四签名 89大宗阿格拉宝物（8）（在线收听）

"That is all over," I answered. "It was nothing. I will tell you no more gloomy details.

我答道："那都是过去的事了，也不算什么。我不再讲这些闷气的事了，

Let us turn to something brighter. There is the treasure.

让咱们看看可以使咱们高兴的东西吧。这里是宝物，

What could be brighter than that?

还有什么比这更令人高兴的呢？

I got leave to bring it with me, thinking that it would interest you to be the first to see it."

我是专为您带了来的，料想您一定愿意亲自打开，先睹为快。"

"It would be of the greatest interest to me," she said.

她道："这再好也没有了。"

There was no eagerness in her voice, however.

可是她的语气并没有显露出她有多么兴奋。

It had struck her, doubtless, that it might seem ungracious upon her part to be indifferent to a prize which had cost so much to win.

因为这宝物是费了不少心血才得到手的，她不能不这样地表示一下，否则也显得她太不承情了。

"What a pretty box!" she said, stooping over it. "This is Indian work, I suppose?"

她看着箱子说道："这箱子真美极了！这是在印度做的吧？"

"Yes; it is Benares metal-work."

"是的，是印度著名的比纳里兹金属制品。"

"And so heavy!" she exclaimed, trying to raise it.

她试着把箱子抬了抬，说道："真够重的，

"The box alone must be of some value. Where is the key?"

这箱子本身恐怕就很值钱呢。钥匙在哪儿？"

"Small threw it into the Thames," I answered. "I must borrow Mrs. Forrester's poker."

我答道："被斯茂扔到泰晤士河里去了，我们须借弗里斯特夫人的火钳用一用。"

There was in the front a thick and broad hasp, wrought in the image of a sitting Buddha.

在箱子前面有一个粗重的铁环，铁环上面铸着一尊佛像。

Under this I thrust the end of the poker and twisted it outward as a lever.

我把火钳插在铁环下面，用力向上撬起，

The hasp sprang open with a loud snap.

铁环应手打开。

With trembling fingers I flung back the lid. We both stood gazing in astonishment. The box was empty!

我用颤抖的手指把箱盖抬起，我们二人注视着箱内，都惊奇得呆住了。这个箱子是空的！

No wonder that it was heavy. The ironwork was two-thirds of an inch thick all round.

无怪这个箱子这样的重，箱子四周全是三分之二英寸厚的铁板，

It was massive, well made, and solid, like a chest constructed to carry things of great price,

非常坚固，制造的也是异常精致，确是用作收藏宝物的箱子。

but not one shred or crumb of metal or jewellery lay within it. It was absolutely and completely empty.

可是里边什么也没有了，完全是空的。