巴斯克维尔的猎犬 华生医生的第一份报告（6）（在线收听）

　　One other neighbour I have met since I wrote last. This is Mr. Frankland, of Lafter Hall, wholives some four miles to the south of us. He is an elderly man, red-faced, white-haired, andcholeric. His passion is for the British law, and he has spent a large fortune in litigation. He fightsfor the mere pleasure of fighting and is equally ready to take up either side of a question, so that itis no wonder that he has found it a costly amusement. Sometimes he will shut up a right of wayand defy the parish to make him open it. At others he will with his own hands tear down someother man's gate and declare that a path has existed there from time immemorial, defying theowner to prosecute him for trespass. He is learned in old manorial and communal rights, and heapplies his knowledge sometimes in favour of the villagers of Fernworthy and sometimes againstthem, so that he is periodically either carried in triumph down the village street or else burned ineffigy, according to his latest exploit. He is said to have about seven lawsuits upon his hands atpresent, which will probably swallow up the remainder of his fortune and so draw his sting andleave him harmless for the future. Apart from the law he seems a kindly, good-natured person, andI only mention him because you were particular that I should send some description of the peoplewho surround us. He is curiously employed at present, for, being an amateur astronomer, he has anexcellent telescope, with which he lies upon the roof of his own house and sweeps the moor allday in the hope of catching a glimpse of the escaped convict. If he would confine his energies tothis all would be well, but there are rumours that he intends to prosecute Dr. Mortimer for openinga grave without the consent of the next of kin because he dug up the neolithic skull in the barrowon Long Down. He helps to keep our lives from being monotonous and gives a little comic reliefwhere it is badly needed.

　　从上次给你写信以后， 我又遇到了另一个邻人， 就是赖福特庄园的弗兰克兰先生， 他住在我们南面约四英里远的地方。 他是一位长者， 面色红润， 头发银白， 性情暴躁。 他对英国的法律有着癖好， 并为诉讼而花掉了大量的财产。 他所以与人争讼， 不过是为了 获得争讼的快感， 至于说站在问题的哪一面， 则全都一样， 无怪乎他要感到这真是个费钱的玩艺儿呢。

　　有时他竟隔断一条路并公然反抗教区让他开放的命令； 有时竟又亲手拆毁别人的大门， 并声言很久很久以前这里早是一条通路， 反驳原主对他提出的侵害诉讼。 他精通旧采邑权法和公共权法， 他有时利用他的知识维护弗恩沃西村居民的利益， 但有时又用来反对他们。 因此，根据他所做的事， 他就时而被人胜利地抬起来走过村中的大街， 时而被人做成草人烧掉。 据说目前他手中还有七宗未了的讼案， 说不定这些讼案就会吞光他仅余的财产呢。 到那时候，他就会象一只被拔掉毒刺的黄蜂那样再也不能为害于人了 。 如果把法律问题放开不谈， 他倒象是个和蔼可亲的人。 我不过只是提一提他而已， 因为你特意嘱咐过我， 应该寄给你一些对周围人们情况的描述。 他现在正在莫名其妙地忙着， 他是个业余天文学家， 有一架绝佳的望远镜， 他就一天到晚地伏在自己的屋顶上， 用它向沼地上了望， 希望能发现那个逃犯。 如果他能把精力都花费在这件事上， 那么一切也就都能太平无事了， 可是据谣传， 他现在正想以未得死者近亲的同意而私掘坟墓的罪名控靠摩梯末医生。因为摩梯末从长岗地方的古墓里掘出了一具新石器时代人的颅骨。 这位弗兰克兰先生确实有助于打破我们生活的单调， 并在迫切需要的时候使我们得到一些娱人心怀的小趣味。