四签名 74凶手的末日（7）（在线收听）

"You have planned it all very neatly, whether they are the right men or not," said Jones;

琼斯道："不管这几个人是不是真的凶手，你的准备是很周密的。

"but if the affair were in my hands I should have had a body of police in Jacobson's Yard and arrested them when they came down."

不过要是我，我一定派几个能干的警察，等到匪徒来到杰克勃森船坞时，就把他们当场逮捕了。"

"Which would have been never. This man Small is a pretty shrewd fellow.

"这个我可不敢赞同，因为斯茂是个很狡猾的人，

He would send a scout on ahead, and if anything made him suspicious he would lie snug for another week."

他行动以前一定先派人查看动静，如有可疑的情况，他自然又要再隐匿一个时期。"

"But you might have stuck to Mordecai Smith, and so been led to their hiding-place," said I.

我道："可是你若盯紧了茂迪凯·斯密司也可以把匪穴找到呀。"

"In that case I should have wasted my day.

"那样我的时光就全要浪费了。

I think that it is a hundred to one against Smith knowing where they live.

我想匪徒们的住处九成九斯密司是不知道的。

As long as he has liquor and good pay, why should he ask questions? They send him messages what to do.

斯密司有酒喝、有钱花，其余的问它做什么？有事时匪徒们派人通知他就行啦。

No, I thought over every possible course, and this is the best."

我各方面都考虑到了，我以为这是最好的办法。"

While this conversation had been proceeding, we had been shooting the long series of bridges which span the Thames.

谈话之间，我们已经穿过了泰晤士河上的几座桥。

As we passed the City the last rays of the sun were gilding the cross upon the summit of St. Paul's.

当我们出了市区的时候，落日余辉已将圣保罗教堂房顶上的十字架照得金光闪闪。

It was twilight before we reached the Tower.

在我们还没有到达伦敦塔的时候，就已是黄昏时分了。

"That is Jacobson's Yard," said Holmes, pointing to a bristle of masts and rigging on the Surrey side.

福尔摩斯远远指着靠萨利区河岸桅墙密立的地方说道："那就是杰克勃森船坞，

"Cruise gently up and down here under cover of this string of lighters."

让我们的船借着这一串驳船的掩护，慢慢地来回游戈。"

He took a pair of night-glasses from his pocket and gazed some time at the shore.

他从口袋中拿出夜望镜，向岸上观察，

"I see my sentry at his post," he remarked, "but no sign of a handkerchief."

说道："我已经找到了我派的那个人，可是手巾还没有挥动。"

"Suppose we go downstream a short way and lie in wait for them," said Jones eagerly.

琼斯很性急地说道："咱们还是停泊到下游等着他们吧。"