04.A SCANDAL IN BOHEMIA_1 The King's Mistake

1.The King's Mistake
1．国王的错误
For Sherlock Holmes, there was only one woman in the world. He did not love her, because he never loved women. But after their meeting he never forgot her. Her name was Irene Adler.


对于夏洛克·福尔摩斯来说，世界上只有一个女人。他不爱她，因为他从没爱过任何女人。但在那次交锋之后他从未忘记她。她叫艾琳·阿德勒。


One night in March I visited my old friend at his home in Baker Street. I was married by now, so I did not often see him.


3月的一个晚上，我来到这位老朋友在贝克街的家拜访他，如今我已经结婚，所以不经常见到他。


Come in, Watson,' he said. 'Sit down. I'm happy to see you, because I've got something to show you. What do you think of this? It arrived in the last post.' It was a letter, with no date, name or address. It said:


“快进来，华生，”他说，“请坐。很高兴见到你，因为我有东西要给你看。你对这个怎么看？这是跟上一次邮件送来的。”那是一封信，没有日期、名字和地址。信里说：


Tonight someone will visit you, to talk about some very secret business. You have helped other important people, and you can, we hope, help us. Be in your room at 7.45 p.m. '


“今晚有人会上门拜访，讨论一些非常机密的事情。你帮助过其他重要人物，希望你也能帮助我们。晚上7点45分请在房间等。”


The paper — what do you think about the paper?' asked Holmes.


“这种纸——你觉得这种纸怎么样？”福尔摩斯问。


I tried to think like Holmes. 'It's expensive, so this person is rich. It's strange paper.'


我尽量像福尔摩斯一样思考。“它很贵，所以这个人很有钱。这是种奇怪的纸。”


Yes, it's not English. If you look at it in the light, you can see that it was made in Bohemia. And a German, I think, wrote the letter. Ah, here comes our man now.' We could hear the horses in the street.


“对，这不是英国的纸。如果对着光，你会看出它是波希米亚产的。而且，我想写这封信的人是个德国人。啊，找我们的人来了。”我们听见街上传来车马的声音。


Shall I leave, Holmes?' I asked.


“我该离开吗，福尔摩斯？”我问。


No, no, I need your help. This will be interesting,' my friend answered. There was a knock at the door.


“不，不，我需要你的帮助。这会很有趣的。”我的朋友回答。这时响起敲门声。


Come in!' called Holmes.


“进来！”福尔摩斯大声说。


A tall, strong man came into the room. He was wearing expensive clothes, and a mask over his face.


一个高大强壮的男人走进房间。他衣饰华贵，脸上戴了一个面具。


You can call me Count von Kramm. I come from Bohemia,' he said. 'My business is most important. Before I tell you about it, do you agree to keep it a secret?'


“你可以叫我冯·克拉姆伯爵。我从波希米亚来，”他说，“我的事情非常重要。在我告诉你们之前，你们能不能答应保守秘密？”


I do,' we said together.


“我会的。”我们同时说道。


A very important person, who belongs to a royal family, has sent me to ask for your help,' he went on. 'I wear a mask because nobody must know who that person is. I must explain how important this business is. If you cannot help, there will be difficulty and trouble for one of the most important families in Europe — and perhaps a very big scandal. I am talking about the famous House of Ormstein, Kings of Bohemia.'


“一位皇家要人派我来寻求你的帮助，”他接着说，“我戴着面具是因为不能让任何人知道那个人是谁。我必须解释一下这件事有多么重要。如果你不能帮忙，欧洲最重要的家族之一将会遇到困难和麻烦——甚至可能是一桩很大的丑闻。我说的是著名的奥姆斯坦家族，波希米亚皇室。”


I know, Your Majesty,' said Holmes. He quietly smoked his cigarette.


“我知道，陛下。”福尔摩斯说完，安静地抽着烟。


The man jumped up from his chair. 'What!' he cried. 'How do you know who I am?' Then he pulled the mask off his face and threw it on the ground. 'You are right. Why do I hide it? I am the King. I am Wilhelm von Ormstein, King of Bohemia. I came to see you myself because I could not ask another person to tell my story. It must be a secret. You understand?'


那个人从椅子上跳起来。“什么！”他叫道，“你怎么知道我是谁？”然后他把面具从脸上扯下来，扔到地上。“你说对了。我为什么要遮遮掩掩呢？我就是国王本人。我是威廉·冯·奥姆斯坦，波希米亚的国王。我亲自来找你是因为我不能让别人来讲这件事。这必须保密。你明白吗？”


Very well. Go on,' said Holmes. He closed his eyes and listened.


