The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

To Sherlock Holmes she is always the woman. I have seldom heard him mention her under any other name. In his eyes she eclipses and predominates the whole of her sex. It was not that he felt any emotion akin to love for Irene Adler.

在夏洛克·福尔摩斯眼中，她永远是女人。我很少听他用别的名字称呼她。在他眼里，她凌驾于所有女性之上，光芒四射。这并非意味着他对艾琳·艾德勒怀有任何类似爱情的情感。

All emotions, and that one particularly, were abhorrent to his cold, precise, but admirably balanced mind.

所有情绪，尤其是那种情绪，都令他冷酷、严谨但又无比平衡的头脑感到厌恶。

He was, I take it, the most perfect reasoning and observing machine that the world has seen; but, as a lover, he would have placed himself in a false position. He never spoke of the softer passions, save with a gibe and a sneer.

我认为，他是世上最完美的推理和观察机器；但是，作为一名情人，他会让自己陷入错误的境地。他从不谈论柔情蜜意，只会冷嘲热讽。

They were admirable things for the observer—excellent for drawing the veil from men’s motives and actions.

对于观察者而言，这些都是令人钦佩的东西——非常适合揭开人们动机和行为的面纱。

But for the trained reasoner to admit such intrusions into his own delicate and finely adjusted temperament was to introduce a distracting factor which might throw a doubt upon all his mental results.

但对于训练有素的推理者来说，承认这种干扰会扰乱他自己精细调整的性情，就等于引入了一个分散注意力的因素，这可能会使他所有的推理结果都受到质疑。

Grit in a sensitive instrument, or a crack in one of his own high-power lenses, would not be more disturbing than a strong emotion in a nature such as his.

对于像他这样天性敏感的人来说，精密仪器里的沙砾，或者他自己的高倍镜头上的裂缝，都不会比强烈的情绪更令人不安。

And yet there was but one woman to him, and that woman was the late Irene Adler, of dubious and questionable memory.

然而，在他心中只有一位女性，那就是已故的艾琳·阿德勒，她的记忆力令人怀疑。

I had seen little of Holmes lately. My marriage had drifted us away from each other.

我最近很少见到福尔摩斯。我的婚姻使我们渐行渐远。

My own complete happiness, and the home-centred interests which rise up around the man who first finds himself master of his own establishment, were sufficient to absorb all my attention; while Holmes, who loathed every form of society with his whole Bohemian soul, remained in our lodgings in Baker Street, buried among his old books, and alternating from week to week between cocaine and ambition, the drowsiness of the drug, and the fierce energy of his own keen nature.

我自身的幸福，以及一个初次拥有自己事业的人所产生的以家庭为中心的兴趣，足以占据我所有的注意力；而福尔摩斯，他用他那波西米亚式的灵魂厌恶一切形式的社交，则待在我们贝克街的住处，埋头于他的旧书之中，每周都在可卡因和野心之间交替，在毒品的昏昏欲睡和他敏锐天性中迸发出的强烈能量之间摇摆不定。

He was still, as ever, deeply attracted by the study of crime, and occupied his immense faculties and extraordinary powers of observation in following out those clues, and clearing up those mysteries, which had been abandoned as hopeless by the official police.

他仍然像以往一样，对犯罪研究有着浓厚的兴趣，并运用他卓越的才能和非凡的观察力去追踪线索，解开那些被官方警方认为毫无希望的谜团。

From time to time I heard some vague account of his doings: of his summons to Odessa in the case of the Trepoff murder, of his clearing up of the singular tragedy of the Atkinson brothers at Trincomalee, and finally of the mission which he had accomplished so delicately and successfully for the reigning family of Holland.

我时不时会听到一些关于他事迹的模糊描述：比如他因特雷波夫谋杀案被召到敖德萨，他澄清了阿特金森兄弟在亭可马里发生的离奇悲剧，以及他最后为荷兰统治家族巧妙而成功地完成的任务。

Beyond these signs of his activity, however, which I merely shared with all the readers of the daily press, I knew little of my former friend and companion.

