4.The Stockbroker’s Clerk 证券经纪人的职员
The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes / 福尔摩斯回忆录
福尔摩斯回忆录
Shortly after my marriage I had bought a connection in the Paddington district.
婚后不久，我在帕丁顿区买下了一家诊所。
Old Mr. Farquhar, from whom I purchased it, had at one time an excellent general practice; but his age, and an affliction of the nature of St. Vitus’s dance from which he suffered, had very much thinned it.
卖给我诊所的老法夸尔先生曾一度拥有很好的全科诊疗业务，但由于年事已高，加上患有类似圣维特斯舞蹈病的疾病，病人已大幅减少。
The public not unnaturally goes on the principle that he who would heal others must himself be whole, and looks askance at the curative powers of the man whose own case is beyond the reach of his drugs.
公众理所当然地认为，医者必先自医，如果医生连自己的病都治不好，人们自然会怀疑他的医术。
Thus as my predecessor weakened his practice declined, until when I purchased it from him it had sunk from twelve hundred to little more than three hundred a year.
因此，随着前任医生的衰弱，诊所的业务也每况愈下，当我接手时，年收入已从一千二百英镑降到了三百多英镑。
I had confidence, however, in my own youth and energy, and was convinced that in a very few years the concern would be as flourishing as ever.
不过，我对自己的年轻和精力充满信心，确信不出几年，这家诊所就会恢复往日的繁荣。
For three months after taking over the practice I was kept very closely at work, and saw little of my friend Sherlock Holmes, for I was too busy to visit Baker Street, and he seldom went anywhere himself save upon professional business.
接手诊所后的三个月里，我忙得不可开交，很少见到我的朋友夏洛克·福尔摩斯，因为我太忙没空去贝克街，而他也除了办案外极少出门。
I was surprised, therefore, when, one morning in June, as I sat reading the British Medical Journal after breakfast, I heard a ring at the bell, followed by the high, somewhat strident tones of my old companion’s voice.
因此，六月的一天早晨，当我吃过早饭坐着阅读《英国医学杂志》时，听到门铃响，紧接着传来我那老伙伴高昂而略显尖锐的声音，我感到十分惊讶。
“Ah, my dear Watson,” said he, striding into the room, “I am very delighted to see you! I trust that Mrs. Watson has entirely recovered from all the little excitement connected with our adventure of the Sign of Four.”
“啊，亲爱的华生，”他大步走进房间说道，“见到你真高兴！我想华生太太已经完全从‘四签名’案带来的小小惊吓中恢复了吧。”
“Thank you, we are both very well,” said I, shaking him warmly by the hand.
“谢谢，我们俩都很好，”我说着，热情地握住他的手。
“And I hope, also,” he continued, sitting down in the rocking-chair, “that the cares of medical practice have not entirely obliterated the interest which you used to take in our little deductive problems.”
“我也希望，”他继续说，在摇椅上坐下，“繁忙的医务工作没有完全抹去你对我们那些小小推理问题的兴趣。”
“On the contrary,” I answered, “it was only last night that I was looking over my old notes, and classifying some of our past results.”
“恰恰相反，”我回答，“就在昨晚，我还在翻阅旧笔记，整理我们过去的一些案例。”
“I trust that you don’t consider your collection closed.”
“希望你还没有打算停止收集这些案例。”
“Not at all. I should wish nothing better than to have some more of such experiences.”
“完全没有。我求之不得能有更多这样的经历。”
“To-day, for example?”
“比如今天？”
“Yes, to-day, if you like.”
“好的，如果你愿意的话，今天就走。”
“And as far off as Birmingham?”
“甚至远到伯明翰？”
“Certainly, if you wish it.”
“当然，只要你想去。”
“And the practice?”
“那诊所怎么办？”
“I do my neighbour’s when he goes. He is always ready to work off the debt.”
“我邻居外出时我替他看诊，他也总是乐意替我还这个人情。”
“Ha! Nothing could be better,” said Holmes, leaning back in his chair and looking keenly at me from under his half closed lids.
“哈！再好不过了，”福尔摩斯说着，向后靠在椅背上，半眯着眼睛敏锐地看着我。
“I perceive that you have been unwell lately. Summer colds are always a little trying.”
“我看你最近身体不太舒服。夏天的感冒总是让人难受。”
“I was confined to the house by a severe chill for three days last week. I thought, however, that I had cast off every trace of it.”
“上周我因重感冒在家躺了三天。不过我以为已经好透了。”
“So you have. You look remarkably robust.”
“确实好了。你看起来气色很好。”
“How, then, did you know of it?”
“那你怎么知道的？”
“My dear fellow, you know my methods.”
“亲爱的朋友，你知道我的方法。”
“You deduced it, then?”
“那你又是推理出来的？”
“Certainly.”
“当然。”
“And from what?”
“根据什么？”
“From your slippers.”
“根据你的拖鞋。”
I glanced down at the new patent leather which I was wearing. “How on earth—” I began, but Holmes answered my question before it was asked.
我低头看了一眼脚上穿的新漆皮拖鞋。“究竟怎么……”我刚开口，福尔摩斯就在我提问之前回答了。
“Your slippers are new,” he said. “You could not have had them more than a few weeks. The soles which you are at this moment presenting to me are slightly scorched. For a moment I thought they might have got wet and been burned in the drying. But near the instep there is a small circular wafer of paper with the shopman’s hieroglyphics upon it. Damp would of course have removed this. You had, then, been sitting with your feet outstretched to the fire, which a man would hardly do even in so wet a June as this if he were in his full health.”
“你的拖鞋是新的，”他说，“买了不超过几周。你现在对着我的鞋底有轻微的焦痕。起初我以为可能是弄湿了在烤火时烧焦的。但在脚背附近有一个小圆纸片，上面写着店家的标记。如果是受潮烤干，纸片早就掉了。所以，你是把脚伸向火炉烤焦的，即便在这个潮湿的六月，一个健康的人也不会这么做。”
Like all Holmes’s reasoning the thing seemed simplicity itself when it was once explained. He read the thought upon my features, and his smile had a tinge of bitterness.
就像福尔摩斯所有的推理一样，一旦解释清楚，事情就显得极其简单。他看出了我的心思，笑容中带着一丝苦涩。
“I am afraid that I rather give myself away when I explain,” said he. “Results without causes are much more impressive. You are ready to come to Birmingham, then?”
“恐怕我一解释就露馅了，”他说，“只有结果而没有推导过程才更令人印象深刻。那么你准备好去伯明翰了吗？”
“Certainly. What is the case?”
“当然。是什么案子？”
“You shall hear it all in the train. My client is outside in a four-wheeler. Can you come at once?”
“你在火车上就能听到全部经过。我的委托人就在外面的四轮马车里。能马上走吗？”
“In an instant.” I scribbled a note to my neighbour, rushed upstairs to explain the matter to my wife, and joined Holmes upon the door-step.
“马上就好。”我给邻居写了张便条，冲上楼跟妻子说明情况，然后在门口与福尔摩斯会合。
“Your neighbour is a doctor,” said he, nodding at the brass plate.
“你的邻居也是医生，”他看着黄铜铭牌点头说道。
“Yes; he bought a practice as I did.”
“是的；他和我一样买下了一个诊所。”
“An old-established one?”
“是老诊所吗？”
“Just the same as mine. Both have been ever since the houses were built.”
“跟我的一样。这两家诊所自从房子建成时就存在了。”
“Ah! Then you got hold of the best of the two.”
“啊！那你拿到了两家之中更好的那个。”
“I think I did. But how do you know?”
