血字的研究 28广告引来了不速之客(4)

I glanced at my companion,

我看了我的伙伴一眼，

and his face had assumed such a disconsolate¹ expression that it was all I could do to keep my countenance².

只见他显得怏怏不乐，我也只好装出一副泰然自若的神气来。

The old crone drew out an evening paper, and pointed³ at our advertisement.

这个老太婆掏出一张晚报，用手指着我们登的那个广告说：

"It's this as has brought me, good gentlemen," she said, dropping another curtsey;

"我是为这件事来的，先生们，"说着，她又深深施了一礼，

"a gold wedding ring in the Brixton Road.

"广告上说，在布瑞克斯顿路拾得一个结婚金戒指。

It belongs to my girl Sally, as was married only this time twelvemonth,

这是我女儿赛莉的，她是去年这个时候才结的婚，

which her husband is steward⁴ aboard a Union boat,

她的丈夫在一只英国船上当会计。

and what he'd say if he comes 'ome and found her without her ring is more than I can think of,

如果他回来时，发现她的戒指没有了，谁会知道他要怎么样呢。我简直不敢想。

he being short enough at the best o' times,

他这个人品常就性子急，

but more especially when he has the drink.

喝了点酒以后，就更加暴躁了。

If it please you, she went to the circus last night along with– –"

对不起，是这么回事，昨天晚上她去看马戏，是和——"

"Is that her ring?" I asked.

"这是她的戒指吗？"我问道。

"The Lord be thanked!" cried the old woman;

老太婆叫了起来："谢天谢地！

"Sally will be a glad woman this night. That's the ring."

赛莉今天晚上可要开心死了。这正是她丢的那个戒指。"

"And what may your address be?" I inquired, taking up a pencil.

我拿起一支铅笔问道："您住在哪儿？"

"13, Duncan Street, Houndsditch. A weary way from here."

"宏兹迪池区，邓肯街13号。离这儿老远呢。"

"The Brixton Road does not lie between any circus and Houndsditch," said Sherlock Holmes sharply.

福尔摩斯突然说："布瑞克斯顿路并不在宏兹迪池区和什么马戏团之间呀。"

The old woman faced round and looked keenly at him from her little red-rimmed eyes.

老太婆转过脸去，一双小红眼锐利地瞧了福尔摩斯一下，

"The gentleman asked me for my address," she said.

她说："那位先生刚才是问我的住址。

"Sally lives in lodgings⁵ at 3, Mayfield Place, Peckham."

赛莉住在培克罕区，梅菲尔德公寓3号。"

"And your name is– –?"

"贵姓是--？"

"My name is Sawyer–hers is Dennis,

"我姓索叶，我的女儿姓丹尼斯，

which Tom Dennis married her–and a smart, clean lad, too, as long as he's at sea,

他的丈夫叫汤姆·丹尼斯。他在船上真是一个又漂亮又正直的小伙子，

and no steward in the company more thought of;

是公司里提得起来的会计；

but when on shore, what with the women and what with liquor shops– –"

可是一上岸，又玩女人，又喝酒——"

"Here is your ring, Mrs. Sawyer," I interrupted, in obedience⁶ to a sign from my companion;

"这是你的戒指，索叶太太，"我遵照着我伙伴的暗示打断了她的话头说，

"it clearly belongs to your daughter, and I am glad to be able to restore it to the rightful owner."

"这个戒指显然是你女儿的。我很高兴，现在物归原主了。"

With many mumbled⁷ blessings⁸ and protestations of gratitude⁹ the old crone packed it away in her pocket,

这个老太婆嘟嘟囔囔地说了千恩万谢的话以后，把戒指包好，放入衣袋，

and shuffled¹⁰ off down the stairs.

然后拖拖拉拉地走下楼去。

Sherlock Holmes sprang to his feet the moment that she was gone and rushed into his room.

她刚出房门，福尔摩斯立刻站起，跑进他的屋中去。

He returned in a few seconds enveloped¹¹ in an ulster and a cravat¹².

几秒钟以后，他走了出来，已然穿上大衣，系好围巾。

"I'll follow her," he said, hurriedly;

福尔摩斯匆忙中说："我要跟着她。

"she must be an accomplice¹³, and will lead me to him. Wait up for me."

她一定是个同党，她会把我带到凶犯那里去。别睡，等着我。"

The hall door had hardly slammed behind our visitor before Holmes had descended¹⁴ the stair.

客人出去时大门刚刚砰地一声关好，福尔摩斯就下了楼。

Looking through the window I could see her walking feebly along the other side,

我从窗子向外看去，只见那个老太婆有气无力地在马路那边走着，

while her pursuer dogged her some little distance behind.

福尔摩斯在她的后边不远处尾随着。

"Either his whole theory is incorrect," I thought to myself,

这时，我心里想：福尔摩斯的全部看法假如不错的话，

"or else he will be led now to the heart of the mystery."

他现在就要直捣虎穴了。

There was no need for him to ask me to wait up for him,

他用不着告诉我等着他，

for I felt that sleep was impossible until I heard the result of his adventure.

因为在我没有听到他冒险的结果以前，要想睡觉是绝不可能的事。

It was close upon nine when he set out.

