四签名 49贝克街的侦探小队（2）

He was approaching the door of the house, when it opened,

他向那个屋门走过去，

and a little curly-headed lad of six came running out,

恰巧从里面跑出一个卷发的小男孩，约摸六岁光景。

followed by a stoutish¹, red-faced woman with a large sponge in her hand.

后面追上来一个肥胖红脸的妇人，手里拿着一块海绵。

"You come back and be washed, Jack²," she shouted.

她喊道：“杰克，回来洗澡！

"Come back, you young imp³; for if your father comes home and finds you like that he'll let us hear of it."

快回来，你这小鬼！你爸爸回来看见你这个样子，轻饶不了你！"

"Dear little chap!" said Holmes strategically. "What a rosy-cheeked young rascal⁴!

福尔摩斯乘着这个机会说道：“小朋友！你的小脸红通通的，真是个好孩子！

Now, Jack, is there anything you would like?"

杰克，你要什么东西吗？"

The youth pondered for a moment. "I'd like a shillin'," said he.

小孩想了一下，说道：“我要一个先令。"

"Nothing you would like better?"

"你不想要比一个先令更好的吗？"

"I'd like two shillin' better," the prodigy⁵ answered after some thought.

那天真的小孩想了想，又说道：“最好给我两个先令。"

"Here you are, then! Catch! A fine child, Mrs. Smith!"

"那么，好吧，接住了！斯密司太太，他真是个好孩子。"

"Lor' bless you, sir, he is that, and forward.

"先生，他就是这样的淘气，

He gets a'most too much for me to manage, specially⁶ when my man is away days at a time."

我老伴有时整天出去，我简直管不住他。"

"Away, is he?" said Holmes in a disappointed voice.

福尔摩斯装作失望，问道：“啊，他出去了？

"I am sorry for that, for I wanted to speak to Mr. Smith."

太不凑巧啦！我来找斯密司先生有事。"

"He's been away since yesterday mornin', sir,

"先生，他从昨天早晨就出去了。

and, truth to tell, I am beginnin' to feel frightened about him.

说实话，他到现在还没有回来，我真有点着急。

But if it was about a boat, sir, maybe I could serve as well."

可是，先生，您如果要租船，也可以和我谈。"

"I wanted to hire his steam launch."

"我要租他的汽船。"

"Why, bless you, sir, it is in the steam launch that he has gone.

"先生呀，他就是坐那汽船走的。

That's what puzzles me; for I know there ain't more coals in her than would take her to about Woolwich and back.

可怪的是我知道船上的煤不够到伍尔维破来回烧的。

If he's been away in the barge⁷ I'd ha' thought nothin';

他若是坐大片底船去，我就不会这样着急了，

for many a time a job has taken him as far as Gravesend,

因为有时他还要到更远的葛雷夫赞德去呢。

and then if there was much doin' there he might ha' stayed over.

再说他如果有事，可能有些耽搁，

But what good is a steam launch without coals?"

可是汽船没有煤烧怎么走呢？"

"He might have bought some at a wharf⁸ down the river."

"或者他可以在中途买些煤。"

"He might, sir, but it weren't his way.

"也说不定，可是他从来不这样做的，

Many a time I've heard him call out at the prices they charge for a few odd bags.

他常常说零袋煤价太贵。

Besides, I don't like that wooden-legged man,

再说我不喜欢那装木腿的人，

wi' his ugly face and outlandish talk.

他那张丑脸和外国派头。

What did he want always knockin' about here for?"

他常跑到这儿来，也不知道他有什么事。"

1 stoutish   

略胖的

参考例句：

• There was a knock on the door and a large stoutish man stepped in. 门上敲了一下，一个身材魁梧、略为发胖的男人走了进来。

2 jack   

n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克

参考例句：

• I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。
• He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。

3 imp   

n.顽童

参考例句：

• What a little imp you are!你这个淘气包！
• There's a little imp always running with him.他总有一个小鬼跟着。

4 rascal   

n.流氓；不诚实的人

参考例句：

• If he had done otherwise,I should have thought him a rascal.如果他不这样做，我就认为他是个恶棍。
• The rascal was frightened into holding his tongue.这坏蛋吓得不敢往下说了。

5 prodigy   

n.惊人的事物，奇迹，神童，天才，预兆

参考例句：

• She was a child prodigy on the violin.她是神童小提琴手。
• He was always a Negro prodigy who played barbarously and wonderfully.他始终是一个黑人的奇才，这种奇才弹奏起来粗野而惊人。

6 specially   

adv.特定地；特殊地；明确地

参考例句：

• They are specially packaged so that they stack easily.它们经过特别包装以便于堆放。
• The machine was designed specially for demolishing old buildings.这种机器是专为拆毁旧楼房而设计的。

7 barge   

n.平底载货船，驳船

参考例句：

• The barge was loaded up with coal.那艘驳船装上了煤。
• Carrying goods by train costs nearly three times more than carrying them by barge.通过铁路运货的成本比驳船运货成本高出近3倍。

8 wharf   

n.码头，停泊处

参考例句：

• We fetch up at the wharf exactly on time.我们准时到达码头。
• We reached the wharf gasping for breath.我们气喘吁吁地抵达了码头。