10.The Greek Interpreter 希腊译员
The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes / 福尔摩斯回忆录
福尔摩斯回忆录
During my long and intimate acquaintance with Mr. Sherlock Holmes I had never heard him refer to his relations, and hardly ever to his own early life.
在我与夏洛克·福尔摩斯先生长期而亲密的交往中，我从未听他提起过他的亲戚，也几乎从未听他谈起过自己的早年生活。
This reticence upon his part had increased the somewhat inhuman effect which he produced upon me, until sometimes I found myself regarding him as an isolated phenomenon, a brain without a heart, as deficient in human sympathy as he was pre-eminent in intelligence.
他的这种沉默寡言加深了他给我留下的那种近乎不近人情的印象，以至于有时我不禁把他看作一个孤立的现象，一个没有心灵的头脑，他在情感上的匮乏正如他在智力上的超群一样显著。
His aversion to women and his disinclination to form new friendships were both typical of his unemotional character, but not more so than his complete suppression of every reference to his own people.
他对女性的厌恶和对结交新友的冷淡都是他冷漠性格的典型表现，但都不及他对自己家人的绝口不提来得彻底。
I had come to believe that he was an orphan with no relatives living, but one day, to my very great surprise, he began to talk to me about his brother.
我渐渐相信他是个举目无亲的孤儿，然而有一天，令我大为惊讶的是，他竟然开始跟我谈起他的哥哥来。
It was after tea on a summer evening, and the conversation, which had roamed in a desultory, spasmodic fashion from golf clubs to the causes of the change in the obliquity of the ecliptic, came round at last to the question of atavism and hereditary aptitudes.
那是一个夏日傍晚的茶后时光，我们的谈话漫无边际、断断续续地从高尔夫俱乐部聊到了黄赤交角变化的原因，最后终于转到了返祖现象和遗传天赋的话题上。
The point under discussion was, how far any singular gift in an individual was due to his ancestry and how far to his own early training.
我们讨论的焦点是：一个人非凡的天赋究竟有多少归因于祖先遗传，又有多少归因于后天的早期训练。
“In your own case,” said I, “from all that you have told me, it seems obvious that your faculty of observation and your peculiar facility for deduction are due to your own systematic training.”
“就拿你来说吧，”我说，“根据你告诉我的一切，显而易见，你的观察能力和独特的推理才能都归功于你自己系统的训练。”
“To some extent,” he answered, thoughtfully. “My ancestors were country squire, who appear to have led much the same life as is natural to their class.
“在某种程度上是这样，”他若有所思地回答，“我的祖辈都是乡绅，过的似乎也是他们那个阶层习以为常的生活。
But, none the less, my turn that way is in my veins, and may have come with my grandmother, who was the sister of Vernet, the French artist. Art in the blood is liable to take the strangest forms.”
不过，我这方面的天赋确实是流淌在血液里的，这可能源自我的祖母，她是法国艺术家维尔内的姐妹。艺术天赋在血脉传承中往往会以最奇特的形式表现出来。”
“But how do you know that it is hereditary?”
“但你凭什么断定这是遗传的呢？”
“Because my brother Mycroft possesses it in a larger degree than I do.”
“因为我的哥哥迈克罗夫特在这方面的天赋比我还要强。”
This was news to me indeed. If there were another man with such singular powers in England, how was it that neither police nor public had heard of him?
这对我来说真是个新闻。如果英国还有另一个拥有如此非凡能力的人，怎么警方和公众竟然都没听说过他呢？
I put the question, with a hint that it was my companion’s modesty which made him acknowledge his brother as his superior. Holmes laughed at my suggestion.
我提出了这个疑问，并暗示说也许是因为我的同伴谦虚才承认他哥哥比他强。福尔摩斯对我的猜测付之一笑。
“My dear Watson,” said he, “I cannot agree with those who rank modesty among the virtues. To the logician all things should be seen exactly as they are, and to underestimate one’s self is as much a departure from truth as to exaggerate one’s own powers.
“亲爱的华生，”他说，“我不敢苟同那些把谦虚列为美德的人。对于逻辑学家而言，凡事都应实事求是，低估自己与夸大自己的能力一样，都是背离事实的。
When I say, therefore, that Mycroft has better powers of observation than I, you may take it that I am speaking the exact and literal truth.”
因此，当我说迈克罗夫特的观察力比我更强时，你可以确信我说的是千真万确的事实。”
“Is he your junior?”
“他比你小吗？”
“Seven years my senior.”
“他比我大七岁。”
“How comes it that he is unknown?”
“那他怎么会默默无闻呢？”
“Oh, he is very well known in his own circle.”
“哦，在他自己的圈子里可是大名鼎鼎。”
“Where, then?”
“那是在哪里呢？”
“Well, in the Diogenes Club, for example.”
“嗯，比如在第欧根尼俱乐部。”
I had never heard of the institution, and my face must have proclaimed as much, for Sherlock Holmes pulled out his watch.
我从未听说过这个机构，我的表情一定流露了这一点，因为夏洛克·福尔摩斯掏出了怀表。
“The Diogenes Club is the queerest club in London, and Mycroft one of the queerest men. He’s always there from quarter to five to twenty to eight. It’s six now, so if you care for a stroll this beautiful evening I shall be very happy to introduce you to two curiosities.”
“第欧根尼俱乐部是伦敦最古怪的俱乐部，而迈克罗夫特也是最古怪的人之一。他总是从下午四点四十五分待到晚上七点四十。现在六点整，如果你愿意在这个美好的傍晚散散步，我很乐意带你去见识这两个奇物。”
Five minutes later we were in the street, walking towards Regent’s Circus.
五分钟后，我们已走在街上，朝摄政广场走去。
“You wonder,” said my companion, “why it is that Mycroft does not use his powers for detective work. He is incapable of it.”
“你一定很奇怪，”我的同伴说，“为什么迈克罗夫特不把他的才能用于侦探工作。他干不了这个。”
“But I thought you said—”
“但我以为你说过——”
“I said that he was my superior in observation and deduction. If the art of the detective began and ended in reasoning from an armchair, my brother would be the greatest criminal agent that ever lived.
“我是说他在观察和推理方面比我强。如果侦探艺术仅仅始于并终于坐在扶手椅上的推理，那我哥哥将是古往今来最伟大的犯罪探员。
But he has no ambition and no energy. He will not even go out of his way to verify his own solutions, and would rather be considered wrong than take the trouble to prove himself right.
但他既无野心也无精力。他甚至不愿多走一步路去验证自己的推论，宁可被人认为是错的，也不愿费神去证明自己是对的。
Again and again I have taken a problem to him, and have received an explanation which has afterwards proved to be the correct one. And yet he was absolutely incapable of working out the practical points which must be gone into before a case could be laid before a judge or jury.”
我曾一次次拿难题向他请教，得到的解释事后总被证明是正确的。然而，他却完全无力处理那些在案件提交法官或陪审团之前必须落实的实际细节。”
“It is not his profession, then?”
“那么，这不是他的职业？”
“By no means. What is to me a means of livelihood is to him the merest hobby of a dilettante. He has an extraordinary faculty for figures, and audits the books in some of the government departments.
“绝非如此。对我而言是谋生手段的事，对他来说不过是业余爱好者的消遣罢了。他对数字有着惊人的天赋，在一些政府部门负责审计账目。
Mycroft lodges in Pall Mall, and he walks round the corner into Whitehall every morning and back every evening. From year’s end to year’s end he takes no other exercise, and is seen nowhere else, except only in the Diogenes Club, which is just opposite his rooms.”
迈克罗夫特住在帕尔默尔街，每天早上拐个弯走到白厅上班，晚上再走回来。一年到头他不进行任何其他锻炼，除了就在寓所对面的第欧根尼俱乐部外，哪儿也见不到他的踪影。”
“I cannot recall the name.”
“我想不起这个名字。”
“Very likely not. There are many men in London, you know, who, some from shyness, some from misanthropy, have no wish for the company of their fellows.
