福尔摩斯探案集·血字的研究 第32期:葛莱森大显身手(3)

"My dear fellow," he cried, wringing Holmes's unresponsive hand,

"亲爱的朋友，"他紧紧地握着福尔摩斯冷淡的手大声说道，

"congratulate me! I have made the whole thing as clear as day."

"给我道喜吧！我已经把这个案子弄得象大天白日一样地清清楚楚了。"

A shade of anxiety seemed to me to cross my companion's expressive face.

我似乎看出，在福尔摩斯善于表情的脸上，掠过一丝焦急的暗影。

"Do you mean that you are on the right track?" he asked.

他问道："你是说你已经搞顺手了吗？"

"The right track! Why, sir, we have the man under lock and key."

"对了！真是的，我的老兄，连凶手都捉到了！"

"And his name is?"

"那么他叫什么名字？"

"Arthur Charpentier, sub-lieutenant in Her Majesty's navy,"

"阿瑟·夏朋婕，是皇家海军的一个中尉，"

cried Gregson pompously rubbing his fat hands and inflating his chest.

葛莱森一面得意地搓着他的一双胖手，一面挺起胸脯傲慢地大声说。

Sherlock Holmes gave a sigh of relief and relaxed into a smile.

福尔摩斯听了这话以后，才如释重负地松了一口气，不觉微笑起来。

"Take a seat, and try one of these cigars," he said.

"请坐，抽支雪茄烟罢。"他说，

"We are anxious to know how you managed it. Will you have some whisky and water?"

"我们很想知道你是怎么办的。喝点儿加水威士忌吗？"

"I don't mind if I do," the detective answered.

"喝点儿就喝点儿吧，"这位侦探回答说，

"The tremendous exertions which I have gone through during the last day or two have worn me out.

"这两天费了不少劲儿，可把我累坏了。

Not so much bodily exertion, you understand, as the strain upon the mind.

你明白，体力劳动虽说不多，可是脑子紧张得厉害。

You will appreciate that, Mr. Sherlock Holmes, for we are both brain-workers."

个中甘苦你是知道的，福尔摩斯先生，因为咱们都是干的用脑子的活儿。"

"You do me too much honour," said Holmes, gravely.

福尔摩斯一本正经地说："你太过奖了。

The detective seated himself in the armchair, and puffed complacently at his cigar.

这位侦探在扶手椅上坐了下来，洋洋自得地一口口地吸着雪茄，

Then suddenly he slapped his thigh in a paroxysm of amusement.

忽地拍了一下大腿高兴地说道：

"The fun of it is," he cried, "that that fool Lestrade, who thinks himself so smart, has gone off upon the wrong track altogether.

"真可笑，雷斯垂德这个傻瓜，他还自以为高明呢，可是他完全搞错了。

He is after the secretary Stangerson, who had no more to do with the crime than the babe unborn.

他正在寻找那位秘书斯坦节逊的下落呢。这个家伙就象一个没有出世的孩子一样地和这个案子根本就没有关系。

I have no doubt that he has caught him by this time."

我敢断言，他现在多半已经捉到那个家伙了。"

The idea tickled Gregson so much that he laughed until he choked.

他讲到这里得意地呵呵大笑，直笑得喘不过起来。

"And how did you get your clue?"

"那么，你是怎样得到线索的呢？"

"Ah, I'll tell you all about it.

"啊，我全部告诉你们。

Of course, Dr. Watson, this is strictly between ourselves.

当然喽，华生医生，这是绝对秘密的，只有咱们自己之间可以谈谈。

The first difficulty which we had to contend with was the finding of this American's antecedents.

首先必须克服的困难就是要查明这个美国人的来历。

Some people would have waited until their advertisements were answered,

有些人也许要登登广告，等待人们前来报告，

or until parties came forward and volunteered information.

或者等着死者生前的亲朋好友出来，自动报告一些消息。

That is not Tobias Gregson's way of going to work.

葛莱森的工作方法却不是这样的。

You remember the hat beside the dead man?"

你还记得死者身旁的那顶帽子吗？"

"Yes," said Holmes; "by John Underwood and Sons, 129, Camberwell Road."

"记得，"福尔摩斯说道，"那是从坎伯韦尔路229号的约翰·安德乌父子帽店买来的。"

Gregson looked quite crestfallen. "I had no idea that you noticed that," he said.

葛莱森听了这话，脸上立刻显出非常沮丧的神情。他说："想不到你也注意到这一点了。

"Have you been there?"

你到那家帽店去过没有。"

"No."

"没有。"

"Ha!" cried Gregson, in a relieved voice; "you should never neglect a chance, however small it may seem."

"哈！"葛莱森放下了心，"不管看来可能多么小，你也决不应该把任何机会放过。"

"To a great mind, nothing is little," remarked Holmes, sententiously.

"对于一个伟大人物来说，任何事物都不是微不足道的。"福尔摩斯象在引用什么至理名言似地说。

"Well, I went to Underwood, and asked him if he had sold a hat of that size and description.

"好，我找到了店主安德乌，我问他是不是卖过一顶这么大号码、这个式样的帽子。

He looked over his books, and came on it at once.

他们查了查售货簿，很快地就查到了，

He had sent the hat to a Mr. Drebber, residing at Charpentier's Boarding Establishment, Torquay Terrace.

这顶帽子是送到一位住在陶尔魁里，夏朋婕公寓的住客锥伯先生处的。

Thus I got at his address."

这样我就找到了这个人的住址。"

"Smart–very smart!" murmured Sherlock Holmes.

"漂亮，干得很漂亮！"福尔摩斯低声称赞着。