
书名:The Hound of the Baskervilles《巴斯克维尔猎犬 》
作者:Arthur Conan Doyle 阿瑟·柯南·道尔爵士
简介:
这也许是世界上最驰名的侦探故事。歇洛克·福尔摩斯当然是最负盛名的侦探了。阿瑟·柯南·道尔爵士是在一百多年以前塑造了这个人物的。但是,福尔摩斯的种种奇特经历迄今依旧是既生动有趣又扣人心弦。
为了更好地理解这个故事,我们有必要对达特沼地有一番了解:这是英格兰西南地区的一个确有其名的地方。它是由岩石和沼地组成的一片旷野,在日头当空时分一股浓雾会突如其来地向你迎面扑来,并且将你笼罩起来。它是稀软的沼泽遍布之地,是松软的、长着绿色植被的地带,可以把人拖进去进而吞灭掉。它是英国安全保障最好的监狱所在地。它也是一百多年前那条最为庞大的狗——巴斯克维尔猎犬出没的地方。
阿瑟·柯南·道尔爵士(1859—1930)作为歇洛克·福尔摩斯这位人物的塑造者而享誉于世。他本人也是一名医生,而且在现实生活中还是一位侦探。
Chapter 17 The Search for the Murderer
Then our fear for Sir Henry became greater than our
terror. Holmes and I fired our
revolvers together. The
creature gave a loud cry of
pain, and we knew we had
hit it. But it did not stop, and ran on, after Sir Henry.
接着,我们为亨利爵士的担忧胜过了我们自身的恐惧感。我和福尔摩斯一齐开了枪。那个家伙痛苦地大叫一声,我们便知道我们已打中它了。可是它并没有停下脚步,还继续向前窜去,追着亨利爵士。
When we heard the cry of pain, our fears
disappeared. This was no
supernatural hound. Our
bullets could
hurt it, and we could kill it. We ran after it as fast as we could. I have never seen anyone run as
quickly as Holmes ran that night, and I could not keep up with him. In front of us on the
path we heard
scream after scream from Sir Henry, and the
deep voice of the hound. I saw the creature
jump at Sir Henry and throw him to the
ground. Its teeth went for his throat. But the next
moment Holmes had
emptied his revolver into the hound's body. It gave a last deep cry, its teeth closed on the empty air, and it fell to the ground. I put my revolver to its head, but I did not need to fire. The hound was dead.
在我们听到了它那痛苦的嗥叫时,我们的恐惧便烟消云散了。这并非什么魔犬。我们的子弹既能打伤它,我们也就能杀死它。我们尽力追赶它。我从没见过谁能像福尔摩斯在那天夜里跑得那样快,我也跟不上他。我们听到了前面路上亨利爵士一声接一声的喊叫和那只猎犬发出的低沉的吼声。我看到那个家伙扑向亨利爵士,并将其掀翻在地上。它的牙齿直扑他的咽喉。可是就在这之后,福尔摩斯一连气将手枪里的子弹都打进了那只猎犬的身体。它发出了最后一声低沉的嗥叫,向空中咬了一口,随后就倒在地上了。我用手枪抵住它的头部,可是我不必开枪了。猎犬已经死了。
Sir Henry lay
unconscious where he had fallen. Quickly we opened the neck of his
shirt. Holmes had fired just in time, and the hound's teeth had not reached our friend's throat. Already his eyes were beginning to open and he looked up at us.
亨利爵士躺在他摔倒的地方,毫无知觉。我们赶快把他的衣领解开。福尔摩斯开枪开得正及时,那只猎犬还没够着我们的朋友的喉咙。他的眼睛已经开始睁开了,他仰视着我们。
“我的上帝啊,”他低声说道,“那是什么?究竟是什么东西啊?”
'It's dead, whatever it was, 'said Holmes. 'We've killed the family
ghost for ever.'
“不管它是什么,它已经死了,”福尔摩斯说道。“我们已经把您家的妖魔永远地消灭了。”
The creature that lay before us was as large as a small
lion. Its mouth and teeth were
huge. They
shone with blue
flames. There were rings of blue fire round its cruel eyes, too. I touched the hound's burning coat. When I held up my hand, it, too, seemed to be on fire.
躺在我们面前的那个家伙同一只小狮子一般大小。它的嘴巴和牙齿很大。它们闪烁着蓝色的光芒。它那残忍的眼睛周围也有圈蓝色的火苗。我摸了摸它那发光喷火的皮毛。我抬起手来时,手似乎也着火了。
'
Phosphorus, 'I said, 'That is why the hound
appears to burn in the dark. Stapleton put phosphorous paint on the hound in the hut beside the house.'
“是磷,”我说道。“那便是那只猎犬在黑暗之中看上去冒火光的原因。斯台普顿在房子旁边的那个小屋里给那只猎犬涂上了含磷的涂料。”
But Holmes was thinking more about Sir Henry than about Stapleton's
cleverness.