“很可能没听过。你知道，伦敦有许多人，有的出于羞怯，有的出于厌世，都不愿与人交往。
Yet they are not averse to comfortable chairs and the latest periodicals. It is for the convenience of these that the Diogenes Club was started, and it now contains the most unsociable and unclubable men in town.
但他们并不排斥舒适的椅子和最新的期刊。为了方便这些人，第欧根尼俱乐部应运而生，如今这里聚集了全城最孤僻、最不爱社交的人。
No member is permitted to take the least notice of any other one. Save in the Stranger’s Room, no talking is, under any circumstances, allowed, and three offences, if brought to the notice of the committee, render the talker liable to expulsion.
会员之间严禁任何形式的相互关注。除陌生人接待室外，任何情况下都不允许交谈；若有人违规三次并被委员会知晓，将被开除会籍。
My brother was one of the founders, and I have myself found it a very soothing atmosphere.”
我哥哥是创始人之一，我自己也觉得那里的氛围非常令人放松。”
We had reached Pall Mall as we talked, and were walking down it from the St. James’s end. Sherlock Holmes stopped at a door some little distance from the Carlton, and, cautioning me not to speak, he led the way into the hall.
说话间我们已来到帕尔默尔街，正从圣詹姆斯那一头往前走。夏洛克·福尔摩斯在离卡尔顿酒店不远的一扇门前停下，示意我不要出声，然后领着我走进门厅。
Through the glass paneling I caught a glimpse of a large and luxurious room, in which a considerable number of men were sitting about and reading papers, each in his own little nook.
透过玻璃隔板，我瞥见一间宽敞豪华的房间，许多人正各自窝在自己的小角落里看报纸。
Holmes showed me into a small chamber which looked out into Pall Mall, and then, leaving me for a minute, he came back with a companion whom I knew could only be his brother.
福尔摩斯把我带进一间面向帕尔默尔街的小房间，随后离开了一会儿，回来时带来了一位同伴，我知道这必定是他的哥哥。
Mycroft Holmes was a much larger and stouter man than Sherlock. His body was absolutely corpulent, but his face, though massive, had preserved something of the sharpness of expression which was so remarkable in that of his brother.
迈克罗夫特·福尔摩斯比夏洛克高大壮实得多。他的身体极为肥胖，但他的脸庞虽然宽大，却仍保留着他弟弟脸上那种引人注目的敏锐神情。
His eyes, which were of a peculiarly light, watery grey, seemed to always retain that far-away, introspective look which I had only observed in Sherlock’s when he was exerting his full powers.
他那双浅淡如水般的灰色眼睛，似乎总是带着一种遥不可及、凝神内省的目光，这种目光我只在夏洛克全神贯注时才见过。
“I am glad to meet you, sir,” said he, putting out a broad, fat hand like the flipper of a seal. “I hear of Sherlock everywhere since you became his chronicler.
“很高兴见到您，先生，”他说着伸出一只像海豹鳍一样宽厚肥大的手，“自从您成了他的传记作者，我到处都能听到关于夏洛克的传闻。
By the way, Sherlock, I expected to see you round last week, to consult me over that Manor House case. I thought you might be a little out of your depth.”
顺便说一句，夏洛克，上周我还指望你来找我商量那桩庄园宅邸案呢。我以为你可能有点力不从心了。”
“No, I solved it,” said my friend, smiling.
“不，我已经破了，”我的朋友微笑着说。
“It was Adams, of course.”
“当然是亚当斯干的。”
“Yes, it was Adams.”
“是的，就是亚当斯。”
“I was sure of it from the first.” The two sat down together in the bow-window of the club.
“我从一开始就确信无疑。”兄弟俩一同在俱乐部的凸窗边坐下。
“To any one who wishes to study mankind this is the spot,” said Mycroft. “Look at the magnificent types! Look at these two men who are coming towards us, for example.”
“对于任何想研究人类的人来说，这里就是绝佳之地，”迈克罗夫特说，“瞧这些精彩的典型人物！比如看朝我们走来的这两个人。”
“The billiard-marker and the other?”
“台球记分员和另一个人？”
“Precisely. What do you make of the other?”
“正是。你对另一个人怎么看？”
The two men had stopped opposite the window. Some chalk marks over the waistcoat pocket were the only signs of billiards which I could see in one of them.
两人在窗外对面停了下来。其中一人背心口袋上方的几处粉笔痕迹是我能看到的唯一与台球有关的标志。
The other was a very small, dark fellow, with his hat pushed back and several packages under his arm.
另一人个子矮小、肤色黝黑，帽子推到脑后，腋下夹着几个包裹。
“An old soldier, I perceive,” said Sherlock.
“我看是个老兵，”夏洛克说。
“And very recently discharged,” remarked the brother.
“而且刚退伍不久，”他哥哥补充道。
“Served in India, I see.”
“曾在印度服役，我看出来了。”
“And a non-commissioned officer.”
“还是个军士。”
“Royal Artillery, I fancy,” said Sherlock.
“我想是皇家炮兵部队的，”夏洛克说。
“And a widower.”
“还是个鳏夫。”
“But with a child.”
“但有个孩子。”
“Children, my dear boy, children.”
“是孩子们，亲爱的老弟，不止一个。”
“Come,” said I, laughing, “this is a little too much.”
“得了吧，”我笑着说，“这也太夸张了。”
“Surely,” answered Holmes, “it is not hard to say that a man with that bearing, expression of authority, and sunbaked skin, is a soldier, is more than a private, and is not long from India.”
“当然，”福尔摩斯答道，“凭那人的仪态、威严的神情和被太阳晒黑的皮肤，不难判断他是个军人，军衔高于列兵，且离开印度没多久。”
“That he has not left the service long is shown by his still wearing his ammunition boots, as they are called,” observed Mycroft.
“他至今仍穿着所谓的弹药靴，说明他退役时间不长，”迈克罗夫特评论道。
“He had not the cavalry stride, yet he wore his hat on one side, as is shown by the lighter skin of that side of his brow. His weight is against his being a sapper. He is in the artillery.”
“他没有骑兵那种步态，却歪戴帽子，这从他额头一侧较浅的肤色可以看出。他的体重排除了他是工兵的可能。所以他是炮兵。”
“Then, of course, his complete mourning shows that he has lost some one very dear. The fact that he is doing his own shopping looks as though it were his wife.
“那么，他一身重孝显然表明他失去了至亲。他自己出来采购东西，看来去世的是他的妻子。
He has been buying things for children, you perceive. There is a rattle, which shows that one of them is very young. The wife probably died in childbed. The fact that he has a picture-book under his arm shows that there is another child to be thought of.”
你看，他买的东西都是给孩子的。有个拨浪鼓，说明其中一个孩子还很小。妻子很可能是难产而死。他腋下夹着一本图画书，说明还得照顾另一个稍大的孩子。”
I began to understand what my friend meant when he said that his brother possessed even keener faculties that he did himself. He glanced across at me and smiled.
我开始明白我的朋友说他哥哥天赋甚至比他更敏锐是什么意思了。他看了我一眼，微微一笑。
Mycroft took snuff from a tortoise-shell box, and brushed away the wandering grains from his coat front with a large, red silk handkerchief.
迈克罗夫特从玳瑁鼻烟壶里取了鼻烟，然后用一条红色丝绸大手帕拂去衣服前襟上散落的烟末。
“By the way, Sherlock,” said he, “I have had something quite after your own heart—a most singular problem—submitted to my judgment.
“顺便提一下，夏洛克，”他说，“最近有人请我评判一件正合你意的事——一桩极其离奇的案子。
I really had not the energy to follow it up save in a very incomplete fashion, but it gave me a basis for some pleasing speculations. If you would care to hear the facts—”
我实在没精力深入调查，只是粗略了解了一下，但这足以让我做些有趣的推测。如果你有兴趣听听详情——”
“My dear Mycroft, I should be delighted.”
“亲爱的迈克罗夫特，我非常乐意。”
The brother scribbled a note upon a leaf of his pocket-book, and, ringing the bell, he handed it to the waiter.
