四签名 20秃头人的故事（3）（在线收听）

"For my part," said Holmes, "whatever you may choose to say will go no further."

福尔摩斯道："我个人可以保证，无论您说什么，我都不会向别人说。"

I nodded to show my agreement.

我也点头表示同意。

"That is well! That is well!" said he. "May I offer you a glass of Chianti, Miss Morstan?

他道："那好极啦！那好极啦！摩斯坦小姐，我可以不可以敬您一杯香梯酒或是透凯酒？

Or of Tokay? I keep no other wines. Shall I open a flask? No?

我这里没有别的酒。我开一瓶好不好？不喝？

Well, then, I trust that you have no objection to tobacco- smoke, to the balsamic odour of the Eastern tobacco.

好吧，我想你们不会反对我吸这种有柔和的东方香味的烟吧。

I am a little nervous, and I find my hookah an invaluable sedative."

我有些神经紧张，我觉得我的水烟是无上的镇定剂。"

He applied a taper to the great bowl, and the smoke bubbled merrily through the rose-water.

他燃上大水烟壶，烟从烟壶里的玫瑰水中徐徐地冒了出来。

We sat all three in a semicircle, with our heads advanced and our chins upon our hands,

我们三人环坐成一个半圆圈，伸着头，两手支着下巴，

while the strange, jerky little fellow, with his high, shining head, puffed uneasily in the centre.

这个奇怪而又激动的矮小的人，光光的头，坐在我们中间，局促不安地吸着烟。

"When I first determined to make this communication to you," said he, "I might have given you my address;

他道："当我决意和您联系的时候，本想把我的住址告诉您，

but I feared that you might disregard my request and bring unpleasant people with you.

可是恐怕您不了解，带了不合适的人一同来。

I took the liberty, therefore, of making an appointment in such a way that my man Williams might be able to see you first.

所以我才这样安排，叫我的仆人先和你们见面，

I have complete confidence in his discretion,

我对他的临机应变的能力是十分信任的。

and he had orders, if he were dissatisfied, to proceed no further in the matter.

我嘱咐他，如果情形不对，就不要带你们同来。

You will excuse these precautions, but I am a man of somewhat retiring,

我事先的慎重布置谅可得到您的谅解，因为我不愿和人来往，

and I might even say refined, tastes, and there is nothing more unaesthetic than a policeman.

甚至可以说是个性情高傲的人，我觉得再没有比警察一类的人更不文雅的了。

I have a natural shrinking from all forms of rough materialism. I seldom come in contact with the rough crowd.

我天性不喜欢任何粗俗的人，我很少同他们接触。

I live, as you see, with some little atmosphere of elegance around me.

我的生活，你们可以看到，周围都是文雅的气氛，

I may call myself a patron of the arts. It is my weakness.

我可以自命为艺术鉴赏家，这是我的嗜好。

The landscape is a genuine Corot, and though a connoisseur might perhaps throw a doubt upon that Salvator Rosa,

那幅风景画确实是高罗特的真迹，有的鉴赏家也许会怀疑那幅萨尔瓦多·罗萨的作品的真伪，

there cannot be the least question about the Bouguereau.

可是那幅布盖娄的画确是真品

I am partial to the modern French school."

我对现在的法国派特别喜欢。"

"You will excuse me, Mr. Sholto," said Miss Morstan,

摩斯坦小姐道："舒尔托先生，请原谅我。

"but I am here at your request to learn something which you desire to tell me.

我被请来是因为您有话见教，

It is very late, and I should desire the interview to be as short as possible."

时间已经不早，我希望咱们的谈话愈简短愈好。"

"At the best it must take some time," he answered;

他答道："至少也要占些时候，

"for we shall certainly have to go to Norwood and see Brother Bartholomew.

因为咱们还要同到诺伍德去找我哥哥巴索洛谬去。

We shall all go and try if we can get the better of Brother Bartholomew.

咱们都要去，我希望咱们能胜过他。

He is very angry with me for taking the course which has seemed right to me.

我以为合乎情理而采取的步骤他却不以为然，因此他对我很不满意，

I had quite high words with him last night.

昨晚我和他曾经争辩了很久。

You cannot imagine what a terrible fellow he is when he is angry."

你们想象不出他忿怒的时候，是一个多么难于对付的人。"