“非常明白。接着说。”福尔摩斯说。他闭上眼睛听着。


Five years ago I met a woman called Irene Adler. We...'


“五年前我遇到一个叫艾琳·阿德勒的女人。我们……”


Ah,' said Holmes, 'Irene Adler, born in 1850, singer, lives in London, a very beautiful woman, I hear ...' He looked at the King. 'You and she...You loved her, for a while, and then left her. But before you left her, you wrote her some letters perhaps. And now you want to get these letters back.'


“啊，”福尔摩斯说，“艾琳·阿德勒，生于1850年，歌唱家，住在伦敦，一个非常漂亮的女人，我听说……”他看了看国王。“你和她……你有一段时间很爱她，后来离开了她。但是在你离开之前，你可能给她写了些信。现在你想要回这些信。”


That's right.'


“是这样的。”


Did you marry her?'


“你和她结婚了吗？”


No.'


“没有。”


If she asks you for money and shows you the letters, you can say that you didn't write them.'


“如果她拿那些信向你要钱，你可以说那不是你写的。”


But Mr Holmes, she also has my photograph.'


“但是福尔摩斯先生，她还有我的照片。”


You can say that you didn't give her a photograph.'


“你可以说你没有给过她照片。”


We were both in the photograph.'


“我们俩都在照片里。”


Oh dear. That was a mistake, Your Majesty.'


“噢，天呐。那是个错误，陛下。”


I know. I was stupid...but I was very young!'


“我知道。我很愚蠢……但是那时候我太年轻！”


You must get the photograph back. Can you steal it from her house?'


“你必须把照片拿回来。你不能从她的房子里偷出来吗？”


I have tried five times but my men couldn't find it. What can I do?'


“我已经试了五次，但是我的手下找不到照片。我该怎么办呢？”


Holmes laughed. 'This is very interesting. What does she plan to do with the photograph?'


福尔摩斯笑了。“这可太有趣了。她想怎么处理那照片？”


Soon I am going to marry Clotilde Lothman von Saxe-Meningen, daughter of the King of Scandinavia. You know, of course, that we are two of the most important royal families in Europe. Clotilde will never marry me if she learns that I have been a...friend of Irene Adler. You do not know Irene Adler. She's a beautiful woman, but she can be as hard as a man. She was angry when I left her, and so she doesn't want me to marry another woman. I know that she will send this photograph to the Saxe-Meningen family, and then there will be a terrible scandal. We must find the photograph before she sends it!'


“我很快就要和斯堪的纳维亚国王的女儿克洛蒂尔德·洛思曼·冯·萨克斯-门宁根结婚了。你当然知道我们是欧洲最重要的两个皇室。如果克洛蒂尔德知道我曾经是艾琳·阿德勒的……朋友，她绝不会嫁给我。你不了解艾琳·阿德勒。她是个漂亮的女人，但是她能和男人一样冷酷无情。我离开的时候她很生气，所以她不想让我娶另一个女人。我知道她想把照片寄给萨克斯-门宁根家族，然后就会有可怕的丑闻。我们必须在她寄出那张照片之前找到它！”


I am sure that we will find it,' said Holmes. 'You are, of course, staying in London? I will write to you to tell you what happens. And, the money...?'


“我相信我们肯定会找到的，”福尔摩斯说，“你现在一定住在伦敦吧？我会写信告诉你事情的进展。另外，钱……？”


The King put a large heavy bag on the table. 'I must have that photograph,' he said. 'There is one thousand pounds here. lf you need more, you must ask at once. The money is not important.'


国王把一个沉重的大袋子放到桌子上。“我必须拿到那张照片，”他说，“这是1000英镑。如果你还需要更多，一定马上跟我说。钱不重要。”


And the young woman's address?' asked Holmes.


“还有那个年轻女人的地址？”福尔摩斯问。


Briony Lodge, Serpentine Avenue, St John's Wood, London.'


“伦敦圣约翰伍德，瑟芬泰恩大街布里奥尼公寓。”


Good night, Your Majesty,' said Holmes. 'I hope to have some good news for you soon.' The King left, and Holmes turned to me. 'And good night, Watson. Please come back tomorrow at three o'clock in the afternoon.'


“晚安，陛下，”福尔摩斯说，“我希望很快会有好消息给你。”国王走了，福尔摩斯转过身对我说：“晚安，华生。请明天下午3点再回来。”