这位哥哥在记事本上草草写了张便条，按铃叫来侍者递了过去。
“I have asked Mr. Melas to step across,” said he. “He lodges on the floor above me, and I have some slight acquaintance with him, which led him to come to me in his perplexity.
“我已请梅拉斯先生过来一趟，”他说，“他就住在我楼上，和我有些泛泛之交，正因如此，他在困惑之际才会来找我求助。
Mr. Melas is a Greek by extraction, as I understand, and he is a remarkable linguist. He earns his living partly as interpreter in the law courts and partly by acting as guide to any wealthy Orientals who may visit the Northumberland Avenue hotels.
据我所知，梅拉斯先生是希腊裔，也是一位杰出的语言学家。他靠在法庭当翻译以及为入住诺森伯兰大道酒店的富有的东方游客做向导为生。
I think I will leave him to tell his very remarkable experience in his own fashion.”
我想还是让他亲自讲述这段极不寻常的经历吧。”
A few minutes later we were joined by a short, stout man whose olive face and coal-black hair proclaimed his Southern origin, though his speech was that of an educated Englishman.
几分钟后，一位矮胖男子加入了我们，他橄榄色的面容和乌黑的头发表明了他的南方血统，尽管他说着一口受过良好教育的英语。
He shook hands eagerly with Sherlock Holmes, and his dark eyes sparkled with pleasure when he understood that the specialist was anxious to hear his story.
他热切地与夏洛克·福尔摩斯握手，当他得知这位专家渴望倾听他的故事时，黑色的眼睛里闪烁着喜悦的光芒。
“I do not believe that the police credit me—on my word, I do not,” said he in a wailing voice. “Just because they have never heard of it before, they think that such a thing cannot be.
“我不相信警察会相信我——老实说，我真的不信，”他用哀怨的语气说道，“就因为他们以前没听说过这种事，就觉得这不可能发生。
But I know that I shall never be easy in my mind until I know what has become of my poor man with the sticking-plaster upon his face.”
但我知道，除非弄清那个脸上贴满胶布的不幸之人的下落，否则我心里永远无法安宁。”
“I am all attention,” said Sherlock Holmes.
“我在洗耳恭听，”夏洛克·福尔摩斯说。
“This is Wednesday evening,” said Mr. Melas. “Well then, it was Monday night—only two days ago, you understand—that all this happened.
“今天是周三晚上，”梅拉斯先生说，“事情发生在周一夜里——也就是两天前，你明白的。
I am an interpreter, as perhaps my neighbour there has told you. I interpret all languages—or nearly all—but as I am a Greek by birth and with a Grecian name, it is with that particular tongue that I am principally associated.
我是个翻译，也许我的邻居已经告诉你了。我能翻译所有语言——或者说几乎所有语言——但由于我生在希腊，又有个希腊名字，所以我主要精通希腊语。
For many years I have been the chief Greek interpreter in London, and my name is very well known in the hotels.
多年来我一直是伦敦首席希腊语翻译，各大酒店都知道我的名字。
“It happens not unfrequently that I am sent for at strange hours by foreigners who get into difficulties, or by travelers who arrive late and wish my services.
“外国人在遇到麻烦时，或是旅客深夜抵达需要服务时，常常会在奇怪的时间派人来请我。
I was not surprised, therefore, on Monday night when a Mr. Latimer, a very fashionably dressed young man, came up to my rooms and asked me to accompany him in a cab which was waiting at the door.
因此，周一晚上，当一位名叫拉蒂默、衣着时髦的年轻人来到我的房间，请我陪他乘坐等在门口的马车时，我并不感到意外。
A Greek friend had come to see him upon business, he said, and as he could speak nothing but his own tongue, the services of an interpreter were indispensable.
他说有位希腊朋友来找他谈生意，但那人只会说希腊语，所以非请翻译不可。
He gave me to understand that his house was some little distance off, in Kensington, and he seemed to be in a great hurry, bustling me rapidly into the cab when we had descended to the street.
他让我知道他的房子在肯辛顿，离这儿有段距离，而且他显得非常匆忙，我们一下楼到街上，他就急忙把我推进了马车。
“I say into the cab, but I soon became doubtful as to whether it was not a carriage in which I found myself. It was certainly more roomy than the ordinary four-wheeled disgrace to London, and the fittings, though frayed, were of rich quality.
“我说是马车，但我很快就怀疑自己坐的其实是一辆四轮轿车。它肯定比伦敦那种普通的四轮出租马车宽敞得多，内部装饰虽已磨损，但质地考究。
Mr. Latimer seated himself opposite to me and we started off through Charing Cross and up the Shaftesbury Avenue.
拉蒂默先生坐在我对面，我们穿过查令十字街，沿着沙夫茨伯里大街驶去。
We had come out upon Oxford Street and I had ventured some remark as to this being a roundabout way to Kensington, when my words were arrested by the extraordinary conduct of my companion.
当我们驶上牛津街时，我冒昧地说了一句这条路去肯辛顿绕远了，可就在这时，同伴的怪异举动打断了我的话。
“He began by drawing a most formidable-looking bludgeon loaded with lead from his pocket, and switching it backward and forward several times, as if to test its weight and strength. Then he placed it without a word upon the seat beside him.
“他从口袋里掏出一根看起来十分可怕的灌铅短棍，来回挥舞了几下，仿佛在测试它的重量和强度。然后一言不发地把它放在身旁的座位上。
Having done this, he drew up the windows on each side, and I found to my astonishment that they were covered with paper so as to prevent my seeing through them.
做完这些，他把两侧的车窗摇上去，我惊讶地发现窗户上贴着纸，使我无法看到外面。
“‘I am sorry to cut off your view, Mr. Melas,’ said he. ‘The fact is that I have no intention that you should see what the place is to which we are driving. It might possibly be inconvenient to me if you could find your way there again.’
“‘抱歉挡住了您的视线，梅拉斯先生，’他说，‘事实上，我不想让您看到我们要去的地方。如果您以后还能找到那条路，可能会给我带来不便。’
“As you can imagine, I was utterly taken aback by such an address. My companion was a powerful, broad-shouldered young fellow, and, apart from the weapon, I should not have had the slightest chance in a struggle with him.
“可想而知，这番话让我目瞪口呆。我的同伴是个强壮宽肩的年轻人，即便没有武器，我也毫无胜算。
“‘This is very extraordinary conduct, Mr. Latimer,’ I stammered. ‘You must be aware that what you are doing is quite illegal.’
“‘这举动太反常了，拉蒂默先生，’我结结巴巴地说，‘你一定知道你这样做是完全违法的。’
“‘It is somewhat of a liberty, no doubt,’ said he, ‘but we’ll make it up to you. I must warn you, however, Mr. Melas, that if at any time to-night you attempt to raise an alarm or do anything which is against my interests, you will find it a very serious thing.
“‘这确实有些放肆，’他说，‘但我们会补偿你的。不过我得警告你，梅拉斯先生，今晚你若试图报警或做任何损害我利益的事，后果将非常严重。
I beg you to remember that no one knows where you are, and that, whether you are in this carriage or in my house, you are equally in my power.’
请你记住，没人知道你在哪儿；无论你在这辆车里还是在我家里，你都同样受我摆布。’
“His words were quiet, but he had a rasping way of saying them which was very menacing. I sat in silence wondering what on earth could be his reason for kidnapping me in this extraordinary fashion.
“他说得平静，但声音刺耳，充满威胁。我默默地坐着，心想他究竟为何要以这种离奇的方式绑架我。
Whatever it might be, it was perfectly clear that there was no possible use in my resisting, and that I could only wait to see what might befall.
不管原因是什么，很明显反抗是无用的，我只能静观其变。
“For nearly two hours we drove without my having the least clue as to where we were going. Sometimes the rattle of the stones told of a paved causeway, and at others our smooth, silent course suggested asphalt;
“我们行驶了近两个小时，我对目的地毫无头绪。有时石子的颠簸声表明走在铺砌的道路上，有时平稳无声的行驶又暗示是柏油路；
but, save by this variation in sound, there was nothing at all which could in the remotest way help me to form a guess as to where we were.
