福爾摩斯探案集·血字的研究 第10期:演繹法(5)

“From a drop of water,” said the writer,

作者說："一個邏輯學(xué)家不需親眼見到或者聽說過大西洋或尼加拉契布，

“a logician could infer the possibility of an Atlantic or a Niagara without having seen or heard of one or the other.

他能從一滴水上推測出它有可能存在，

So all life is a great chain, the nature of which is known whenever we are shown a single link of it.

所以整個生活就是一條巨大的鏈條，只要見到其中的一環(huán)，整個鏈條的情況就可推想出來了。

Like all other arts, the Science of Deduction and Analysis is one which can only be acquired by long and patient study,

推斷和分析的科學(xué)也象其他技藝一樣，只有經(jīng)過長期和耐心的鉆研才能掌握；

nor is life long enough to allow any mortal to attain the highest possible perfection in it.

人們雖然盡其畢生精力，也未必能夠達(dá)到登峰造極的地步。

Before turning to those moral and mental aspects of the matter which present the greatest difficulties,

初學(xué)的人，在著手研究極其困難的有關(guān)事物的精神和心理方面的問題以前，

let the inquirer begin by mastering more elementary problems.

不妨先從掌握較淺顯的問題入手。

Let him, on meeting a fellow-mortal, learn at a glance to distinguish the history of the man, and the trade or profession to which he belongs.

比如遇到了一個人，一瞥之間就要辨識出這人的歷史和職業(yè)。

Puerile as such an exercise may seem, it sharpens the faculties of observation,

這樣的鍛煉，看起來好象幼稚無聊，但是，它卻能夠使一個人的觀察能力變得敏銳起來，

and teaches one where to look and what to look for.

并且教導(dǎo)人們：應(yīng)該從哪里觀察，應(yīng)該觀察些什么。

By a man’s finger-nails, by his coat-sleeve, by his boots, by his trouser-knees,

一個人的手指甲、衣袖、靴子和褲子的膝蓋部分，

by the callosities of his forefinger and thumb, by his expression, by his shirt-cuffs

大拇指與食指之間的繭子、表情、襯衣袖口等等，

by each of these things a man’s calling is plainly revealed.

不論從以上所說的哪一點，都能明白地顯露出他的職業(yè)來。

That all united should fail to enlighten the competent inquirer in any case is almost inconceivable.”

如果把這些情形聯(lián)系起來，還不能使案件的調(diào)查人恍然領(lǐng)悟，那幾乎是難以想象的事了。"

“What ineffable twaddle!” I cried, slapping the magazine down on the table;

我讀到這里，不禁把雜志往桌上一丟，大聲說道："真是廢話連篇！

“I never read such rubbish in my life.”

我一輩子也沒有見過這樣無聊的文章。"

“What is it?” asked Sherlock Holmes.

"哪篇文章？"福爾摩斯問道。

“Why, this article,” I said, pointing at it with my eggspoon as I sat down to my breakfast.

"唔，就是這篇文章。"我一面坐下來吃早餐，一面用小匙子指著那篇文章說，

“I see that you have read it since you have marked it. I don’t deny that it is smartly written.

"我想你已經(jīng)讀過了，因為你在下邊還畫有鉛筆道。我并不否認(rèn)這篇文章寫得很漂亮，

It irritates me, though.

但是我讀了之后，還是不免要生氣。

It is evidently the theory of some armchair lounger who evolves all these neat little paradoxes in the seclusion of his own study.

顯然，這是哪一位飽食終日、無所事事的懶漢，坐在他的書房里閉門造車地空想出來的一套似是而非的妙論。

It is not practical. I should like to see him clapped down in a third-class carriage on the Underground,

一點也不切合實際。我倒愿意試一試把他關(guān)進(jìn)地下火車的三等車廂里，

and asked to give the trades of all his fellow-travellers.

叫他把同車人的職業(yè)一個個都說出來。

I would lay a thousand to one against him.”

我愿跟他打個賭，一千對一的賭注都行。"

“You would lose your money,” Holmes remarked calmly.

"那你就輸了，"福爾摩斯安詳?shù)卣f，

“As for the article, I wrote it myself.”

"那篇是我寫的。"

“You!”

"是你！"

“Yes; I have a turn both for observation and for deduction.

"對啦，我在觀察和推理兩方面都具有特殊的才能。

The theories which I have expressed there, and which appear to you to be so chimerical,

我在這篇文章里所提出的那些理論，在你看來真是荒謬絕倫，

are really extremely practical–so practical that I depend upon them for my bread and cheese.”

其實它卻非常實際，實際到這樣程度，甚至我就是靠著它掙得我這份干酪和面包的。"

“And how?” I asked involuntarily.

"你怎樣靠它生活呢？"我不禁問道。

“Well, I have a trade of my own. I suppose I am the only one in the world.

"啊，我有我自己的職業(yè)。我想全世界上干這行職業(yè)的人恐怕只有我一個。

I’m a consulting detective, if you can understand what that is.

我是一個'咨詢偵探' ，也許你能夠理解這是一個什么行業(yè)吧。

Here in London we have lots of government detectives and lots of private ones.

在這倫敦城中，有許多官方偵探和私人偵探。

When these fellows are at fault, they come to me, and I manage to put them on the right scent.

這些人遇到困難的時候就來找我，我就設(shè)法把他們引入正軌。

They lay all the evidence before me, and I am generally able, by the help of my knowledge of the history of crime, to set them straight.

他們把所有的證據(jù)提供給我，一般說來我都能憑著我對犯罪史的知識，把他們的錯誤糾正過來。

There is a strong family resemblance about misdeeds,

犯罪行為都有它非常類似的地方，

and if you have all the details of a thousand at your finger ends,

如果你對一千個案子的詳情細(xì)節(jié)都能了如指掌，

it is odd if you can’t unravel the thousand and first.

而對第一千零一件案子竟不能解釋的話，那才是怪事哩。

Lestrade is a well-known detective.

雷斯垂德是一位著名的偵探。

He got himself into a fog recently over a forgery case, and that was what brought him here.”

最近他在一樁偽造案里墜入五里霧中，所以他才來找我。"