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The Baskerville Papers
巴斯克維爾家族的手稿
'These papers were given to me by Sir Charles Baskerville，'said Dr Mortimer．'He asked me to take good care of them．You may remember that Sir Charles died suddenly three months ago．His death caused much excite－ ment in Devonshire，the county where Baskerville Hall is．Sir Charles was a sensible man，but he believed the story which is told in these papers．'
“這些手稿是查爾斯·巴斯克維爾爵士托付給我的，”摩梯末醫(yī)生道。“他要我保管好這些手稿。您可能還記得，查爾斯爵士于三個月前突然逝去。他的去世在德文郡引起了很大的關注，德文郡就是巴斯克維爾莊園的所在地。查爾斯爵士是位明智人士，但是他相信這些手稿中所講述的故事。”
Dr Mortimer went on：'The story is about the Baskerville family．I have come to see you because I need your help．I think that something terrible is going to happen in the next twenty－ four hours．But you can't help me unless you know the story in these papers．May I read them to you？'
摩梯末醫(yī)生繼續(xù)講道：“這個故事與巴斯克維爾家族有關。因為我需要您的幫助，所以我便來見您。我認為在即將到來的24小時之內(nèi)將會發(fā)生一樁可怕的事情。但是，如果您不了解手稿中所講述的故事的話，那么您就不可能幫得了我。我可以將它讀給您聽嗎？”
'Please continue，Dr Mortimer，'said Holmes，and sat back in his chair with his eyes shut．
“請講下去吧，摩梯末醫(yī)生，”福爾摩斯說道，他還閉著眼睛向后坐了坐。
Mortimer began to read in his high，rather strange，voice：
摩梯末開始以他那高亢、奇特的嗓音讀道：
I，William Baskerville，write this for my sons in the year 1742．My father told me about the Hound of the Baskervilles．He told me when it was first seen，and I be- lieve his story was true．I want you，my sons，to read this story carefully．I want you to know that God punishes those who do evil．But never forget that He will forgive those who are sorry for any evil they have done．
本人，威廉·巴斯克維爾，于1742年為后代寫下了這些。我的父親告訴了我有關巴斯克維爾獵犬的事情。他告訴了我它第一次被人看見的經(jīng)過，我認為他講的故事是真實的。我希望你們，我的孩子們，認真看一看這個故事。我想讓你們知道：上帝一貫懲罰那些為非作歹的人們。但是，永遠不要忘記：上帝將寬恕那些悔過的人們。
Over a hundred years ago，in 1640，the head of the Baskerville family was Sir Hugo Baskerville．He was a wild and evil man．He was cruel and enjoyed hurting peo－ ple．Sir Hugo fell in love with the daughter of a farmer who was a neighbour of his．The young woman was afraid of the evil Hugo，and avoided him．One day，Hugo heard that her father and brothers were away．He knew that she would be alone．So he rode to the farm with five or six of his evil friends．They made the girl go back to Baskerville Hall with them，and locked her in a room upstairs．Then they sat down in the great dining hall to drink．As usual，they drank bottle after bottle and soon they began to sing and laugh and shout evil words．
一百多年前，在1640年，巴斯克維爾家族的頭面人物是雨果·巴斯克維爾爵士。他既放蕩又邪惡。他殘忍，以傷害別人為樂。雨果爵士愛上了與他毗鄰的一位農(nóng)夫的女兒。這位少女害怕這個邪惡的人，而且還躲著他。一天，雨果聽說她的父兄幾人都出門去了。他知道她將獨自一人在家了。因此，他與五六個下流的狐朋狗友策馬去了這個農(nóng)場。他們把她弄回了巴斯克維爾莊園，還把她關在樓上的一個房間里。然后他們便在樓下的大飯廳里坐下痛飲了起來。同往常一樣，他們飲了一瓶又一瓶的酒，不久便開始狂歌亂笑并吐起臟話來。
The girl upstairs，who was already very frightened，felt desperate when she heard the terrible things they were shouting．So she did a very brave thing．She opened the window，climbed out of the room and down the ivy on the wall．Then she started to run across the moor towards her home．
樓上的這位姑娘，這時已是驚恐萬分了，聽到他們所講的那些不堪入耳的臟話時便感到十分絕望。因此，在此情形之下她竟干出一件勇敢的事來。她打開窗戶，從房間里爬出來，順著墻上的常春藤一直爬了下來。然后她就穿過沼地徑直往家中跑去了。
A little while later，Hugo left his friends and went up- stairs to the room to take her some food and drink．When he found an open window and an empty room，he behaved like a man who was mad．He ran down the stairs．He screamed that he would give himself to the Devil if he caught the girl before she reached home．
過了不多一會兒，雨果離開了他的那幫朋友，到樓上的那個房間給她送食物和酒去了。當他發(fā)現(xiàn)窗戶大開、室內(nèi)空空時，他就像中了魔一般。他沖下樓，大叫大嚷著說，只要他能在這個女孩趕回家之前追上她，他就愿把自己獻給魔王任其擺布。