但除了声音的变化，没有任何线索能帮我猜测身在何处。
The paper over each window was impenetrable to light, and a blue curtain was drawn across the glass work in front.
每个车窗上的纸都不透光，前面的玻璃上还拉着蓝色的帘子。
It was a quarter-past seven when we left Pall Mall, and my watch showed me that it was ten minutes to nine when we at last came to a standstill.
我们七点一刻离开帕尔默尔街，当我终于停下来时，手表显示差十分九点。
My companion let down the window, and I caught a glimpse of a low, arched doorway with a lamp burning above it. As I was hurried from the carriage it swung open, and I found myself inside the house, with a vague impression of a lawn and trees on each side of me as I entered.
我的同伴放下车窗，我瞥见一个低矮的拱形门道，上方亮着灯。我被匆匆拽下马车时，门开了，我发现自己已在屋内，进门时隐约感觉到两旁有草坪和树木。
Whether these were private grounds, however, or bonâ-fide country was more than I could possibly venture to say.
但这究竟是私人庭院还是真正的乡间，我就不敢妄断了。
“There was a coloured gas-lamp inside which was turned so low that I could see little save that the hall was of some size and hung with pictures.
“屋里有一盏彩色煤气灯，光线调得很暗，除了看出门厅不小且挂满画作外，几乎什么也看不见。
In the dim light I could make out that the person who had opened the door was a small, mean-looking, middle-aged man with rounded shoulders. As he turned towards us the glint of the light showed me that he was wearing glasses.
借着微光，我辨认出开门的是个矮小、猥琐、溜肩的中年男人。当他转向我们时，灯光的反光让我看到他戴着眼镜。
“‘Is this Mr. Melas, Harold?’ said he.
“‘这就是梅拉斯先生吗，哈罗德？’他问。
“‘Yes.’
“‘是的。’
“‘Well done, well done! No ill-will, Mr. Melas, I hope, but we could not get on without you. If you deal fair with us you’ll not regret it, but if you try any tricks, God help you!’
“‘干得好，干得好！希望别介意，梅拉斯先生，但我们没你不行。如果你老实配合，就不会后悔；但如果耍花招，上帝也救不了你！’
He spoke in a nervous, jerky fashion, and with little giggling laughs in between, but somehow he impressed me with fear more than the other.
他说话神经质且断断续续，中间还夹杂着咯咯的笑声，但不知怎的，他比另一个人更让我感到恐惧。
“‘What do you want with me?’ I asked.
“‘你们找我干什么？’我问。
“‘Only to ask a few questions of a Greek gentleman who is visiting us, and to let us have the answers. But say no more than you are told to say, or’—here came the nervous giggle again—‘you had better never have been born.’
“‘只是向一位来访的希腊绅士提几个问题，并把答案告诉我们。但除了让你说的话，一个字也别多说，否则’——他又发出了那神经质的笑声——‘你还不如从来没出生过。’
“As he spoke he opened a door and showed the way into a room which appeared to be very richly furnished, but again the only light was afforded by a single lamp half-turned down.
“说着他打开一扇门，引我进入一间看似陈设华丽的房间，但照明依然只靠一盏调暗了一半的灯。
The chamber was certainly large, and the way in which my feet sank into the carpet as I stepped across it told me of its richness.
房间确实很大，脚下深陷的地毯显示了其奢华程度。
I caught glimpses of velvet chairs, a high white marble mantel-piece, and what seemed to be a suit of Japanese armour at one side of it.
我瞥见了丝绒椅子、高大的白色大理石壁炉架，旁边似乎还有一套日本盔甲。
There was a chair just under the lamp, and the elderly man motioned that I should sit in it. The younger had left us, but he suddenly returned through another door, leading with him a gentleman clad in some sort of loose dressing-gown who moved slowly towards us.
灯的正下方有把椅子，年长者示意我坐下。年轻人离开了我们，但很快又从另一扇门回来，领着一位身穿宽松晨衣的绅士缓缓向我们走来。
As he came into the circle of dim light which enables me to see him more clearly I was thrilled with horror at his appearance.
当他走进昏暗的光圈让我看清面目时，他的模样令我毛骨悚然。
He was deadly pale and terribly emaciated, with the protruding, brilliant eyes of a man whose spirit was greater than his strength.
他面色死灰，极度消瘦，双眼突出而有神，显示出精神力量超越了肉体极限。
But what shocked me more than any signs of physical weakness was that his face was grotesquely criss-crossed with sticking-plaster, and that one large pad of it was fastened over his mouth.
但比身体虚弱更让我震惊的是，他的脸被胶布横七竖八地贴得怪模怪样，嘴上还封着一大块胶布。
“‘Have you the slate, Harold?’ cried the older man, as this strange being fell rather than sat down into a chair. ‘Are his hands loose? Now, then, give him the pencil.
“‘你有石板吗，哈罗德？’年长者喊道，此时这个怪人几乎是跌坐在椅子上而非坐下。‘他的手松绑了吗？好，给他铅笔。
You are to ask the questions, Mr. Melas, and he will write the answers. Ask him first of all whether he is prepared to sign the papers?’
由你来提问，梅拉斯先生，他会写下答案。首先问他是否准备好签署文件了？’
“The man’s eyes flashed fire.
“那人的眼中闪过怒火。
“‘Never!’ he wrote in Greek upon the slate.
“‘绝不！’他用希腊语在石板上写道。
“‘On no condition?’ I asked, at the bidding of our tyrant.
“‘在任何条件下都不行吗？’我按照暴君的吩咐问道。
“‘Only if I see her married in my presence by a Greek priest whom I know.’
“‘除非亲眼看到一位我认识的希腊神父为她主持婚礼。’
“The man giggled in his venomous way.
“那人恶毒地咯咯笑了起来。
“‘You know what awaits you, then?’
“‘那你知道等待你的是什么下场吗？’
“‘I care nothing for myself.’
“‘我不在乎我自己的安危。’
“These are samples of the questions and answers which made up our strange half-spoken, half-written conversation. Again and again I had to ask him whether he would give in and sign the documents. Again and again I had the same indignant reply.
“以上就是我们这场奇特的半口头、半书面问答的几个片段。我不得不反复问他是否愿意屈服签字，而他每次都给出同样愤慨的回答。
But soon a happy thought came to me. I took to adding on little sentences of my own to each question, innocent ones at first, to test whether either of our companions knew anything of the matter, and then, as I found that they showed no signs I played a more dangerous game. Our conversation ran something like this:
但很快我灵机一动。我开始在每个问题后面加上自己的短句，起初是无害的句子，以试探两个同伴是否懂希腊语；发现他们毫无反应后，我便玩起了更危险的游戏。我们的对话大致如下：
“‘You can do no good by this obstinacy. Who are you?’
“‘固执对你没好处。你是谁？’
“‘I care not. I am a stranger in London.’
“‘我不在乎。我在伦敦举目无亲。’
“‘Your fate will be upon your own head. How long have you been here?’
“‘后果自负。你来这儿多久了？’
“‘Let it be so. Three weeks.’
“‘随它去吧。三周了。’
“‘The property can never be yours. What ails you?’
“‘财产绝不会归你。你怎么了？’
“‘It shall not go to villains. They are starving me.’
“‘绝不能落入恶棍手中。他们在饿我肚子。’
“‘You shall go free if you sign. What house is this?’
“‘签了字你就自由了。这是什么房子？’
“‘I will never sign. I do not know.’
“‘我绝不签字。我不知道。’
“‘You are not doing her any service. What is your name?’
“‘你这样对她没好处。你叫什么名字？’
“‘Let me hear her say so. Kratides.’
“‘除非亲耳听她说。克拉蒂德斯。’
“‘You shall see her if you sign. Where are you from?’
“‘签了字就能见她。你从哪里来？’
“‘Then I shall never see her. Athens.’
“‘那我就再也见不到她了。雅典。’
“Another five minutes, Mr. Holmes, and I should have wormed out the whole story under their very noses. My very next question might have cleared the matter up, but at that instant the door opened and a woman stepped into the room.