福尔摩斯出门的时候将近九点钟。

I had no idea how long he might be,

我不知道他要去多久，

but I sat stolidly¹⁵ puffing¹⁶ at my pipe and skipping over the pages of Henri Murger's Vie de Boheme.

只好呆坐在房里抽着烟斗，翻阅一本昂利·穆尔杰的《波亥米传》。

Ten o'clock passed, and I heard the footsteps of the maid as she pattered off to bed.

十点过后，我听见女佣人回房睡觉去的脚步声。

Eleven, and the more stately tread of the landlady¹⁷ passed my door, bound for the same destination.

十一点钟，房东太太的沉重脚步声从房门前走过，她也是回房去睡觉的

1 disconsolate   

adj.忧郁的，不快的

参考例句：

• He looked so disconsolate that It'scared her.他看上去情绪很坏，吓了她一跳。
• At the dress rehearsal she was disconsolate.彩排时她闷闷不乐。

2 countenance   

n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同

参考例句：

• At the sight of this photograph he changed his countenance.他一看见这张照片脸色就变了。
• I made a fierce countenance as if I would eat him alive.我脸色恶狠狠地，仿佛要把他活生生地吞下去。

3 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

4 steward   

n.乘务员，服务员；看管人；膳食管理员

参考例句：

• He's the steward of the club.他是这家俱乐部的管理员。
• He went around the world as a ship's steward.他当客船服务员，到过世界各地。

5 lodgings   

n. 出租的房舍, 寄宿舍

参考例句：

• When he reached his lodgings the sun had set. 他到达公寓房间时，太阳已下山了。
• I'm on the hunt for lodgings. 我正在寻找住所。

6 obedience   

n.服从，顺从

参考例句：

• Society has a right to expect obedience of the law.社会有权要求人人遵守法律。
• Soldiers act in obedience to the orders of their superior officers.士兵们遵照上级军官的命令行动。

7 mumbled   

含糊地说某事，叽咕，咕哝( mumble的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He mumbled something to me which I did not quite catch. 他对我叽咕了几句话，可我没太听清楚。
• George mumbled incoherently to himself. 乔治语无伦次地喃喃自语。

8 blessings   

n.（上帝的）祝福( blessing的名词复数 )；好事；福分；因祸得福

参考例句：

• Afflictions are sometimes blessings in disguise. 塞翁失马，焉知非福。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• We don't rely on blessings from Heaven. 我们不靠老天保佑。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

9 gratitude   

adj.感激，感谢

参考例句：

• I have expressed the depth of my gratitude to him.我向他表示了深切的谢意。
• She could not help her tears of gratitude rolling down her face.她感激的泪珠禁不住沿着面颊流了下来。

10 shuffled   

v.洗（纸牌）( shuffle的过去式和过去分词 )；拖着脚步走；粗心地做；摆脱尘世的烦恼

参考例句：

• He shuffled across the room to the window. 他拖着脚走到房间那头的窗户跟前。
• Simon shuffled awkwardly towards them. 西蒙笨拙地拖着脚朝他们走去。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 enveloped   

v.包围，笼罩，包住( envelop的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• She was enveloped in a huge white towel. 她裹在一条白色大毛巾里。
• Smoke from the burning house enveloped the whole street. 燃烧着的房子冒出的浓烟笼罩了整条街。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 cravat   

n.领巾，领结；v.使穿有领结的服装，使结领结

参考例句：

• You're never fully dressed without a cravat.不打领结，就不算正装。
• Mr. Kenge adjusting his cravat,then looked at us.肯吉先生整了整领带，然后又望着我们。

13 accomplice   

n.从犯，帮凶，同谋

参考例句：

• She was her husband's accomplice in murdering a rich old man.她是她丈夫谋杀一个老富翁的帮凶。
• He is suspected as an accomplice of the murder.他涉嫌为这次凶杀案的同谋。

14 descended   

a.为...后裔的，出身于...的

参考例句：

• A mood of melancholy descended on us. 一种悲伤的情绪袭上我们的心头。
• The path descended the hill in a series of zigzags. 小路呈连续的之字形顺着山坡蜿蜒而下。

15 stolidly   

adv.迟钝地，神经麻木地

参考例句：

• Too often people sat stolidly watching the noisy little fiddler. 人们往往不动声色地坐在那里，瞧着这位瘦小的提琴手闹腾一番。 来自辞典例句
• He dropped into a chair and sat looking stolidly at the floor. 他坐在椅子上，两眼呆呆地望着地板。 来自辞典例句

16 puffing   

v.使喷出( puff的现在分词 )；喷着汽（或烟）移动；吹嘘；吹捧

参考例句：

• He was puffing hard when he jumped on to the bus. 他跳上公共汽车时喘息不已。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• My father sat puffing contentedly on his pipe. 父亲坐着心满意足地抽着烟斗。 来自《简明英汉词典》

17 landlady   

n.女房东，女地主

参考例句：

• I heard my landlady creeping stealthily up to my door.我听到我的女房东偷偷地来到我的门前。
• The landlady came over to serve me.女店主过来接待我。