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Chapter 9 A break in the chain
第九章 線索的中斷
It was late in the afternoon before I woke, strengthened and refreshed.
下午我醒來的時候，時間已經不早，我的精神也已完全恢復了。
Sherlock Holmes still sat exactly as I had left him,
福爾摩斯已把提琴放在一旁，
save that he had laid aside his violin and was deep in a book.
坐在那里拿著一本書用心細讀。
He looked across at me as I stirred, and I noticed that his face was dark and troubled.
他看到我醒來，對我望了望，神色很不愉快。
"You have slept soundly," he said. "I feared that our talk would wake you."
他道："你睡得很香，我恐怕我們說話的聲音要把你吵醒了。"
"I heard nothing," I answered. "Have you had fresh news, then?"
我答道："我什么也沒有聽到，你得到什么新的消息沒有？"
"Unfortunately, no. I confess that I am surprised and disappointed.
"不幸得很，還是沒有。我真沒有想到，也很失望，
I expected something definite by this time. Wiggins has just been up to report.
我預計到這時候總應當有確實消息來了。維金斯剛剛來報告過，
He says that no trace can be found of the launch.
他說汽船的蹤跡一點兒也沒有，
It is a provoking check, for every hour is of importance."
真是叫人著急。因為時機緊迫了，每一個鐘頭都是要緊的。"
"Can I do anything? I am perfectly fresh now, and quite ready for another night's outing."
"我能幫忙嗎？我的精神已恢復了，再出去一夜也是沒有問題。"
"No; we can do nothing. We can only wait.
"不，現在咱們什么也不能做，咱們只有等候消息。
If we go ourselves the message might come in our absence and delay be caused.
如果咱們現在出去，要是有消息到來，反而誤事。
You can do what you will, but I must remain on guard."
你有事可隨尊便，我必須在這里守候。"
"Then I shall run over to Camberwell and call upon Mrs. Cecil Forrester. She asked me to, yesterday."
"那么我想到坎伯韋爾去訪問西色爾·弗里斯特夫人，昨天她已和我約定了。"
"On Mrs. Cecil Forrester?" asked Holmes with the twinkle of a smile in his eyes.
福爾摩斯的眼睛里閃動著笑意問道："是去訪西色爾·弗里斯特夫人嗎？"
"Well, of course on Miss Morstan, too. They were anxious to hear what happened."
"當然還有摩斯坦小姐，她們都急于要知道這個案子的消息。"
"I would not tell them too much," said Holmes.
福爾摩斯道："不要告訴她們太多，
"Women are never to be entirely trusted–not the best of them."
即使是最好的女人，也決不能完全信賴她們。"
I did not pause to argue over this atrocious sentiment.
對他這種不講理的話，我并沒有和他爭辯，
"I shall be back in an hour or two," I remarked.
我說道："我在一兩個鐘頭內就可以回來。"
"All right! Good luck! But, I say, if you are crossing the river you may as well return Toby,
"好吧！祝你一切順利！如果你過河去的話，不妨把透比送回去，
for I don't think it is at all likely that we shall have any use for him now."
因為我想咱們現在不會再用它了。"
I took our mongrel accordingly and left him,
我依照他的話把透比歸還了它的主人，
together with a half-sovereign, at the old naturalist's in Pinchin Lane.
在品琴里酬謝了他半個英鎊。
At Camberwell I found Miss Morstan a little weary after her night's adventures but very eager to hear the news.
到了坎伯韋爾，會見了摩斯坦小姐。她經過昨夜的冒險，至今還有些疲倦，可是正在盼望著消息。
Mrs. Forrester, too, was full of curiosity.
弗里斯特夫人也是好奇心勝，
I told them all that we had done, suppressing, however, the more dreadful parts of the tragedy.
我向她們述說了所有的經過，保留一些兇險的地方沒有說。
Thus, although I spoke of Mr. Sholto's death,
雖然說到舒爾托先生的被害，
I said nothing of the exact manner and method of it.
可是沒有描寫那些可怕的情況和兇手所用的兇器。
With all my omissions, however, there was enough to startle and amaze them.
就是如此約略地講述了一遍，還是夠叫她們聽著驚奇有味的。
"It is a romance!" cried Mrs. Forrester.
弗里斯特夫人道："簡直是一本小說！
"An injured lady, half a million in treasure, a black cannibal, and a wooden-legged ruffian.
一個被冤的女郎，五十萬鎊的寶物，一個吃人的黑生番，還有一個裝木腿的匪徒。
They take the place of the conventional dragon or wicked earl."
這和一般小說的情節大不相同呢。"
"And two knight-errants to the rescue," added Miss Morstan with a bright glance at me.
摩斯坦小姐愉快地眼望著我說道："還有兩位俠士的拯救呢。"
"Why, Mary, your fortune depends upon the issue of this search.
"可是梅麗，你的財富全依靠著這次的搜尋了。
I don't think that you are nearly excited enough.
我看你并不覺得怎樣興奮。
Just imagine what it must be to be so rich and to have the world at your feet!"
請想一想，若是一旦變成巨富，是多么可喜的事呀。”
It sent a little thrill of joy to my heart to notice that she showed no sign of elation at the prospect.
看到她對于即將致富這件事并沒有什么特別高興的表示，使我的心里感到無限的安慰。
On the contrary, she gave a toss of her proud head, as though the matter were one in which she took small interest.
她把頭搖了搖，似乎對于這件事并不怎樣關心。
"It is for Mr. Thaddeus Sholto that I am anxious," she said.
她道："我所最關心的就是塞笛厄斯·舒爾托先生的安全，
"Nothing else is of any consequence; but I think that he has behaved most kindly and honourably throughout.
其余的都不足掛齒。他在全案經過中的表現是非常厚道和可敬的，
It is our duty to clear him of this dreadful and unfounded charge."
我們有責任把他從這可恥和無根據的冤枉里洗刷出來。"
