評論
打印
"And how did you verify them?"
"你怎樣證實它們呢？"
"Having once spotted my man, it was easy to get corroboration.
"一旦認出了犯人，就很容易證實罪行。
I knew the firm for which this man worked. Having taken the printed description,
我認識這個人工作的商行。我一接到那份印刷出來的尋人啟事，
I eliminated everything from it which could be the result of a disguise -- the whiskers, the glasses, the voice,
我就從那啟事描述的外貌特征中除掉可能是偽裝的結果的部分--絡腮胡子啦、眼鏡啦、聲音啦
and I sent it to the firm, with a request that they would inform me whether it answered to the description of any of their travellers.
然后把這份尋人品事寄給商行，請他們告訴我去掉了偽裝部分的外貌特征是否同他們商行里哪位出外旅行的人相象。
I had already noticed the peculiarities of the typewriter, and I wrote to the man himself at his business address, asking him if he would come here.
我已注意到打字機的特點，我寫信到他的辦公地點給他本人，請他是否來這里一趟。
As I expected, his reply was typewritten and revealed the same trivial but characteristic defects.
如我所料，他的回信是用打字機打的，從回信中可以看出打字機的種種同樣細微的但有特征的毛病。
The same post brought me a letter from Westhouse And Marbank, of Fenchurch Street,
同一個郵局給我送來了一封來自芬丘破街韋斯特豪斯·馬班克商行的信，
to say that the description tallied in every respect with that of their employee, James Windibank. Voila tout!"
信中說，外貌描述與他們的雇員詹姆斯·溫迪班克的各個方面完全相符。全部情況，就是這樣。"
"And Miss Sutherland?"
"那么，薩瑟蘭小姐呢？"
"If I tell her she will not believe me. You may remember the old Persian saying,
"假如我把事情告訴她，她將不會相信的。你也許還記得有句波斯諺語：
'There is danger for him who taketh the tiger cub, and danger also for whoso snatches a delusion from a woman.'
'打消女人心中的癡想，險似從虎爪下搶奪乳虎。'
There is as much sense in Hafiz as in Horace, and as much knowledge of the world."
哈菲茲的道理跟賀拉斯一樣豐富，哈菲茲的人情世故也跟賀拉斯一樣深刻。"
