Sherlock Holmes
夏洛克·福尔摩斯
The next afternoon the village was electrified with an immense sensation. A grave and dignified foreigner of distinguished bearing and appearance had arrived at the tavern, and entered this formidable name upon the register:
第二天下午，屯子里的人热情洋溢，心潮澎湃。一个仪表出众、气度非凡的外国要人来到酒店，登记时用的是令人敬畏的名字：
The news buzzed from cabin to cabin, from claim to claim; tools were dropped, and the town swarmed toward the centre of interest. A man passing out at the northern end of the village shouted it to Pat Riley, whose claim was the next one to Flint Buckner’s. At that time Fetlock Jones seemed to turn sick. He muttered to himself:
这消息从一幢木屋传向另一幢木屋，从一座矿井传向另一座矿井；人们纷纷扔下工具，全屯子的人都聚集到那个万众瞩目的地方。一个路过屯子北头的男人向帕特·利雷大声嚷嚷着报信，而帕特·利雷的矿井紧挨着弗林特·布克纳的矿井。听到喊声的菲特洛克·琼斯看来不大舒服。他喃喃地自言自语：
“Uncle Sherlock! The mean luck of it! — that he should come just when.…” He dropped into a reverie, and presently said to himself: “But what’s the use of being afraid of him? Anybody that knows him the way I do knows he can’t detect a crime except where he plans it all out beforehand and arranges the clews and hires some fellow to commit it according to instructions. …Now there ain’t going to be any clews this time — so, what show has he got? None at all. No, sir; everything’s ready. If I was to risk putting it off — …No, I won’t run any risk like that. Flint Buckner goes out of this world to-night, for sure.” Then another trouble presented itself. “Uncle Sherlock ‘ll be wanting to talk home matters with me this evening, and how am I going to get rid of him? for I’ve got to be at my cabin a minute or two about eight o’clock.” This was an awkward matter, and cost him much thought. But he found a way to beat the difficulty. “We’ll go for a walk, and I’ll leave him in the road a minute, so that he won’t see what it is I do: the best way to throw a detective off the track, anyway, is to have him along when you are preparing the thing. Yes, that’s the safest — I’ll take him with me.”
“夏洛克大叔！不走运！——他怎么偏在这个时候……”他发了一会儿呆，又自言自语地说：“不过，怕他干什么？谁都知道他的招数，我也知道。除非他事先全面策划一番，摸清了线索，再雇些人按照他的指示办事……可是这一次什么线索都不会有——既然这样，他还能看出什么来呢？什么也看不出来。不，先生；现在已经万事俱备。假如我冒险延期的话……不，我不能这样冒险。弗林特·布克纳今天夜里铁定要上西天。”这时，另外一个问题又冒了出来。“夏洛克大叔今天晚上也许想跟我聊聊家常，我怎么能躲过他呢？因为八点钟前后我非得在我的屋子里呆上一两分钟。”这件烦心事让他绞尽了脑汁。然而他终于找到了解开难题的办法。“我们去散步，然后我让他在路上等一分钟，这样他就看不到我做什么了。甩开一位侦探最好的办法，就是在你做准备工作的时候，让他跟你在一起。对，这是最保险的了——我要带着他。”
“You bet!” said the blacksmith, with deep reverence. “Look at his nose! look at his eyes! Intellect? Just a battery of it!”
“谁说不是！”铁匠的话音里也带着深深的敬意，“瞧瞧他的鼻子！再瞧瞧他的眼睛！有学问吧？这几样真般配啊！”
Meantime the road in front of the tavern was blocked with villagers waiting and hoping for a glimpse of the great man. But he kept his room, and did not appear. None but Ferguson, Jake Parker the blacksmith, and Ham Sandwich had any luck. These enthusiastic admirers of the great scientific detective hired the tavern’s detained — baggage lockup, which looked into the detective’s room across a little alleyway ten or twelve feet wide, ambushed themselves in it, and cut some peep — holes in the window-blind. Mr. Holmes’s blinds were down; but by and by he raised them. It gave the spies a hair-lifting but pleasurable thrill to find themselves face to face with the Extraordinary Man who had filled the world with the fame of his more than human ingenuities. There he sat — not a myth, not a shadow, but real, alive, compact of substance, and almost within touching distance with the hand.
