福爾摩斯探案集·血字的研究 第95期:尾聲(6)

The murder of Stangerson was an incident which was entirely unexpected,

至于謀殺斯坦節(jié)遜這一層，確實是一件完全沒有意料到的事件。

but which could hardly in any case have been prevented.

但是，這些意外事件，無論在什么情況下，都是很難避免的。

Through it, as you know, I came into possession of the pills,

你已經(jīng)知道，在這個事件里，我找到了兩枚藥丸。

the existence of which I had already surmised.

我早就推想到一定會有這種東西存在的。

You see, the whole thing is a chain of logical sequences without a break or flaw."

你看，這件案子整個就是一條在邏輯上前后相連、毫無間斷的鏈條。"

"It is wonderful!" I cried.

"真是妙極了！"我不禁叫了起來，

"Your merits should be publicly recognized.

"你的這些本領(lǐng)應(yīng)當(dāng)公布出來，讓大家都知道一下。

You should publish an account of the case.

你應(yīng)當(dāng)發(fā)表這個案件。

If you won't, I will for you."

如果你不愿意的話，我來替你發(fā)表。"

"You may do what you like, Doctor," he answered.

"你愿意怎樣辦，就怎么辦吧，醫(yī)生，"他回答說，

"See here!" he continued, handing a paper over to me, "look at this!"

"你且看看這個！"他一面說著，一面遞給我一張報紙，"看看這個！"

It was the Echo for the day, and the paragraph to which he pointed was devoted to the case in question.

這是今天的一份《回聲報》，他指的那一段正是報道我們所說的這個案件的。

"The public," it said, "have lost a sensational treat through the sudden death of the man Hope,

報上這樣說：由于侯波這個人突然死去，社會人士因而失去了一件聳人聽聞的談?wù)撡Y料。

who was suspected of the murder of Mr. Enoch Drebber and of Mr. Joseph Stangerson.

侯波是謀殺伊瑙克·錐伯先生和約瑟夫·斯坦節(jié)遜先生的嫌疑犯。

The details of the case will probably be never known now,

雖然我們從有關(guān)當(dāng)局獲悉，

though we are informed upon good authority that the crime was the result of an old-standing and romantic feud,

這是一件由來已久的桃色糾紛犯罪案件，其中牽涉到愛情和摩門教等問題。但是這個案件的內(nèi)幕實情，

in which love and Mormonism bore a part.

現(xiàn)在可能永遠(yuǎn)不會揭曉了。

It seems that both the victims belonged, in their younger days, to the Latter Day Saints,

據(jù)悉，兩個被害者年輕時曾經(jīng)都是摩門教徒。

and Hope, the deceased prisoner, hails also from Salt Lake City.

已死的在押犯侯波，也是來自鹽湖城的。

If the case has had no other effect, it, at least,

如果說這個案件并無其他作用的話，至少

brings out in the most striking manner the efficiency of our detective police force,

它可以極為突出地說明我方警探破案之神速，

and will serve as a lesson to all foreigners that they will do wisely to settle their feuds at home,

并且足以使一切外國人等引以為戒；他們還是在他們本國之內(nèi)解決他們的糾紛為妙，

and not to carry them on to British soil.

最好不要把這些紛爭帶到不列顛的國土上來。

It is an open secret that

這已經(jīng)是一件公開的秘密，

the credit of this smart capture belongs entirely to the well-known Scotland Yard officials, Messrs. Lestrade and Gregson.

破案神速之功完全歸于蘇格蘭場知名官員雷斯垂德和葛萊森兩位先生，

The man was apprehended, it appears, in the rooms of a certain Mr. Sherlock Holmes,

據(jù)悉，兇手是在一位歇洛克·福爾摩斯先生的家中被捕的。

who has himself, as an amateur, shown some talent in the detective line and who,

歇洛克·福爾摩斯作為一個私家偵探，在探案方面也表現(xiàn)了一定的才能，

with such instructors, may hope in time to attain to some degree of their skill.

他在這樣的兩位導(dǎo)師教誨之下，想來必能獲得一定的成就。

It is expected that a testimonial of some sort will be presented to the two officers as a fitting recognition of their services."

一般估計，這兩位官員將榮膺某種獎賞，作為對于他們勞績的表揚云云。

"Didn't I tell you so when we started?" cried Sherlock Holmes with a laugh.

歇洛克·福爾摩斯大笑著說："我開頭不是這樣對你說過嗎？

"That's the result of all our Study in Scarlet: to get them a testimonial!"

這就是咱們對血字研究的全部結(jié)果：給他們掙來了褒獎！"

"Never mind," I answered; "I have all the facts in my journal, and the public shall know them.

我回答說："不要緊，全部事實經(jīng)過都記在我的筆記本里，社會上一定會知道真情實況的。

In the meantime you must make yourself contented by the consciousness of success, like the Roman miser

這個案子既已破了，你也就該感到心滿意足了，就象羅馬守財奴所說的那樣：

"Populus me sibilat, at mihi plaudo Ipse domi simul ac nummos contemplar in arca."

笑罵由你，我自為之；家藏萬貫，唯我獨賞。"