"Ha! our party is complete," said Holmes, buttoning up his pea-jacket and taking his heavy hunting crop from the rack.
福爾摩斯說:"哈,我們的人都到齊了。"他一面說話一面把他粗呢上衣的扣子扣上,并從架上把他那根笨重的打獵鞭子取下來。
"Watson, I think you know Mr. Jones, of Scotland Yard?
他又說:"華生,我想你認識蘇格蘭場的瓊斯先生吧?
Let me introduce you to Mr. Merryweather, who is to be our companion in to-night's adventure."
讓我介紹你認識梅里韋瑟先生,他就要成為我們今晚冒險行動的伙伴。"
"We're hunting in couples again, Doctor, you see," said Jones in his consequential way.
瓊斯傲慢地說:"大夫,你瞧,我們又重新搭檔在一起追捕了。
"Our friend here is a wonderful man for starting a chase.
我們這位朋友是追捕能手。
All he wants is an old dog to help him to do the running down."
他只需要一條老狗去幫助他把獵物捕獲。"
"I hope a wild goose may not prove to be the end of our chase," observed Mr. Merryweather gloomily.
梅里韋瑟悲觀地說:"我希望這次追捕不要成為一樁徒勞無益的行動。"
"You may place considerable confidence in Mr. Holmes, sir," said the police agent loftily.
那個警探趾高氣揚地說:"先生,你對福爾摩斯先生應當很有信心才對,
"He has his own little methods, which are, if he won't mind my saying so,
他有自己的一套辦法。這套辦法,恕我直言,
just a little too theoretical and fantastic, but he has the makings of a detective in him.
就是有點太理論化和異想天開,但他具有成為一名偵探所需要的素質(zhì)。
It is not too much to say that once or twice, as in that business of the Sholto murder and the Agra treasure,
我這樣說并不是夸大其詞。有一兩次,比如肖爾托兇殺案和阿格拉珍寶大盜竊案,
he has been more nearly correct than the official force."
他都比官方偵探判斷得更加正確。"
"Oh, if you say so, Mr. Jones, it is all right," said the stranger with deference.
那個陌生人順從地說:"瓊斯先生,你要這樣說我沒有意見。
"Still, I confess that I miss my rubber.
不過,我還是要聲明,我錯過了打橋牌的時間,
It is the first Saturday night for seven-and-twenty years that I have not had my rubber."
這是我二十七年來頭一次星期六晚上不打橋牌。"