与此同时，酒店前的道路被期望一睹大人物风采的人挤得水泄不通。可是，福尔摩斯却在房间里呆着不露面。只有弗格森、铁匠杰克·派克和汉姆·桑德韦奇运气不错。这几个热心的崇拜者为了接近那位伟大的科学派侦探，租了酒店的行李间，从这里隔着一条十到十五英尺宽的过道，能窥视侦探的房间。三个人躲进行李房，在百叶窗上打了几个窥视孔。福尔摩斯房间的百叶窗本来是放下的，后来被一点点托起来了。三名密探既兴奋又刺激，只觉得头皮发紧，他们到底面对这位足智多谋、才华出众、蜚声世界的奇人了。他就坐在那儿——不是传说，不是幻影，而是实实在在的、活生生的、形神兼备的一个人，触手可及。
“Look at that head!” said Ferguson, in an awed voice. “By gracious! that’s a head!”
“瞧他的脑袋！”弗格森满怀敬畏地说，“我的天哪！瞧那脑袋长的！”
“And that paleness,” said Ham Sandwich. “Comes from thought — that’s what it comes from. Hell! duffers like us don’t know what real thought is.”
“看他的脸色，苍白，”汉姆·桑德韦奇说，“那可都是想事想的 —— 想事的人才有这种脸色哪。妈的！像咱们这样的人怎么能知道人家的心事啊。”
“Well, he is, and don’t you forget it. Say — look at that awful gravity-look at that pallid solemnness — there ain’t any corpse can lay over it.”
“对，是这样的，没错。比如说——哎，瞧他都入了神，样子怪可怕的——脸色铁青——死人的脸也不过这样啊。”
“No more we don’t,” said Ferguson. “What we take for thinking is just blubber-and-slush.”
“别说不知道人家的心事了，”弗格森说，“就说咱们自己吧，咱们考虑的那点破事还算个事儿吗？”
“Right you are, Wells-Fargo. And look at that frown — that’s deep thinking — away down, down, forty fathom into the bowels of things. He’s on the track of something.”
“没错，威尔斯·法戈。看他皱着眉头呢——他正往深处想呢——藏得再深也逃不过他的火眼金睛啊。他想通什么了。”
“No, sir, not for dollars! And it’s his’n by hereditary rights, too; he’s been dead four times a’ready, and there’s history for it. Three times natural, once by accident. I’ve heard say he smells damp and cold, like a grave. And he –“
“阁下，这可是金不换的本事啊！这也是胎里带来的本事。他都死过四回了，一回回都有真凭实据。三次是该着，还有一次是飞来横祸。我听说当时他身上那股味道是湿乎乎，冷冰冰的，和坟地一个味。他——”
“Sh! Watch him! There — he’s got his thumb on the bump on the near corner of his forehead, and his forefinger on the off one. His think-works is just a-grinding now, you bet your other shirt.”
“嘘！瞧他！瞧——他把拇指搁在大脑门这一边，食指搁在那一边。他准是想得好苦啊，信不信，要不拿你那件衬衣打个赌？”
“That’s so. And now he’s gazing up toward heaven and stroking his mustache slow, and –“
“我信。现在，他仰头盯着天上，还慢慢地捋胡子呢，还——”
“Stuck!”
“不动了！”
“Now he has rose up standing, and is putting his clews together on his left fingers with his right finger. See? he touches the forefinger — now middle finger — now ring-finger –“
“现在他站起来了，正把左手指头跟右手指头放在一起掐算。看见了吗？先碰的是食指——接着是中指——接着是无名指——”
“Look at him scowl! He can’t seem to make out that clew. So he –“
“瞧他皱眉头呢！这一节还没理出头绪来。所以人——”
Mr. Holmes drew a table to the window, sat down with his back to the spies, and proceeded to write. The spies withdrew their eyes from the peep-holes, lit their pipes, and settled themselves for a comfortable smoke and talk. Ferguson said, with conviction:
福尔摩斯先生把一张桌子搬到窗前，背对着这帮密探坐了下来，开始写字。密探们从窥视孔那儿收回目光，点上烟斗歇歇气，一边喷云吐雾，一边聊着。弗格森果断地说：
“Boys, it’s no use talking, he’s a wonder! He’s got the signs of it all over him.”
“伙计们，没什么好说的，他是一个奇人！只要奇人有的，他都占全了。”
“You hain’t ever said a truer word than that, Wells-Fargo,” said Jake Parker. “Say, wouldn’t it “a” been nuts if he’d a — been here last night?”