“我想是的。但你怎么知道？”
“By the steps, my boy. Yours are worn three inches deeper than his. But this gentleman in the cab is my client, Mr. Hall Pycroft. Allow me to introduce you to him. Whip your horse up, cabby, for we have only just time to catch our train.”
“看台阶，伙计。你那边的台阶比他的磨损深了三英寸。不过马车里的这位绅士是我的委托人，霍尔·派克罗夫特先生。请允许我把你介绍给他。车夫，快点赶马，我们刚好赶上火车。”
The man whom I found myself facing was a well-built, fresh-complexioned young fellow, with a frank, honest face and a slight, crisp, yellow moustache.
我面前的这个年轻人身材健壮，面色红润，面容坦率诚实，留着淡淡的黄色脆胡茬。
He wore a very shiny top hat and a neat suit of sober black, which made him look what he was—a smart young City man, of the class who have been labeled cockneys, but who give us our crack volunteer regiments, and who turn out more fine athletes and sportsmen than any body of men in these islands.
他戴着一顶闪亮的礼帽，穿着一套整洁素雅的黑色西装，这让他看起来名副其实——一个精明的伦敦金融城青年，属于被称作“考克尼”的阶层，但他们组成了我们最精锐的志愿军团，并且出产的优秀运动员和体育爱好者比岛上任何群体都多。
His round, ruddy face was naturally full of cheeriness, but the corners of his mouth seemed to me to be pulled down in a half-comical distress.
他圆润红润的脸上原本充满喜气，但嘴角似乎带着几分滑稽的苦恼下垂着。
It was not, however, until we were all in a first-class carriage and well started upon our journey to Birmingham that I was able to learn what the trouble was which had driven him to Sherlock Holmes.
然而，直到我们都坐进一等车厢，踏上前往伯明翰的旅程后，我才得以了解究竟是什么麻烦驱使他来找夏洛克·福尔摩斯。
“We have a clear run here of seventy minutes,” Holmes remarked.
“我们要在这里顺畅地行驶七十分钟，”福尔摩斯评论道。
“I want you, Mr. Hall Pycroft, to tell my friend your very interesting experience exactly as you have told it to me, or with more detail if possible. It will be of use to me to hear the succession of events again. It is a case, Watson, which may prove to have something in it, or may prove to have nothing, but which, at least, presents those unusual and outré features which are as dear to you as they are to me. Now, Mr. Pycroft, I shall not interrupt you again.”
“我希望你，霍尔·派克罗夫特先生，把你告诉过我的那段非常有趣的经历原原本本地讲给我的朋友听，如果可能的话，细节可以更丰富些。再听一遍事情的经过对我很有用。华生，这个案子可能大有文章，也可能毫无价值，但至少它呈现出那些非同寻常且离奇的特征，这对你我都同样珍贵。现在，派克罗夫特先生，我不会再打断你了。”
Our young companion looked at me with a twinkle in his eye.
我们年轻的同伴眼里闪着光看着我。
“The worst of the story is,” said he, “that I show myself up as such a confounded fool. Of course it may work out all right, and I don’t see that I could have done otherwise; but if I have lost my crib and get nothing in exchange I shall feel what a soft Johnnie I have been. I’m not very good at telling a story, Dr. Watson, but it is like this with me:
“这故事最糟糕的是，”他说，“显得我是个十足的蠢货。当然结果可能还好，我也看不出当时还能怎么做；但如果丢了饭碗又一无所获，我会觉得自己真是个软蛋。华生医生，我不太擅长讲故事，但我的情况是这样的：
“I used to have a billet at Coxon & Woodhouse, of Drapers’ Gardens, but they were let in early in the spring through the Venezuelan loan, as no doubt you remember, and came a nasty cropper. I had been with them five years, and old Coxon gave me a ripping good testimonial when the smash came, but of course we clerks were all turned adrift, the twenty-seven of us. I tried here and tried there, but there were lots of other chaps on the same lay as myself, and it was a perfect frost for a long time. I had been taking three pounds a week at Coxon’s, and I had saved about seventy of them, but I soon worked my way through that and out at the other end. I was fairly at the end of my tether at last, and could hardly find the stamps to answer the advertisements or the envelopes to stick them to. I had worn out my boots paddling up office stairs, and I seemed just as far from getting a billet as ever.
“我曾在德雷珀花园的考克森-伍德豪斯公司任职，但正如你可能记得的那样，今年初春他们因委内瑞拉贷款受挫而倒闭了。我在他们那里干了五年，破产时老考克森给了我一份极好的推荐信，但我们二十七个职员自然都被解雇了。我四处求职，但像我这样的人太多了，很长一段时间都毫无进展。我在考克森公司每周薪水三英镑，攒了大约七十英镑，但很快就花光了。最后我真的走投无路了，连回信贴邮票的钱和信封都快没了。为了跑写字楼找工作，靴子都磨破了，可找工作的事依然遥遥无期。
“At last I saw a vacancy at Mawson & Williams’, the great stockbroking firm in Lombard Street. I daresay E.C. is not much in your line, but I can tell you that this is about the richest house in London. The advertisement was to be answered by letter only. I sent in my testimonial and application, but without the least hope of getting it. Back came an answer by return, saying that if I would appear next Monday I might take over my new duties at once, provided that my appearance was satisfactory. No one knows how these things are worked. Some people say that the manager just plunges his hand into the heap and takes the first that comes. Anyhow it was my innings that time, and I don’t ever wish to feel better pleased. The screw was a pound a week rise, and the duties just about the same as at Coxon’s.
“终于，我看到伦巴第街的大型证券公司莫森-威廉姆斯公司有个空缺。我敢说E.C.（伦敦东区邮编）不是你们熟悉的领域，但我可以告诉你，这大概是伦敦最富有的公司之一。招聘广告要求仅通过信函应聘。我寄去了推荐信和申请，但几乎不抱希望。没想到很快就收到了回信，说如果我下周一去面试且形象合格，就可以立即上任。没人知道这种事是怎么运作的。有人说经理只是把手伸进一堆信件里随便抓了一封。不管怎样，这次轮到我了，我从未如此高兴过。周薪涨了一英镑，工作内容也和考克森公司差不多。
“And now I come to the queer part of the business. I was in diggings out Hampstead way—17, Potter’s Terrace. Well, I was sitting doing a smoke that very evening after I had been promised the appointment, when up came my landlady with a card which had ‘Arthur Pinner, Financial Agent,’ printed upon it. I had never heard the name before and could not imagine what he wanted with me; but, of course, I asked her to show him up. In he walked, a middle-sized, dark-haired, dark-eyed, black-bearded man, with a touch of the Sheeny about his nose. He had a brisk kind of way with him and spoke sharply, like a man who knew the value of time.”
“现在说到奇怪的部分了。我当时住在汉普斯特德那边的出租屋——波特露台17号。就在我得到录用通知的那天晚上，我正坐着抽烟，房东太太拿来一张名片，上面印着‘亚瑟·平纳，金融代理人’。我以前从未听过这个名字，也想不出他找我有什么事；但我还是让她把他请上来。他走了进来，中等身材，黑发黑眼，留着黑胡子，鼻子有点像犹太人。他举止干练，说话干脆利落，像是个深知时间宝贵的人。”
“‘Mr. Hall Pycroft, I believe?’” said he.
“‘想必是霍尔·派克罗夫特先生吧？’他说。
“‘Yes, sir,’ I answered, pushing a chair towards him.