然而，除了这些我只是在日报上与所有读者分享的关于他的活动迹象之外，我对我的这位昔日朋友和伙伴知之甚少。

One night—it was on the 20th of March, 1888—I was returning from a journey to a patient (for I had now returned to civil practice), when my way led me through Baker Street.

1888 年 3 月 20 日的一个晚上，我去看望完病人后（因为我已经恢复了民事执业），正返回家中，途中经过了贝克街。

As I passed the well-remembered door, which must always be associated in my mind with my wooing, and with the dark incidents of the Study in Scarlet, I was seized with a keen desire to see Holmes again, and to know how he was employing his extraordinary powers.

当我经过那扇令我记忆犹新的门时——这扇门在我心中总是与我的求爱经历以及《血字的研究》中的黑暗事件联系在一起——我强烈地渴望再次见到福尔摩斯，并了解他是如何运用他非凡的能力的。

His rooms were brilliantly lit, and, even as I looked up, I saw his tall, spare figure pass twice in a dark silhouette against the blind. He was pacing the room swiftly, eagerly, with his head sunk upon his chest and his hands clasped behind him.

他的房间灯火通明，我抬头望去，只见他高挑精瘦的身影在百叶窗的阴影中来回掠过两次。他正急促而匆匆地在房间里踱步，头埋在胸前，双手背在身后。

To me, who knew his every mood and habit, his attitude and manner told their own story. He was at work again. He had arisen out of his drug-created dreams, and was hot upon the scent of some new problem.

对我这个了解他所有情绪和习惯的人来说，他的态度和举止已经说明了一切。他又开始工作了。他从毒品带来的幻觉中醒来，正紧盯着某个新的问题。

I rang the bell, and was shown up to the chamber which had formerly been in part my own.

我按响了门铃，然后被带到了房间，那间房间以前一部分属于我。

His manner was not effusive. It seldom was; but he was glad, I think, to see me. With hardly a word spoken, but with a kindly eye, he waved me to an arm-chair, threw across his case of cigars, and indicated a spirit case and a gasogene in the corner.

他的态度并不热情，这向来如此；但我感觉他很高兴见到我。他几乎没说什么，只是用友善的眼神示意我坐到扶手椅上，把雪茄盒扔过来，又指了指角落里的酒箱和煤气炉。

Then he stood before the fire, and looked me over in his singular introspective fashion.

然后他站在火堆前，用他特有的沉思方式打量着我。

“Wedlock suits you,” he remarked. “I think, Watson, that you have put on seven and a half pounds since I saw you.”

“结婚很适合你，”他说道。“华生，我觉得你自从上次见到你之后胖了七磅半。”

“Seven!” I answered.

“七！”我回答道。

“Indeed, I should have thought a little more. Just a trifle more, I fancy, Watson. And in practice again, I observe. You did not tell me that you intended to go into harness.”

“的确，我应该再多考虑一下。我想，就差一点点了，华生。而且，我注意到，你并没有告诉我你打算去当马夫。”

“Then, how do you know?”

“那么，你怎么知道呢？”

“I see it, I deduce it. How do I know that you have been getting yourself very wet lately, and that you have a most clumsy and careless servant girl?”

“我看到了，我推断出来了。我怎么知道你最近经常在外面寻欢作乐，而且你还有一个笨手笨脚、粗心大意的女仆呢？”

“My dear Holmes,” said I, “this is too much. You would certainly have been burned, had you lived a few centuries ago.

“我亲爱的福尔摩斯，”我说，“这太过分了。如果你生活在几个世纪前，肯定会被烧死的。”

It is true that I had a country walk on Thursday and came home in a dreadful mess; but, as I have changed my clothes, I can’t imagine how you deduce it. As to Mary Jane, she is incorrigible, and my wife has given her notice; but there, again, I fail to see how you work it out.”

没错，我星期四去乡下散步，回来的时候狼狈不堪；不过，我已经换了衣服，我实在想不明白你是怎么推断出来的。至于玛丽·简，她真是无可救药，我妻子已经让她辞职了；但是，我还是不明白你是怎么得出这个结论的。

He chuckled to himself and rubbed his long, nervous hands together.

