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Holmes moved the lamp, and we both bent over the sheet of paper,
福爾摩斯把燈移動了一下，我們兩人彎下身來觀看那張紙。
which showed by its ragged edge that it had indeed been torn from a book.
紙邊參差不齊，的確是從一個本子上撕下來的。
It was headed, "March, 1869," and beneath were the following enigmatical notices:
上端寫有“一八六九年三月”字樣，下面是一些莫明其妙的記載，內容如下：
4th. Hudson came. Same old platform.
四日：赫德森來。抱著同樣的舊政見。
7th. Set the pips on McCauley, Paramore, and John Swain, of St. Augustine.
七日：把桔核交給圣奧古斯丁的麥考利、帕拉米諾和約翰·斯溫。
9th. McCauley cleared. 10th. John Swain cleared. 12th. Visited Paramore. All well.
九日：麥考利已清除。十日：約翰·斯溫已清除。十二日：訪問帕拉米諾。一切順利。
"Thank you!" said Holmes, folding up the paper and returning it to our visitor.
"謝謝您！"福爾摩斯說，同時把那張紙折疊起來還給了客人。
"And now you must on no account lose another instant.
"現在您連一分鐘都不能再耽擱了。
We cannot spare time even to discuss what you have told me.
我們甚至沒有時間來討論您告訴我的情況。
You must get home instantly and act." "What shall I do?"
您必須馬上回家，開始行動。""我應該怎么做呢？"
"There is but one thing to do. It must be done at once.
"只有一件事要做。而且一定要刻不容緩立即就辦。
You must put this piece of paper which you have shown us into the brass box which you have described.
您必須把給我們看過的這張紙放進您說過的那個黃銅匣子里去。
You must also put in a note to say that all the other papers were burned by your uncle,
還要放進一張便條，說明所有其它文件都已被您的伯父燒掉了，
and that this is the only one which remains.
這是僅剩的一張。
You must assert that in such words as will carry conviction with them.
您一定要用使他們能夠確信無疑的措詞。
Having done this, you must at once put the box out upon the sundial, as directed. Do you understand?" "Entirely."
做完這一切以后，您必須馬上就把黃銅匣子按信封上所說的放在日晷儀上。您明白了嗎？""完全明白了。"