“‘是的，先生，’我回答，给他推过去一把椅子。
“‘Lately engaged at Coxon & Woodhouse’s? ’
“‘最近在考克森-伍德豪斯公司任职？’
“‘Yes, sir. ’
“‘是的，先生。’
“‘And now on the staff of Mawson’s. ’
“‘现在已经是莫森公司的员工了。’
“‘Quite so. ’
“‘没错。’
“‘Well,’ said he, ‘the fact is that I have heard some really extraordinary stories about your financial ability. You remember Parker, who used to be Coxon’s manager? He can never say enough about it.’
“‘好吧，’他说，‘事实上，我听到了一些关于你理财能力的非凡传闻。你还记得考克森的前经理帕克吗？他对你的赞赏简直滔滔不绝。’
“Of course I was pleased to hear this. I had always been pretty sharp in the office, but I had never dreamed that I was talked about in the City in this fashion.
听到这话我当然很高兴。我在办公室里一直挺机灵的，但从没想过自己在金融城竟有这样的名声。
“‘You have a good memory? ’ said he.
“‘你记性好吗？’他问。
“‘Pretty fair,’ I answered, modestly.
“‘还算不错，’我谦虚地回答。
“‘Have you kept in touch with the market while you have been out of work? ’ he asked.
“‘失业期间你还在关注市场行情吗？’他问。
“‘Yes; I read the Stock Exchange List every morning. ’
“‘是的；我每天早上都读证券交易所行情表。’
“‘Now that shows real application! ’ he cried. ‘That is the way to prosper! You won’t mind my testing you, will you? Let me see. How are Ayrshires?’
“‘这才叫真正的用心！’他叫道。‘这就是成功的秘诀！你不介意我考考你吧？让我想想。艾尔郡股票行情如何？’
“‘A hundred and six and a quarter to a hundred and five and seven-eighths. ’
“‘一百零六点二五到一百零五点八七五。’
“‘And New Zealand Consolidated? ’
“‘新西兰联合公债呢？’
“‘A hundred and four.
“‘一百零四。’
“‘And British Broken Hills? ’
“‘英国布罗肯希尔矿业呢？’
“‘Seven to seven-and-six. ’
“‘七先令到七先令六便士。’
“‘Wonderful! ’ he cried, with his hands up. ‘This quite fits in with all that I had heard. My boy, my boy, you are very much too good to be a clerk at Mawson’s!’
“‘太棒了！’他举起双手叫道。‘这完全印证了我听到的传闻。小伙子，小伙子，以你的才华屈尊做莫森公司的职员实在太可惜了！’
“This outburst rather astonished me, as you can think. ‘Well,’ said I, ‘other people don’t think quite so much of me as you seem to do, Mr. Pinner. I had a hard enough fight to get this berth, and I am very glad to have it.’
你可以想象，这番话让我颇为吃惊。‘嗯，’我说，‘别人可不像您这么看重我，平纳先生。我可是费了好大劲才得到这个职位的，我很珍惜它。’
“‘Pooh, man; you should soar above it. You are not in your true sphere. Now, I’ll tell you how it stands with me. What I have to offer is little enough when measured by your ability, but when compared with Mawson’s, it’s light to dark. Let me see. When do you go to Mawson’s? ’
“‘呸，老兄；你应该飞得更高。这里不是你施展才华的地方。现在，我来告诉你我这边的情况。以你的能力衡量，我能提供的报酬微不足道，但与莫森公司相比，那可是天壤之别。让我想想。你什么时候去莫森上班？’
“‘On Monday. ’
“‘周一。’
“‘Ha, ha! I think I would risk a little sporting flutter that you don’t go there at all. ’
“‘哈哈！我倒想打个赌，你根本不会去那儿。’
“‘Not go to Mawson’s? ’
“‘不去莫森公司？’
“‘No, sir. By that day you will be the business manager of the Franco-Midland Hardware Company, Limited, with a hundred and thirty-four branches in the towns and villages of France, not counting one in Brussels and one in San Remo. ’
“‘是的，先生。到那天，你将成为法米五金有限公司的总经理，该公司在法国城乡拥有一百三十四家分店，还不包括布鲁塞尔和圣雷莫的各一家。’
“This took my breath away. ‘I never heard of it,’ said I.
这让我目瞪口呆。‘我从没听说过这家公司，’我说。
“‘Very likely not. It has been kept very quiet, for the capital was all privately subscribed, and it’s too good a thing to let the public into. My brother, Harry Pinner, is promoter, and joins the board after allotment as managing director. He knew I was in the swim down here, and asked me to pick up a good man cheap. A young, pushing man with plenty of snap about him. Parker spoke of you, and that brought me here to-night. We can only offer you a beggarly five hundred to start with. ’
“‘很可能没听过。这事一直很保密，因为资金全是私下募集的，利润太丰厚不想让公众参与。我哥哥哈里·平纳是发起人，配股后将作为常务董事加入董事会。他知道我在这一行混，让我找个物美价廉的好手。一个年轻有为、精明干练的人。帕克提到了你，所以我今晚才来。我们起步只能给你区区五百英镑年薪。’
“‘Five hundred a year! ’ I shouted.
“‘年薪五百英镑！’我喊道。
“‘Only that at the beginning; but you are to have an overriding commission of one per cent on all business done by your agents, and you may take my word for it that this will come to more than your salary. ’
“‘这只是起薪；但你还可以从下属代理的所有业务中获得百分之一的总提成，相信我，这笔钱会比你的薪水还多。’
“‘But I know nothing about hardware. ’
“‘但我对五金一窍不通啊。’
“‘Tut, my boy; you know about figures. ’
“‘啧，小伙子；你懂数字就行。’
“My head buzzed, and I could hardly sit still in my chair. But suddenly a little chill of doubt came upon me.
我头脑发晕，几乎坐不住了。但突然一丝疑虑涌上心头。
“‘I must be frank with you,’ said I. ‘Mawson only gives me two hundred, but Mawson is safe. Now, really, I know so little about your company that—’
“‘我必须坦白说，’我说。‘莫森只给两百，但莫森稳妥可靠。老实说，我对贵公司知之甚少，所以……’
“‘Ah, smart, smart! ’ he cried, in a kind of ecstasy of delight. ‘You are the very man for us. You are not to be talked over, and quite right, too. Now, here’s a note for a hundred pounds, and if you think that we can do business you may just slip it into your pocket as an advance upon your salary.’
“‘啊，精明，真精明！’他欣喜若狂地叫道。‘你就是我们要找的人。你不会轻易被人忽悠，这很对。给，这是一百英镑钞票，如果你觉得我们可以合作，就把它装进口袋当作预支薪水吧。’
“‘That is very handsome,’ said I. ‘When should I take over my new duties?’
“‘这太慷慨了，’我说。‘我什么时候上任？’
“‘Be in Birmingham to-morrow at one,’ said he. ‘I have a note in my pocket here which you will take to my brother. You will find him at 126B, Corporation Street, where the temporary offices of the company are situated. Of course he must confirm your engagement, but between ourselves it will be all right.’
“‘明天一点钟到伯明翰，’他说。‘我口袋里有一封信，你带给我哥哥。他在市政街126B号，那是公司的临时办公室。当然他必须正式确认聘用你，但咱们私下说，这事就这么定了。’
“‘Really, I hardly know how to express my gratitude, Mr. Pinner,’ said I.
“‘真的，我不知道该如何表达感激之情，平纳先生，’我说。
“‘Not at all, my boy. You have only got your deserts. There are one or two small things—mere formalities—which I must arrange with you. You have a bit of paper beside you there. Kindly write upon it “I am perfectly willing to act as business manager to the Franco-Midland Hardware Company, Limited, at a minimum salary of £500.”’
“‘不必客气，小伙子。这是你应得的。还有一两件小事——纯粹是手续——我得跟你办一下。你手边有张纸。请在上面写下：“本人完全愿意担任法米五金有限公司总经理，最低年薪五百英镑。”’
“I did as he asked, and he put the paper in his pocket.