他低声笑了笑，搓了搓自己修长而紧张的手。

“It is simplicity itself,” said he; “my eyes tell me that on the inside of your left shoe, just where the firelight strikes it, the leather is scored by six almost parallel cuts.

“这真是太简单了，”他说；“我的眼睛告诉我，在你左鞋的内侧，就在火光照射的地方，皮革上有六道几乎平行的切口。

Obviously they have been caused by some one who has very carelessly scraped round the edges of the sole in order to remove crusted mud from it. Hence, you see, my double deduction that you had been out in vile weather, and that you had a particularly malignant boot-slitting specimen of the London slavey.

显然，这是有人为了清除鞋底边缘的泥垢，粗心大意地刮擦造成的。因此，你看，我由此推断，你肯定在恶劣的天气里待过，而且你还遇到了一个特别恶劣的伦敦奴隶，专门划破你的靴子。

As to your practice, if a gentleman walks into my rooms smelling of iodoform, with a black mark of nitrate of silver upon his right forefinger, and a bulge on the side of his top-hat to show where he has secreted his stethoscope, I must be dull, indeed, if I do not pronounce him to be an active member of the medical profession.”

至于你的行医方式，如果一位先生走进我的诊室，身上散发着碘仿的味道，右手食指上留着硝酸银的黑色印记，礼帽侧面鼓起一块，显然是他把听诊器藏在了那里，那么，如果我不认定他是一位活跃的医务人员，那我真是太迟钝了。”

I could not help laughing at the ease with which he explained his process of deduction.

他解释推理过程的轻松程度让我忍不住发笑。

“When I hear you give your reasons,” I remarked, “the thing always appears to me to be so ridiculously simple that I could easily do it myself, though at each successive instance of your reasoning I am baffled, until you explain your process.

“当我听到你给出理由时，”我说道，“这件事在我看来总是如此荒谬简单，我自己也能轻松做到，尽管你每次的推理都让我困惑不已，直到你解释你的过程。

And yet I believe that my eyes are as good as yours.”

但我相信我的视力和你的一样好。

“Quite so,” he answered, lighting a cigarette, and throwing himself down into an arm-chair. “You see, but you do not observe. The distinction is clear. For example, you have frequently seen the steps which lead up from the hall to this room.”

“正是如此，”他回答道，点燃一支香烟，然后一屁股坐在扶手椅上。“你看到了，但你没有注意到。区别很明显。例如，你经常会看到从大厅通往这个房间的台阶。”

“Frequently.”

“频繁地。”

“How often?”

“多常？”

“Well, some hundreds of times.”

“嗯，有几百次。”

“Then how many are there?”

“那么到底有多少人？”

“How many? I don’t know.”

“有多少？我不知道。”

“Quite so! You have not observed. And yet you have seen. That is just my point. Now, I know that there are seventeen steps, because I have both seen and observed.

“正是如此！你没有观察，却又看到了。这正是我要说的。现在，我知道有十七个步骤，因为我既看到了，也观察过了。”

By-the-way, since you are interested in these little problems, and since you are good enough to chronicle one or two of my trifling experiences, you may be interested in this.” He threw over a sheet of thick, pink-tinted note-paper which had been lying open upon the table.

对了，既然你对这些小问题感兴趣，而且你又乐于记录我的一两件琐事，那你或许会对这个感兴趣。”他把一张摊开在桌子上的厚厚的、泛着粉红色的便笺扔了过来。

“It came by the last post,” said he. “Read it aloud.”

“是最后一班邮递员送来的，”他说。“大声读出来。”

The note was undated, and without either signature or address.

这张纸条没有日期，也没有签名或地址。

“There will call upon you to-night, at a quarter to eight o’clock,” it said, “a gentleman who desires to consult you upon a matter of the very deepest moment.

“今晚八点四十五分，将有一位先生来拜访您，”信中说，“他想就一件极其重要的事情向您请教。”

Your recent services to one of the royal houses of Europe have shown that you are one who may safely be trusted with matters which are of an importance which can hardly be exaggerated. This account of you we have from all quarters received.

