博斯科姆比溪谷秘案 23现场调查(1)

There was no rain, as Holmes had foretold¹, and the morning broke bright and cloudless.

正如福尔摩斯预言的，那天没有下雨，一清早就是晴空万里。

At nine o'clock Lestrade called for us with the carriage, and we set off for Hatherley Farm and the Boscombe Pool.

上午九时，雷斯垂德乘坐马车来邀我们。我们随即动身到哈瑟利农场和博斯科姆比池塘去。

"There is serious news this morning," Lestrade observed.

雷斯垂德说："今天早上有重大新闻。

"It is said that Mr. Turner, of the Hall, is so ill that his life is despaired of."

据说庄园里的特纳先生病势严重，已经危在旦夕。"

"An elderly man, I presume?" said Holmes.

福尔摩斯说："我想他大概是个老头儿吧。"

"About sixty; but his constitution has been shattered by his life abroad, and he has been in failing health for some time.

"六十岁左右，他侨居国外时身体就已经弄垮了，他健康衰退已有年月了。

This business has had a very bad effect upon him.

现在这件事使他深受不良影响。

He was an old friend of McCarthy's, and, I may add, a great benefactor² to him,

他是麦卡锡的老朋友了，而且我还可以补充说一句话，他同时还是麦卡锡的一个大恩人呢，

for I have learned that he gave him Hatherley Farm rent free."

因为我了解到，他把哈瑟利农场租给麦卡锡，连租金都不要。"

"Indeed! That is interesting," said Holmes.

福尔摩斯说："真的！这倒很有趣。"

"Oh, yes! In a hundred other ways he has helped him. Everybody about here speaks of his kindness to him."

"噢，是的！他千方百计地帮助他，这一带的人无不称道他对他的仁慈友爱。"

"Really! Does it not strike you as a little singular that this McCarthy,

"真的是这样？你们对这一切不感到有点奇怪吗，这个麦卡锡

who appears to have had little of his own, and to have been under such obligations to Turner,

看来本来是一无所有的，他受了特纳那么多的恩惠，

should still talk of marrying his son to Turner's daughter, who is, presumably, heiress to the estate,

竟然还说要他的儿子和特纳的女儿结婚，而且这个女儿可想而知是全部产业的继承人，

and that in such a very cocksure manner, as if it were merely a case of a proposal and all else would follow?

而且采取的态度又是如此的骄横，好像这不过是一项计划，只要一提出来，所有其他的人都必须遵循似的。

It is the more strange, since we know that Turner himself was averse³ to the idea.

尤其是，我们知道特纳本人是反对这门亲事的，那不是更奇怪了吗？

The daughter told us as much. Do you not deduce something from that?"

这些都是特纳的女儿亲口告诉我们的。你没有从这些情况中推断出点什么来吗？"

1 foretold   

v.预言，预示( foretell的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• She foretold that the man would die soon. 她预言那人快要死了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Must lose one joy, by his life's star foretold. 这样注定：他，为了信守一个盟誓／就非得拿牺牲一个喜悦作代价。 来自英汉 - 翻译样例 - 文学

2 benefactor   

n. 恩人，行善的人，捐助人

参考例句：

• The chieftain of that country is disguised as a benefactor this time. 那个国家的首领这一次伪装出一副施恩者的姿态。
• The first thing I did, was to recompense my original benefactor, my good old captain. 我所做的第一件事, 就是报答我那最初的恩人, 那位好心的老船长。

3 averse   

adj.厌恶的；反对的，不乐意的

参考例句：

• I don't smoke cigarettes,but I'm not averse to the occasional cigar.我不吸烟，但我不反对偶尔抽一支雪茄。
• We are averse to such noisy surroundings.我们不喜欢这么吵闹的环境。