福尔摩斯探案集·四签名 第45期:木桶的插曲(7)

"But this is mere speculation," said I.

我道："这个不过是揣测罢了。"

"It is more than that. It is the only hypothesis which covers the facts.

"并不尽然。这不仅仅是揣测，而是唯一合乎实情的假设。

Let us see how it fits in with the sequel.

咱们且看一看这些假设和后来的事实如何地吻合吧。

Major Sholto remains at peace for some years, happy in the possession of his treasure.

舒尔托少校携带宝物回国后，曾安居了几年，

Then he receives a letter from India which gives him a great fright. What was that?"

可是有一天接到了印度寄来的一封信，就使他惊骇失措，这又是为了什么呢？"

"A letter to say that the men whom he had wronged had been set free."

"信上说：被他欺骗的囚犯们已经刑满出狱了。""

"Or had escaped. That is much more likely, for he would have known what their term of imprisonment was.

与其说是刑满出狱，不如说是越狱逃出比较合理，因为舒尔托少校知道他们的刑期。

It would not have been a surprise to him. What does he do then?

如果是刑满出狱，他就不会惊慌失措了。他那时采取了什么措施呢？

He guards himself against a wooden-legged man–a white man, mark you,

他对装木腿的人格外戒备。装木腿的是一个白种人，

for he mistakes a white tradesman for him and actually fires a pistol at him.

因为他曾开枪误伤了一个装木腿的英国商人。

Now, only one white man's name is on the chart.

在图上只有一个白种人的名字，

The others are Hindoos or Mohammedans. There is no other white man.

其余的全是印度人或回教徒的姓名，

Therefore we may say with confidence that the wooden-legged man is identical with Jonathan Small.

所以咱们就可以知道这个装木腿的人就是琼诺赞·斯茂了。

Does the reasoning strike you as being faulty?"

你看这些理论是否有些主观？"

"No: it is clear and concise."

"不然，很清楚，而且扼要。"

"Well, now, let us put ourselves in the place of Jonathan Small. Let us look at it from his point of view.

"好吧，现在咱们设身处地地站在琼诺赞·斯茂的立场上来分析一下事实吧。

He comes to England with the double idea of regaining

他回到英国有两个目的：

what he would consider to be his rights and of having his revenge upon the man who had wronged him.

一个是为了获得他应得的一份宝物，一个是向欺骗了他的人报仇。

He found out where Sholto lived, and very possibly he established communications with someone inside the house.

他找到了舒尔托的住处，还极有可能买通了他家里的一个人。

There is this butler, Lal Rao, whom we have not seen.

有一个叫拉尔·拉奥的仆人，咱们没有见过，

Mrs. Bernstone gives him far from a good character.

博恩斯通太太说他的言行恶劣。

Small could not find out, however, where the treasure was hid,

斯茂没有找到藏宝物的地方，

for no one ever knew save the major and one faithful servant who had died.

因为除了少校自己和一个已死的忠实仆人以外，别人都不知道。

Suddenly Small learns that the major is on his deathbed.

这一天，斯茂忽然听说少校病危，

In a frenzy lest the secret of the treasure die with him,

他恐怕藏宝的秘密将要和少校的尸体一同埋入黄土，

he runs the gauntlet of the guards, makes his way to the dying man's window,

所以盛怒之下，他冒着被守卫抓住的危险，跑到垂死的人的窗前。

and is only deterred from entering by the presence of his two sons.

又因为少校的两个儿子正在床前，所以没有能够进入屋里。

Mad with hate, however, against the dead man, he enters the room that night,

他对死者怀恨在心，当天晚上又重新进入屋里，

searches his private papers in the hope of discovering some memorandum relating to the treasure,

翻动文件，希望得到藏宝的线索。

and finally leaves a memento of his visit in the short inscription upon the card.

在失望之下，留了一张写着四个签名的纸条作为表记。

He had doubtless planned beforehand that, should he slay the major,

在他预作计划的时候，

he would leave some such record upon the body as a sign that it was not a common murder but,

无疑是准备把少校杀死后在尸旁留一个同样的表记，表示这并不是一件普通的谋杀，

from the point of view of the four associates, something in the nature of an act of justice.

而是为了正义替同伴们报仇。

Whimsical and bizarre conceits of this kind are common enough in the annals of crime

象这样稀奇古怪的办法是常见的，

and usually afford valuable indications as to the criminal. Do you follow all this?"

有时还可以指明凶犯的一些情况。这些你全都领会了吗？"