福爾摩斯探案集·血字的研究 第2期:福爾摩斯先生(2)

Choosing the latter alternative, I began by making up my mind to leave the hotel,

我選定了后一個辦法，決心離開這家公寓，

and take up my quarters in some less pretentious and less expensive domicile.

另找一個不太奢侈而又花費不大的住處。

On the very day that I had come to this conclusion, I was standing at the Criterion Bar,

就在我決定這樣做的那天，我正站在克萊梯利安酒吧門前的時候，

when someone tapped me on the shoulder, and turning round I recognized young Stamford, who had been a dresser under me at Bart's.

忽然有人拍了拍我的肩膀。我回頭一看，原來是小斯坦弗。他是我在巴茨時的一個助手。

The sight of a friendly face in the great wilderness of London is a pleasant thing indeed to a lonely man.

在這茫茫人海的倫敦城中，居然能夠碰到一個熟人，對于一個孤獨的人來說，確是一件令人非常愉快的事。

In old days Stamford had never been a particular crony of mine,

斯坦弗當日并不是和我特別要好的朋友，

but now I hailed him with enthusiasm, and he, in his turn, appeared to be delighted to see me.

但現在我竟熱情地向他招呼起來。他見到我，似乎也很高興。

In the exuberance of my joy, I asked him to lunch with me at the Holborn, and we started off together in a hansom.

我在狂喜之余，立刻邀他到侯本餐廳去吃午飯；于是我們就一同乘車前往。

"Whatever have you been doing with yourself, Watson?" he asked in undisguised wonder, as we rattled through the crowded London streets.

當我們的車子轔轔地穿過倫敦熱鬧街道的時候，他很驚奇地問我：

"You are as thin as a lath and as brown as a nut."

"華生，你近來干些什么？看你面黃肌瘦，只剩了一把骨頭了。"

I gave him a short sketch of my adventures, and had hardly concluded it by the time that we reached our destination.

我把我的危險經歷簡單地對他敘述了一下。我的話還沒有講完，我們就到達了目的地。

"Poor devil!" he said, commiseratingly, after he had listened to my misfortunes. "What are you up to now?"

他聽完了我的不幸遭遇以后，憐憫地說："可憐的家伙！你現在作何打算呢？"

"Looking for lodgings," I answered. "Trying to solve the problem as to whether it is possible to get comfortable rooms at a reasonable price."

我回答說："我想找個住處，打算租幾間價錢不高而又舒適一些的房子，不知道這個問題能不能夠解決。"

"That's a strange thing," remarked my companion; "you are the second man to-day that has used that expression to me."

我的伙伴說："這真是怪事，今天你是第二個對我說這樣話的人了。"

"And who was the first?" I asked. "A fellow who is working at the chemical laboratory up at the hospital.

我問道："頭一個是誰？""是一個在醫(yī)院化驗室工作的。

He was bemoaning himself this morning because he could not get someone to go halves with him in some nice rooms which he had found,

今天早晨他還在唉聲嘆氣，因為他找到了幾間好房子，但是，租金很貴，

and which were too much for his purse."

他一個人住不起，又找不到人跟他合租。"

"By Jove!" I cried; "if he really wants someone to share the rooms and the expense, I am the very man for him.

我說："好啊，如果他真的要找個人合住的話，我倒正是他要找的人。

I should prefer having a partner to being alone."

我覺得有個伴兒比獨自一個兒住要好的多。"

Young Stamford looked rather strangely at me over his wineglass.

小斯坦弗從酒杯上很驚奇地望著我，

"You don't know Sherlock Holmes yet," he said; "perhaps you would not care for him as a constant companion."

他說："你還不知道歇洛克·福爾摩斯吧，否則你也許會不愿意和他作一個長年相處的伙伴哩。"

"Why, what is there against him?"

"為什么，難道他有什么不好的地方嗎？"

"Oh, I didn't say there was anything against him. He is a little queer in his ideas--an enthusiast in some branches of science.

"哦，我不是說他有什么不好的地方。他只是思想上有些古怪而已--他老是孜孜不倦地在研究一些科學。

As far as I know he is a decent fellow enough."

據我所知，他倒是個很正派的人。"

"A medical student, I suppose?" said I.

我說："也許他是一個學醫(yī)的吧？"

"No.I have no idea what he intends to go in for. I believe he is well up in anatomy, and he is a first-class chemist;

"不是，我一點也摸不清他在鉆研些什么。我相信他精于解剖學，又是個第一流的藥劑師。

but, as far as I know, he has never taken out any systematic medical classes.

但是，據我了解，他從來沒有系統(tǒng)地學過醫(yī)學。

His studies are very desultory and eccentric, but he has amassed a lot of out-of-the-way knowledge which would astonish his professors."

他所研究的東西非常雜亂，不成系統(tǒng)，并且也很離奇；但是他卻積累了不少稀奇古怪的知識，足以使他的教授都感到驚訝。"

"Did you never ask him what he was going in for?" I asked.

我問道："你從來沒有問過他在鉆研些什么嗎？"

"No; he is not a man that it is easy to draw out, though he can be communicative enough when the fancy seizes him."

"沒有，他是不輕易說出心里話的，雖然在他高興的時候，他也是滔滔不絕地很愛說話。"

"I should like to meet him," I said. "If I am to lodge with anyone, I should prefer a man of studious and quiet habits.

我說："我倒愿意見見他。如果我要和別人合住，我倒寧愿跟一個好學而又沉靜的人住在一起。

I am not strong enough yet to stand much noise or excitement.

我現在身體還不大結實，受不了吵鬧和刺激。

I had enough of both in Afghanistan to last me for the remainder of my natural existence. How could I meet this friend of yours?"

我在阿富汗已經嘗夠了那種滋味，這一輩子再也不想受了。我怎樣才能見到你的這位朋友呢？"

"He is sure to be at the laboratory," returned my companion.

我的同伴回答說："他現在一定是在化驗室里。

"He either avoids the place for weeks, or else he works there from morning till night.

他要么就幾個星期不去，要么就從早到晚在那里工作。

If you like, we will drive round together after luncheon."

如果你愿意的話，咱們吃完飯就坐車一塊兒去。"

"Certainly," I answered, and the conversation drifted away into other channels.

"當然愿意啦！"我說，于是我們又轉到別的話題上去。