“威尔斯·法戈，你说过的话，就数这一句最明白。”杰克·帕克说：“昨天夜里那件事，要是他在，还不是小菜一碟？”
“See him smile! — like a tiger — and tally off the other fingers like nothing! He’s got it, boys; he’s got it sure!”
“笑啦！——笑面虎似的——别的手指头都用不着了！他想好了，伙计们，他准是想好了！”
“Well, I should say! I’d hate to be in that man’s place that he’s after.”
“哼，我信！但愿我不是他算计的那个人。”
“Oh, by George, but wouldn’t it!” said Ferguson. “Then we’d have seen scientific work. Intellect — just pure intellect — away up on the upper levels, dontchuknow. Archy is all right, and it don’t become anybody to belittle him, I can tell you. But his gift is only just eyesight, sharp as an owl’s, as near as I can make it out just a grand natural animal talent, no more, no less, and prime as far as it goes, but no intellect in it, and for awfulness and marvelousness no more to be compared to what this man does than — than — Why, let me tell you what he’d have done. He’d have stepped over to Hogan’s and glanced — just glanced, that’s all — at the premises, and that’s enough. See everything? Yes, sir, to the last little detail; and he’d know more about that place than the Hogans would know in seven years. Next, he would sit down on the bunk, just as ca’m, and say to Mrs. Hogan — Say, Ham, consider that you are Mrs. Hogan. I’ll ask the questions; you answer them.”
“嘿，当然了，可不是小菜一碟么！”弗格森说，“要是那样，咱们就能见识什么叫科学性了。有学问——实实在在的学问——拔尖的学问，没人能比得上，你说是不是？阿其也不错，门外汉敢说，他从来没让别人比下去过。不过，他的本事只不过是眼力，眼尖得跟猫头鹰似的，要让我说，这本事只不过是飞禽走兽一类的本事，不比飞禽走兽高，也不比飞禽走兽低，这种本事是百里挑一，可里头没学问。要说厉害，要说神奇，那他就没法跟这一位比了。为什么这么说呢，我来告诉你他会怎么干。他会路过霍根家门口，瞟一眼——就源一眼——他家的屋子，这就行了。这就把什么都看出来了？正是，阁下，看得点滴不漏。别看霍根家在那儿住了七年，还没他知道的多呢。然后，他会坐在那孩子的床上，不慌不忙地跟霍根太太说话——这么着吧，汉姆，就当你是霍根太太。我问，你答。”
“Catholic, your Honor.”
“天主教，您呐。”
“Turned six, your Honor.”
“刚六岁，您呐。”
“Very good, very good, very good, indeed. “You see, boys, he knows a clew when he sees it, when it wouldn’t mean a dern thing to anybody else. “Stockings, madam? Shoes?”
“很好，很好，很好，真不错。’你看，伙计，他一看就看出门道来了，这时候别人还都在那儿看热闹呢。‘穿袜子了吗，夫人？穿鞋没有？”
“Um — female. Very good, very good. Age?”
“唔，女孩。很好，很好。几岁啦？”
“Yes, your Honor — both.”
“穿了，您呐——都穿了。”
“Madam, if you please — attention — do not let your mind wander. Now, then — sex of the child?”
“夫人，能否请您——注意——别老走神。那孩子是男的还是女的呀？”
“Um — kip. This complicates the matter. However, let it go — we shall manage. Religion?”
“唔——小牛皮。这样，事情就复杂了。不管它，接着来——我们能对付得了。信什么教呀？”
“Five, your Honor, and one a — coming.”
“五颗，您呐，还有一颗刚露头。”
“Yarn, your Honor. And kip.”
“是纱线的，您呐。鞋是小牛皮的。”
“Yarn, perhaps? Morocco?”
“袜子也许是纱线织的？鞋用的是摩洛哥皮子？”
“All right; go on.”