我照做了，他把纸条放进了口袋。
“‘There is one other detail,’ said he. ‘What do you intend to do about Mawson’s?’
“‘还有一个细节，’他说。‘莫森那边你打算怎么处理？’
“I had forgotten all about Mawson’s in my joy. ‘I’ll write and resign,’ said I.
高兴之余我早把莫森抛到九霄云外了。‘我写信辞职，’我说。
“‘Precisely what I don’t want you to do. I had a row over you with Mawson’s manager. I had gone up to ask him about you, and he was very offensive; accused me of coaxing you away from the service of the firm, and that sort of thing. At last I fairly lost my temper. “If you want good men you should pay them a good price,” said I. ’
“‘这正是我不想让你做的。我和莫森的经理为你吵了一架。我去打听你的情况，他很无礼，指责我挖他们墙角之类的。最后我实在忍不住了。“想要人才就得付高薪，”我说。’
“‘He would rather have our small price than your big one,’ said he.
“‘他说你宁愿拿我们的小钱也不愿拿他们的大钱。’
“‘I’ll lay you a fiver,’ said I, ‘that when he has my offer you’ll never so much as hear from him again.’
“‘我跟你赌五镑，’我说，‘等他看到我的报价，你就再也收不到他的消息了。’
“‘Done!’ said he. ‘We picked him out of the gutter, and he won’t leave us so easily.’ Those were his very words.”
“‘成交！’他说。‘我们把他是从阴沟里捞出来的，他不会那么容易离开我们。’这就是他的原话。”
“‘The impudent scoundrel! ’ I cried. ‘I’ve never so much as seen him in my life. Why should I consider him in any way? I shall certainly not write if you would rather I didn’t.’
“‘无耻的混蛋！’我叫道。‘我这辈子都没见过他。凭什么要考虑他的感受？既然您不希望我写，那我肯定不写了。’
“‘Good! That’s a promise,’ said he, rising from his chair. ‘Well, I’m delighted to have got so good a man for my brother. Here’s your advance of a hundred pounds, and here is the letter. Make a note of the address, 126B, Corporation Street, and remember that one o’clock to-morrow is your appointment. Good-night; and may you have all the fortune that you deserve!’
“‘好！一言为定，’他说着站起身来。‘能为我哥哥找到这么优秀的人才，我很高兴。这是预付的一百英镑，这是信。记下地址，市政街126B号，记住明天一点钟是你的预约时间。晚安；祝你获得应得的好运！’
“That’s just about all that passed between us, as near as I can remember. You can imagine, Dr. Watson, how pleased I was at such an extraordinary bit of good fortune. I sat up half the night hugging myself over it, and next day I was off to Birmingham in a train that would take me in plenty time for my appointment. I took my things to a hotel in New Street, and then I made my way to the address which had been given me.
据我记忆所及，我们之间谈的就是这些。华生医生，你可以想象，面对这样从天而降的好运，我有多高兴。我半夜没睡，暗自窃喜，第二天就乘火车赶往伯明翰，时间充裕足以赴约。我把行李放在新街的旅馆，然后前往给我的地址。
“It was a quarter of an hour before my time, but I thought that would make no difference. 126B, was a passage between two large shops, which led to a winding stone stair, from which there were many flats, let as offices to companies or professional men. The names of the occupants were painted at the bottom on the wall, but there was no such name as the Franco-Midland Hardware Company, Limited. I stood for a few minutes with my heart in my boots, wondering whether the whole thing was an elaborate hoax or not, when up came a man and addressed me. He was very like the chap I had seen the night before, the same figure and voice, but he was clean shaven and his hair was lighter.
比约定时间早了一刻钟，但我想没关系。126B号是两家大商店之间的通道，通向蜿蜒的石阶，上面有许多公寓租给公司或专业人士作办公室。住户的名字写在墙根处，但没有法米五金有限公司的名字。我心惊胆战地站了几分钟，怀疑这一切是否是个精心策划的骗局，这时一个人走上来跟我搭话。他和昨晚那人很像，身材声音都一样，但他刮净了脸，头发颜色也浅些。
“‘Are you Mr. Hall Pycroft? ’ he asked.
“‘你是霍尔·派克罗夫特先生吗？’他问。
“‘Yes,’ said I.
“‘是的，’我说。
“‘Oh! I was expecting you, but you are a trifle before your time. I had a note from my brother this morning in which he sang your praises very loudly. ’
“‘哦！我在等你，不过你来早了一点。今早收到我哥哥的信，他对你赞不绝口。’
“‘I was just looking for the offices when you came. ’
“‘你来的时候我正在找办公室。’
“‘We have not got our name up yet, for we only secured these temporary premises last week. Come up with me, and we will talk the matter over. ’
“‘我们还没挂招牌，因为上周才租下这个临时场所。跟我上去吧，我们详谈。’
“I followed him to the top of a very lofty stair, and there, right under the slates, were a couple of empty, dusty little rooms, uncarpeted and uncurtained, into which he led me. I had thought of a great office with shining tables and rows of clerks, such as I was used to, and I daresay I stared rather straight at the two deal chairs and one little table, which, with a ledger and a waste paper basket, made up the whole furniture.
我跟着他爬上很高的楼梯，就在屋顶瓦片下面，有两间空荡荡、满是灰尘的小房间，既没地毯也没窗帘，他把我领了进去。我本以为会看到宽敞明亮的办公室、成排的职员和闪光的桌子，就像我习惯的那样，所以我大概直愣愣地盯着那两把松木椅和一张小桌子，加上一本账簿和一个废纸篓，这就是全部家具了。
“‘Don’t be disheartened, Mr. Pycroft,’ said my new acquaintance, seeing the length of my face. ‘Rome was not built in a day, and we have lots of money at our backs, though we don’t cut much dash yet in offices. Pray sit down, and let me have your letter.’
“‘别灰心，派克罗夫特先生，’这位新相识看到我拉长的脸说道。‘罗马非一日建成，我们背后资金雄厚，虽然办公室目前还不够气派。请坐，把信给我吧。’
“I gave it to him, and he read it over very carefully.
我把信递给他，他看得非常仔细。
“‘You seem to have made a vast impression upon my brother Arthur,’ said he; ‘and I know that he is a pretty shrewd judge. He swears by London, you know; and I by Birmingham; but this time I shall follow his advice. Pray consider yourself definitely engaged.’
“‘看来你给我哥哥亚瑟留下了深刻印象，’他说；‘我知道他眼光很准。你知道，他迷信伦敦；而我信赖伯明翰；但这次我听他的。请视自己已被正式录用。’
“‘What are my duties? ’ I asked.
“‘我的职责是什么？’我问。
“‘You will eventually manage the great depôt in Paris, which will pour a flood of English crockery into the shops of a hundred and thirty-four agents in France. The purchase will be completed in a week, and meanwhile you will remain in Birmingham and make yourself useful. ’
“‘最终你将管理巴黎的大型仓库，向法国一百三十四家代理商的店铺供应大量英国陶器。收购将在一周内完成，在此期间你留在伯明翰做些有用的事。’
“‘How? ’
“‘做什么？’
“For answer, he took a big red book out of a drawer.
作为回答，他从抽屉里拿出一本大红书。
“‘This is a directory of Paris,’ said he, ‘with the trades after the names of the people. I want you to take it home with you, and to mark off all the hardware sellers, with their addresses. It would be of the greatest use to me to have them.’
“‘这是巴黎名录，’他说，‘人名后面附有行业信息。我要你把它带回去，把所有五金商的地址都标出来。这对我大有用处。’
“‘Surely there are classified lists? ’ I suggested.
