福爾摩斯探案集·血字的研究 第15期:勞瑞斯頓花園街的慘案(3)

Number 3, Lauriston Gardens wore an ill-omened and minatory look.

勞瑞斯頓花園街3號，從外表看來就象是一座兇宅。

It was one of four which stood back some little way from the street, two being occupied and two empty.

這里一連有四幢房子，離街稍遠，兩幢有人居住，兩幢空著，3號就是空著的一處。

The latter looked out with three tiers of vacant melancholy windows, which were blank and dreary,

空房的臨街一面有三排窗子，因為無人居住，景況極為凄涼。

save that here and there a "To Let" card had developed like a cataract upon the bleared panes.

塵封的玻璃上到處貼著"招租"的帖子，好象眼睛上的白翳一樣。

A small garden sprinkled over with a scattered eruption of sickly plants separated each of these houses from the street,

每座房前都有一小塊草木叢生的花園，把這幾所房子和街道隔開。

and was traversed by a narrow pathway, yellowish in colour, and consisting apparently of a mixture of clay and of gravel.

小花園中有一條用黏土和石子鋪成的黃色小徑；

The whole place was very sloppy from the rain which had fallen through the night.

一夜大雨，到處泥濘不堪。

The garden was bounded by a three-foot brick wall with a fringe of wood rails upon the top,

花園圍有矮墻，高約三英尺，墻頭上裝有木柵。

and against this wall was leaning a stalwart police constable,

一個身材高大的警察倚墻站著，

surrounded by a small knot of loafers,

周圍有幾個閑人，

who craned their necks and strained their eyes in the vain hope of catching some glimpse of the proceedings within.

引頸翹首地往里張望著，希望能瞧一眼屋中的情景，但是什么也瞧不見。

I had imagined that Sherlock Holmes would at once have hurried into the house and plunged into a study of the mystery.

我當時猜想，福爾摩斯一定會立刻奔進屋去，馬上動手研究這個神秘的案件。

Nothing appeared to be further from his intention.

可是他似乎并不著急。

With an air of nonchalance which, under the circumstances, seemed to me to border upon affectation,

他顯出一種漫不經(jīng)心的樣子，在目前這種情況下，我認為這未免有點兒裝腔作勢。

he lounged up and down the pavement,

他在人行道上走來走去，

and gazed vacantly at the ground, the sky, the opposite houses and the line of railings.

茫然地注視著地面，一會兒又凝視天空和對面的房子以及墻頭上的木柵。

Having finished his scrutiny, he proceeded slowly down the path,

他這樣仔細地察看以后，就慢慢地走上小徑，

or rather down the fringe of grass which flanked the path, keeping his eyes riveted upon the ground.

或者應該說，他是從路邊的草地上走過去的，目不轉(zhuǎn)睛地觀察著小徑的地面。

Twice he stopped, and once I saw him smile, and heard him utter an exclamation of satisfaction.

他有兩次停下腳步，有一次我看見他還露出笑容，并且聽到他滿意地歡呼了一聲。

There were many marks of footsteps upon the wet clayey soil;

在這潮濕而泥濘的黏土地面上，有許多腳??；

but since the police had been coming and going over it,

但是由于警察來來往往地從上面踩過，

I was unable to see how my companion could hope to learn anything from it.

我真不明白我的同伴怎能指望從這上面辨認出什么來。

Still I had had such extraordinary evidence of the quickness of his perceptive faculties,

然而至今我還沒有忘記，那次他如何出奇地證明了他對事物的敏銳的觀察力，

that I had no doubt that he could see a great deal which was hidden from me.

因此我相信他定能看出許多我所瞧不見的東西。

At the door of the house we were met by a tall, white-faced, flaxen-haired man,

在這所房子的門口，有一個頭發(fā)淺黃臉色白皙的高個的人過來迎接我們，

with a notebook in his hand, who rushed forward and wrung my companion's hand with effusion.

他的手里拿著筆記本。他跑上前來，熱情地握住我同伴的手說：

"It is indeed kind of you to come," he said, "I have had everything left untouched."

"你來了，實在太好了。我把一切都保持原狀未動。"

"Except that!" my friend answered, pointing at the pathway.

"可是那個除外！"我的朋友指著那條小路說，

"If a herd of buffaloes had passed along, there could not be a greater mess.

"即使有一群水牛從這里走過，也不會弄得比這更糟了。

No doubt, however, you had drawn your own conclusions, Gregson, before you permitted this."

沒問題，葛萊森，你準自以為已得出了結論，所以才允許別人這樣做的吧。"

"I have had so much to do inside the house," the detective said evasively.

這個偵探躲躲閃閃地說："我在屋里忙著，

"My colleague, Mr. Lestrade, is here. I had relied upon him to look after this."

我的同事雷斯垂德先生也在這兒，我把外邊的事都托付他了。"

Holmes glanced at me and raised his eyebrows sardonically.

福爾摩斯看了我一眼，嘲弄似地把眉毛揚了一揚，

"With two such men as yourself and Lestrade upon the ground, there will not be much for a third party to find out," he said.

他說："有了你和雷斯垂德這樣兩位人物在場，第三個人當然就不會再發(fā)現(xiàn)什么了。"

Gregson rubbed his hands in a self-satisfied way.

葛萊森搓著兩只手很得意地說：

"I think we have done all that can be done," he answered;

"我認為我們已經(jīng)竭盡全力了。

"it's a queer case, though, and I knew your taste for such things."

這個案子的確很離奇，我知道這正適合你的胃口。"

"You did not come here in a cab?" asked Sherlock Holmes.

"你沒有坐馬車來嗎？"福爾摩斯問道。

"No, sir."

"沒有，先生。"

"Nor Lestrade?"

"雷斯垂德也沒有嗎？"

"No, sir."

"他也沒有，先生。"

"Then let us go and look at the room."

"那么，咱們到屋子里去瞧瞧。"

With which inconsequent remark he strode on into the house followed by Gregson,

福爾摩斯問完這些前后不連貫的話以后，便大踏步走進房中。

whose features expressed his astonishment.

葛萊森跟在后面，臉上露出驚訝的神色。