工程师大拇指案 36一片火海(2)（在线收听）

The road topped a low hill, and there was a great widespread whitewashed building in front of us,

这条路一直通到一座低矮的小山顶上，在我们面前出现了一座高大的白灰粉刷的建筑物，

spouting fire at every chink and window,

每一扇窗，每一道缝都还在向外喷着火舌，

while in the garden in front three fire-engines were vainly striving to keep the flames under.

前面的花园里三辆救火车正徒劳地尽力想把火势压下去。

"That's it!" cried Hatherley, in intense excitement. "There is the graveldrive, and there are the rose-bushes where I lay.

"就是这里！"哈瑟利显得特别激动地喊着，"瞧这沙石路！那边就是我躺过的蔷薇花丛。

That second window is the one that I jumped from."

那第二扇窗就是我跳出来的地方！"

"Well, at least," said Holmes, "you have had your revenge upon them.

"那么，"福尔摩斯说，"起码您已经报了仇了。

There can be no question that it was your oil-lamp which, when it was crushed in the press, set fire to the wooden walls,

毫无疑问，是您的油灯被那台机器压碎的时候烧着了木板墙。

though no doubt they were too excited in the chase after you to observe it at the time.

无疑他们在追赶您的时候太激动了，以至当时没有发觉。

Now keep your eyes open in this crowd for your friends of last night,

您现在睁大眼睛看看，人群里有没有您昨天晚上的那几位朋友？

though I very much fear that they are a good hundred miles off by now."

不过，我恐怕他们目前已经走出足足有一百英里了。"

And Holmes's fears came to be realized,

福尔摩斯的担心果然成为事实，

for from that day to this no word has ever been heard either of the beautiful woman, the sinister German, or the morose Englishman.

从那一天气直到现在，无论是那位漂亮的女人，那个阴险的德国人，还是那乖僻的英国人，再也没有人知道他们的踪迹。

Early that morning a peasant had met a cart containing several people and some very bulky boxes driving rapidly in the direction of Reading,

当天清晨，有一位农民遇到过一辆马车，载着几个人和几只沉重的大箱子，朝着雷丁的方向飞快地驶去，

but there all traces of the fugitives disappeared,

但是这些亡命之徒逃到那里以后就销声匿迹了，

and even Holmes's ingenuity failed ever to discover the least clue as to their whereabouts.

甚至足智多谋的福尔摩斯，也无从发现哪怕只是一点点有关他们去向的线索。