“好嘞，来吧。”
“Very good. Snip me a bit from the bed blanket, please. Ah, thanks. Part wool — foreign make. Very well. A snip from some garment of the child’s, please. Thanks. Cotton. Shows wear. An excellent clew, excellent. Pass me a pellet of the floor dirt, if you’ll be so kind. Thanks, many thanks. Ah, admirable, admirable! Now we know where we are, I think.” You see, boys, he’s got all the clews he wants now; he don’t need anything more. Now, then, what does this Extraordinary Man do? He lays those snips and that dirt out on the table and leans over them on his elbows, and puts them together side by side and studies them — mumbles to himself, “Female”; changes them around — mumbles, “Six years old”; changes them this way and that — again mumbles: “Five teeth — one a — coming — Catholic — yarn — cotton — kip — damn that kip.” Then he straightens up and gazes toward heaven, and plows his hands through his hair — plows and plows, muttering, “Damn that kip!” Then he stands up and frowns, and begins to tally off his clews on his fingers — and gets stuck at the ring-finger. But only just a minute — then his face glares all up in a smile like a house afire, and he straightens up stately and majestic, and says to the crowd, “Take a lantern, a couple of you, and go down to Injun Billy’s and fetch the child — the rest of you go “long home to bed; good-night, madam; good-night, gents.” And he bows like the Matterhorn, and pulls out for the tavern. That’s his style, and the Only — scientific, intellectual — all over in fifteen minutes — no poking around all over the sage — brush range an hour and a half in a mass — meeting crowd for him, boys — you hear me!”
“‘很好，请把床上的毯子给我剪一条。好，谢谢。不是纯毛——进口的。很好。请把孩子穿的哪件衣服剪一条来。谢谢。是棉布的。有点儿磨痕。非常好的线索，非常好。劳驾您给我弄点儿地上的土。谢谢，太感谢了。啊，太好了，太好了。现在，我想咱们有头给了。’你瞧，伙计们，他掌握了全部线索，别的都没用了。那么，这位奇人现在干什么呢？他把这些个布头和泥土摊在桌子上，一件挨着一件放好，胳膊肘支着桌子，趴在那儿研究——一边研究，还一边自言自语，‘女孩’；把桌上的物件换换位置，‘六岁’；再把桌上的东西这样摆摆，那样摆摆：‘五颗牙——一颗刚露头一一天主教——纱线——棉布——小牛皮——他妈的小牛皮。’然后坐直了盯着天上，一边把两手插进头发里，梳过来，梳过去，一边嘟囔，‘他妈的小牛皮！’然后他站起来，皱着眉头，搬着手指头掐算线索——碰到无名指后停了下来。不出一分钟，他满面红光，心花怒放，喜上眉梢，挺起身板，可威风了。他对众人说，‘你们去两个人，提着灯笼，到英云·比利那儿把孩子接回来——其他的人就回家睡觉去吧；晚安，夫人；晚安，各位先生。’他礼貌周到地弯腰打个招呼，回酒店去了。这就是他的作派，别人可学不了——讲科学，有学问——没用十五分钟，全都妥了——用不着在树林子里钻一个钟头，也用不着大家凑到他跟前开半个钟头的会。伙计们，你们说是吧？”
“Um — young, weak — two miles. Weariness will overtake it then. It will sink down and sleep. We shall find it two miles away, or less. Teeth?”
“唔——年纪小，体格弱——两英里。这样她一定累得走不动了。一定会瘫在地上睡着了。咱们能在两英里以外找到她，也许不到两英里。有几颗牙呀？”
“Female, your Honor.”
“女孩，您呐。”
Ferguson was profoundly pleased with his success, and grateful. He sat silently enjoying his happiness a little while, then he murmured, with a deep awe in his voice:
弗格森对自己的成功宣讲非常高兴。他静静地呆了一会儿，品味自己的快感，然后怀着深深地敬畏嘟囔：
“By Jackson, it’s grand!” said Ham Sandwich. “Wells-Fargo, you’ve got him down to a dot. He ain’t painted up any exacter to the life in the books. By George, I can just see him — can’t you, boys?”
“老天爷，这可太神了！”汉姆·桑德韦奇说，“威尔斯·法戈，你真把他说活了。哪本书也没像你描写得这么活灵活现啊。老天爷，我觉得就像在我眼前一样——你们呢，伙计们？”
There was no response for a moment; then Ham Sandwich said, reverently:
一时无人回答；过了一会儿，汉姆·桑德韦奇毕恭毕敬地说：
“I wonder if God made him?”
“这人别是上帝派下来的吧？”
“You bet you! It’s just a photograft, that’s what it is.”
“真的吗？这只不过像看相片一样，那边才是真的呢。”
“Not all at one time, I reckon.”
“叫我说，这人可是百年不遇。”
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