歪唇男人 35揭开迷雾(8)（在线收听）

Sherlock Holmes sat down beside him on the couch and patted him kindly on the shoulder.

福尔摩斯在床上坐在他身边，和蔼地拍了拍他的肩膀。

"If you leave it to a court of law to clear the matter up," said he, "of course you can hardly avoid publicity.

"如果你让法庭来查清这件事情，"他说，"当然那就难免要宣扬出去。

On the other hand, if you convince the police authorities that there is no possible case against you,

可是，只要你能使警务当局相信，这不是一件足以向你提出控告的事情，

I do not know that there is any reason that the details should find their way into the papers.

我想没有什么理由必须把你案子的详情公诸于报纸。

Inspector Bradstreet would, I am sure, make notes upon anything which you might tell us and submit it to the proper authorities.

我相信布雷兹特里特巡官是会把你说给我们听的记录记下来提交给有关当局的。

The case would then never go into court at all."

这样，这案子就根本不会提到法庭上去了。"

"God bless you!" cried the prisoner passionately.

"上帝保佑您！"那囚犯热情洋溢地高喊起来，

"I would have endured imprisonment, ay, even execution, rather than have left my miserable secret as a family blot to my children.

"我宁愿忍受拘禁，唉，甚至处决，也不愿把我的令人感到痛苦的秘密作为家庭的污点，留给孩子们。

You are the first who have ever heard my story.

你们是唯一听到我的身世的人。

My father was a school-master in Chesterfield, where I received an excellent education.

我父亲是切斯特菲尔德的小学校长，在那里我受过极为良好的教育。

I travelled in my youth, took to the stage, and finally became a reporter on an evening paper in London.

我青年的时候酷爱旅行，喜欢演戏，后来在伦敦一家晚报当了记者。

One day my editor wished to have a series of articles upon begging in the metropolis, and I volunteered to supply them.

有一天，总编辑想要一组反映大城市里的乞讨生活的报道，我自告奋勇来提供这方面的稿件。

There was the point from which all my adventures started.

这就成了我一生历险的开端。

It was only by trying begging as an amateur that I could get the facts upon which to base my articles.

我只有客串充扮乞丐才能收集到写文章所需的一些基本材料。

When an actor I had, of course, learned all the secrets of making up, and had been famous in the green-room for my skill.

我当过演员，自然学到了一些化装的秘诀，并曾以我的化装技巧而闻名于剧场后台。

I took advantage now of my attainments.

这时我利用了这种本领。

I painted my face, and to make myself as pitiable as possible

我先用油色涂脸，然后为了尽量装成最令人怜悯的样子，

I made a good scar and fixed one side of my lip in a twist by the aid of a small slip of flesh-coloured plaster.

我用一小条肉色的橡皮膏，做出一个惟妙惟肖的伤疤，把嘴唇一边向上扭卷起来。

Then with a red head of hair, and an appropriate dress,

戴上一头红发，配上适当的衣服，

I took my station in the business part of the city, ostensibly as a match-seller but really as a beggar.

就在市商业区选定一个地方，表面上是火柴小贩，实际上是当乞丐。

For seven hours I plied my trade,

我这样干了七个小时，

and when I returned home in the evening I found to my surprise that I had received no less than 26s. 4d.

晚上回到家中，发现我竟得到二十六个先令零四个便士，这使我大吃一惊。