巴斯克维尔的猎犬 华生医生的第一份报告（4）（在线收听）

　　He came over to call upon Baskerville on that first day, and the very next morning he took usboth to show us the spot where the legend of the wicked Hugo is supposed to have had its origin.

　　It was an excursion of some miles across the moor to a place which is so dismal that it might havesuggested the story. We found a short valley between rugged tors which led to an open, grassyspace flecked over with the white cotton grass. In the middle of it rose two great stones, worn andsharpened at the upper end until they looked like the huge corroding fangs of some monstrousbeast. In every way it corresponded with the scene of the old tragedy. Sir Henry was muchinterested and asked Stapleton more than once whether he did really believe in the possibility ofthe interference of the supernatural in the affairs of men. He spoke lightly, but it was evident thathe was very much in earnest. Stapleton was guarded in his replies, but it was easy to see that hesaid less than he might, and that he would not express his whole opinion out of consideration forthe feelings of the baronet. He told us of similar cases, where families had suffered from some evilinfluence, and he left us with the impression that he shared the popular view upon the matter.

　　第一天他就来拜访了 巴斯克维尔， 第二天早晨， 他又带领着我们两人去看据说是关于放荡的修果的那段传说的出事地点。 在沼地里走了好几英里才到， 那个地方十分荒凉凄惨， 很可能使人触景生情， 编出那个故事来。 我们在两座乱石岗中间发现了一段短短的山沟， 顺着这条山沟走过去， 就到了 一片开阔而多草的空地， 到处都长着白棉草。 空地中央矗着两块大石， 顶端已被风化得成了 尖形， 很象是什么庞大的野兽的被磨损了的獠牙。 这个景象确实和传说中的那旧时悲剧的情景相符。 亨利爵士很感兴趣， 并且不止一次地问过斯台普吞， 是否真的相信妖魔鬼怪可能会干预人类的事。 他说话的时候， 表面似乎漫不经心， 可是显而易见，他内心里是非常认真的。 斯台普吞回答得非常小心， 很容易看得出来他是要尽量少说， 似乎是考虑到对准男爵情绪的影响， 他不愿把自己的意见全部表白出来。 他和我们说了一些类似的事情， 说有些家庭也曾遭受过恶魔的骚扰， 所以他使我们感觉到他对这件事的看法也和一般人一样。

　　On our way back we stayed for lunch at Merripit House, and it was there that Sir Henry madethe acquaintance of Miss Stapleton. From the first moment that he saw her he appeared to bestrongly attracted by her, and I am much mistaken if the feeling was not mutual. He referred to heragain and again on our walk home, and since then hardly a day has passed that we have not seensomething of the brother and sister. They dine here to-night, and there is some talk of our going tothem next week. One would imagine that such a match would be very welcome to Stapleton, andyet I have more than once caught a look of the strongest disapprobation in his face when Sir Henryhas been paying some attention to his sister. He is much attached to her, no doubt, and would leada lonely life without her, but it would seem the height of selfishness if he were to stand in the wayof her making so brilliant a marriage. Yet I am certain that he does not wish their intimacy to ripeninto love, and I have several times observed that he has taken pains to prevent them from beingtete-a-tete. By the way, your instructions to me never to allow Sir Henry to go out alone willbecome very much more onerous if a love affair were to be added to our other difficulties. Mypopularity would soon suffer if I were to carry out your orders to the letter.

　　在归途中， 我们在梅利琵吃了午饭， 亨利爵士和斯台普吞小姐就是在那里结识的。 他一见她似乎就被强烈地吸引住了， 而且我敢说， 这种爱慕之情还是出自双方的。 在我们回家的路上， 他还一再地提到她。 从那天起， 我们几乎每天都和他们兄妹见面。 今晚他们在这里吃饭时就曾谈到我们下礼拜到他们那里去的问题。人们一定会认为， 这样的一对如果结合起来，斯台普吞一定会欢迎的， 可是我不止一次地看到过， 每当亨利爵士对他妹妹稍加注视的时候，斯台普吞的脸上就露出极为强烈的反感。 他无疑地是非常喜欢她的， 没有了她， 他的生活就会非常寂寞， 可是如果他竟因此而阻碍她这样美好的婚姻， 那未免也太过于自私了。 我敢肯定地说， 他并不希望他们的亲密感情发展成为爱情， 而且我还多次发现过， 他曾想尽方法避免使他俩有独处密谈的机会。 嗯， 你曾指示过我， 永远不许亨利爵士单独出去， 可是在我们的其他种种困难之外再加上爱情的问题， 这可就难办得多了。 如果我当真坚决彻底地执行你的命令的话， 那我就可能会变成不受欢迎的人了 。