福尔摩斯：巴斯克维尔猎犬-第8课

前情提要  

摩梯末医生还表示，村里许多人都曾远远看到沼地里出现过发着光、类似巨型猎犬的动物。与此同时，巴斯克维尔家族最后的成员亨利也即将抵达伦敦，来继承家业。福尔摩斯让摩梯末医生先去接亨利，第二天两人再一起回来找他……

故事原文  

The Hound of the Baskervilles L8

巴斯克维尔猎犬 L8

Dr Mortimer got up from his chair. As he was leaving the room, Holmes said: 'One more question, Dr Mortimer. You said that before Sir Charles' death several people saw this strange creature on the moor?'

摩梯末医生从椅子上站起身来。在他即将离开之时，福尔摩斯说道：“再问您一个问题，摩梯末医生。您曾经说过，在查尔斯爵士死去之前曾有几个人在沼地上看到那个奇怪的动物吧？”

'Three people did,' said Mortimer.

“有三个人看到过。”摩梯末道。

'Did anyone see it after the death?'

“在他死去之后有人看到过吗？”

'I haven't heard of anyone.'

“我还没有听说过。”

'Thank you, Dr Mortimer. Good morning.'

“谢谢您，摩梯末医生。早安。”

After Mortimer had left us, Holmes sat down in his chair. He looked pleased. He always looked pleased when a case interested him.

摩梯末从我们这儿走之后，福尔摩斯在他的座位上坐了下来。他显得很高兴。每当有案件让他感兴趣时他总是露出高兴的样子。

I knew that he needed to be alone to think about all that he had heard. I went out for the day, and came back to find the room full of thick smoke from Holmes' pipe.

我知道他需要独自一人思考一下他所听到的东西。整个白天我就出去了，回来时发现满屋都是福尔摩斯的烟斗里冒出来的浓烟。

'What do you think of this case?' I asked him.

“对这个案子你是怎么想的？”我问他。

'It is hard to say. Take, for example, the change in the footprints.(1) Did Sir Charles walk on his toes down the Alley? Only a stupid person is likely to believe that.(2) The truth is he was running—running for his life.(3) He ran until his heart stopped and he fell dead.'

“很难说。就拿脚印的变化来说吧。查尔斯爵士是踮着脚沿小路走的吗？只有傻爪才可能相信这种说法。事情的真相是，他当时在奔跑——为了逃命。他一直跑到心脏停止跳动并倒地而死为止。”

'What was he running from?' I asked.

“他是为了逃避什么才跑的呢？”我问道。

'That is the difficult question,' said Holmes. 'I think he was mad with fear before he began to run. He didn't know what he was doing. That explains why he ran away from the house instead of towards it. He was running away from help. The next question: who was he waiting for that night? And why was he waiting in the Yew Alley and not in the house?'

“那就是难题所在。”福尔摩斯道，“我认为他在开始跑之前已被吓丢了魂了。他并不知道自己当时的举动。这就解释了他为何不朝房子而朝相反的方向跑。他这么跑就离（能得到）帮助（的地方）越来越远。下一个问题是：当晚他在等谁呢？还有，他为什么要在水松小道而不在房子里等人呢？”

'You think he was waiting for someone?'

“你认为他是在等人吗？”

'Sir Charles was old and unwell. We can understand why he took a walk each evening. But why did he stand in the cold, on wet ground, for five or ten minutes? Dr Mortimer cleverly noted the cigar ash, so we know how long Sir Charles stood there. We know that he kept away from the moor, so it's unlikely that he waited at the moor gate every evening. I am beginning to understand some things, Watson.(4) But I'll think no more about it until we meet Dr Mortimer and Sir Henry Baskerville in the morning. Please give me my violin.'

“查尔斯爵士年事已高，身体又虚弱。我们可以理解他为什么会在每个傍晚出去散步。可是，他为何要在寒冷的夜里在潮湿的地面上站上5至10分钟呢？摩梯末医生很机敏地注意到了雪茄落下的烟灰，因此我们知晓了查尔斯爵士在那儿站立了多长时间。我们知道他是一向躲避沼地的。因此他不大可能每晚都在通向沼地的栅门前伫立等候着。我现在开始明白某些事情了，华生。可是，等明早见到摩梯末医生和亨利·巴斯克维尔爵士后我再考虑这件事吧。请你把我的小提琴拿给我。”

And Holmes began to play his violin. He had done all the thinking he could. Now he needed more details of the case to help him.

福尔摩斯于是开始拉起了他的小提琴。凡是能考虑到的他都已考虑过了。现在他需要与该案件有关的更多的细节来帮助他侦破这个案子。

（原文中出现高光标示内容请见核心语言点）

核心语言点  

1. example 例子

    give sb. an example 给某人举一个例子

    provide/take an example 提供一个例证

    take sb./sth. for example 拿……举例来说

    for example 比如说（= for instance）

    such as 比如

例句：

Take John for example – he has a good job but he didn’t go to university.

拿约翰举例来说，他工作那么好但他根本没有上过大学。

I like fruits, such as apples, bananas, pineapples. 

我喜欢水果，如苹果、香蕉、菠萝。

He likes to go travelling in other countries, for example the UK.

他喜欢去各个国家旅游，比如说去英国。 

2. likely 很可能（possible）

    be likely to do sth. 可能会做某事

    more than likely 更有可能

    a likely result 可能的结果

    a likely cause 可能的原因 

    a likely story 听起来像真的一样

例句：

Children are very likely to be naughty. 孩子很可能非常顽皮。

- I went to meet with the president.

- 我跟总统见面了。

- A likely story.

- 听起来跟真的一样。 

3. truth 事实

    true 真实的

    tell the truth 讲实话，讲真话

    the truth is 事实就是

例句：

Was he telling the truth?

他说的是真话吗？

To tell you the truth I'm happy he's not coming.

说实话，他不来我很高兴。

The truth is not everybody can be like Jack Ma.

事实上，不是每个人都能像马云一样。 

4.begin to understand 逐渐开始明白

   begin/grow to do sth. 开始/逐渐做某事

例句： 

As I grew older, I’m beginning to understand what life is like.

随着年龄的增长，我开始了解生活是什么样的。

Students grew to like English because of their teacher.

由于老师的关系，学生们逐渐喜欢上了英语。

the city he had grown to love

这座他逐渐喜欢上的城市