可是福尔摩斯对亨利爵士比对斯台普顿的狡猾考虑得要多些。
'I must
apologize to you, Sir Henry, 'he said. 'I put your life in danger. I
expected to see a huge hound, but not a creature like this. The fog gave us a very short time to control our fear, and for moments we could not move.'
“我必须向您抱歉,亨利爵士,”他说道。“我使您遭受了生命危险。我预计看到的是一只大猎犬,可没想到会是这样的一只。大雾曾留给我们短暂的一段时间克制我们的恐惧感,还有一会儿我们都惊讶得动弹不了身子。”
'Never mind, 'said Sir Henry. 'You saved my life, and I thank you. Please help me stand up. What are you going to do now?'
“没关系,”亨利爵士说道。“您救了我的性命,我还得感谢您呢。请扶我站起来。你们现在打算怎么办呢?”
Sir Henry's legs were shaking so much from his
terrible experience that he could not stand. We helped him to a rock. He sat there and held his head in his hands.
亨利爵士的双腿因这次可怕的经历而抖得很厉害,他自己都站不起来了。我们把他扶到了一块石头那儿。他坐在那儿,双手捂着头。
'We must leave you here, Sir Henry, and try to catch Stapleton. We shall come back as quickly as possible and take you to the Hall. Our case is
complete, but we must now catch our man. '
“我们现在得把您留在这儿了,亨利爵士,还要去想方设法抓住斯台普顿呢。我们将尽快回来并把您带到庄园去。案子已经了结了,可是我们现在必须抓住那个人。”
I followed Holmes along the path back to the house.
我跟着福尔摩斯沿着那条小路返回了那栋屋子。
'We must search the house, 'said Holmes, 'but almost
certainly he won't be there. He probably heard the noise of our
guns, so he knows his
evil game is finished.'
“我们必须搜搜这栋屋子,”福尔摩斯说道,“可是几乎可以肯定他是不会在的。他可能已听到了我们的枪声,于是便知道他那罪恶的勾当已经结束了。”
The front door of the house was open. We went in and looked from room to room. All the rooms
downstairs were empty, so we went
upstairs and looked in all the rooms
except one, which was locked.
前门开着。我们进去一间一间地察看。楼下的房间都空着,于是我们上了楼,除了那个锁起来的房间之外都查看过了。
'There's someone in there, 'I said. 'I heard someone move. Help me
break open this door.'
“里面有人,”我说道。“我听到有人在动。帮我把这扇门打开。”
We threw ourselves
against the door, and as the lock broke we went in. We held our revolvers ready to fire. In the middle of the room was a figure tied to a
post. We could not see
whether it was a man or a woman, as it was
completely covered with
sheets. Only the eyes and nose were free.
我们用身体撞门,门锁一松动我们就进去了。我们握着手枪,准备随时开枪射击。在房间的中央有一个人被绑在柱子上了。我们无法看出来是男是女,由于那人被床单蒙住了。只有眼睛和鼻子没被蒙住。
We pulled off the sheets and
untied the
prisoner from the post. It was Miss Stapleton. As we untied her, we could see long red
bruises across her neck.
我们解开床单,把这个被捆着的人从柱子那儿松开。是斯台普顿小姐。我们给她松绑时可以看到她脖子上几道长长的、红色的伤痕。
'That
cruel devil Stapleton has
beaten her, 'Holmes said. 'Put her into a chair. 'Miss Stapleton had
fainted from the beating and
exhaustion. As we put her into the chair, she opened her eyes.
“那个残忍的恶魔斯台普顿打了她,”福尔摩斯说道。“把她安置在椅子上。”斯台普顿小姐已因毒打和疲惫而昏过去了。在我们把她安置在椅子上时,她睁开了双眼。
'Is he safe?' she asked. 'Has he escaped?'
“他安全了吗?”她问道。“他逃脱了吗?”
'He cannot escape us, Miss Stapleton, 'Holmes said.
“他从我们手里是逃不掉的,斯台普顿小姐,”福尔摩斯说道。
'No, no, I don't mean my
husband. I mean Sir Henry. Is he safe?'
“不,不,我不是指我丈夫。我指亨利爵士。他安全吗?”
'Yes, 'I said, 'and the hound is dead.'
“安全;”我说道,“而且,那只猎犬已经死了。”
'Thank God, 'she said. 'Thank God. Oh, the cruel devil. Look what he has done to me. 'She showed us her arms, and we saw with
horror that her
skin was black and blue where she had been beaten. 'But he has hurt me more in other ways. While I thought he loved me, I
accepted many things. But he doesn't love me. He has used me.'
“感谢上帝,”她说道。“感谢上帝。噢,这个坏蛋。看看他是怎么对待我的。”她给我们看了她的双臂,我们惊恐地看到遭受毒打的地方皮肤又青又紫的。“但是,他还用别的途径伤害我。我以为他爱我时,我能接受许多事情。可是他并不爱我。他利用了我。”
'Then help us now, 'said Holmes. 'Tell us where he has gone.'
