福尔摩斯探案集·身份案 第22期:玩弄感情的骗子(3)
Mr. Windibank gave a violent start and dropped his gloves.
温迪班克先生听了身子猛然震动了一下，手套掉在地上。
"I am delighted to hear it," he said.
他说道："听到你这番话，高兴极了。"
"It is a curious thing," remarked Holmes, "that a typewriter has really quite as much individuality as a man's handwriting.
"奇怪的是，"福尔摩斯说，"打字也象手书一样表现出一个人的个性。
Unless they are quite new, no two of them write exactly alike.
除非打字机是新的，否则两台打字机打出来的字是不会一模一样的。
Some letters get more worn than others, and some wear only on one side.
有的字母比别的字母磨损得更厉害些，有的字母只磨损了一边。
Now, you remark in this note of yours, Mr. Windibank,
温迪班克先生，请看你自己打的这张短笺，
that in every case there is some little slurring over of the 'e,' and a slight defect in the tail of the 'r.'
字母'e'总是有点模糊不清，字母'r'的尾巴总有点儿缺损。
There are fourteen other characteristics, but those are the more obvious."
还有其它十四个更加明显的特征。"
"We do all our correspondence with this machine at the office, and no doubt it is a little worn," our visitor answered,
"我们的来往信函都是使用事务所里的这台打字机打的，当然它有点儿磨损了，"我们的客人说着，
glancing keenly at Holmes with his bright little eyes.
发亮的小眼睛迅速地瞥了一下福尔摩斯。
"And now I will show you what is really a very interesting study, Mr. Windibank," Holmes continued.
"温迪班克先生，现在我要告诉你什么是真正有趣的研究，"福尔摩斯继续说，
"I think of writing another little monograph some of these days on the typewriter and its relation to crime.
"我想在这几天再写一篇短的专题论文来阐述打字机以及打字机与犯罪的关系。
It is a subject to which I have devoted some little attention.
这是我起为注意的一个题目。
I have here four letters which purport to come from the missing man. They are all typewritten.
我手边有四封写明是来自失踪的那个男人的信，全是打字的。
In each case, not only are the 'e's' slurred and the 'r's' tailless,
不仅每封信中字母'e'都是模糊的，字母'r'都是缺尾巴的，
but you will observe, if you care to use my magnifying lens,
而且你如果愿意使用我的放大镜看一看，
that the fourteen other characteristics to which I have alluded are there as well."
那么我提到的那其余十四个特征也是历历在目的。"