“‘难道没有分类列表吗？’我建议道。
“‘Not reliable ones. Their system is different from ours. Stick at it, and let me have the lists by Monday, at twelve. Good-day, Mr. Pycroft. If you continue to show zeal and intelligence you will find the company a good master. ’
“‘那些不可靠。他们的体系跟我们不同。坚持做下去，周一十二点前把名单给我。再见，派克罗夫特先生。如果你继续保持热情和才智，你会发现公司是个好东家。’
“I went back to the hotel with the big book under my arm, and with very conflicting feelings in my breast. On the one hand, I was definitely engaged and had a hundred pounds in my pocket; on the other, the look of the offices, the absence of name on the wall, and other of the points which would strike a business man had left a bad impression as to the position of my employers. However, come what might, I had my money, so I settled down to my task. All Sunday I was kept hard at work, and yet by Monday I had only got as far as H. I went round to my employer, found him in the same dismantled kind of room, and was told to keep at it until Wednesday, and then come again. On Wednesday it was still unfinished, so I hammered away until Friday—that is, yesterday. Then I brought it round to Mr. Harry Pinner.
我夹着那本大书回到旅馆，心情十分矛盾。一方面，我被正式录用且兜里揣着一百英镑；另一方面，办公室的样子、墙上没有招牌以及其他会让生意人警觉的细节，让我对雇主的状况印象不佳。然而，无论如何，钱到手了，我便安心干活。整个星期天我都在埋头苦干，但到周一才查到H字母。我去见雇主，发现他还在那个简陋的房间里，他让我继续做到周三再来。周三还没做完，我又拼命干到周五——也就是昨天。然后把成果带给哈里·平纳先生。
“‘Thank you very much,’ said he; ‘I fear that I underrated the difficulty of the task. This list will be of very material assistance to me.’
“‘非常感谢，’他说；‘恐怕我低估了这项任务的难度。这份名单对我将有实质性帮助。’
“‘It took some time,’ said I.
“‘花了不少时间，’我说。
“‘And now,’ said he, ‘I want you to make a list of the furniture shops, for they all sell crockery.’
“‘现在，’他说，‘我要你再列一份家具店的名单，因为他们都卖陶器。’
“‘Very good. ’
“‘好的。’
“‘And you can come up to-morrow evening, at seven, and let me know how you are getting on. Don’t overwork yourself. A couple of hours at Day’s Music Hall in the evening would do you no harm after your labours.’ He laughed as he spoke, and I saw with a thrill that his second tooth upon the left-hand side had been very badly stuffed with gold.”
“‘明天晚上七点你可以过来汇报进度。别累坏了。辛苦之后去戴氏音乐厅放松两小时对你没坏处。’他说着笑了起来，我惊恐地发现他左侧第二颗牙齿镶着显眼的金牙。”
Sherlock Holmes rubbed his hands with delight, and I stared with astonishment at our client.
夏洛克·福尔摩斯高兴地搓着手，我则惊讶地盯着我们的委托人。
“You may well look surprised, Dr. Watson; but it is this way,” said he: “When I was speaking to the other chap in London, at the time that he laughed at my not going to Mawson’s, I happened to notice that his tooth was stuffed in this very identical fashion. The glint of the gold in each case caught my eye, you see. When I put that with the voice and figure being the same, and only those things altered which might be changed by a razor or a wig, I could not doubt that it was the same man. Of course you expect two brothers to be alike, but not that they should have the same tooth stuffed in the same way. He bowed me out, and I found myself in the street, hardly knowing whether I was on my head or my heels. Back I went to my hotel, put my head in a basin of cold water, and tried to think it out. Why had he sent me from London to Birmingham? Why had he got there before me? And why had he written a letter from himself to himself? It was altogether too much for me, and I could make no sense of it. And then suddenly it struck me that what was dark to me might be very light to Mr. Sherlock Holmes. I had just time to get up to town by the night train to see him this morning, and to bring you both back with me to Birmingham.”
“你感到惊讶很正常，华生医生；事情是这样的，”他说：“当我在伦敦跟另一个人谈话时，在他嘲笑我不去莫森公司的那一刻，我碰巧注意到他的牙齿也是这样镶的。你看，两次金光一闪都引起了我的注意。再加上声音身材相同，只有剃刀或假发能改变的外貌特征不同，我毫不怀疑就是同一个人。当然兄弟相像很正常，但不可能连镶牙的方式都一模一样。他把我送出门，我发现自己站在街上，简直晕头转向。我回到旅馆，把头浸在冷水盆里试图理清思路。为什么要把我从伦敦支到伯明翰？为什么他比我先到？为什么要自己给自己写信？这一切对我来说太离谱了，完全理不出头绪。然后我突然想到，对我来说一团漆黑的事，对夏洛克·福尔摩斯先生来说可能一目了然。我刚好赶上夜车进城，今早见到了他，并把你们两位都带回伯明翰。”
There was a pause after the stockbroker’s clerk had concluded his surprising experience. Then Sherlock Holmes cocked his eye at me, leaning back on the cushions with a pleased and yet critical face, like a connoisseur who has just taken his first sip of a comet vintage.
证券经纪人的职员讲完这段离奇经历后，停顿了一会儿。然后夏洛克·福尔摩斯向我使了个眼色，靠在靠垫上，脸上带着满意而又挑剔的神情，就像一位鉴赏家刚品尝了一口彗星年份的陈酿。
“Rather fine, Watson, is it not?” said he. “There are points in it which please me. I think that you will agree with me that an interview with Mr. Arthur Harry Pinner in the temporary offices of the Franco-Midland Hardware Company, Limited, would be a rather interesting experience for both of us.”
“相当精彩，不是吗，华生？”他说。“其中有几点让我很满意。我想你会同意我的看法，去法米五金有限公司的临时办公室拜访亚瑟·哈里·平纳先生，对我们俩来说都将是一次相当有趣的体验。”
“But how can we do it?” I asked.
“但我们该怎么做呢？”我问。
“Oh, easily enough,” said Hall Pycroft, cheerily. “You are two friends of mine who are in want of a billet, and what could be more natural than that I should bring you both round to the managing director?”
“噢，很容易，”霍尔·派克罗夫特愉快地说。“你们是我的两个朋友，正在找工作，我把你们带去见常务董事岂不是顺理成章？”
“Quite so, of course,” said Holmes. “I should like to have a look at the gentleman, and see if I can make anything of his little game. What qualities have you, my friend, which would make your services so valuable? or is it possible that—” He began biting his nails and staring blankly out of the window, and we hardly drew another word from him until we were in New Street.
“当然，确实如此，”福尔摩斯说。“我倒想看看这位先生，看他能不能在我的小把戏里看出什么名堂。我的朋友，你有什么特质能让你的服务如此有价值？或者有可能是……”他开始咬指甲，茫然地盯着窗外，直到抵达新街，我们再也没能从他那引出半个字。
At seven o’clock that evening we were walking, the three of us, down Corporation Street to the company’s offices.
当晚七点，我们三人沿着市政街走向该公司的办公室。
“It is no use our being at all before our time,” said our client. “He only comes there to see me, apparently, for the place is deserted up to the very hour he names.”
“我们没必要提前到，”委托人说。“显然他只在那里见我，因为在他指定的时间之前，那地方都是空的。”
“That is suggestive,” remarked Holmes.
“这很耐人寻味，”福尔摩斯评论道。
“By Jove, I told you so!” cried the clerk. “That’s he walking ahead of us there.”
