福尔摩斯探案集·四签名 第77期:凶手的末日(10)
"Pile it on, men, pile it on!" cried Holmes, looking down into the engine-room,
福尔摩斯向机器房喊道："伙计们，快加煤，多加煤！"
while the fierce glow from below beat upon his eager, aquiline face. "Get every pound of steam you can."
下面机器房的熊熊烈火照射着他那焦急的鹰鹫似的面孔。"尽力多烧蒸汽往前赶！"
"I think we gain a little," said Jones with his eyes on the Aurora.
琼斯望着"曙光"号说道："我想咱们已经赶上一点了。"
"I am sure of it," said I. "We shall be up with her in a very few minutes."
我道："咱们确已赶上不少了，再有几分钟就可以追上了。"
At that moment, however, as our evil fate would have it, a tug with three barges in tow blundered in between us.
正在这时，不幸的事来了。一只汽船拖了三只货船横在我们面前。
It was only by putting our helm hard down that we avoided a collision,
幸而我们急转船舵，才避免了和它相撞。
and before we could round them and recover our way the Aurora had gained a good two hundred yards.
可是等到我们绕过它们，继续追下去的时候，"曙光"号已经又走远了足有二百多码了，不过还能看得到它。
She was still, however, well in view, and the murky, uncertain twilight was settling into a clear, starlit night.
当时，阴暗朦胧的暮色已经变成了满天星斗的夜晚。
Our boilers were strained to their utmost,
我们的锅炉已烧到了极度，
and the frail shell vibrated and creaked with the fierce energy which was driving us along.
驱船前进的力量强大异常，使脆弱的船壳咯吱作响，颤动不已。
We had shot through the pool, past the West India Docks,
我们已经由伦敦桥的正中下面穿过，过了西印船坞
down the long Deptford Reach, and up again after rounding the Isle of Dogs.
沿着长长的戴特弗德河区，又绕过了狗岛。
The dull blur in front of us resolved itself now clearly into the dainty Aurora.
以前只是一个黑点的"曙光"号现在已经看得很清楚了。
