四签名 81凶手的末日（14）（在线收听）

The fugitive sprang out, but his stump instantly sank its whole length into the sodden soil.

那匪徒跳到了岸上，可是他那只木腿整个陷入泥中。

In vain he struggled and writhed. Not one step could he possibly take either forward or backward.

他用力挣扎，可是连一步也进退不得。

He yelled in impotent rage and kicked frantically into the mud with his other foot,

他狂喊乱叫地跳动着左脚，

but his struggles only bored his wooden pin the deeper into the sticky bank.

可是那木腿却在泥里愈陷愈深。

When we brought our launch alongside he was so firmly anchored

等我们把船靠了岸，他已经被钉在那里寸步难行了。

that it was only by throwing the end of a rope over his shoulders

我们从船上扔一条绳子过去套住了他的肩膀，

that we were able to haul him out and to drag him, like some evil fish, over our side.

才把他好似拉鱼似地拖上了船。

The two Smiths, father and son, sat sullenly in their launch but came aboard meekly enough when commanded.

斯密司父子二人愁眉苦脸地坐在船上，听了我们的命令，方才无可奈何地走到这边船上来。

The Aurora herself we hauled off and made fast to our stern.

曙光号被我们拖住，很快就来到了我们的船尾。

A solid iron chest of Indian workmanship stood upon the deck.

一只印度精制的铁箱，摆在那只船甲板上边，

This, there could be no question, was the same that had contained the ill-omened treasure of the Sholtos.

不用问就知道是使舒尔托遭祸的宝箱。

There was no key, but it was of considerable weight, so we transferred it carefully to our own little cabin.

箱上没有钥匙，非常沉重，我们小心地把它搬到我们的舱里。

As we steamed slowly upstream again, we flashed our searchlight in every direction, but there was no sign of the Islander.

当我们慢慢地向上游回驶时，我们不断地用探照灯向河水四面映照，可是那黑人早已踪影不见，

Somewhere in the dark ooze at the bottom of the Thames lie the bones of that strange visitor to our shores.

想必这位奇怪的访客已葬身在泰晤士河底黑暗中的某处了。

"See here," said Holmes, pointing to the wooden hatchway. "We were hardly quick enough with our pistols."

福尔摩斯指着舱口说道："看这里，我们的枪几乎打晚了。"

There, sure enough, just behind where we had been standing, stuck one of those murderous darts which we knew so well.

确实，靠着我们先前站的地方的后面插着一支毒刺，

It must have whizzed between us at the instant we fired.

大约就是在我们放枪的时候射来的。

Holmes smiled at it and shrugged his shoulders in his easy fashion,

福尔摩斯对着毒刺仍象平时那样地耸耸肩微微地一笑，

but I confess that it turned me sick to think of the horrible death which had passed so close to us that night.

可是我每回想到那天晚上危在须臾的情况，仍不免十分惊悸。