五个桔核 15神秘来信(9)

"What have you done?" asked Holmes. "Nothing." "Nothing?"

"您采取了什么措施没有？"福尔摩斯问道。"什么也没有。""什么也没有？！"

"To tell the truth" -- he sank his face into his thin, white hands

"说实话，"他低下头去，用消瘦苍白的双手捂着脸，

"I have felt helpless. I have felt like one of those poor rabbits when the snake is writhing¹ towards it.

"我觉得毫无办法。我觉得自己象一只可怜的兔子面临着一条蜿蜒前来的毒蛇。

I seem to be in the grasp of some resistless, inexorable evil, which no foresight² and no precautions can guard against."

我好象陷入一种不可抗拒和残酷无情的恶魔的魔爪之中，而这魔爪是任何预见、任何预防措施都无法防范的。"

"Tut! tut!" cried Sherlock Holmes. "You must act, man, or you are lost.

"嘘！嘘！"福尔摩斯嚷道。"您一定要采取行动啊，先生。否则，您可就完了！

Nothing but energy can save you. This is no time for despair."

现在除了振作精神以外，没有别的什么能够挽救您的了。可没有唉声叹气的闲工夫啊！"

"I have seen the police." "Ah!"

"我去找过警察了。""啊！"

"But they listened to my story with a smile.

"但是他们听我诉说以后，仅仅付之一笑。

I am convinced that the inspector³ has formed the opinion that the letters are all practical jokes,

我相信那巡官已经形成固定的看法，认为那些信纯属恶作剧，

and that the deaths of my relations were really accidents, as the jury stated,

我的两位亲人之死正如验尸官所说的，完全是出于意外，

and were not to be connected with the warnings."

因此不必和那些前兆联系到一起。"

Holmes shook his clenched⁴ hands in the air. "Incredible imbecility!" he cried.

福尔摩斯挥舞着他紧握的双拳，喊着："令人难以置信的愚蠢！"

"They have, however, allowed me a policeman, who may remain in the house with me."

"可是他们答应派一名警察，同我一起留在那房子里。"

"Has he come with you to-night?"

"今晚同您一起出来了没有？"

"No. His orders were to stay in the house." Again Holmes raved⁵ in the air.

"没有。他奉命只呆在房子里。" 福尔摩斯又愤怒得挥舞起拳头来。

1 writhing   

（因极度痛苦而）扭动或翻滚( writhe的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• She was writhing around on the floor in agony. 她痛得在地板上直打滚。
• He was writhing on the ground in agony. 他痛苦地在地上打滚。

2 foresight   

n.先见之明，深谋远虑

参考例句：

• The failure is the result of our lack of foresight.这次失败是由于我们缺乏远虑而造成的。
• It required a statesman's foresight and sagacity to make the decision.作出这个决定需要政治家的远见卓识。

3 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。

4 clenched   

v.紧握，抓紧，咬紧( clench的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He clenched his fists in anger. 他愤怒地攥紧了拳头。
• She clenched her hands in her lap to hide their trembling. 她攥紧双手放在腿上，以掩饰其颤抖。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 raved   

v.胡言乱语( rave的过去式和过去分词 )；愤怒地说；咆哮；痴心地说

参考例句：

• Andrew raved all night in his fever. 安德鲁发烧时整夜地说胡话。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• They raved about her beauty. 他们过分称赞她的美。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》