“天哪，我就说吧！”职员叫道。“前面走着的就是他。”
He pointed to a smallish, dark, well-dressed man who was bustling along the other side of the road. As we watched him he looked across at a boy who was bawling out the latest edition of the evening paper, and running over among the cabs and busses, he bought one from him. Then, clutching it in his hand, he vanished through a doorway.
他指着马路对面一个身材矮小、肤色黝黑、衣着考究的男人，那人正匆匆赶路。就在我们注视着他时，他看向对面一个高声叫卖晚报最新版的男孩，穿过马车和公交车跑去买了一份。然后手里紧攥着报纸，消失在一个门洞里。
“There he goes!” cried Hall Pycroft. “These are the company’s offices into which he has gone. Come with me, and I’ll fix it up as easily as possible.”
“他进去了！”霍尔·派克罗夫特叫道。“那就是他进去的公司办公室。跟我来，我会尽可能轻松地安排好一切。”
Following his lead, we ascended five stories, until we found ourselves outside a half-opened door, at which our client tapped. A voice within bade us enter, and we entered a bare, unfurnished room such as Hall Pycroft had described. At the single table sat the man whom we had seen in the street, with his evening paper spread out in front of him, and as he looked up at us it seemed to me that I had never looked upon a face which bore such marks of grief, and of something beyond grief—of a horror such as comes to few men in a lifetime. His brow glistened with perspiration, his cheeks were of the dull, dead white of a fish’s belly, and his eyes were wild and staring. He looked at his clerk as though he failed to recognise him, and I could see by the astonishment depicted upon our conductor’s face that this was by no means the usual appearance of his employer.
跟着他，我们爬上五楼，来到一扇半开的门前，委托人敲了敲门。里面有人让我们进去，我们走进一间如霍尔·派克罗夫特所描述的空荡无家具的房间。那张唯一的桌子旁坐着我们刚才在街上看到的男人，面前摊着晚报，当他抬头看我们时，我觉得从未见过一张如此悲痛欲绝的脸，甚至超越了悲痛——那是一种常人一生难得一见的极度恐惧。他额头冒着汗珠，脸颊呈现出鱼肚般死寂的灰白，眼神狂野呆滞。他看着自己的职员仿佛不认识一般，从向导脸上的震惊表情可以看出，这绝非他雇主平时的模样。
“You look ill, Mr. Pinner!” he exclaimed.
“您看起来病了，平纳先生！”他惊呼道。
“Yes, I am not very well,” answered the other, making obvious efforts to pull himself together, and licking his dry lips before he spoke. “Who are these gentlemen whom you have brought with you?”
“是的，我不太舒服，”对方回答，明显努力镇定下来，开口前舔了舔干燥的嘴唇。“你带来的这两位先生是谁？”
“One is Mr. Harris, of Bermondsey, and the other is Mr. Price, of this town,” said our clerk, glibly. “They are friends of mine and gentlemen of experience, but they have been out of a place for some little time, and they hoped that perhaps you might find an opening for them in the company’s employment.”
“一位是来自伯蒙德西的哈里斯先生，另一位是本市的普莱斯先生，”我们的职员流利地说。“他们是我的朋友，都是有经验的绅士，但失业有一阵子了，希望您能在公司给他们安排个职位。”
“Very possibly! Very possibly!” cried Mr. Pinner with a ghastly smile. “Yes, I have no doubt that we shall be able to do something for you. What is your particular line, Mr. Harris?”
“很有可能！很有可能！”平纳先生惨笑着叫道。“是的，我相信我们能为您做点什么。您是做哪行的，哈里斯先生？”
“I am an accountant,” said Holmes.
“我是会计师，”福尔摩斯说。
“Ah yes, we shall want something of the sort. And you, Mr. Price?”
“啊对，我们需要这类人才。你呢，普莱斯先生？”
“A clerk,” said I.
“文员，”我说。
“I have every hope that the company may accommodate you. I will let you know about it as soon as we come to any conclusion. And now I beg that you will go. For God’s sake leave me to myself!”
“我非常有希望公司能接纳你们。一旦有决定我会尽快通知。现在求你们走吧。看在上帝的份上，让我一个人待会儿！”
These last words were shot out of him, as though the constraint which he was evidently setting upon himself had suddenly and utterly burst asunder. Holmes and I glanced at each other, and Hall Pycroft took a step towards the table.
最后几句话几乎是脱口而出，仿佛他强加给自己的克制突然彻底崩溃了。福尔摩斯和我对视一眼，霍尔·派克罗夫特朝桌子迈了一步。
“You forget, Mr. Pinner, that I am here by appointment to receive some directions from you,” said he.
“您忘了，平纳先生，我是按约定来接受指示的，”他说。
“Certainly, Mr. Pycroft, certainly,” the other resumed in a calmer tone. “You may wait here a moment; and there is no reason why your friends should not wait with you. I will be entirely at your service in three minutes, if I might trespass upon your patience so far.” He rose with a very courteous air, and, bowing to us, he passed out through a door at the farther end of the room, which he closed behind him.
“当然，派克罗夫特先生，当然，”对方恢复了较平静的语气。“你可以在这里稍等片刻；你的朋友们也没理由不一起等。如果你们愿意耐心等待，三分钟后我将全力为您服务。”他彬彬有礼地起身，向我们鞠了一躬，穿过房间尽头的一扇门走了出去，并随手关上了门。
“What now?” whispered Holmes. “Is he giving us the slip?”
“怎么回事？”福尔摩斯低语道。“他想溜？”
“Impossible,” answered Pycroft.
“不可能，”派克罗夫特回答。
“Why so?”
“为什么？”
“That door leads into an inner room.”
“那扇门通向里屋。”
“There is no exit?”
“没有其他出口？”
“None.”
“没有。”
“Is it furnished?”
“里面有家具吗？”
“It was empty yesterday.”
“昨天还是空的。”
“Then what on earth can he be doing? There is something which I don’t understand in this manner. If ever a man was three parts mad with terror, that man’s name is Pinner. What can have put the shivers on him?”
“那他到底在里面干什么？这种行为有些我无法理解的地方。如果说有人吓得魂飞魄散，那就是平纳。究竟是什么让他如此颤抖？”
“He suspects that we are detectives,” I suggested.
“他怀疑我们是侦探，”我推测道。
“That’s it,” cried Pycroft.
“就是那样，”派克罗夫特叫道。
Holmes shook his head. “He did not turn pale. He was pale when we entered the room,” said he. “It is just possible that—”
福尔摩斯摇摇头。“他不是变白的。我们进屋时他就已经脸色苍白了，”他说。“有可能……”
His words were interrupted by a sharp rat-tat from the direction of the inner door.
他的话被里屋方向传来的一阵急促敲击声打断了。
“What the deuce is he knocking at his own door for?” cried the clerk.
“他敲自己的门干什么？”职员叫道。
Again and much louder came the rat-tat-tat. We all gazed expectantly at the closed door. Glancing at Holmes, I saw his face turn rigid, and he leaned forward in intense excitement. Then suddenly came a low guggling, gargling sound, and a brisk drumming upon woodwork. Holmes sprang frantically across the room and pushed at the door. It was fastened on the inner side. Following his example, we threw ourselves upon it with all our weight. One hinge snapped, then the other, and down came the door with a crash. Rushing over it, we found ourselves in the inner room. It was empty.
