福尔摩斯探案集·四签名 第32期:福尔摩斯作出判断

Chapter 6 Sherlock Holmes Gives A Demonstration

第六章 福尔摩斯作出判断

"NOW , Watson," said Holmes, rubbing his hands, "we have half an hour to ourselves. Let us make good use of it.

福尔摩斯搓着两手说道："华生，现在咱们还有半个钟头的时间，咱们要好好地利用。

My case is, as I have told you, almost complete; but we must not err on the side of overconfidence.

我已经告诉过你，这个案子差不多完全明白了，可是咱们不要过于自信，以免搞出错来。

Simple as the case seems now, there may be something deeper underlying it."

现在看着似乎简单，其中或许还藏有更玄奥的事情呢。"

"Simple!" I ejaculated.

我不由得问道："简单？"

"Surely," said he with something of the air of a clinical professor expounding to his class.

他好象老教授在对学生们讲解般地说道："当然很简单！

"Just sit in the corner there, that your footprints may not complicate matters. Now to work!

请你坐在屋角那边，别叫你的脚印把证据弄乱了。现在开始工作吧！

In the first place, how did these folk come and how did they go?

头一件，这些人是怎么进来的？怎么走的？

The door has not been opened since last night. How of the window?"

屋门从昨晚就没有开过。窗户怎样？"

He carried the lamp across to it, muttering his observations aloud the while but addressing them to himself rather than to me.

他提着灯往前走着，不象在和我说话，简直是在自言自语地大声嘟哝着：

"Window is snibbed on the inner side. Frame-work is solid. No hinges at the side. Let us open it.

"窗户是从里面关牢的。窗框也很坚固。两旁没有合叶。咱们把它打开。

No water-pipe near. Roof quite out of reach. Yet a man has mounted by the window.

近旁没有雨水漏管。房顶也离得很远。可是有人在窗台上站过。

It rained a little last night. Here is the print of a foot in mould upon the sill.

昨晚下过小雨。窗台这儿有一个脚印。

And here is a circular muddy mark, and here again upon the floor, and here again by the table.

这儿有一个圆的泥印，地板上也有一个，桌旁又有一个。

See here, Watson! This is really a very pretty demonstration."

华生，看这儿！这真是个好证据。"

I looked at the round, well-defined muddy discs. "That is not a foot-mark," said I.

我看了看那些清楚的圆泥印，说道："这不是脚印。"

"It is something much more valuable to us. It is the impression of a wooden stump.

"这是我们更重要的证据。这是一根木桩的印痕。

You see here on the sill is the boot-mark, a heavy boot with a broad metal heel, and beside it is the mark of the timber-toe."

你看窗台上是靴子印......一只后跟镶有宽铁掌的厚靴子，旁边是木桩的印迹。"

"It is the wooden-legged man."

"这就是那个装有木腿的人。"

"Quite so. But there has been someone else--a very able and efficient ally. Could you scale that wall, Doctor?"

"没有错。可是另外还有一个人。一个很能干、很灵活的同谋。医生，你能从那面墙爬上来吗？"

I looked out of the open window. The moon still shone brightly on that angle of the house.

我探头向窗外看看。月光还很亮地照射着原来的那个屋角。

We were a good sixty feet from the ground, and, look where I would, I could see no foothold, nor as much as a crevice in the brickwork.

我们离地至少有六丈多高，墙上连一个能够插脚的砖缝都没有。

"It is absolutely impossible," I answered.

我答道："从这儿绝对无法往上爬。"

"Without aid it is so.

"如果没有帮忙的，是爬不上来的。

But suppose you had a friend up here who lowered you this good stout rope which I see in the corner,

可是譬如这里有你的一位朋友，用搁在屋角那里的那条粗绳，

securing one end of it to this great hook in the wall.

一头牢系在墙上的大环子上，另一头扔到你手里，

Then, I think, if you were an active man, you might swarm up, wooden leg and all.

我想只要你是个有力气的人，就是装着木腿、也可以缘着绳子爬上来的。你

You would depart, of course, in the same fashion, and your ally would draw up the rope,

下去的时候自然也可依法炮制，然后你的同党再把绳子拉上来，

untie it from the hook, shut the window, snib it on the inside, and get away in the way that he originally came.

从环子上解下来，关上窗户，从里面拴牢，再从来路逃走。"

As a minor point, it may be noted," he continued, fingering the rope,

他指着绳子继续说道："还有一个值得注意的细节，

"that our wooden-legged friend, though a fair climber, was not a professional sailor.

那个装木腿的朋友虽然爬墙的技术不坏，但不是一个熟练的水手。

His hands were far from horny.

他的手可不象惯于爬桅的水手的掌皮那样坚韧。

My lens discloses more than one blood-mark, especially towards the end of the rope,

我用放大镜发现了不只一处的血迹，特别是在绳的末端更是明显。

from which I gather that he slipped down with such velocity that he took the skin off his hands."

我可以断定，他在缘绳而下的时候，速度快得竟把他的手掌皮磨掉了。"