歪唇男人 38揭开迷雾(11)

"I do not know that there is anything else for me to explain.

"我不知道是不是还有些什么别的需要我解释的地方。

I was determined¹ to preserve my disguise as long as possible, and hence my preference for a dirty face.

我当时下定决心长期保持我那化装的样子，所以我宁愿脸上脏一点也没关系。

Knowing that my wife would be terribly anxious,

我晓得我的老婆一定焦急万分，

I slipped off my ring and confided² it to the lascar at a moment when no constable³ was watching me,

我就取下戒指，乘警察不在意的时候，托付给那印度阿三，

together with a hurried scrawl⁴, telling her that she had no cause to fear."

还匆匆写了几行字，告诉我的妻子不必害怕。"

"That note only reached her yesterday," said Holmes.

"那封信昨天才寄到她的手里，"福尔摩斯说。

"Good God! What a week she must have spent!"

"我的天！这一个星期可真够她熬的！"

"The police have watched this lascar," said Inspector⁵ Bradstreet,

"警察看住了那个印度阿三，"布雷兹特里特巡官说，

"and I can quite understand that he might find it difficult to post a letter unobserved.

"我很了解：他会觉得要想把信寄出去而不被发现是困难的。

Probably he handed it to some sailor customer of his, who forgot all about it for some days."

大概他把信又转托给某个当海员的顾客，而那家伙又把它一股脑儿地忘了几天。"

"That was it," said Holmes, nodding approvingly; "I have no doubt of it.

"就是这么一回事，"福尔摩斯说，点点头表示同意，"我相信就是这样。

But have you never been prosecuted⁶ for begging?"

可是你从来没有因为行骗而被控告过吗？"

"Many times; but what was a fine to me?"

"有过多次了，但是，一点罚款对我来说又算得了什么呢？"

"It must stop here, however," said Bradstreet.

"不过事情必须到此为止，"布雷兹特里特说，

"If the police are to hush⁷ this thing up, there must be no more of Hugh Boone."

"如果要警察局不声张出去，必须是休·布恩不再存在了。"

"I have sworn it by the most solemn oaths which a man can take."

"我已经最郑重地发过誓了。"

"In that case I think that it is probable that no further steps may be taken.

"要是这样，我想大概也就不会再深究下去了。

But if you are found again, then all must come out.

可是，你如下次再犯，那我们就要全盘托出。

I am sure, Mr. Holmes, that we are very much indebted to you for having cleared the matter up.

福尔摩斯先生，我得说我们非常感谢您帮助我们澄清这个案件！

I wish I knew how you reach your results."

我希望知道您又是怎样得出这个答案来的呢？"

"I reached this one," said my friend, "by sitting upon five pillows and consuming an ounce of shag.

"这个答案，"福尔摩斯说，"是全靠坐在五个枕头上，抽完一盎司板烟丝得来的。

I think, Watson, that if we drive to Baker⁸ Street we shall just be in time for breakfast."

我想，华生，如果我们坐车去贝克街，正好赶上吃早饭。"

1 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

2 confided   

v.吐露（秘密，心事等）( confide的过去式和过去分词 )；（向某人）吐露（隐私、秘密等）

参考例句：

• She confided all her secrets to her best friend. 她向她最要好的朋友倾吐了自己所有的秘密。
• He confided to me that he had spent five years in prison. 他私下向我透露，他蹲过五年监狱。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 constable   

n.(英国)警察，警官

参考例句：

• The constable conducted the suspect to the police station.警官把嫌疑犯带到派出所。
• The constable kept his temper,and would not be provoked.那警察压制着自己的怒气，不肯冒起火来。

4 scrawl   

vt.潦草地书写；n.潦草的笔记，涂写

参考例句：

• His signature was an illegible scrawl.他的签名潦草难以辨认。
• Your beautiful handwriting puts my untidy scrawl to shame.你漂亮的字体把我的潦草字迹比得见不得人。

5 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。

6 prosecuted   

a.被起诉的

参考例句：

• The editors are being prosecuted for obscenity. 编辑因刊载污秽文字而被起诉。
• The company was prosecuted for breaching the Health and Safety Act. 这家公司被控违反《卫生安全条例》。

7 hush   

int.嘘，别出声；n.沉默，静寂；v.使安静

参考例句：

• A hush fell over the onlookers.旁观者们突然静了下来。
• Do hush up the scandal!不要把这丑事声张出去！

8 baker   

n.面包师

参考例句：

• The baker bakes his bread in the bakery.面包师在面包房内烤面包。
• The baker frosted the cake with a mixture of sugar and whites of eggs.面包师在蛋糕上撒了一层白糖和蛋清的混合料。