又是一阵更响亮的敲击声。我们都满怀期待地盯着紧闭的门。瞥了一眼福尔摩斯，只见他神色凝重，激动地向前倾身。突然传来低沉的咯咯吞咽声和木头上的急促撞击声。福尔摩斯疯狂地冲过房间推门。门从里面锁住了。我们也学着他的样子，用全身力气撞门。一个铰链断了，接着另一个也断了，门轰然倒塌。跨过门冲进去，我们发现自己在里屋。屋里是空的。
But it was only for a moment that we were at fault. At one corner, the corner nearest the room which we had left, there was a second door. Holmes sprang to it and pulled it open. A coat and waistcoat were lying on the floor, and from a hook behind the door, with his own braces round his neck, was hanging the managing director of the Franco-Midland Hardware Company. His knees were drawn up, his head hung at a dreadful angle to his body, and the clatter of his heels against the door made the noise which had broken in upon our conversation. In an instant I had caught him round the waist, and held him up while Holmes and Pycroft untied the elastic bands which had disappeared between the livid creases of skin. Then we carried him into the other room, where he lay with a clay-coloured face, puffing his purple lips in and out with every breath—a dreadful wreck of all that he had been but five minutes before.
但这困惑只是一瞬间。在靠近我们刚才所在房间的角落里，还有第二扇门。福尔摩斯扑过去拉开门。地上扔着外套和马甲，而在门后的挂钩上，法米五金有限公司的常务董事正用自己的背带上吊着。他膝盖蜷缩，头以可怕的角度垂着，脚后跟撞击门板发出了刚才打断我们谈话的声响。我立刻抱住他的腰将他托起，福尔摩斯和派克罗夫特解开深深陷入青紫皮褶中的弹力带。然后我们将他抬到外屋，他躺在那里面如土色，紫色的嘴唇随着呼吸起伏——短短五分钟前他还是个活生生的人，此刻却成了这副凄惨的模样。
“What do you think of him, Watson?” asked Holmes.
“你觉得他怎么样，华生？”福尔摩斯问。
I stooped over him and examined him. His pulse was feeble and intermittent, but his breathing grew longer, and there was a little shivering of his eyelids, which showed a thin white slit of ball beneath.
我俯身检查了他。脉搏微弱且不规律，但呼吸逐渐变长，眼皮微微颤动，露出一线眼白。
“It has been touch and go with him,” said I, “but he’ll live now. Just open that window, and hand me the water carafe.” I undid his collar, poured the cold water over his face, and raised and sank his arms until he drew a long, natural breath. “It’s only a question of time now,” said I, as I turned away from him.
“刚才真是千钧一发，”我说，“但现在他能活了。打开窗户，把水壶递给我。”我解开他的衣领，往他脸上泼冷水，反复抬起放下他的手臂，直到他长长地吸了一口气，呼吸恢复正常。“现在只是时间问题了，”我说着转过身去。
Holmes stood by the table, with his hands deep in his trouser’s pockets and his chin upon his breast.
福尔摩斯站在桌旁，双手深插裤兜，下巴抵着胸口。
“I suppose we ought to call the police in now,” said he. “And yet I confess that I’d like to give them a complete case when they come.”
“我想我们现在该报警了，”他说。“但我承认，我想等警察来时给他们一个完整的案情。”
“It’s a blessed mystery to me,” cried Pycroft, scratching his head. “Whatever they wanted to bring me all the way up here for, and then—”
“这对我来说真是个谜，”派克罗夫特抓着头皮叫道。“他们把我大老远弄到这里来究竟是图什么，然后又……”
“Pooh! All that is clear enough,” said Holmes impatiently. “It is this last sudden move.”
“噗！那些都够清楚了，”福尔摩斯不耐烦地说。“关键是这最后的突发举动。”
“You understand the rest, then?”
“那么其余部分你都明白了？”
“I think that it is fairly obvious. What do you say, Watson?”
“我认为相当明显。你说呢，华生？”
I shrugged my shoulders. “I must confess that I am out of my depths,” said I.
我耸耸肩。“我得承认我还是一头雾水，”我说。
“Oh, surely if you consider the events at first they can only point to one conclusion.”
“噢，如果你从头审视这些事件，它们只能指向一个结论。”
“What do you make of them?”
“你怎么看？”
“Well, the whole thing hinges upon two points. The first is the making of Pycroft write a declaration by which he entered the service of this preposterous company. Do you not see how very suggestive that is?”
“嗯，整件事关键在于两点。第一是让派克罗夫特写下一份声明，表示入职这家荒唐的公司。你没看出这有多耐人寻味吗？”
“I am afraid I miss the point.”
“恐怕我没抓到重点。”
“Well, why did they want him to do it? Not as a business matter, for these arrangements are usually verbal, and there was no earthly business reason why this should be an exception. Don’t you see, my young friend, that they were very anxious to obtain a specimen of your handwriting, and had no other way of doing it?”
“那么，他们为什么要他这么做？不是为了商业目的，因为这类安排通常是口头的，没有任何商业理由让它成为例外。你难道不明白吗，年轻的朋友，他们急于获取你的笔迹样本，除此之外别无他法？”
“And why?”
“为什么呢？”
“Quite so. Why? When we answer that we have made some progress with our little problem. Why? There can be only one adequate reason. Some one wanted to learn to imitate your writing, and had to procure a specimen of it first. And now if we pass on to the second point we find that each throws light upon the other. That point is the request made by Pinner that you should not resign your place, but should leave the manager of this important business in the full expectation that a Mr. Hall Pycroft, whom he had never seen, was about to enter the office upon the Monday morning.”
“正是。为什么？回答了这个问题，我们的小谜题就有进展了。为什么？只有一个充分的理由。有人想模仿你的笔迹，必须先弄到样本。现在如果我们转到第二点，就会发现两点相互印证。那点就是平纳要求你不要辞职，而是让这家重要企业的经理满心以为一位他从未见过的霍尔·派克罗夫特先生将于周一早上入职。”
“My God!” cried our client, “what a blind beetle I have been!”
“天哪！”我们的委托人叫道，“我真是个睁眼瞎！”
“Now you see the point about the handwriting. Suppose that some one turned up in your place who wrote a completely different hand from that in which you had applied for the vacancy, of course the game would have been up. But in the interval the rogue had learned to imitate you, and his position was therefore secure, as I presume that nobody in the office had ever set eyes upon you.”
“现在你明白笔迹的关键了吧。假设有人顶替你出现，写的字与你申请职位时的笔迹完全不同，骗局自然就穿了帮。但在此期间，那个恶棍学会了模仿你的字迹，因此他的地位稳固了，因为我推测办公室里没人见过你。”
“Not a soul,” groaned Hall Pycroft.
“一个也没有，”霍尔·派克罗夫特呻吟道。
“Very good. Of course it was of the utmost importance to prevent you from thinking better of it, and also to keep you from coming into contact with any one who might tell you that your double was at work in Mawson’s office. Therefore they gave you a handsome advance on your salary, and ran you off to the Midlands, where they gave you enough work to do to prevent your going to London, where you might have burst their little game up. That is all plain enough.”
“很好。当然，最重要的是防止你反悔，也要避免你接触任何可能告诉你有人在莫森办公室冒充你的人。所以他们给了你丰厚的预支薪水，把你打发到中部地区，给你足够的工作让你无暇去伦敦，否则你可能会戳穿他们的小把戏。这一切都很清楚。”
“But why should this man pretend to be his own brother?”
“但这人为什么要假装是他自己的哥哥？”
“Well, that is pretty clear also. There are evidently only two of them in it. The other is impersonating you at the office. This one acted as your engager, and then found that he could not find you an employer without admitting a third person into his plot. That he was most unwilling to do. He changed his appearance as far as he could, and trusted that the likeness, which you could not fail to observe, would be put down to a family resemblance. But for the happy chance of the gold stuffing, your suspicions would probably never have been aroused.”
