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A professional case of great gravity was engaging my own attention at the time,
當時，我正忙于治療一個病情嚴重的患者，
and the whole of next day I was busy at the bedside of the sufferer.
第二天我在病床邊又忙碌了一整天。
It was not until close upon six o'clock that I found myself free and was able to spring into a hansom and drive to Baker Street,
將近六點鐘時我才得到空暇，于是跳上一輛雙輪小馬車直駛貝克街，
half afraid that I might be too late to assist at the denouement of the little mystery.
有些擔心去晚了會趕不上為了結這樁奇案助一臂之力。
I found Sherlock Holmes alone, however, half asleep, with his long, thin form curled up in the recesses of his armchair.
我見到歇洛克·福爾摩斯時，他獨自一人在家，瘦長的身子蜷縮在深陷下去的扶手椅中，處于半睡半醒狀態。
A formidable array of bottles and test-tubes, with the pungent cleanly smell of hydrochloric acid,
令人望而生畏的一排排燒瓶和試管散發出清新而刺鼻的鹽酸氣味，
told me that he had spent his day in the chemical work which was so dear to him.
說明他整天埋首于他酷愛的化學試驗。
"Well, have you solved it?" I asked as I entered.
"喂，解決了嗎？"我邊問邊走進門。
"Yes. It was the bisulphate of baryta." "No, no, the mystery!" I cried.
"解決了，是硫酸氫鋇。""不，不，我說的是那個謎啊！"我叫道。
"Oh, that! I thought of the salt that I have been working upon.
"呵，那個！我想到的是我一直在做試驗的這種鹽。
There was never any mystery in the matter, though, as I said yesterday, some of the details are of interest.
雖然我昨天說過，這個案子毫無任何神秘之處，但是有些細節還是饒有趣味的。
The only drawback is that there is no law, I fear, that can touch the scoundrel."
唯一的缺憾是我擔心沒有哪一條法律可以懲處那個惡棍。"
"Who was he, then, and what was his object in deserting Miss Sutherland?"
"他是誰呢？他拋棄薩瑟蘭小姐的目的何在？"
The question was hardly out of my mouth, and Holmes had not yet opened his lips to reply,
問題剛從我口中說出，福爾摩斯還沒來得及開口作答，
when we heard a heavy footfall in the passage and a tap at the door.
我們就聽到樓道里響起一陣沉重的腳步聲，嗒嗒嗒有人敲門。
"This is the girl's stepfather, Mr. James Windibank," said Holmes.
"是那位姑娘的繼父詹姆斯·溫迪班克先生。"福爾摩斯說道，
"He has written to me to say that he would be here at six. Come in!"
"他給我寫信說，將于六點鐘前來。請進吧！"
