"You are not very vulnerable from above," Holmes remarked as he held up the lantern and gazed about him.
福爾摩斯把提燈舉起來四下察看。他說:"你們這個地下室要從上面突破倒不那么容易。"
"Nor from below," said Mr. Merryweather, striking his stick upon the flags which lined the floor.
梅里韋瑟先生邊用手杖敲打著平地的石板邊說,"從地下突破也不容易。"
"Why, dear me, it sounds quite hollow!" heremarked, looking up in surprise.
接著驚訝地抬起頭來說,"哎喲!聽聲音底下是空的。"
"I must really ask you to be a little more quiet!" said Holmes severely.
福爾摩斯嚴厲地說,"我真的必須要求你們安靜點!
"You have already imperilled the whole success of our expedition.
你已經(jīng)使我們?nèi)〉眠@次遠征的完全勝利受到了損害。
Might I beg that you would have the goodness to sit down upon one of those boxes, and not to interfere?"
我請求你找個箱子坐在上面,不要干擾好不好?"
The solemn Mr. Merryweather perched himself upon a crate, with a very injured expression upon his face,
這位莊重的梅里韋瑟先生只好坐到一只板條箱上,滿臉受委屈的表情。
while Holmes fell upon his knees upon the floor and, with the lantern and a magnifying lens,
這時,福爾摩斯跪在石板地上,拿著提燈和放大鏡
began to examine minutely the cracks between the stones.
開始仔細地檢查石板之間的縫隙。
A few seconds sufficed to satisfy him, for he sprang to his feet again and put his glass in his pocket.
他只用片刻時間就檢查完畢,聳身站了起來,并把放大鏡放回口袋里。
"We have at least an hour before us," he remarked,
他說:"我們起碼要等一個小時,
"for they can hardly take any steps until the good pawnbroker is safely in bed.
因為在那個好心腸的當鋪老板睡安穩(wěn)以前,他們是不可能采取任何行動的。
Then they will not lose a minute, for the sooner they do their work the longer time they will have for their escape.
然后,他們就會分秒必爭地抓緊時間動手,因為他們動手得愈早,逃跑的時間就愈多。
We are at present, Doctor--as no doubt you have divined--in the cellar of the City branch of one of the principal London banks.
大夫,你無疑已猜到了,我們現(xiàn)在是在倫敦的一家大銀行的市內(nèi)分行的地下室里。
Mr. Merryweather is the chairman of directors, and he will explain to you
梅里韋瑟先生是這家銀行的董事長,他會向你解釋,
that there are reasons why the more daring criminals of London should take a considerable interest in this cellar at present."
為什么倫敦的那些膽子比較大的罪犯現(xiàn)在會對這個地下室那么感興趣。"