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Holmes turned over the leaves of the book upon his knee.
福爾摩斯一頁一頁地翻閱著放在他膝蓋上的書。
"Here it is," said he presently: "Ku Klux Klan.
"瞧這兒，"隨后他念道："克尤·克拉克斯·克蘭。
A name derived from the fanciful resemblance to the sound produced by cocking a rifle.
是一個名字。它來源于想象中那種酷似扳起槍的擊鐵的聲音。
This terrible secret society was formed by some ex-Confederate soldiers in the Southern states after the Civil War,
這個可怕的秘密團體是南方各州的前聯邦士兵在南北戰爭以后組成的，
and it rapidly formed local branches in different parts of the country,
并迅即在全國各地成立了分會。
notably in Tennessee, Louisiana, the Carolinas, Georgia, and Florida.
其中在田納西、路易斯安那、卡羅來納、佐治亞和佛羅里達各州尤為引人注目。
Its power was used for political purposes,
它的勢力被用于實現其政治目的，
principally for the terrorizing of the negro voters and the murdering and driving from the country of those who were opposed to its views.
主要是對黑人選民使用恐怖手段，謀殺或驅逐反對他們觀點的人們出國。
Its outrages were usually preceded by a warning sent to the marked man in some fantastic but generally recognized shape
他們將施加暴行時通常是，先寄給受到敵視的人某種形狀奇怪但尚可辨的東西，
a sprig of oak-leaves in some parts, melon seeds or orange pips in others.
例如，一小根帶葉的橡樹葉、幾粒西瓜籽，或幾個桔核，作為警告。
On receiving this the victim might either openly abjure his former ways, or might fly from the country.
受到敵視的人接到警告以后，可以公開宣布放棄原有觀點，或逃奔國外。
If he braved the matter out, death would unfailingly come upon him, and usually in some strange and unforeseen manner.
如果置之不理，則必將遭受殺害，而且往往出于某種奇怪的和意料不到的方式。
So perfect was the organization of the society, and so systematic its methods,
那個團體的組織是如此嚴密，所使用的方法又是如此有系統，
that there is hardly a case upon record where any man succeeded in braving it with impunity,
竟致在有案可稽的案件中，幾乎從未見有哪個與之抗衡的人能夠幸免于禍，
or in which any of its outrages were traced home to the perpetrators.
也從未能追查到暴行的作案人。
For some years the organization flourished in spite of the efforts of the United States government and of the better classes of the community in the South.
盡管美國政府和南方上層社會的努力阻止，這個團體在幾年時間里還是到處蔓延滋長。
Eventually, in the year 1869, the movement rather suddenly collapsed,
最后，到了一八六九年，這個三K黨運動竟突然垮臺，
although there have been sporadic outbreaks of the same sort since that date."
雖然此后還不時發生這類暴行。"
