镇定。

I endeavoured to cheer and amuse her by reminiscences of my adventures in Afghanistan;

我竭力设法鼓励和安慰她，我给她说我在阿富汗冒险的故事。

but, to tell the truth, I was myself so excited at our situation

可是，说实话，我自己也正因为我们所处的环境和难测的命运感觉紧张和不安，

and so curious as to our destination that my stories were slightly involved.

以致我所讲的故事未免乱七八糟。

To this day she declares that I told her one moving anecdote

直到今天，她还把我告诉她的那个生动的故事用作笑话呢：

as to how a musket looked into my tent at the dead of night, and how I fired a double-barrelled tiger cub at it.

我如何在深夜里用一只小老虎打死了钻到帐篷里来的一支双筒枪。

At first I had some idea as to the direction in which we were driving;

起初，我还能辨别我们所经的道路，

but soon, what with our pace, the fog, and my own limited knowledge of London,

可是不久，因为路远多雾，再加上我对伦敦地理的生疏，

I lost my bearings and knew nothing save that we seemed to be going a very long way.

我就迷了方向，除了行程似乎很长以外，其余的我就一概全都不知道了。

Sherlock Holmes was never at fault, however,

福尔摩斯并没有迷路；

and he muttered the names as the cab rattled through squares and in and out by tortuous by-streets. "Rochester Row," said he.

车子经过的地方，他都能喃喃地说出地名来。他道："罗奇斯特路，

"Now Vincent Square. Now we come out on the Vauxhall Bridge Road. We are making for the Surrey side apparently.

这是文森特广场。现在我们似乎是在从沃克斯豪尔桥路走向萨利区去。

Yes, I thought so. Now we are on the bridge. You can catch glimpses of the river."

不错，正是这样地走。我们现在上了桥面，你们可以看见河水的闪光。"

We did indeed get a fleeting view of a stretch of the Thames, with the lamps shining upon the broad, silent water;

我们果然看见了灯光照耀下的泰晤士河的景色，

but our cab dashed on and was soon involved in a labyrinth of streets upon the other side.

可是我们的车仍在向前奔驰，不久就到达河对岸令人迷惑的街道上去了。

"Wordsworth Road," said my companion.

我的伙伴又道："沃兹沃斯路，

"Priory Road. Lark Hall Lane. Stockwell Place. Robert Street. Cold Harbour Lane.

修道院路，拉克豪尔衖，斯陶克维尔街，罗伯特街，冷港衖，

Our quest does not appear to take us to very fashionable regions."

我们的路径不象是向着高尚区域去的。"

We had indeed reached a questionable and forbidding neighbourhood.

我们的确到了一个可疑和可怕的区域。

Long lines of dull brick houses were only relieved by the coarse glare and tawdry brilliancy of public-houses at the corner.

直到在街角看到一些粗俗、耀眼的酒肆以前，两旁一直都是连续不断的暗灰色的砖房。

Then came rows of two- storied villas, each with a fronting of miniature garden, and then again interminable lines of new, staring brick buildings

随后又是几排两层楼房的住宅，每幢楼前有一个小小的花园，夹杂着一些砖造的新楼房

the monster tentacles which the giant city was throwing out into the country.

是这个大城市在郊区扩建的新区域。

At last the cab drew up at the third house in a new terrace.

最后，车子停在这新衖的第三个门前。

None of the other houses were inhabited, and that at which we stopped was as dark as its neighbours, save for a single glimmer in the kitchen-window.

所有其他的房子还没有人住，在我们停车的房子前面，除了从厨房窗户射出的一线微光外，也和其他的房子一样的黑暗。

On our knocking, however, the door was instantly thrown open by a Hindoo servant, clad in a yellow turban, white loose-fitting clothes, and a yellow sash.

我们敲门以后，立刻就有一个头戴黄色包头、身穿肥大的白色衣服、系着黄带子的印度仆人开了门。

There was something strangely incongruous in this Oriental figure framed in the commonplace doorway of a third-rate suburban dwelling-house.

在这个普通三等郊区住宅的门前出现了一个东方仆人，是有一些不调和的。

"The sahib awaits you," said he, and even as he spoke, there came a high, piping voice from some inner room.

他道："我的主人正在等候。"他还没有说完，就有人在屋内高声喊道：

"Show them in to me, khitmutgar," it said. "Show them straight in to me."

"吉特穆特迦，请他们到我这里来吧，请他们一直到我这里来。"