工程师大拇指案 18被砍掉的大拇指(4)（在线收听）

I glanced at the books upon the table, and in spite of my ignorance of German

我瞧着桌子上的书，尽管我不懂德文，

I could see that two of them were treatises on science, the others being volumes of poetry.

我还是看出其中有两本是科学论文，其它是诗集。

Then I walked across to the window, hoping that I might catch some glimpse of the country-side,

我随后走到窗口，希望能看一看乡间的景色，

but an oak shutter, heavily barred, was folded across it.

但是一扇关闭得很严的栎木百叶窗遮住了窗子。

It was a wonderfully silent house.

房间里寂静的出奇。

There was an old clock ticking loudly somewhere in the passage, but otherwise everything was deadly still.

一座旧钟在走廊里不知什么地方滴嗒滴嗒地响着，除此之外，一切都是死一般的沉寂。

A vague feeling of uneasiness began to steal over me.

一阵模模糊糊的不安的感觉渐渐支配了我。

Who were these German people, and what were they doing living in this strange, out-of-the-way place?

这些德国人是些什么人，他们卜居在这穷乡僻壤干些什么勾当？

And where was the place?

这个地方又是在哪儿？

I was ten miles or so from Eyford, that was all I knew, but whether north, south, east, or west I had no idea.

我只知道这里距离艾津十英里左右，但是连东西南北，都分不清楚。

For that matter, Reading, and possibly other large towns, were within that radius,

就这个地方的位置来说，雷丁可能还有其它一些大镇子的位置都是在这个半径范围之内，

so the place might not be so secluded, after all.

所以这个地方可能并不那么偏僻。

Yet it was quite certain, from the absolute stillness, that we were in the country.

然而，这里是那么寂静，可以十分肯定我们是在乡间。

I paced up and down the room, humming a tune under my breath to keep up my spirits

我在房间里踱来踱去，低声地哼着小调来壮胆，

and feeling that I was thoroughly earning my fifty-guinea fee.

并感觉到我完全是为了挣那五十畿尼的酬金来的。