評(píng)論
打印
"The only unofficial detective?" I said, raising my eyebrows.
我抬眼問(wèn)道："唯一的私人偵探嗎？"
"The only unofficial consulting detective," he answered.
他答道："唯一私家咨詢偵探。
"I am the last and highest court of appeal in detection.
我是偵探的最高裁決機(jī)關(guān)。
When Gregson, or Lestrade, or Athelney Jones are out of their depths–which,
當(dāng)葛萊森、雷斯垂德或埃瑟爾尼·瓊斯遇到困難的時(shí)候
by the way, is their normal state–the matter is laid before me.
這倒是他們常有的事，他們就來(lái)向我請(qǐng)教。
I examine the data, as an expert, and pronounce a specialist's opinion.
我以專家的資格，審查材料，貢獻(xiàn)一個(gè)專家的意見(jiàn)。
I claim no credit in such cases. My name figures in no newspaper.
我不居功，報(bào)紙上也不發(fā)表我的名字。
The work itself, the pleasure of finding a field for my peculiar powers, is my highest reward.
工作本身使我的特殊精力得到發(fā)揮的這種快樂(lè)，就是我無(wú)上的報(bào)酬。
But you have yourself had some experience of my methods of work in the Jefferson Hope case."
你總還記得在杰弗遜·侯波案里我的工作方法所給你的一些經(jīng)驗(yàn)吧？"
"Yes, indeed," said I cordially.
我熱誠(chéng)地答道："不錯(cuò)，我還記得。
"I was never so struck by anything in my life.
那是我平生從未遇到過(guò)的奇案。
I even embodied it in a small brochure, with the somewhat fantastic title of 'A Study in Scarlet.'"
我已經(jīng)把始末寫成一本冊(cè)子，用了一個(gè)新穎的標(biāo)題：《血字的研究》。"
He shook his head sadly. "I glanced over it," said he.
他不滿意地?fù)u頭道："我約略看過(guò)一遍，
"Honestly, I cannot congratulate you upon it.
實(shí)在不敢恭維。
Detection is, or ought to be, an exact science and should be treated in the same cold and unemotional manner.
要知道，偵探術(shù)是——或者應(yīng)當(dāng)是一種精確的科學(xué)，應(yīng)當(dāng)用同樣冷靜而不是感情用事的方法來(lái)研究它。
You have attempted to tinge it with romanticism,
你把它渲染上一層小說(shuō)色彩，
which produces much the same effect as if you worked a love-story or an elopement into the fifth proposition of Euclid."
結(jié)果就弄得象是在幾何定理里摻進(jìn)了戀愛(ài)故事一樣了。"
"But the romance was there," I remonstrated. "I could not tamper with the facts."
我反駁他道："但是書中確有象小說(shuō)的情節(jié)，我不能歪曲事實(shí)。"
"Some facts should be suppressed, or, at least, a just sense of proportion should be observed in treating them.
"有些事實(shí)可以不寫，至少要把重點(diǎn)所在顯示出來(lái)。
The only point in the case which deserved mention was the curious analytical reasoning from effects to causes,
這案件里唯一值得提出的，只是我怎樣從事實(shí)的結(jié)果找出原因，
by which I succeeded in unravelling it."
再經(jīng)過(guò)精密的分析和推斷而破案的過(guò)程。"
I was annoyed at this criticism of a work which had been specially designed to please him.
我寫那篇短文，本來(lái)是想要得到他的歡心，沒(méi)想到反而受到了批評(píng)，心中很不愉快。
I confess, too, that I was irritated by the egotism
我承認(rèn)，正是他的自負(fù)激怒了我，
which seemed to demand that every line of my pamphlet should be devoted to his own special doings.
他的要求似乎是：我的著作必須完全用來(lái)描寫他個(gè)人的行為。
More than once during the years that I had lived with him in Baker Street
在我和他同住在貝克街的幾年里，
I had observed that a small vanity underlay my companion's quiet and didactic manner.
我不止一次地發(fā)覺(jué)我那伙伴在靜默和說(shuō)教的態(tài)度里，總隱藏著一些驕傲和自負(fù)。
I made no remark, however, but sat nursing my wounded leg.
我不愿多說(shuō)了，只是坐著撫摩我的傷腿，
I had had a Jezail bullet through it some time before,
我的腿以前曾被槍彈打穿，
and though it did not prevent me from walking it ached wearily at every change of the weather.
雖然不礙走路，但是一遇天氣變化就感到痛楚難堪。