您近期为欧洲某王室提供的服务表明，您是一位值得信赖、能够妥善处理极其重要事务的人。我们从各方都得到了对您的评价。

Be in your chamber then at that hour, and do not take it amiss if your visitor wear a mask.”

届时请待在您的房间里，如果您的访客戴着口罩，请不要介意。

“This is indeed a mystery,” I remarked. “What do you imagine that it means?”

“这的确是个谜，”我说道，“你觉得这意味着什么呢？”

“I have no data yet. It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. Insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts. But the note itself. What do you deduce from it?”

“我还没有数据。在掌握数据之前就妄下结论是大错特错。不知不觉中，人们开始扭曲事实来迎合理论，而不是让理论适应事实。但是，就这份笔记本身而言，你从中得出了什么结论呢？”

I carefully examined the writing, and the paper upon which it was written.

我仔细检查了字迹以及书写的纸张。

“The man who wrote it was presumably well to do,” I remarked, endeavoring to imitate my companion’s processes. “Such paper could not be bought under half a crown a packet. It is peculiarly strong and stiff.”

“写这本书的人想必家境不错，”我一边说着，一边努力模仿同伴的动作。“这种纸一包要半克朗，绝对买不到。它特别结实挺括。”

“Peculiar—that is the very word,” said Holmes. “It is not an English paper at all. Hold it up to the light.”

“真奇怪——就是这个词，”福尔摩斯说。“这根本不是一份英文报纸。拿对着光看看。”

I did so, and saw a large E with a small g, a P, and a large G with a small t woven into the texture of the paper.

我照做了，发现纸张的纹理中织入了一个大写的 E（带一个小写的 g）、一个 P 和一个大写的 G（带一个小写的 t）。

“What do you make of that?” asked Holmes.

“你对此有何看法？”福尔摩斯问道。

“The name of the maker, no doubt; or his monogram, rather.”

“毫无疑问，这是制作者的名字；或者更确切地说，是他的姓名缩写。”

“Not at all.

“一点也不。

The G with the small t stands for ‘Gesellschaft,’ which is the German for ‘Company.’ It is a customary contraction like our ‘Co.’ P, of course, stands for ‘Papier.’ Now for the Eg. Let us glance at our Continental Gazetteer.” He took down a heavy brown volume from his shelves.

小写的G代表“Gesellschaft”，德语是“公司”的意思。它是一种常用的缩写，就像我们的“Co.”一样。当然，P代表“Papier”（纸）。现在来看Eg。让我们翻阅一下我们的《欧洲大陆地名词典》。”他从书架上取下一本厚重的棕色书籍。

“Eglow, Eglonitz—here we are, Egria. It is in a German-speaking country—in Bohemia, not far from Carlsbad.

“埃格洛，埃格洛尼茨——我们到了，埃格里亚。它位于一个德语国家——波西米亚，离卡尔斯巴德不远。

‘Remarkable as being the scene of the death of Wallenstein, and for its numerous glass-factories and paper-mills.’ Ha, ha, my boy, what do you make of that?” His eyes sparkled, and he sent up a great blue triumphant cloud from his cigarette.

“这里不仅是华伦斯坦的死亡之地，还拥有众多的玻璃厂和造纸厂，这真是太了不起了。”哈哈，孩子，你觉得怎么样？”他双眼闪闪发光，从香烟中吐出一大团胜利的蓝色烟雾。

“The paper was made in Bohemia,” I said.

“这张纸是波西米亚制造的，”我说。

“Precisely. And the man who wrote the note is a German. Do you note the peculiar construction of the sentence—‘This account of you we have from all quarters received.’ A Frenchman or Russian could not have written that.

“正是如此。而且写这张纸条的人是德国人。你注意到这句话的特殊结构了吗——‘我们从各方都收到了关于你的消息。’法国人或俄国人不可能写出这样的句子。”

It is the German who is so uncourteous to his verbs. It only remains, therefore, to discover what is wanted by this German who writes upon Bohemian paper, and prefers wearing a mask to showing his face.

