評論
打印
"No, indeed," I answered brusquely.
我毫不客氣地回答道："我不要試。
"My constitution has not got over the Afghan campaign yet.
阿富汗的戰役害得我的體質至今沒有恢復。
I cannot afford to throw any extra strain upon it."
我再不能摧殘它了。"
He smiled at my vehemence. "Perhaps you are right, Watson," he said.
他對我的惱怒，含笑答道："華生，也許你是對的。
"I suppose that its influence is physically a bad one.
我也知道這對于身體是有害的，
I find it, however, so transcendently stimulating and clarifying to the mind
不過我感覺它既有這樣強烈的興奮和醒腦的能力，
that its secondary action is a matter of small moment."
它的副作用也就沒有什么重要了。"
"But consider!" I said earnestly. "Count the cost!
我誠懇地說道："可是你也考慮考慮利害得失吧！
Your brain may, as you say, be roused and excited,
你的腦筋也許象你所說的那樣，能夠因刺激而興奮起來，
but it is a pathological and morbid process which involves increased tissue-change
然而這究竟是戕害自身的作法。它會引起不斷加劇的器官組織變質，
and may at least leave a permanent weakness.
否則至少也會導致長期衰弱，
You know, too, what a black reaction comes upon you.
你也知道這種藥所能引起的不良反應，
Surely the game is hardly worth the candle.
實在是得不償失。
Why should you, for a mere passing pleasure,
你為什么只顧一時的快感，
risk the loss of those great powers with which you have been endowed?
戕害你那天賦的卓越過人的精力呢？
Remember that I speak not only as one comrade to another
你應當知道，我這不僅是從朋友的立場出發，
but as a medical man to one for whose constitution he is to some extent answerable."
而且還是作為一個對你的健康負責的醫生而說的話。"
He did not seem offended.
看來，他聽了不僅沒有生氣，
On the contrary, he put his finger-tips together,
反而把十指對頂在一起，
and leaned his elbows on the arms of his chair, like one who has a relish for conversation.
把兩肘安放在椅子的扶手上，象是對談話頗感興趣的樣子。
"My mind," he said, "rebels at stagnation.
他道："我好動不好靜
Give me problems, give me work, give me the most abstruse cryptogram,
給我難題，給我工作，給我最深奧的密碼，
or the most intricate analysis, and I am in my own proper atmosphere.
這樣我才覺得最舒適，給我最復雜的分析工作，
I can dispense then with artificial stimulants.
才不需要人為的刺激。
But I abhor the dull routine of existence.
我非常憎惡平淡的生活，
I crave for mental exaltation.
我追求精神上的興奮，
That is why I have chosen my own particular profession,
因此我選擇了我自己的特殊職業
or rather created it, for I am the only one in the world."
也可以說是我創造了這個職業，因為我是世界上唯一從事這種職業的人。"
