红发会 31万事俱备(4)

I placed my revolver, cocked, upon the top of the wooden case behind which I crouched¹.

我把推上了子弹的左轮手枪放在我蹲在后面的那个木箱上面。

Holmes shot the slide across the front of his lantern and left us in pitch darkness

福尔摩斯飞快地把提灯的滑板拉到灯的面前，这样我们就陷于一片漆黑之中

such an absolute darkness as I have never before experienced.

我以前从来没有在这么一团漆黑的地方呆过。

The smell of hot metal remained to assure us that the light was still there, ready to flash out at a moment's notice.

烤热了的金属的气味使我们确信，灯还是亮着的，一得到信号就可以闪出亮光来。

To me, with my nerves worked up to a pitch of expectancy²,

我当时静候着，神经紧张，

there was something depressing and subduing³ in the sudden gloom, and in the cold dank air of the vault⁴.

在那阴湿寒冷的地下室，在那突然的黑暗里，令人有压抑和沮丧之感。

"They have but one retreat," whispered Holmes. "That is back through the house into Saxe-Coburg Square.

福尔摩斯低声说："他们只有一条退路，那就是退到屋子里去，然后再退到萨克斯—科伯格广场去。

I hope that you have done what I asked you, Jones?"

琼斯，我想你已经照我的要求去办了吧？"

"I have an inspector⁵ and two officers waiting at the front door."

"我已派了一个巡官和两个警官守候在前门那里。"

"Then we have stopped all the holes. And now we must be silent and wait."

"那么我们把所有漏洞都堵死了，现在我们必须静静地等在这里。"

What a time it seemed! From comparing notes afterwards it was but an hour and a quarter,

时间过得真慢！事后我们对了一下表，一共等了一小时十五分钟，

yet it appeared to me that the night must have almost gone, and the dawn be breaking above us.

但是我仿佛觉得是通宵达旦，整整一夜，似乎曙光就要来临。

My limbs were weary and stiff, for I feared to change my position;

因为我不敢变换位置，所以累得手脚发麻。

yet my nerves were worked up to the highest pitch of tension,

我神经紧张到了极点，

and my hearing was so acute that I could not only hear the gentle breathing of my companions,

但听觉却十分敏锐，不但能听见同伙们轻轻的呼吸，

but I could distinguish the deeper, heavier in-breath of the bulky Jones from the thin, sighing note of the bank director.

而且连那大块头琼斯又深又粗的吸气和那银行董事很轻的叹息我都能分辨出来。

From my position I could look over the case in the direction of the floor.

从我面前的箱子上望过去，可以看到石板地那个方向。

1 crouched   

v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He crouched down beside her. 他在她的旁边蹲了下来。
• The lion crouched ready to pounce. 狮子蹲下身，准备猛扑。

2 expectancy   

n.期望，预期，（根据概率统计求得）预期数额

参考例句：

• Japanese people have a very high life expectancy.日本人的平均寿命非常长。
• The atomosphere of tense expectancy sobered everyone.这种期望的紧张气氛使每个人变得严肃起来。

3 subduing   

征服( subdue的现在分词 )； 克制； 制服； 色变暗

参考例句：

• They are the probation subduing the heart to human joys. 它们不过是抑制情欲的一种考验。
• Some believe that: is spiritual, mysterious and a very subduing colour. 有的认为：是精神，神秘色彩十分慑。

4 vault   

n.拱形圆顶，地窖，地下室

参考例句：

• The vault of this cathedral is very high.这座天主教堂的拱顶非常高。
• The old patrician was buried in the family vault.这位老贵族埋在家族的墓地里。

5 inspector   

n.检查员，监察员，视察员

参考例句：

• The inspector was interested in everything pertaining to the school.视察员对有关学校的一切都感兴趣。
• The inspector was shining a flashlight onto the tickets.查票员打着手电筒查看车票。