福爾摩斯探案集·四簽名 第33期:福爾摩斯作出判斷(2)

"This is all very well," said I; "but the thing becomes more unintelligible than ever.

我道："這都不錯(cuò)，可是事情愈搞愈奧妙了。

How about this mysterious ally? How came he into the room?"

誰(shuí)是他的同謀呢？他又是怎么進(jìn)來(lái)的呢？"

"Yes, the ally!" repeated Holmes pensively. "There are features of interest about this ally.

福爾摩斯沉思著重復(fù)說(shuō)道："不錯(cuò)，還有那個(gè)同謀！這個(gè)人確有些有趣的情形。

He lifts the case from the regions of the commonplace.

他把這案子搞得很不平凡。

I fancy that this ally breaks fresh ground in the annals of crime in this country

我想這個(gè)同謀給我國(guó)的犯罪方式又開(kāi)辟了一條新路子，

though parallel cases suggest themselves from India and, if my memory serves me, from Senegambia."

可是在印度有過(guò)先例，如果我沒(méi)有記錯(cuò)，在森尼干比亞曾發(fā)生過(guò)同樣的情形。"

"How came he, then?" I reiterated.

我反復(fù)地問(wèn)道："那么究竟他是怎么進(jìn)來(lái)的呢？

"The door is locked; the window is inaccessible. Was it through the chimney?"

門(mén)是鎖著的，窗戶又夠不著，難道是從煙囪進(jìn)來(lái)的？"

"The grate is much too small," he answered. "I had already considered that possibility."

他答道："我也想到了這個(gè)可能性，但是煙囪太窄，不能通過(guò)。"

"How, then?" I persisted.

我追問(wèn)道："到底是怎么樣呢？"

"You will not apply my precept," he said, shaking his head.

他搖頭說(shuō)道："你總是不按著我的理論研究。

"How often have I said to you that when you have eliminated the impossible,

我不是曾經(jīng)和你說(shuō)過(guò)多少次嗎？當(dāng)你把絕不可能的因素都除去以后，

whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth?

不管剩下的是什么--不管多么難以相信的事--那就是實(shí)情嗎？

We know that he did not come through the door, the window, or the chimney.

咱們知道，他不是從門(mén)進(jìn)來(lái)的，不是從窗進(jìn)來(lái)的，也不是從煙囪進(jìn)來(lái)的。

We also know that he could not have been concealed in the room,

咱們也知道他不會(huì)預(yù)先藏在屋里邊，

as there is no concealment possible. When, then, did he come?"

因?yàn)槲堇餂](méi)有藏身的地方，那么他是從哪里進(jìn)來(lái)的呢？"

"He came through the hole in the roof!" I cried.

我嚷道："他從屋頂那個(gè)洞進(jìn)來(lái)的。"

"Of course he did. He must have done so.

"當(dāng)然是從那個(gè)洞進(jìn)來(lái)的了，這是毫無(wú)疑義的。

If you will have the kindness to hold the lamp for me, we shall now extend our researches to the room above

你給我提著燈，咱們到上邊的屋子里去察看一下

the secret room in which the treasure was found."

就是到發(fā)現(xiàn)藏著寶物的那間屋子去。"

He mounted the steps, and, seizing a rafter with either hand, he swung himself up into the garret.

他登上梯子，兩手按住了椽木，翻身上了屋頂室。

Then, lying on his face, he reached down for the lamp and held it while I followed him.

他俯身朝下接過(guò)燈去，我也隨著上去了。

The chamber in which we found ourselves was about ten feet one way and six the other.

這間屋頂室大約有十英尺長(zhǎng)，六英尺寬。

The floor was formed by the rafters, with thin lath and plaster between,

椽木架成的地板中間鋪了些薄板條，敷了一層灰泥。

so that in walking one had to step from beam to beam.

我們走路時(shí)必須踩在一根一根的椽子上。

The roof ran up to an apex and was evidently the inner shell of the true roof of the house.

屋頂呈尖形，也就是這所房子的真正屋頂了。

There was no furniture of any sort, and the accumulated dust of years lay thick upon the floor.

屋里沒(méi)有陳設(shè)，多年的塵土，積得很厚。

"Here you are, you see," said Sherlock Holmes, putting his hand against the sloping wall.

歇洛克·福爾摩斯把手扶在斜坡的墻上說(shuō)道："你看，

"This is a trapdoor which leads out on to the roof.

這就是一個(gè)通屋頂外面的暗門(mén)，

I can press it back, and here is the roof itself, sloping at a gentle angle.

我把這個(gè)暗門(mén)拉開(kāi)，外面就是坡度不大的屋頂，

This, then, is the way by which Number One entered.

這就是第一個(gè)人的來(lái)路，

Let us see if we can find some other traces of his individuality?"

咱們找一找，看他有沒(méi)有留下什么能說(shuō)明他個(gè)人特征的痕跡。"

He held down the lamp to the floor,

他把燈往地板上照著，

and as he did so I saw for the second time that night a startled, surprised look come over his face.

今晚我又第二次看到在他臉上出現(xiàn)的驚奇表情。

For myself, as I followed his gaze, my skin was cold under my clothes.

我隨著往他所注視的地方看去，也被嚇得全身發(fā)起冷來(lái)。

The floor was covered thickly with the prints of a naked foot–clear, well-defined, perfectly formed,

地上滿都是沒(méi)有穿鞋的赤足腳印，很清楚，很完整，

but scarce half the size of those of an ordinary man.

可是不及平常人腳的一半大。

"Holmes," I said in a whisper, "a child has done this horrid thing."

我輕輕地說(shuō)道："福爾摩斯，一個(gè)小孩子做了這樣怕人的勾當(dāng)！"

He had recovered his self-possession in an instant. "I was staggered for the moment," he said, "but the thing is quite natural.

他神色略定以后說(shuō)道："起初我也是吃了一驚，其實(shí)這件事是很平常的。

My memory failed me, or I should have been able to foretell it.

我一時(shí)忘記了，我本當(dāng)預(yù)料到的。

There is nothing more to be learned here. Let us go down."

這里沒(méi)有什么可搜查的了，咱們下去吧。"