是德国人对动词如此不敬。因此，剩下的问题就是：这位用波西米亚纸张写作，宁愿戴着面具也不愿露面的德国人，究竟想要什么？

And here he comes, if I am not mistaken, to resolve all our doubts.”

如果我没弄错的话，他就是来解开我们所有疑虑的。

As he spoke there was the sharp sound of horses’ hoofs and grating wheels against the curb, followed by a sharp pull at the bell. Holmes whistled.

他说话间，传来马蹄声和车轮碾过路沿的刺耳声，紧接着是铃铛被猛地拉响的声音。福尔摩斯吹了声口哨。

“A pair, by the sound,” said he. “Yes,” he continued, glancing out of the window. “A nice little brougham and a pair of beauties. A hundred and fifty guineas apiece. There’s money in this case, Watson, if there is nothing else.”

“听声音，是一对，”他说。“没错，”他继续说道，目光瞥向窗外。“一辆漂亮的小马车，还有一对美人。每辆一百五十几尼。沃森，就算没别的，这案子里也有钱。”

“I think that I had better go, Holmes.”

“我想我最好还是走了，福尔摩斯。”

“Not a bit, doctor. Stay where you are. I am lost without my Boswell. And this promises to be interesting. It would be a pity to miss it.”

“一点也不，医生。你就待在原地吧。没有博斯韦尔，我简直不知所措。而且这看起来很有意思。错过就太可惜了。”

“But your client—”

“但是你的客户——”

“Never mind him. I may want your help, and so may he. Here he comes. Sit down in that arm-chair, doctor, and give us your best attention.”

“别理他。我可能需要你的帮助，他也可能需要。他来了。医生，请坐到那张扶手椅上，好好给我们看病。”

A slow and heavy step, which had been heard upon the stairs and in the passage, paused immediately outside the door. Then there was a loud and authoritative tap.

楼梯和走廊里都能听到缓慢而沉重的脚步声，此刻停在了门外。紧接着，传来一声响亮而有力的敲门声。

“Come in!” said Holmes.

“进来吧！”福尔摩斯说道。

A man entered who could hardly have been less than six feet six inches in height, with the chest and limbs of a Hercules. His dress was rich with a richness which would, in England, be looked upon as akin to bad taste.

一个身高至少六英尺六英寸的男人走了进来，他有着大力神般的胸膛和四肢。他的衣着极其华丽，这种华丽在英国会被视为品味低俗。

Heavy bands of Astrakhan were slashed across the sleeves and fronts of his double-breasted coat, while the deep blue cloak which was thrown over his shoulders was lined with flame-colored silk, and secured at the neck with a brooch which consisted of a single flaming beryl.

他的双排扣外套的袖子和前襟上都饰有厚重的阿斯特拉罕羊毛条，披在肩上的深蓝色斗篷衬有火焰色的丝绸，领口处用一枚由一颗燃烧的绿柱石组成的胸针固定。

Boots which extended half-way up his calves, and which were trimmed at the tops with rich brown fur, completed the impression of barbaric opulence which was suggested by his whole appearance.

他脚上穿着及至小腿中部的靴子，靴筒顶部饰以华丽的棕色毛皮，这与他整体的外表所暗示的野蛮奢华的印象更加吻合。

He carried a broad-brimmed hat in his hand, while he wore across the upper part of his face, extending down past the cheekbones, a black vizard mask, which he had apparently adjusted that very moment, for his hand was still raised to it as he entered.

他手里拿着一顶宽边帽，脸上戴着一副黑色的面具，面具一直延伸到颧骨以下。他显然是在那一刻调整了面具，因为他进来时手还举着。

From the lower part of the face he appeared to be a man of strong character, with a thick, hanging lip, and a long, straight chin, suggestive of resolution pushed to the length of obstinacy.

