評論
打印
Mr. Windibank gave a violent start and dropped his gloves.
溫迪班克先生聽了身子猛然震動了一下，手套掉在地上。
"I am delighted to hear it," he said.
他說道："聽到你這番話，高興極了。"
"It is a curious thing," remarked Holmes, "that a typewriter has really quite as much individuality as a man's handwriting.
"奇怪的是，"福爾摩斯說，"打字也象手書一樣表現出一個人的個性。
Unless they are quite new, no two of them write exactly alike.
除非打字機是新的，否則兩臺打字機打出來的字是不會一模一樣的。
Some letters get more worn than others, and some wear only on one side.
有的字母比別的字母磨損得更厲害些，有的字母只磨損了一邊。
Now, you remark in this note of yours, Mr. Windibank,
溫迪班克先生，請看你自己打的這張短箋，
that in every case there is some little slurring over of the 'e,' and a slight defect in the tail of the 'r.'
字母'e'總是有點模糊不清，字母'r'的尾巴總有點兒缺損。
There are fourteen other characteristics, but those are the more obvious."
還有其它十四個更加明顯的特征。"
"We do all our correspondence with this machine at the office, and no doubt it is a little worn," our visitor answered,
"我們的來往信函都是使用事務所里的這臺打字機打的，當然它有點兒磨損了，"我們的客人說著，
glancing keenly at Holmes with his bright little eyes.
發亮的小眼睛迅速地瞥了一下福爾摩斯。
"And now I will show you what is really a very interesting study, Mr. Windibank," Holmes continued.
"溫迪班克先生，現在我要告訴你什么是真正有趣的研究，"福爾摩斯繼續說，
"I think of writing another little monograph some of these days on the typewriter and its relation to crime.
"我想在這幾天再寫一篇短的專題論文來闡述打字機以及打字機與犯罪的關系。
It is a subject to which I have devoted some little attention.
這是我起為注意的一個題目。
I have here four letters which purport to come from the missing man. They are all typewritten.
我手邊有四封寫明是來自失蹤的那個男人的信，全是打字的。
In each case, not only are the 'e's' slurred and the 'r's' tailless,
不僅每封信中字母'e'都是模糊的，字母'r'都是缺尾巴的，
but you will observe, if you care to use my magnifying lens,
而且你如果愿意使用我的放大鏡看一看，
that the fourteen other characteristics to which I have alluded are there as well."
那么我提到的那其余十四個特征也是歷歷在目的。"
