評論
打印
'Thank you for informing me about this interesting case，'Holmes said．'I read about it at the time，but I heard none of the details．The newspaper gives the facts that everybody knows．Now I want you to tell me all the other facts that you know．What do you know about the strange stories？'
“感謝您告知我有關這個饒有趣味的案件的情況，”福爾摩斯說道。“當時我曾看到過有關它的報導，但是我從未聽到過相關的細節。報紙提供了那些眾所周知的事實。現在我想讓您告訴我您所知道的其他事實。你對這些怪誕的故事知道些什么呢？”
'I haven't told anyone these other facts，'said Dr Mortimer．'I am a man of science，as you know．I have always believed that there are sensible explanations for everything．I didn't want to say anything that could stop Sir Henry from coming to live at the Hall．But I will tell you tile details that were not in the report．'
“我從未告訴過任何人這些內幕，”摩梯末醫生道。“如您所知，我是一位從事科學工作的人。我從來都認為凡事都有個明智的解釋辦法。我當時不想說出阻止亨利爵士前來莊園定居的任何話。可是我將告訴您那些從未在報導中寫進去的種種細節。”
'In the months before his death，'Dr Mortimer went on，'Sir Charles was a very worried man．He was near to breaking down．He believed the story of the Hound of the Baskervilles．He refused to go out at night．He often asked me whether I had seen any strange animal or heard the cry of a hound on the moor at night．He always got very excited when he asked this question．
“在他去世之前的幾個月里，”摩梯末醫生接著說道，“查爾斯爵士已是非常焦慮不安。他幾乎瀕于崩潰的境地。他相信巴斯克維爾獵犬的故事。他拒絕在晚上外出。他常常問我是否在夜間看到過什么奇怪的動物或是聽見過一只獵狗在沼地上的嗥叫聲。每當他問起這個問題的時候他總是變得非常亢奮。”
'I remember driving up to the Hall one evening about three weeks before he died．He was standing at the door．I went up to him，and saw him staring at something behind me．There was a look of horror on his face．I turned quickly and saw something moving between the trees．It looked like a small black cow．He was so frightened that I went to look for the animal．It had disappeared but Sir Charles was very worried．I stayed with him all the evening．It was then he gave me the old papers I have read to you．What I saw that evening may be im- portant when you consider what happened on the night of his death．
“我記得，在他死之前大約三個星期的一天傍晚，我駕著馬車去他的莊園。他正站在門前。我走到他面前，看到他正盯著我背后的什么東西。他的臉上帶著恐怖的神情。我趕快轉過身去，看到有個東西正在樹林之間移動。它看似一頭黑色的小牛。他是如此恐懼不安，我便不得不去那兒四下里尋找一番那個東西了。它已經消失了，可是查爾斯爵士非常擔心。整個晚上我都陪著他。就是在那時，他將我已讀給您聽的那篇古老的手稿交給了我。在您考慮他死去的那個晚上所發生的情況時，我在那個傍晚看到的情況也許會是重要的。”
'When Barrymore，the butler，found Sir Charles'body，he sent someone to fetch me．I checked all the facts．I have just read them to you，and they are all true．
“當白瑞摩，那個總管，發現了查爾斯爵士的尸體時，他派人叫我去了。我核實了所有的情況。我剛才已把它們念給你們聽了，而且這些事實都是確鑿的。”
'But Barrymore said one thing that was not true．He said that there were no other prints on the ground around the body．He did not notice any．But I did．They were not close to the body，but they were fresh and clear．'
“但是白瑞摩有一件事沒講真話。他說，在尸體周圍的地面上沒有別的痕跡。他沒有注意到其他痕跡。可是我注意到了。雖沒有挨著尸體，可是既痕跡猶新而又清晰可見。”
'Footprints？'asked Holmes．
“是足跡嗎？”福爾摩斯問道。
'Yes．Footprints，'said Mortimer．
“是的。是足跡，”摩梯末說道。
'A man's or a woman's？'asked Holmes．
“是男人的還是女人的？”福爾摩斯問道。
Dr Mortimer looked at us strangely for a moment．His voice became a whisper as he answered：
摩梯末奇怪地望了我們一會兒。他回答時聲音變得猶如耳語：
'Mr Holmes，they were the footprints of a huge hound！'
“福爾摩斯先生，是一個極大的獵犬的一些爪印！”