从脸的下半部分来看，他似乎是一个性格坚强的人，嘴唇厚而下垂，下巴又长又直，这表明他意志坚定，甚至到了固执的地步。

“You had my note?” he asked, with a deep harsh voice and a strongly marked German accent. “I told you that I would call.” He looked from one to the other of us, as if uncertain which to address.

“你收到我的纸条了吗？”他问道，声音低沉沙哑，带着浓重的德国口音。“我说过我会打电话的。”他目光在我们两人之间来回移动，似乎不知该对谁说话。

“Pray take a seat,” said Holmes. “This is my friend and colleague, Dr. Watson, who is occasionally good enough to help me in my cases. Whom have I the honor to address?”

“请坐，”福尔摩斯说。“这位是我的朋友和同事，华生医生，他偶尔会帮我处理一些案子。请问这位是哪位？”

“You may address me as the Count Von Kramm, a Bohemian nobleman. I understand that this gentleman, your friend, is a man of honor and discretion, whom I may trust with a matter of the most extreme importance.

“您可以称呼我为克拉姆伯爵，一位波西米亚贵族。据我所知，这位先生，您的朋友，是一位正直谨慎的人，我可以把一件极其重要的事情托付给他。”

If not, I should much prefer to communicate with you alone.”

否则，我更希望单独和你交流。

I rose to go, but Holmes caught me by the wrist and pushed me back into my chair. “It is both, or none,” said he. “You may say before this gentleman anything which you may say to me.”

我起身要走，但福尔摩斯抓住我的手腕，把我按回椅子上。“要么两者都说，要么都不说，”他说，“你可以在这位先生面前说任何你想对我说的话。”

The count shrugged his broad shoulders. “Then I must begin,” said he, “by binding you both to absolute secrecy for two years, at the end of that time the matter will be of no importance.

伯爵耸了耸他宽阔的肩膀。“那么我必须开始，”他说，“首先要让你们两个绝对保密两年，两年后这件事就无关紧要了。”

At present it is not too much to say that it is of such weight it may have an influence upon European history.”

目前来看，说它具有如此重要的意义，甚至可能对欧洲历史产生影响，并不为过。

“I promise,” said Holmes.

“我保证，”霍姆斯说。

“And I.”

“还有我。”

“You will excuse this mask,” continued our strange visitor. “The august person who employs me wishes his agent to be unknown to you, and I may confess at once that the title by which I have just called myself is not exactly my own.”

“请您谅解我戴着面具，”这位古怪的访客继续说道，“雇佣我的尊贵人士希望您不认识他的代理人，而且我必须坦白，我刚才自称的头衔并非我本人的。”

“I was aware of it,” said Holmes, dryly.

“我知道这件事，”霍姆斯冷冷地说。

“The circumstances are of great delicacy, and every precaution has to be taken to quench what might grow to be an immense scandal and seriously compromise one of the reigning families of Europe.

“情况非常微妙，必须采取一切预防措施，以防止事态发展成巨大的丑闻，并严重损害欧洲统治家族之一的声誉。”

To speak plainly, the matter implicates the great House of Ormstein, hereditary kings of Bohemia.”

直白地说，这件事牵涉到波西米亚世袭国王奥姆斯坦家族。

“I was also aware of that,” murmured Holmes, settling himself down in his arm-chair and closing his eyes.

“我也意识到了这一点，”福尔摩斯低声说道，一边在扶手椅里坐下，一边闭上了眼睛。

Our visitor glanced with some apparent surprise at the languid, lounging figure of the man who had been no doubt depicted to him as the most incisive reasoner and most energetic agent in Europe.

我们的访客带着明显的惊讶瞥了一眼眼前这个懒散地躺着的男人，毫无疑问，在他之前，这个人被描绘成欧洲最敏锐的推理者和最有活力的行动者。

Holmes slowly reopened his eyes and looked impatiently at his gigantic client.

福尔摩斯缓缓睁开眼睛，不耐烦地看着他那身材魁梧的委托人。

“If your Majesty would condescend to state your case,” he remarked, “I should be better able to advise you.”

“如果陛下能屈尊陈述您的案情，”他说道，“我将更能为您提供建议。”