評論
打印
"But the twelve-mile drive?" gasped Hatherley.
"但是，那十二英里的路程呢？"哈瑟利氣喘吁吁地說。
"Six out and six back. Nothing simpler. You say yourself that the horse was fresh and glossy when you got in.
"去六英里，回來六英里。沒有比這再簡單的了。您自己說過當您上馬車的時候，那騎馬精神飽滿，毛色光澤。
How could it be that if it had gone twelve miles over heavy roads?"
如果它已經奔馳了十二英里那么難走的路，怎么會是那個樣子呢？"
"Indeed, it is a likely ruse enough," observed Bradstreet thoughtfully.
"確實，很可能是這么一個詭計，"布雷茲特里特若有所思評論說，
"Of course there can be no doubt as to the nature of this gang."
"當然，至于這個匪幫是什么性質的也就毫無疑問了。"
"None at all," said Holmes. "They are coiners on a large scale,
"那當然是毫無疑問的羅。"福爾摩斯說，"他們是大規模偽造貨幣的罪犯，
and have used the machine to form the amalgam which has taken the place of silver."
他們使用那臺機器鑄造合金來代替白銀。"
"We have known for some time that a clever gang was at work," said the inspector.
"我們發現有一伙機靈的壞家伙在干著這個行當有一段時間了。"巡官說，
"They have been turning out half-crowns by the thousand.
"他們一直在大批大批地鑄造半克郎硬幣。
We even traced them as far as Reading, but could get no farther,
我們甚至一直追蹤他們到雷丁，但再遠就沒有線索了，
for they had covered their traces in a way that showed that they were very old hands.
因為他們使用了某種掩蔽他們蹤跡的方法，這說明他們是精于此道的慣犯。
But now, thanks to this lucky chance, I think that we have got them right enough."
但是現在，多虧這個僥幸的機會，他們是跑不掉的了。"