“再给我五分钟，福尔摩斯先生，我就能当着他们的面套出全部真相了。下一个问题或许就能水落石出，但就在这时，门开了，一个女人走了进来。
I could not see her clearly enough to know more than that she was tall and graceful, with black hair, and clad in some sort of loose white gown.
我看不太清她，只知道她身材高挑优雅，黑发，穿着一件宽松的白袍。
“‘Harold,’ said she, speaking English with a broken accent. ‘I could not stay away longer. It is so lonely up there with only—Oh, my God, it is Paul!’
“‘哈罗德，’她用蹩脚的英语说道，‘我没法再待下去了。上面只有……太孤单了——天哪，是保罗！’
“These last words were in Greek, and at the same instant the man with a convulsive effort tore the plaster from his lips, and screaming out ‘Sophy! Sophy!’ rushed into the woman’s arms.
“最后这几个字是用希腊语说的，与此同时，那男人猛地撕下嘴上的胶布，尖叫着‘索菲！索菲！’冲进了女人的怀抱。
Their embrace was but for an instant, however, for the younger man seized the woman and pushed her out of the room, while the elder easily overpowered his emaciated victim, and dragged him away through the other door.
然而他们的拥抱仅持续了一瞬，年轻人抓住女人把她推出了房间，年长者则轻易制服了那个瘦弱的受害者，将他从另一扇门拖走了。
For a moment I was left alone in the room, and I sprang to my feet with some vague idea that I might in some way get a clue to what this house was in which I found myself.
房间里暂时只剩我一人，我猛地站起身，模糊地想着或许能找到关于这栋房子的线索。
Fortunately, however, I took no steps, for looking up I saw that the older man was standing in the doorway with his eyes fixed upon me.
幸好我没有行动，因为抬头一看，那个年长者正站在门口死死盯着我。
“‘That will do, Mr. Melas,’ said he. ‘You perceive that we have taken you into our confidence over some very private business.
“‘行了，梅拉斯先生，’他说，‘你看，我们已经把你卷入了这件极其私密的事务中。
We should not have troubled you, only that our friend who speaks Greek and who began these negotiations has been forced to return to the East.
本不该麻烦你，只是那位懂希腊语并开启谈判的朋友被迫返回东方了。
It was quite necessary for us to find some one to take his place, and we were fortunate in hearing of your powers.’
我们必须找人顶替，很幸运听说了你的才干。’
“I bowed.
“我鞠了一躬。
“‘There are five sovereigns here,’ said he, walking up to me, ‘which will, I hope, be a sufficient fee. But remember,’ he added, tapping me lightly on the chest and giggling, ‘if you speak to a human soul about this—one human soul, mind—well, may God have mercy upon your soul!”
“‘这里有五个金镑，’他走到我跟前说，‘希望这酬金足够了。但要记住，’他轻拍着我的胸口咯咯笑道，‘如果你向任何人提起此事——哪怕是一个人，听着——愿上帝怜悯你的灵魂！’
“I cannot tell you the loathing and horror with which this insignificant-looking man inspired me. I could see him better now as the lamp-light shone upon him.
“我无法形容这个外表不起眼的男人给我带来的厌恶与恐惧。灯光照在他身上，我现在看得更清楚了。
His features were peaky and sallow, and his little pointed beard was thready and ill-nourished. He pushed his face forward as he spoke and his lips and eyelids were continually twitching like a man with St. Vitus’s dance.
他面容尖削蜡黄，稀疏的小尖胡子显得营养不良。说话时他把脸凑向前，嘴唇和眼皮不停地抽动，像是患了舞蹈病。
I could not help thinking that his strange, catchy little laugh was also a symptom of some nervous malady. The terror of his face lay in his eyes, however, steel grey, and glistening coldly with a malignant, inexorable cruelty in their depths.
我不禁觉得他那怪异、抓人的笑声也是某种神经疾病的症状。然而他脸上最可怕的是那双钢灰色的眼睛，深处闪烁着冷酷、恶毒且无情的残忍光芒。
“‘We shall know if you speak of this,’ said he. ‘We have our own means of information. Now you will find the carriage waiting, and my friend will see you on your way.’
“‘你要是敢说出去，我们会知道的，’他说，‘我们有自己的消息渠道。现在车在外面等着，我的朋友会送你回去。’
“I was hurried through the hall and into the vehicle, again obtaining that momentary glimpse of trees and a garden. Mr. Latimer followed closely at my heels, and took his place opposite to me without a word.
“我被匆匆带过门厅塞进车里，再次瞥见了树木和花园的瞬间景象。拉蒂默先生紧随其后，一言不发地坐在我对面。
In silence we again drove for an interminable distance with the windows raised, until at last, just after midnight, the carriage pulled up.
我们在沉默中关着窗又行驶了漫长的一段路，直到午夜刚过，马车才停下来。
“‘You will get down here, Mr. Melas,’ said my companion. ‘I am sorry to leave you so far from your house, but there is no alternative. Any attempt upon your part to follow the carriage can only end in injury to yourself.’
“‘你得在这儿下车了，梅拉斯先生，’我的同伴说，‘抱歉把你丢在离家这么远的地方，但别无选择。你若试图跟踪马车，只会伤到自己。’
“He opened the door as he spoke, and I had hardly time to spring out when the coachman lashed the horse and the carriage rattled away.
“他说着打开了车门，我刚跳下车，车夫就抽打马匹，马车嘎吱作响地驶远了。
I looked around me in astonishment. I was on some sort of a heathy common mottled over with dark clumps of furze-bushes. Far away stretched a line of houses, with a light here and there in the upper windows. On the other side I saw the red signal-lamps of a railway.
我惊愕地环顾四周。我正站在一片荒原上，点缀着深色的荆豆丛。远处延伸着一排房屋，楼上窗户零星亮着灯。另一边我看到了铁路的红色信号灯。
“The carriage which had brought me was already out of sight. I stood gazing round and wondering where on earth I might be, when I saw some one coming towards me in the darkness. As he came up to me I made out that he was a railway porter.
“送我来的马车早已不见踪影。我站着四处张望，纳闷自己究竟身在何处，这时看见黑暗中有人向我走来。走近一看，原来是个铁路搬运工。
“‘Can you tell me what place this is?’ I asked.
“‘能告诉我这是什么地方吗？’我问。
“‘Wandsworth Common,’ said he.
“‘旺兹沃思公地，’他说。
“‘Can I get a train into town?’
“‘我能赶上进城的车吗？’
“‘If you walk on a mile or so to Clapham Junction,’ said he, ‘you’ll just be in time for the last to Victoria.’
“‘如果你再走一英里左右到克拉珀姆枢纽站，’他说，‘刚好能赶上开往维多利亚站的末班车。’
“So that was the end of my adventure, Mr. Holmes. I do not know where I was, nor whom I spoke with, nor anything save what I have told you.
“我的冒险到此结束，福尔摩斯先生。我不知道那是哪儿，也不知道跟谁说了话，除了告诉你的这些，我一无所知。
But I know that there is foul play going on, and I want to help that unhappy man if I can. I told the whole story to Mr. Mycroft Holmes next morning, and subsequently to the police.”
但我知道那里正在进行罪恶勾当，如果可能的话，我想帮助那个不幸的人。第二天早上我把整个故事告诉了迈克罗夫特·福尔摩斯先生，后来又报告了警方。”
We all sat in silence for some little time after listening to this extraordinary narrative. Then Sherlock looked across at his brother.
听完这段离奇的叙述，我们都沉默了片刻。然后夏洛克看向他的哥哥。
“Any steps?” he asked.
“有什么进展吗？”他问。
Mycroft picked up the Daily News, which was lying on the side-table.
迈克罗夫特拿起放在边桌上的《每日新闻》。
“‘Anybody supplying any information to the whereabouts of a Greek gentleman named Paul Kratides, from Athens, who is unable to speak English, will be rewarded. A similar reward paid to any one giving information about a Greek lady whose first name is Sophy. X 2473.’ That was in all the dailies. No answer.”
