四签名 24秃头人的故事（7）（在线收听）

The little man stopped to relight his hookah and puffed thoughtfully for a few moments.

这矮小的人重新点着了他的水烟壶，深思地连吸了几口。

We had all sat absorbed, listening to his extraordinary narrative.

我们坐在那里，全神贯注地听他述说这个离奇的故事。

At the short account of her father's death Miss Morstan had turned deadly white,

摩斯坦小姐在听到他叙述到关于她父亲死亡的那一段话时，面色变得惨白。

and for a moment I feared that she was about to faint.

为了怕她会晕倒，

She rallied, however, on drinking a glass of water which I quietly poured out for her from a Venetian carafe upon the side-table.

我轻轻地从放在旁边桌上的一个威尼斯式的水瓶里倒了一杯水给她喝，她方才恢复过来。

Sherlock Holmes leaned back in his chair with an abstracted expression and the lids drawn low over his glittering eyes.

歇洛克·福尔摩斯靠在椅上闭目深思。

As I glanced at him I could not but think how on that very day he had complained bitterly of the commonplaceness of life.

当我看到他的时候，我不禁想到：就在今天他还说人生枯燥无聊呢。

Here at least was a problem which would tax his sagacity to the utmost.

在这里至少有一个问题将要对他的智慧做一次最大的考验。

Mr. Thaddeus Sholto looked from one to the other of us with an obvious pride at the effect

塞笛厄斯·舒尔托先生对我们这个看看，那个看看，

which his story had produced and then continued between the puffs of his overgrown pipe.

由于他叙述的故事所给我们的影响，他显然觉得自豪，他继续吸着水烟壶又说了下去。

"My brother and I," said he, "were, as you may imagine, much excited as to the treasure which my father had spoken of.

他道："你们可以想象得到，我哥哥和我由于听到我父亲所说的宝物，全都感到十分兴奋。

For weeks and for months we dug and delved in every part of the garden without discovering its whereabouts.

经过好几个礼拜，甚至好几个月的工夫，我们把花园的各个角落全都挖掘遍了，也没有寻到。

It was maddening to think that the hiding- place was on his very lips at the moment that he died.

想到这些宝物收藏的地方竟留在他临终的口中，未免使人发狂。

We could judge the splendour of the missing riches by the chaplet which he had taken out.

我们从那个拿出来的项圈就可以推想到这批遗失的宝物是多么贵重了。

Over this chaplet my brother Bartholomew and I had some little discussion.

关于这串项圈，我的哥哥巴索洛谬和我也曾经讨论过。

The pearls were evidently of great value, and he was averse to part with them,

这些珠子无疑地是很值钱的，他也有点难以割舍。

for, between friends, my brother was himself a little inclined to my father's fault.

当然，在对待朋友方面，他也有点象我父亲一样的缺点。

He thought, too, that if we parted with the chaplet it might give rise to gossip and finally bring us into trouble.

他又想到，如果把项圈送人，可能会引起些无谓的闲话，最后还可能给我们找来麻烦。

It was all that I could do to persuade him to let me find out Miss Morstan's address

我所能够做到的只有劝我哥哥由我先把摩斯坦小姐的住址找到，

and send her a detached pearl at fixed intervals so that at least she might never feel destitute."

然后每隔一定时间给她寄一颗拆下来的珠子，这样至少也可以使她的生活不致发生困难。"

"It was a kindly thought," said our companion earnestly; "it was extremely good of you."

我的同伴诚恳地说道："真是好心眼啊，您这样做是太感人了。"

The little man waved his hand deprecatingly. "We were your trustees," he said;

这矮小的人不以为然地挥手道："我们只是你们的财产的保管者，

"that was the view which I took of it, though Brother Bartholomew could not altogether see it in that light.

这是我的看法！可是我哥哥的见解和我不同。

We had plenty of money ourselves. I desired no more.

我们自己有很多财产，我也不希望再多。

Besides, it would have been such bad taste to have treated a young lady in so scurvy a fashion.

再说对于这位年轻小姐做出卑鄙的事也是情理难容的。

'Le mauvais go?t mène au crime.' The French have a very neat way of putting these things.

'鄙俗为罪恶之源' 这句法国谚语是很有道理的。

Our difference of opinion on this subject went so far that I thought it best to set up rooms for myself;

由于弟兄双方对于这个问题的意见不同，最后只好和他分居，

so I left Pondicherry Lodge, taking the old khitmutgar and Williams with me.

我带着一个印度仆人和威廉离开了樱沼别墅。

Yesterday, however, I learned that an event of extreme importance has occurred. The treasure has been discovered.

昨天我发觉了一件最重要的事情：宝物已经找到了。

I instantly communicated with Miss Morstan, and it only remains for us to drive out to Norwood and demand our share.

我才立刻和摩斯坦小姐取得了联系，现在只剩了咱们一起到诺伍德去向他追索咱们应得的一份宝物了，

I explained my views last night to Brother Bartholomew, so we shall be expected, if not welcome, visitors."

昨晚我已经把我的意见向我哥哥巴索洛谬说过了。也许咱们不是他所欢迎的客人，可是他同意在那里等着咱们。"