“嗯，这也相当清楚。显然只有两个人参与此事。另一个在办公室冒充你。这个人充当你的招聘者，后来发现如果不引入第三人就无法为你安排雇主。这是他极不情愿做的。他尽可能改变了外貌，指望你难免注意到的相似之处会被归结为家族长相。要不是幸运地发现了那颗金牙，你的疑心恐怕永远不会被激起。”
Hall Pycroft shook his clinched hands in the air. “Good Lord!” he cried, “while I have been fooled in this way, what has this other Hall Pycroft been doing at Mawson’s? What should we do, Mr. Holmes? Tell me what to do.”
霍尔·派克罗夫特在空中挥舞着紧握的双拳。“老天爷！”他叫道，“在我被这样愚弄的时候，那个冒牌的霍尔·派克罗夫特在莫森公司干了什么？我们该怎么办，福尔摩斯先生？告诉我该怎么做。”
“We must wire to Mawson’s.”
“我们必须给莫森公司发电报。”
“They shut at twelve on Saturdays.”
“他们周六十二点关门。”
“Never mind. There may be some door-keeper or attendant—”
“没关系。可能有门卫或值班人员……”
“Ah yes, they keep a permanent guard there on account of the value of the securities that they hold. I remember hearing it talked of in the City.”
“啊对，因为持有贵重证券，那里常年有守卫。我记得在金融城听人说过。”
“Very good; we shall wire to him, and see if all is well, and if a clerk of your name is working there. That is clear enough; but what is not so clear is why at sight of us one of the rogues should instantly walk out of the room and hang himself.”
“很好；我们就给守卫发电报，看看一切是否正常，是否真有个同名职员在那工作。这点很清楚；但不太清楚的是，为什么一看到我们，其中一个恶棍就立刻走出房间上吊自杀。”
“The paper!” croaked a voice behind us. The man was sitting up, blanched and ghastly, with returning reason in his eyes, and hands which rubbed nervously at the broad red band which still encircled his throat.
“报纸！”身后传来嘶哑的声音。那人坐了起来，脸色苍白可怕，眼中恢复了理智，双手紧张地揉搓着脖子上那道宽阔的红痕。
“The paper! Of course!” yelled Holmes, in a paroxysm of excitement. “Idiot that I was! I thought so much of our visit that the paper never entered my head for an instant. To be sure, the secret must be there.” He flattened it out upon the table, and a cry of triumph burst from his lips. “Look at this, Watson,” he cried. “It is a London paper, an early edition of the Evening Standard. Here is what we want. Look at the headlines: ‘Crime in the City. Murder at Mawson & Williams’. Gigantic Attempted Robbery. Capture of the Criminal.’ Here, Watson, we are all equally anxious to hear it, so kindly read it aloud to us.”
“报纸！当然了！”福尔摩斯兴奋地大叫。“我真傻！光顾着想我们的拜访，竟一时没想到报纸。毫无疑问，秘密一定在那里。”他把报纸在桌上铺平，嘴里发出一声胜利的欢呼。“看这儿，华生，”他喊道。“这是伦敦报纸，《晚间标准报》的早版。这就是我们要找的。看标题：‘金融城犯罪。莫森-威廉姆斯公司谋杀案。特大抢劫未遂。罪犯落网。’来吧，华生，我们都急着想知道，请你大声念给我们听。”
It appeared from its position in the paper to have been the one event of importance in town, and the account of it ran in this way:
从它在报纸上的位置来看，这似乎是城里唯一的重要事件，报道如下：
“A desperate attempt at robbery, culminating in the death of one man and the capture of the criminal, occurred this afternoon in the City. For some time back Mawson & Williams, the famous financial house, have been the guardians of securities which amount in the aggregate to a sum of considerably over a million sterling. So conscious was the manager of the responsibility which devolved upon him in consequence of the great interests at stake that safes of the very latest construction have been employed, and an armed watchman has been left day and night in the building. It appears that last week a new clerk named Hall Pycroft was engaged by the firm. This person appears to have been none other than Beddington, the famous forger and cracksman, who, with his brother, had only recently emerged from a five years’ spell of penal servitude. By some means, which are not yet clear, he succeeded in winning, under a false name, this official position in the office, which he utilised in order to obtain moulding of various locks, and a thorough knowledge of the position of the strong room and the safes.
“今天下午金融城发生了一起绝望的抢劫企图，导致一人死亡，罪犯被捕。一段时间以来，著名金融机构莫森-威廉姆斯公司一直保管着总额远超一百万英镑的证券。经理深知责任重大，鉴于利益攸关，不仅采用了最新式的保险箱，还在大楼内昼夜安排武装看守。据悉，上周公司录用了一名名叫霍尔·派克罗夫特的新职员。此人似乎正是著名的伪造犯兼撬窃犯贝丁顿，他与弟弟刚服完五年苦役出狱。通过某种尚不清楚的手段，他用假名成功获得了这个职位，并利用职务之便获取了各种锁具的模型，以及密室和保险箱位置的详尽情报。
“It is customary at Mawson’s for the clerks to leave at midday on Saturday. Sergeant Tuston, of the City Police, was somewhat surprised, therefore to see a gentleman with a carpet bag come down the steps at twenty minutes past one. His suspicions being aroused, the sergeant followed the man, and with the aid of Constable Pollock succeeded, after a most desperate resistance, in arresting him. It was at once clear that a daring and gigantic robbery had been committed. Nearly a hundred thousand pounds’ worth of American railway bonds, with a large amount of scrip in other mines and companies, was discovered in the bag. On examining the premises the body of the unfortunate watchman was found doubled up and thrust into the largest of the safes, where it would not have been discovered until Monday morning had it not been for the prompt action of Sergeant Tuston. The man’s skull had been shattered by a blow from a poker delivered from behind. There could be no doubt that Beddington had obtained entrance by pretending that he had left something behind him, and having murdered the watchman, rapidly rifled the large safe, and then made off with his booty. His brother, who usually works with him, has not appeared in this job as far as can at present be ascertained, although the police are making energetic inquiries as to his whereabouts.”
“莫森公司的惯例是职员周六中午下班。因此，当一名提着旅行包的绅士在一点二十分走下台阶时，金融城警察塔斯顿警佐颇感意外。警佐起了疑心，尾随此人，并在波洛克警员的协助下，经过一番激烈搏斗将其逮捕。很明显，这是一起大胆的特大抢劫案。包内发现了价值近十万英镑的美国铁路债券，以及大量其他矿山和公司的股票。搜查现场时，不幸遇害的看守尸体被发现蜷缩塞在最大的保险箱里，若非塔斯顿警佐行动迅速，尸体要到周一早上才会被发现。死者颅骨被身后袭来的拨火棍击碎。毫无疑问，贝丁顿借口遗落物品骗入室内，杀害看守后迅速洗劫了大保险箱，随即携赃潜逃。据目前所知，通常与他搭档作案的弟弟并未出现在此案中，尽管警方正全力追查其下落。”
“Well, we may save the police some little trouble in that direction,” said Holmes, glancing at the haggard figure huddled up by the window. “Human nature is a strange mixture, Watson. You see that even a villain and murderer can inspire such affection that his brother turns to suicide when he learns that his neck is forfeited. However, we have no choice as to our action. The doctor and I will remain on guard, Mr. Pycroft, if you will have the kindness to step out for the police.”
“好吧，在这方面我们可以帮警方省点麻烦，”福尔摩斯瞥了一眼蜷缩在窗边憔悴的身影说道。“人性真是复杂的混合体，华生。你看，即便是恶棍和杀人犯也能激发如此深厚的感情，以至于他弟弟得知兄长性命不保时竟选择自杀。不过，我们别无选择。派克罗夫特先生，劳驾你去叫警察，医生和我留在这里看守。”
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