福尔摩斯探案集·四签名 第46期:木桶的插曲(8)

"Very clearly."

"全很清楚。"

"Now what could Jonathan small do?

"可是琼诺赞·斯茂还能怎么办呢？

He could only continue to keep a secret watch upon the efforts made to find the treasure.

他只能暗地留心别人搜寻宝物的行动。

Possibly he leaves England and only comes back at intervals.

可能他有时离开英国，有时回来探听消息。

Then comes the discovery of the garret, and he is instantly informed of it.

当屋顶室和宝物被发现的时候，马上就有人报告给他

We again trace the presence of some confederate in the household.

这更加证明，他有内线是毫无疑问的了。

Jonathan, with his wooden leg, is utterly unable to reach the lofty room of Bartholomew Sholto.

琼诺赞装着木腿，要想爬上巴索洛谬·舒尔托家的高楼是绝对不可能的，

He takes with him, however, a rather curious associate,

所以他带了一个古怪的同谋，

who gets over this difficulty but dips his naked foot into creosote,

让他先爬上楼去。但是他的光脚踏了木馏油，

whence come Toby, and a six-mile limp for a half-pay officer with a damaged tendo Achillis."

因此才弄来了个透比，并使一个脚筋受伤的半俸军官不得不跛着走了六英里路。"

"But it was the associate and not Jonathan who committed the crime."

"那么说，杀人的凶犯是那个同谋，而不是斯茂了。"

"Quite so. And rather to Jonathan's disgust, to judge by the way he stamped about when he got into the room.

"是的。从斯茂在屋内顿足的情形来判断，琼诺赞还是很反对这样干的。

He bore no grudge against Bartholomew Sholto and would have preferred if he could have been simply bound and gagged.

他和巴索洛谬·舒尔托并没有仇恨，至多把他的嘴塞上再捆起来就够了。

He did not wish to put his head in a halter.

杀人须要抵命，他决不肯以身试法的。

There was no help for it, however:

他已无法挽回，

the savage instincts of his companion had broken out, and the poison had done its work:

没想到他的同谋一时蛮性发作，竟用毒刺杀人。

so Jonathan Small left his record, lowered the treasure-box to the ground, and followed it himself.

因此琼诺赞·斯茂留下纸条，盗了宝物，便和同谋一同逃走了。

That was the train of events as far as I can decipher them.

这就是我所能推想出来的一些情况。

Of course, as to his personal appearance,

至于他的相貌，

he must be middle-aged and must be sunburned after serving his time in such an oven as the Andamans.

当然从他在奇热的安达曼岛拘押了多年，可以知道他必然是中年而皮肤很黑的了。

His height is readily calculated from the length of his stride, and we know that he was bearded.

他的高矮从他步子的长短可以计算出来。他的脸上多须，

His hairiness was the one point which impressed itself upon Thaddeus Sholto when he saw him at the window.

这是塞笛厄斯·舒尔托从窗内亲自见过的。

I don't know that there is anything else."

此外大概没有什么遗漏的了。"

"The associate?"

"那么，那个同谋呢？"

"Ah, well, there is no great mystery in that. But you will know all about it soon enough.

"啊！这个也没有多大神秘，不久你就会知道了。

How sweet the morning air is!

这早晨的空气真新鲜呀！

See how that one little cloud floats like a pink feather from some gigantic flamingo.

你看那朵红云，就象一只红鹤的羽毛一样美丽，

Now the red rim of the sun pushes itself over the London cloud-bank.

红日已越过伦敦的云层。

It shines on a good many folk, but on none, I dare bet, who are on a stranger errand than you and I.

被日光所照的人，何止万千，可是象咱们两个负着这样奇怪使命的人，恐怕是绝无仅有的了。

How small we feel with our petty ambitions and strivings in the presence of the great elemental forces of Nature!

在大自然里，咱们的一点儿雄心，显得多么渺小！

Are you well up in your Jean Paul?"

你读约翰·保罗的著作有心得吗？"

"Fairly so. I worked back to him through Carlyle."

"多少领会些，我先读了卡莱尔的著作，回过来才研究他的作品的。"

"That was like following the brook to the parent lake. He makes one curious but profound remark.

"这如同由河流回溯到湖泊一样。他曾说过一句奇异而有深意的话

It is that the chief proof of man's real greatness lies in his perception of his own smallness.

'一个人的真正伟大之处就在于他能够认识到自己的渺小'

It argues, you see, a power of comparison and of appreciation which is in itself a proof of nobility.

你看这里还论到比较和鉴别的力量，这种力量本身就是一个崇高的证明。

There is much food for thought in Richter. You have not a pistol, have you?"

在瑞奇特的作品里，能找到许多精神食粮。你带手枪来了没有？"

"I have my stick."

"我有这根手杖。"

"It is just possible that we may need something of the sort if we get to their lair.

"咱们一找到匪穴，可能就需要这类的兵器了。

Jonathan I shall leave to you, but if the other turns nasty I shall shoot him dead."

我把斯茂交给你，他那个同伴如果不老实，我就用手枪把他打死。"

He took out his revolver as he spoke, and, having loaded two of the chambers,

他随手掏出左轮手枪，装上两颗子弹，

he put it back into the right-hand pocket of his jacket.

放回到他大衣的右边口装里。