“‘凡提供来自雅典、不会说英语的希腊绅士保罗·克拉蒂德斯下落者，必有重赏。提供名为索菲的希腊女士线索者，亦有同等酬谢。X 2473。’所有日报都登了。但没有回音。”
“How about the Greek Legation?”
“希腊公使馆那边呢？”
“I have inquired. They know nothing.”
“我问过了。他们一无所知。”
“A wire to the head of the Athens police, then?”
“那就给雅典警察局长发个电报？”
“Sherlock has all the energy of the family,” said Mycroft, turning to me. “Well, you take the case up by all means, and let me know if you do any good.”
“夏洛克继承了全家所有的精力，”迈克罗夫特转向我说，“好吧，你一定要接手这个案子，如果有进展就告诉我。”
“Certainly,” answered my friend, rising from his chair. “I’ll let you know, and Mr. Melas also. In the meantime, Mr. Melas, I should certainly be on my guard, if I were you, for of course they must know through these advertisements that you have betrayed them.”
“当然，”我的朋友起身答道，“我会通知你和梅拉斯先生的。同时，梅拉斯先生，如果我是你，一定会加倍小心，因为他们肯定通过这些广告知道你出卖了他们。”
As we walked home together, Holmes stopped at a telegraph office and sent off several wires.
我们一起步行回家时，福尔摩斯在电报局停下发了几封电报。
“You see, Watson,” he remarked, “our evening has been by no means wasted. Some of my most interesting cases have come to me in this way through Mycroft.
“你看，华生，”他说，“我们今晚过得很有意义。我最有趣的几个案子都是通过迈克罗夫特这样找上门的。
The problem which we have just listened to, although it can admit of but one explanation, has still some distinguishing features.”
刚才听到的这个谜题，虽然只能有一种解释，但仍有一些独特之处。”
“You have hopes of solving it?”
“你有希望破案吗？”
“Well, knowing as much as we do, it will be singular indeed if we fail to discover the rest. You must yourself have formed some theory which will explain the facts to which we have listened.”
“既然掌握了这么多信息，如果还不能查明其余部分，那就太奇怪了。你自己一定也对听到的事实形成了某种理论。”
“In a vague way, yes.”
“大体上有了。”
“What was your idea, then?”
“那你的想法是什么？”
“It seemed to me to be obvious that this Greek girl had been carried off by the young Englishman named Harold Latimer.”
“我觉得很明显，这个希腊姑娘是被那个叫哈罗德·拉蒂默的英国年轻人拐走的。”
“Carried off from where?”
“从哪里拐走的？”
“Athens, perhaps.”
“也许是雅典。”
Sherlock Holmes shook his head. “This young man could not talk a word of Greek. The lady could talk English fairly well. Inference, that she had been in England some little time, but he had not been in Greece.”
夏洛克·福尔摩斯摇了摇头。“这个年轻人一句希腊语都不会。而那位女士英语说得相当不错。由此推断，她在英国待了一段时间，而他并未去过希腊。”
“Well, then, we will presume that she had come on a visit to England, and that this Harold had persuaded her to fly with him.”
“那么，我们可以假设她是来英国探亲访友，而这个哈罗德说服了她与他私奔。”
“That is more probable.”
“这更有可能。”
“Then the brother—for that, I fancy, must be the relationship—comes over from Greece to interfere. He imprudently puts himself into the power of the young man and his older associate.
“接着她的哥哥——我想应该是兄妹关系——从希腊赶来干涉。他轻率地让自己落入了这个年轻人及其年长同伙的控制之中。
They seize him and use violence towards him in order to make him sign some papers to make over the girl’s fortune—of which he may be trustee—to them. This he refuses to do.
他们抓住他并对他施暴，企图迫使他签署文件，将女孩的财产——他可能是受托人——转让给他们。但他拒绝了。
In order to negotiate with him they have to get an interpreter, and they pitch upon this Mr. Melas, having used some other one before. The girl is not told of the arrival of her brother, and finds it out by the merest accident.”
为了与他交涉，他们不得不找个翻译，在用过一个之后选中了这位梅拉斯先生。女孩并不知道哥哥来了，完全是偶然才发现的。”
“Excellent, Watson!” cried Holmes. “I really fancy that you are not far from the truth. You see that we hold all the cards, and we have only to fear some sudden act of violence on their part. If they give us time we must have them.”
“精彩，华生！”福尔摩斯叫道，“我真的觉得你离真相不远了。你看，我们手握所有王牌，只需提防他们突然采取暴力行动。只要他们给我们时间，我们就一定能抓住他们。”
“But how can we find where this house lies?”
“但我们怎么才能找到那栋房子在哪里呢？”
“Well, if our conjecture is correct and the girl’s name is or was Sophy Kratides, we should have no difficulty in tracing her. That must be our main hope, for the brother is, of course, a complete stranger.
“如果我们的推测正确，且女孩名叫或曾叫索菲·克拉蒂德斯，追踪她应该不难。这必须是我们的主要希望，因为她哥哥显然是个完全的陌生人。
It is clear that some time has elapsed since this Harold established these relations with the girl—some weeks, at any rate—since the brother in Greece has had time to hear of it and come across.
很明显，自从哈罗德与女孩建立关系以来已经过去了一些时间——至少几周——因为在希腊的哥哥才有时间听说此事并赶过来。
If they have been living in the same place during this time, it is probable that we shall have some answer to Mycroft’s advertisement.”
如果这段时间他们一直住在同一个地方，迈克罗夫特的广告很可能会有回应。”
We had reached our house in Baker Street while we had been talking. Holmes ascended the stair first, and as he opened the door of our room he gave a start of surprise. Looking over his shoulder, I was equally astonished. His brother Mycroft was sitting smoking in the armchair.
说话间我们已回到贝克街的住所。福尔摩斯先上楼，打开房门时惊讶地愣了一下。我越过他的肩膀看去，也同样吃惊。他的哥哥迈克罗夫特正坐在扶手椅上抽烟。
“Come in, Sherlock! Come in, sir,” said he blandly, smiling at our surprised faces. “You don’t expect such energy from me, do you, Sherlock? But somehow this case attracts me.”
“进来，夏洛克！进来，先生，”他和蔼地说，对我们惊讶的表情报以微笑，“没想到我会这么积极吧，夏洛克？但这案子不知怎的吸引了我。”
“How did you get here?”
“你怎么来的？”
“I passed you in a hansom.”
“我坐双轮马车超过了你们。”
“There has been some new development?”
“有新进展了？”
“I had an answer to my advertisement.”
“我的广告有回音了。”
“Ah!”
“啊！”
“Yes, it came within a few minutes of your leaving.”
“是的，你们走后几分钟就收到了。”
“And to what effect?”
“内容如何？”
Mycroft Holmes took out a sheet of paper.
迈克罗夫特·福尔摩斯掏出一张纸。
“Here it is,” said he, “written with a J pen on royal cream paper by a middle-aged man with a weak constitution. ‘Sir,’ he says, ‘in answer to your advertisement of to-day’s date, I beg to inform you that I know the young lady in question very well.
“在这儿，”他说，“用J型钢笔写在皇家奶油色信纸上，笔迹显示出自一位体弱的中年人之手。‘先生，’信中写道，‘针对您今日刊登的广告，谨告知您我与当事年轻女士甚为熟识。
If you should care to call upon me I could give you some particulars as to her painful history. She is living at present at The Myrtles, Beckenham. Yours faithfully, J. Davenport.’
若您愿意造访，我可详述其悲惨经历。她目前居住在贝肯纳姆的桃金娘别墅。此致敬礼，J. 达文波特。’
“He writes from Lower Brixton,” said Mycroft Holmes. “Do you not think that we might drive to him now, Sherlock, and learn these particulars?”
“他是从布里克斯顿下区寄出的，”迈克罗夫特·福尔摩斯说，“你不觉得我们现在可以坐车去找他了解详情吗，夏洛克？”
“My dear Mycroft, the brother’s life is more valuable than the sister’s story. I think we should call at Scotland Yard for Inspector Gregson, and go straight out to Beckenham. We know that a man is being done to death, and every hour may be vital.”
