福爾摩斯探案集·歪唇男人 第36期:揭開迷霧(9)

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I wrote my articles and thought little more of the matter until, some time later,

我寫完了報道，這些事也就置之腦后不再去想了，直到后來有一天，

I backed a bill for a friend and had a writ served upon me for 25 pounds.

我為一位朋友背書擔(dān)保了一張票據(jù)，后來竟接到一張傳票要我賠償二十五鎊，

I was at my wit's end where to get the money, but a sudden idea came to me.

我因拿不出這么多錢，急得走投無路，這才忽然計上心來。

I begged a fortnight's grace from the creditor, asked for a holiday from my employers,

我央求債主緩期半月讓我去籌款，又請求雇主給我?guī)滋旒佟?/p>

and spent the time in begging in the City under my disguise.

然后我就化起裝來，到城里去乞討。

In ten days I had the money and had paid the debt.

過了十天，我湊齊了錢，清了這筆債。

Well, you can imagine how hard it was to settle down to arduous work at 2 pounds a week

哦，這么一來，你們可以想見，再要我安心地去做那一星期只能掙兩英鎊的辛苦工作是多么不容易了，

when I knew that I could earn as much in a day by smearing my face with a little paint, laying my cap on the ground, and sitting still.

當(dāng)我已懂得只要我在臉上抹上一點油彩，把帽子放在地上，靜靜地坐著就能掙到同樣多錢的時候。

It was a long fight between my pride and the money, but the dollars won at last,

是要自尊心還是要錢，我思想斗爭了很久，最后是金錢占了上風(fēng)，

and I threw up reporting and sat day after day in the corner which I had first chosen,

我拋棄了記者生活，日復(fù)一日地坐在我第一次選定的那條街的拐角，

inspiring pity by my ghastly face and filling my pockets with coppers.

借著我那一副可怕的面容所引起的惻隱之心，銅板兒塞滿了我的口袋。

Only one man knew my secret. He was the keeper of a low den in which I used to lodge in Swandam Lane,

只有一個人知道我的隱秘。這就是我在天鵝閘巷寄宿的那下等煙館的老板，

where I could every morning emerge as a squalid beggar and in the evenings transform myself into a well-dressed man about town.

在那里我能夠每天早晨以一個邋遢乞丐的面目出現(xiàn)，到晚上又變成一個衣冠楚楚的浪蕩公子。

This fellow, a lascar, was well paid by me for his rooms, so that I knew that my secret was safe in his possession.

這個印度阿三收了我高價的房租，所以他會為我保密。