福尔摩斯探案集·四签名 第48期:贝克街的侦探小队

Chapter 8 The Baker Street Irregulars

第八章 贝克街的侦探小队

"What now?" I asked. "Toby has lost his character for infallibility."

我问道：“现在怎么办呢？透比也失去了它百发百中的能力了。”

"He acted according to his lights," said Holmes,

福尔摩斯说道：“透比是根据它自己的见解行动的，

lifting him down from the barrel and walking him out of the timber-yard.

他把透比从桶上抱下来，牵着它出了木场，

"If you consider how much creosote is carted about London in one day,

如果你计算一下每天在伦敦市内木馏油的运输量，

it is no great wonder that our trail should have been crossed.

那你就可以明白为什么咱们走错了路。

It is much used now, especially for the seasoning of wood. Poor Toby is not to blame."

现在使用木馏油的地方很多，特别是用在木料的防腐上面，不应当怪罪透比。”

"We must get on the main scent again, I suppose."

我建议道：“咱们还是顺原路回到油味被混杂了的地方去吧。”

"Yes. And, fortunately, we have no distance to go.

"是啊，幸亏路途不远。

Evidently what puzzled the dog at the corner of Knight's Place was that

透比在骑士街左边曾经犹豫不定，

there were two different trails running in opposite directions.

显然是油味的方向在那儿分歧了。

We took the wrong one. It only remains to follow the other."

咱们走上了错路，现在只有顺着另外一条路去找。”

There was no difficulty about this.

一点儿也没有费事，

On leading Toby to the place where he had committed his fault,

我们牵着透比回到了原来发生错误的地点。

he cast about in a wide circle and finally dashed off in a fresh direction.

透比转了一个大圈，就向一个新的方向奔去了。

"We must take care that he does not now bring us to the place where the creosote-barrel came from," I observed.

我说道：“要当心透比，不要让它把咱们引到原来运出木馏油桶的地方去。”

"I had thought of that.

"这点我也想到啦。

But you notice that he keeps on the pavement, whereas the barrel passed down the roadway.

可是你看它在人行道上跑，运木桶的车应当在马路上走，

No, we are on the true scent now."

所以这次咱们没有走错路。”

It tended down towards the riverside, running through Belmont Place and Prince's Street.

经过贝尔芒特路和太子街，它奔向河滨，

At the end of Broad Street it ran right down to the water's edge, where there was a small wooden wharf.

一直到了宽街河边的一个小的用木材修成的码头上。

Toby led us to the very edge of this and there stood whining, looking out on the dark current beyond.

透比把我们引到紧靠水边的地方，站在那里看着河水，从鼻子里发出哼声。

"We are out of luck," said Holmes. "They have taken to a boat here."

福尔摩斯道：“咱们的运气不好，他们从这里上了船啦。”

Several small punts and skiffs were lying about in the water and on the edge of the wharf.

码头上系着几只小平底船和小艇。

We took Toby round to each in turn, but though he sniffed earnestly he made no sign.

我们把透比引到各小船上，虽然它都很认真地闻了闻，可是没做出任何表示。

Close to the rude landing-stage was a small brick house,

靠近登船的地方，有一所小砖房，

with a wooden placard slung out through the second window.

在第二个窗口上挂着一个木牌子，

"Mordecai Smith" was printed across it in large letters,

上面有几个大字写道：“茂迪凯·斯密司”。

and, underneath, "Boats to hire by the hour or day."

下面有小字写着：“船只出租：按时按日计价均可。”

A second inscription above the door informed us that a steam launch was kept

在门上另外有一块牌子，上面说这里另备有小汽船。

a statement which was confirmed by a great pile of coke upon the jetty.

码头上堆积着许多焦炭，可以知道就是这个汽船的燃料。

Sherlock Holmes looked slowly round, and his face assumed an ominous expression.

福尔摩斯慢慢地把四周看了一遍，脸上很不高兴。

"This looks bad," said he. "These fellows are sharper than I expected.

他道：“这件事看来有些麻烦。他们的精明是出乎我意料的

They seem to have covered their tracks. There has, I fear, been preconcerted management here."

他们事先就准备把行踪隐蔽起来。”