福尔摩斯探案集·血字的研究 第35期:葛莱森大显身手(6)

What happened then I do not know.

以后发生的事，我就不知道了。

I heard oaths and the confused sounds of a scuffle.

我只听到又是叫骂又是扭打，乱成一团，

I was too terrified to raise my head.

可把我吓坏了，吓得我连头都不敢抬。

When I did look up I saw Arthur standing in the doorway laughing, with a stick in his hand.

后来抬起头来一看，只见阿瑟站在门口大笑，手里拿着一根木棍。

"I don't think that fine fellow will trouble us again," he said.

阿瑟说：我想这个活宝再不会来找咱们的麻烦了。

"I will just go after him and see what he does with himself."

让我出去跟着他，看看他到底干些什么。

With those words he took his hat and started off down the street.

说完这话，他就拿起帽子，向街头跑去。

The next morning we heard of Mr. Drebber's mysterious death.

第二天早晨，我们就听到了锥伯先生被人谋杀的消息。

' "This statement came from Mrs. Charpentier's lips with many gasps and pauses.

'"这就是夏朋婕太太亲口说的话。她说时喘一阵，停一阵。

At times she spoke so low that I could hardly catch the words.

有时她说话的声音非常低，我简直听不清楚。

I made shorthand notes of all that she said, however,

可是，我把她所说的话全都速记下来了，

so that there should be no possibility of a mistake."

决不会有什么差错的。"

"It's quite exciting," said Sherlock Holmes, with a yawn.

福尔摩斯打了一个呵欠，说道："这的确很动听。

"What happened next?"

后来又怎么样了？"

"When Mrs. Charpentier paused," the detective continued,

这位侦探又说了下去："夏朋婕太太停下来的时候，

"I saw that the whole case hung upon one point.

我看出了全案关键的所在。

Fixing her with my eye in a way which I always found effective with women,

于是，我就用一种对待妇女行之有效的眼神紧盯着她，

I asked her at what hour her son returned. "

追问她儿子回家的时刻。"

'I do not know,' she answered.

'我不知道。'她回答说。

"'Not know?' "

"'不知道？'"

'No; he has a latchkey, and he let himself in.'

'实在不知道。他有一把弹簧锁的钥匙，他自己会开门进来的。'

"'After you went to bed?' "

"'你睡了以后他才回来的吗？'"

'Yes.'

'是的。'

"'When did you go to bed?' "

"'你几点钟睡的？'"

'About eleven.'

'大概是十一点。'

"'So your son was gone at least two hours?' "

"'这样说来，你的儿子最少出去有两个小时了。'"

'Yes.'

'是的。'

"'Possibly four or five?' "

"'可不可能出去了四、五个小时？'"

'Yes.'

'也有可能。'

"'What was he doing during that time?' "

"'在这几个钟头里他都干了些什么？'"

'I do not know,' she answered, turning white to her very lips.

'我不知道。'她回答说，说时嘴唇都白了。

"Of course after that there was nothing more to be done.

"当然，说到这里，别的就用不着多问了。

I found out where Lieutenant Charpentier was,

我找到夏朋其中尉的下落之后就带着两个警官，

took two officers with me, and arrested him.

把他逮捕了。

When I touched him on the shoulder and warned him to come quietly with us,

当我拍拍他的肩头，警告他老老实实跟我们走的时候，

he answered us as bold as brass,

他竟肆无忌惮地说：

'I suppose you are arresting me for being concerned in the death of that scoundrel Drebber,' he said.

'我想你们抓我，是认为我和那个坏蛋锥伯的被杀有关吧。'

We had said nothing to him about it, so that his alluding to it had a most suspicious aspect."

我们并没有向他提起这件事，他倒是自己先说出来了，这就更令人觉得可疑了。"