“那么现在就请帮助我们吧,”福尔摩斯说道。“告诉我们他去哪儿了。”
'There is an old house on an
island in the middle of the
marsh, 'she said. 'He kept his hound there. He also had the house ready in case he needed to escape. He will be there, I'm sure.'
“在泥潭中央的一个小岛上有一栋古老的房子,”她说道。“他以往把猎犬安置在那里。他还把那屋子准备好等万一躲避藏身时用。他一定在那儿,我敢肯定。”
'Nobody could find his way into the Grimpen Marsh in this
fog tonight, 'said Holmes, looking out of the window.
“今晚在这样的大雾之中谁也找不到走进格林盆泥潭的路,”福尔摩斯望着窗外说道。
The fog lay like white wool against the glass, and we knew we could not try to follow him until it cleared. We decided to take Sir Henry back to Baskerville Hall. We had to tell him everything about the Stapletons, and he was
deeply hurt when he heard the
truth about the woman he loved. The news that she was married, and the
awful fear he had experienced, brought on a
fever. We sent for Dr Mortimer, who came and sat with Sir Henry
throughout the night.
雾像雪白的羊毛似的紧围在窗户外面;我们知道,在大雾蒸发散尽之前我们是不能够试着去追他的。我们决定将亨利爵士带回巴斯克维尔庄园。我们被迫告诉他有关斯台普顿夫妇的一切详情,他听到关于他所钟爱的那个女子的实情时受到了很大的伤害。她已结婚的消息和他所经历的恐怖之事使他发起高烧来。我们派人请摩梯末医生来,他来了并在亨利爵士身旁守了一整夜。
On the following morning Miss Stapleton took us to the path through the marsh. The fog had lifted, and she showed us the
sticks which she and her husband had put in to mark the way. We followed them through the marsh, which
smelled of dying plants. The wet ground pulled at our feet as we walked. From time to time one of us
stepped from the path and
sank up to his waist in the marsh. One man on his own could not hope to escape the pull of the marsh;without help he would sink to his death.
第二天早上,斯台普顿小姐带我们到了贯穿泥潭的一条小路旁。雾散了,她给我们看了她和她丈夫为标记路途而插的一根根木棍。我们随着这些小木棍穿过泥潭,那儿散发着腐败的植物的臭味。我们走的时候湿乎乎的地面扯着我们的双脚。我们不时从小路旁走歪,陷入了泥潭,直到齐腰那么深。独自一人是不敢奢求自己能逃脱泥潭的拖陷的;没有别人的帮助就会陷进去没命了。
But we did not find any sign of Stapleton. We searched and searched without
success. There is no doubt that he lost his way in the fog, and sank in the marsh Somewhere, deep down, his body lies to this day.
但是,我们没有发现斯台普顿的任何迹象。我们搜啊搜,可是一无所获。勿庸置疑,他在大雾中迷了路,陷进泥潭中去了。在泥潭深处的某个地方,他的尸体将永远躺在那里。
We reached the
island Miss Stapleton had
described, and searched the old house.
我们到达了斯台普顿小姐描述过的那个小岛,还搜寻了一番那栋古老的屋子。
'This place tells us nothing that we do not already know, 'said Holmes. 'These bones show that he hid the hound here, but he could not keep it
quiet, so people heard its cries. Here is the
bottle of phosphorous
paint. Stapleton used it very cleverly on the hound. After what we saw and felt last night, we cannot be surprised that Sir Charles died of
fright. And now I
understand how Selden knew that the hound was following him in the dark. It's not surprising the poor man screamed and ran as he did. The old story of the
supernatural hound probably gave Stapleton the idea of using phosphorus. Very clever. I said it in London and I say it again, Watson. We have never had a more
dangerous enemy than the one who is lying out there'—and he
pointed to the great marsh that was all round us.
“这个地方告诉我们我们已知晓的一切详情,”福尔摩斯说道。“这些骨头表明他曾把猎犬藏在这儿,可是他不能使它默不出声,所以人们听到了它的叫声。这儿是瓶含磷的涂料。斯台普顿狡猾地把它抹在了猎犬身上。有了我们昨晚的所见所感作铺叙以后,我们对查尔斯爵士因恐慌而暴死就不足为奇了。我现在也明白塞尔登是怎么知道那只猎犬在黑暗中跟在他后面的了。那个可怜的家伙就那么大叫着向前跑,这并不奇怪。关于那只魔狗的那个古老的故事使他萌发了使用磷的念头。十分狡猾。我曾在伦敦这么说过,我现在再这么说一遍,华生。咱们还从来没有一个比躺在那边的那个人更为危险的对手呢”——他指了指散布在我们四周的那片大泥潭。

【词组学习】
1.run after
追赶;追求;伺候;奔逐
例:She fought the urge to run after him.
她努力克制想去追他的冲动。
2.keep up with
跟上, 不落人之后;齐肩并进;紧跟
例:Hurry up, you'd better keep up with us.
快点,你最好跟上我们。