“亲爱的迈克罗夫特，哥哥的性命比妹妹的故事更重要。我认为我们应该去苏格兰场叫上格雷格森警督，直接赶往贝肯纳姆。我们知道有人正被折磨致死，每一小时都至关重要。”
“Better pick up Mr. Melas on our way,” I suggested. “We may need an interpreter.”
“路上最好带上梅拉斯先生，”我建议道，“我们可能需要翻译。”
“Excellent,” said Sherlock Holmes. “Send the boy for a four-wheeler, and we shall be off at once.” He opened the table-drawer as he spoke, and I noticed that he slipped his revolver into his pocket.
“好极了，”夏洛克·福尔摩斯说，“叫小伙子去雇辆四轮马车，我们立刻出发。”他说着拉开桌子抽屉，我注意到他把左轮手枪塞进了口袋。
“Yes,” said he, in answer to my glance; “I should say from what we have heard, that we are dealing with a particularly dangerous gang.”
“是的，”看到我投去的目光，他回答道，“从听到的情况来看，我们要对付的是一伙特别危险的歹徒。”
It was almost dark before we found ourselves in Pall Mall, at the rooms of Mr. Melas. A gentleman had just called for him, and he was gone.
天色渐暗时我们才赶到帕尔默尔街梅拉斯先生的住处。一位绅士刚来找过他，他已经走了。
“Can you tell me where?” asked Mycroft Holmes.
“能告诉我去了哪儿吗？”迈克罗夫特·福尔摩斯问。
“I don’t know, sir,” answered the woman who had opened the door; “I only know that he drove away with the gentleman in a carriage.”
“我不知道，先生，”开门的女人回答，“我只知道他和那位绅士坐马车走了。”
“Did the gentleman give a name?”
“那位绅士留名了吗？”
“No, sir.”
“没有，先生。”
“He wasn’t a tall, handsome, dark young man?”
“他不是个高大英俊的黑发年轻人？”
“Oh, no, sir. He was a little gentleman, with glasses, thin in the face, but very pleasant in his ways, for he was laughing all the time that he was talking.”
“噢，不是，先生。他是位矮小的绅士，戴眼镜，脸型瘦削，但举止非常和蔼，说话时一直在笑。”
“Come along!” cried Sherlock Holmes, abruptly. “This grows serious,” he observed, as we drove to Scotland Yard.
“快走！”夏洛克·福尔摩斯突然喊道。“事态严重了，”在我们驱车前往苏格兰场的途中他评论道。
“These men have got hold of Melas again. He is a man of no physical courage, as they are well aware from their experience the other night. This villain was able to terrorise him the instant that he got into his presence.
“这些人又抓住了梅拉斯。他毫无胆量，这点他们从前晚的经历中深知。这个恶棍一出现在他面前就能把他吓住。
No doubt they want his professional services, but, having used him, they may be inclined to punish him for what they will regard as his treachery.”
毫无疑问他们需要他的专业服务，但在利用完他之后，他们很可能会因为他所谓的背叛而惩罚他。”
Our hope was that, by taking train, we might get to Beckenham as soon or sooner than the carriage. On reaching Scotland Yard, however, it was more than an hour before we could get Inspector Gregson and comply with the legal formalities which would enable us to enter the house.
我们希望能乘火车比马车更快或同时到达贝肯纳姆。然而到达苏格兰场后，花了一个多小时才请到格雷格森警督并完成允许我们进入民宅的法律手续。
It was a quarter to ten before we reached London Bridge, and half past before the four of us alighted on the Beckenham platform. A drive of half a mile brought us to The Myrtles—a large, dark house standing back from the road in its own grounds.
十点差一刻我们才抵达伦敦桥车站，十点半我们四人才在贝肯纳姆站台下车。坐了半英里马车后到达了桃金娘别墅——这是一栋坐落在自家院落深处、远离道路的大型阴暗住宅。
Here we dismissed our cab, and made our way up the drive together.
我们在这里打发走马车，一起沿着车道走上前去。
“The windows are all dark,” remarked the inspector. “The house seems deserted.”
“窗户全是黑的，”警督评论道，“房子似乎没人了。”
“Our birds are flown and the nest empty,” said Holmes.
“鸟儿飞了，巢也空了，”福尔摩斯说。
“Why do you say so?”
“为什么这么说？”
“A carriage heavily loaded with luggage has passed out during the last hour.”
“过去一小时内有一辆装满行李的沉重马车驶出了这里。”
The inspector laughed. “I saw the wheel-tracks in the light of the gate-lamp, but where does the luggage come in?”
警督笑了。“我在门灯下看到了车轮印，但行李从何说起？”
“You may have observed the same wheel-tracks going the other way. But the outward-bound ones were very much deeper—so much so that we can say for a certainty that there was a very considerable weight on the carriage.”
“你可能注意到了同样的车轮印通向另一个方向。但向外驶出的痕迹要深得多——足以确定马车上载有相当重的物品。”
“You get a trifle beyond me there,” said the inspector, shrugging his shoulder. “It will not be an easy door to force, but we will try if we cannot make some one hear us.”
“这点我就有点跟不上了，”警督耸耸肩说，“这门不容易撬开，但我们试试看能不能让人听见。”
He hammered loudly at the knocker and pulled at the bell, but without any success. Holmes had slipped away, but he came back in a few minutes.
他大声敲门并拉响门铃，但毫无动静。福尔摩斯悄悄溜走了，几分钟后又回来了。
“I have a window open,” said he.
“我弄开了一扇窗户，”他说。
“It is a mercy that you are on the side of the force, and not against it, Mr. Holmes,” remarked the inspector, as he noted the clever way in which my friend had forced back the catch. “Well, I think that under the circumstances we may enter without an invitation.”
“幸亏你是站在执法这一边而不是对立面，福尔摩斯先生，”警督看着我的朋友巧妙拨开窗扣的手法评论道，“好吧，我想在这种情况下我们可以不请自入了。”
One after the other we made our way into a large apartment, which was evidently that in which Mr. Melas had found himself. The inspector had lit his lantern, and by its light we could see the two doors, the curtain, the lamp, and the suit of Japanese mail as he had described them.
我们依次进入一个大房间，显然就是梅拉斯先生描述的那个地方。警督点亮提灯，借着灯光我们看到了他提到的两扇门、窗帘、台灯和那套日本铠甲。
On the table lay two glasses, and empty brandy-bottle, and the remains of a meal.
桌上放着两个杯子、一个空的白兰地酒瓶和残羹剩饭。
“What is that?” asked Holmes, suddenly.
“那是什么声音？”福尔摩斯突然问道。
We all stood still and listened. A low moaning sound was coming from somewhere over our heads. Holmes rushed to the door and out into the hall. The dismal noise came from upstairs.
我们都静止不动侧耳倾听。头顶某处传来低沉的呻吟声。福尔摩斯冲到门外进入大厅。那凄惨的声音来自楼上。
He dashed up, the inspector and I at his heels, while his brother Mycroft followed as quickly as his great bulk would permit.
他冲上楼去，警督和我紧跟其后，而他的哥哥迈克罗夫特也尽其庞大身躯所能允许的最快速度跟上。
Three doors faced up upon the second floor, and it was from the central of these that the sinister sounds were issuing, sinking sometimes into a dull mumble and rising again into a shrill whine. It was locked, but the key had been left on the outside.
二楼有三扇门，阴森的声音正是从中间那扇传出的，时而低沉含糊，时而尖锐哀鸣。门锁着，但钥匙留在了外面。
Holmes flung open the door and rushed in, but he was out again in an instant, with his hand to his throat.
福尔摩斯猛地推开门冲进去，但瞬间又退了出来，手捂着喉咙。
“It’s charcoal,” he cried. “Give it time. It will clear.”
“是木炭气，”他喊道，“等一会儿。气会散的。”
Peering in, we could see that the only light in the room came from a dull blue flame which flickered from a small brass tripod in the centre. It threw a livid, unnatural circle upon the floor, while in the shadows beyond we saw the vagueloom of two figures which crouched against the wall.
