福爾摩斯探案集·血字的研究 第14期:勞瑞斯頓花園街的慘案(2)

"Gregson is the smartest of the Scotland Yarders," my friend remarked;

我的朋友說(shuō)道："葛萊森在倫敦警察廳中不愧是首屈一指的能干人物。

"he and Lestrade are the pick of a bad lot.

他和雷斯垂德都算是那一群蠢貨之中的佼佼者。

They are both quick and energetic, but conventional–shockingly so.

他們兩人也稱(chēng)得起是眼明手快、機(jī)警干練了，但都因循守舊，而且守舊得厲害。

They have their knives into one another, too.

他們彼此明槍暗箭、勾心斗角，

They are as jealous as a pair of professional beauties.

就象兩個(gè)賣(mài)笑婦人似的多猜善妒。

There will be some fun over this case if they are both put upon the scent."

如果這兩個(gè)人都插手這件案子的話，那就一定會(huì)鬧出笑話來(lái)的。"

I was amazed at the calm way in which he rippled on.

看到福爾摩斯還在不慌不忙、若無(wú)其事地侃侃而談，我非常驚訝。

"Surely there is not a moment to be lost," I cried;

因此我大聲叫道："真是一分鐘也不能耽誤了，

"shall I go and order you a cab?"

要我給你雇輛馬車(chē)來(lái)嗎？"

"I'm not sure about whether I shall go.

"連去不去我還沒(méi)有肯定呢。

I am the most incurably lazy devil that ever stood in shoe leather–that is, when the fit is on me, for I can be spry enough at times."

我確實(shí)是世界上少有的懶鬼，可是，那只是當(dāng)我的懶勁兒上來(lái)的時(shí)候才這樣，因?yàn)橛袝r(shí)我也非常敏捷哩。"

"Why, it is just such a chance as you have been longing for."

"什么？這不正是你一直盼望著的機(jī)會(huì)嗎？"

"My dear fellow, what does it matter to me?

"親愛(ài)的朋友，這和我又有什么關(guān)系呢？

Supposing I unravel the whole matter, you may be sure that Gregson, Lestrade, and Co.will pocket all the credit.

我如果把這件案子全盤(pán)解決了，肯定地說(shuō)，葛萊森和雷斯垂德這一幫人是會(huì)把全部功勞歸為己有的。

That comes of being an unofficial personage."

這是因?yàn)槲沂莻€(gè)非官方人士的緣故。"

"But he begs you to help him."

"但是他現(xiàn)在是求助于你呀。"

"Yes. He knows that I am his superior, and acknowledges it to me;

"是的。他知道我勝他一籌，當(dāng)我面他也會(huì)承認(rèn)；

but he would cut his tongue out before he would own it to any third person.

但是，他寧愿割掉他的舌頭，也決不愿在任何第三者的面前承認(rèn)這一點(diǎn)。

However, we may as well go and have a look. I shall work it out on my own hook.

雖然如此，咱們還是可以瞧瞧去。我可以自己?jiǎn)胃?，一個(gè)人破案。

I may have a laugh at them, if I have nothing else. Come on!" 、

即使我得不到什么，也可以嘲笑他們一番。走罷！"

He hustled on his overcoat, and bustled about in a way that showed that an energetic fit had superseded the apathetic one.

他披上大衣，那種匆忙的樣子說(shuō)明他躍躍欲試的心情已壓倒了無(wú)動(dòng)于衷和消極冷淡的一面。

"Get your hat," he said.

他說(shuō)："戴上你的帽子。"

"You wish me to come?"

"你希望我也去嗎？"

"Yes, if you have nothing better to do."

"是的，如果你沒(méi)有別的事情要做的話。"

A minute later we were both in a hansom, driving furiously for the Brixton Road.

一分鐘以后，我們就坐上了一輛馬車(chē)，急急忙忙地向布瑞克斯頓路駛?cè)ァ?/p>

It was a foggy, cloudy morning, and a dun-coloured veil hung over the housetops,

這是一個(gè)陰霾多霧的早晨，屋頂上籠罩著一層灰褐色的帷幔，

looking like the reflection of the mud-coloured streets beneath.

恰似下面泥濘街道的反映。

My companion was in the best of spirits,

我同伴的興致很高，

and prattled away about Cremona fiddles and the difference between a Stradivarius and an Amati.

喋喋不休地大談意大利克里莫納出產(chǎn)的提琴以及斯特萊迪瓦利提琴與阿瑪?shù)偬崆僦g的區(qū)別，

As for myself, I was silent,

而我卻一言不發(fā)，靜悄悄地聽(tīng)著，

for the dull weather and the melancholy business upon which we were engaged depressed my spirits.

因?yàn)槌翋灥奶鞖夂瓦@種令人傷感的任務(wù)使我的情緒非常消沉。

"You don't seem to give much thought to the matter in hand," I said at last, interrupting Holmes's musical disquisition.

最后我終于打斷了福爾摩斯在音樂(lè)方面的議論，我說(shuō)："你似乎不大考慮眼前的這件案子。"

"No data yet," he answered.

他回答說(shuō)："還沒(méi)有材料哪。

"It is a capital mistake to theorize before you have all the evidence. It biases the judgment."

沒(méi)有掌握全部證據(jù)之前，先作出假設(shè)來(lái)，這是絕大的錯(cuò)誤。那樣就會(huì)使判斷產(chǎn)生氣差。"

"You will have your data soon," I remarked, pointing with my finger;

"你很快就可以得到材料了。"我一面說(shuō)，一面用手指著前面，

"this is the Brixton Road, and that is the house, if I am not very much mistaken."

"若是我沒(méi)弄錯(cuò)的話，這就是布瑞克斯頓路，那里就是出事所在的房子。"

"So it is. Stop, driver, stop!"

"正是。停下，車(chē)夫，快停車(chē)！"

We were still a hundred yards or so from it,

我們離那所房子還有一百碼左右，

but he insisted upon our alighting, and we finished our journey upon foot.

他就堅(jiān)持要下車(chē)，剩下的一段路，我們就步行。