往里窥视，只见房间唯一的光源来自中央一个小铜三脚架上闪烁的暗淡蓝色火焰。它在地板上投下一圈青紫诡异的光晕，而在远处的阴影中，我们看到两个蜷缩在墙边的模糊身影。
From the open door there reeked a horrible poisonous exhalation which set us gasping and coughing. Holmes rushed to the top of the stairs to draw in the fresh air, and then, dashing into the room, he threw up the window and hurled the brazen tripod out into the garden.
敞开的门里涌出可怕的有毒气体，熏得我们喘不过气并剧烈咳嗽。福尔摩斯冲到楼梯顶端吸了口新鲜空气，然后冲进房间推开窗户，将铜三脚架扔到了花园里。
“We can enter in a minute,” he gasped, darting out again. “Where is a candle? I doubt if we could strike a match in that atmosphere. Hold the light at the door and we shall get them out, Mycroft, now!”
“马上就能进去了，”他喘着气说，再次闪身出来。“蜡烛在哪？在那种环境下恐怕划不着火柴。把灯举在门口，我们把他们抬出来，迈克罗夫特，快！”
With a rush we got to the poisoned men and dragged them out into the well-lit hall. Both of them were blue-lipped and insensible, with swollen, congested faces and protruding eyes.
我们一股作气冲到中毒者身边，将他们拖到明亮的大厅里。两人都嘴唇发紫、失去知觉，面部肿胀充血，眼球突出。
Indeed, so distorted were their features that, save for his black beard and stout figure, we might have failed to recognise in one of them the Greek interpreter who had parted from us only a few hours before at the Diogenes Club.
的确，他们的面容扭曲得厉害，若非黑胡子和壮实体型，我们差点认不出其中一个就是几小时前在第欧根尼俱乐部分别的希腊译员。
His hands and feet were securely strapped together, and he bore over one eye the marks of a violent blow. The other, who was secured in a similar fashion, was a tall man in the last stage of emaciation, with several strips of sticking-plaster arranged in a grotesque pattern over his face.
他的手脚被牢牢捆住，一只眼睛上方有遭受重击的痕迹。另一人也被同样捆绑着，是个瘦骨嶙峋的高个子男人，脸上贴着几条排列怪异的胶布。
He had ceased to moan as we laid him down, and a glance showed me that for him at least our aid had come too late. Mr. Melas, however, still lived, and in less than an hour, with the aid of ammonia and brandy I had the satisfaction of seeing him open his eyes, and of knowing that my hand had drawn him back from that dark valley in which all paths meet.
当我们把他放下时，他已停止呻吟，看一眼就知道对他来说救援已太迟了。然而梅拉斯先生还活着，不到一小时，在氨水和白兰地的帮助下，我欣慰地看到他睁开了眼睛，知道是我的手将他从万劫不复的黑暗深渊中拉了回来。
It was a simple story which he had to tell, and one which did but confirm our own deductions. His visitor, on entering his rooms, had drawn a life-preserver from his sleeve, and had so impressed him with the fear of instant and inevitable death that he had kidnapped him for the second time.
他讲述的故事很简单，只是证实了我们的推论。访客一进房间就从袖子里掏出一根防身棒，让他感到了即刻且不可避免的死亡恐惧，从而第二次绑架了他。
Indeed, it was almost mesmeric, the effect which this giggling ruffian had produced upon the unfortunate linguist, for he could not speak of him save with trembling hands and a blanched cheek.
确实，这个咯咯笑的恶棍对这位不幸的语言学家产生了近乎催眠般的影响，因为提到他时，梅拉斯双手颤抖、脸色苍白。
He had been taken swiftly to Beckenham, and had acted as interpreter in a second interview, even more dramatic than the first, in which the two Englishmen had menaced their prisoner with instant death if he did not comply with their demands.
他被迅速带到贝肯纳姆，并在第二次审讯中担任翻译，场面比第一次更具戏剧性，两个英国人威胁囚犯若不答应要求就立即处死他。
Finally, finding him proof against every threat, they had hurled him back into his prison, and after reproaching Melas with his treachery, which appeared from the newspaper advertisement, they had stunned him with a blow from a stick, and he remembered nothing more until he found us bending over him.
最终，发现他对任何威胁都无动于衷，他们便把他扔回牢房，并在指责梅拉斯通过报纸广告背叛他们之后，用棍子将他打晕，此后他便什么都不记得了，直到醒来发现我们俯身看着他。
And this was the singular case of the Grecian Interpreter, the explanation of which is still involved in some mystery.
这就是离奇的希腊译员案，其结局至今仍笼罩在谜团之中。
We were able to find out, by communicating with the gentleman who had answered the advertisement, that the unfortunate young lady came of a wealthy Grecian family, and that she had been on a visit to some friends in England.
通过与回复广告的绅士联系，我们得以查明这位不幸的年轻女士出身富裕的希腊家庭，当时正在英国探亲访友。
While there she had met a young man named Harold Latimer, who had acquired an ascendancy over her and had eventually persuaded her to fly with him.
在此期间她结识了名叫哈罗德·拉蒂默的年轻人，此人控制了她的感情并最终说服她与之私奔。
Her friends, shocked at the event, had contented themselves with informing her brother at Athens, and had then washed their hands of the matter.
她的朋友们对此感到震惊，但也仅限于通知她在雅典的哥哥，随后便不再插手此事。
The brother, on his arrival in England, had imprudently placed himself in the power of Latimer and of his associate, whose name was Wilson Kemp—a man of the foulest antecedents.
她哥哥抵达英国后，轻率地落入了拉蒂默及其同伙威尔逊·坎普——一个劣迹斑斑的家伙——的控制之中。
These two, finding that through his ignorance of the language he was helpless in their hands, had kept him a prisoner, and had endeavoured by cruelty and starvation to make him sign away his own and his sister’s property.
这两人发现他因不懂语言而任人宰割，便将他囚禁起来，试图通过虐待和饥饿迫使他签字放弃自己和妹妹的财产。
They had kept him in the house without the girl’s knowledge, and the plaster over the face had been for the purpose of making recognition difficult in case she should ever catch a glimpse of him.
他们将他在女孩不知情的情况下关在屋里，脸上的胶布是为了防止万一被她瞥见时难以辨认。
Her feminine perception, however, had instantly seen through the disguise when, on the occasion of the interpreter’s visit, she had seen him for the first time.
然而，女性的直觉让她在翻译来访那次初次见到他时，立刻识破了伪装。
The poor girl, however, was herself a prisoner, for there was no one about the house except the man who acted as coachman, and his wife, both of whom were tools of the conspirators.
可怜的女孩自己也是囚徒，因为房子里除了充当车夫的男人和他的妻子外再无他人，而这两人都是阴谋者的工具。
Finding that their secret was out, and that their prisoner was not to be coerced, the two villains with the girl had fled away at a few hours’ notice from the furnished house which they had hired, having first, as they thought, taken vengeance both upon the man who had defied and the one who had betrayed them.
发现秘密败露且囚犯无法被胁迫后，两个恶棍带着女孩在几小时内仓皇逃离了租来的带家具的房子，临走前自以为已向反抗者和背叛者实施了报复。
Months afterwards a curious newspaper cutting reached us from Buda-Pesth. It told how two Englishmen who had been traveling with a woman had met with a tragic end.
几个月后，我们从布达佩斯收到一则奇怪的剪报。报道称两名与一名女子同行的英国人遭遇了悲剧性的结局。
They had each been stabbed, it seems, and the Hungarian police were of opinion that they had quarreled and had inflicted mortal injuries upon each other.
两人似乎都被刺死了，匈牙利警方认为他们是因争吵而互相造成了致命伤害。
Holmes, however, is, I fancy, of a different way of thinking, and holds to this day that, if one could find the Grecian girl, one might learn how the wrongs of herself and her brother came to be avenged.
然而，我想福尔摩斯的看法不同，他至今坚信，如果能找到那位希腊姑娘，或许就能得知她和哥哥的冤屈是如何得到昭雪的。
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