福尔摩斯探案集·五个桔核 第12期:神秘来信(6)

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Well, it was the beginning of '84 when my father came to live at Horsham,

唉，我父亲搬到霍尔舍姆去住时，正值一八八四年初，

and all went as well as possible with us until the January of '85.

直到一八八五年元月，一切都称心如意。

On the fourth day after the new year I heard my father give a sharp cry of surprise as we sat together at the breakfast-table.

元旦过后的第四天，我们大家围着桌子坐在一起吃早餐时，我的父亲忽然一声惊叫。

There he was, sitting with a newly opened envelope in one hand

只见他坐在那里，一手举着一个刚刚拆开的信封，

and five dried orange pips in the outstretched palm of the other one.

另一只手的五指伸开的掌心上有五个干瘪的桔核。

He had always laughed at what he called my cock-and-bull story about the colonel,

他平日总嘲笑我所说伯父的遭遇是荒诞无稽的故事，

but he looked very scared and puzzled now that the same thing had come upon himself.

一旦他自己碰上了同样的事，却也吓得大惊失色，神志恍惚。

'Why, what on earth does this mean, John?' he stammered.

'啊，这究竟是怎么一回事，约翰？'他结结巴巴地问道。

My heart had turned to lead. 'It is K. K. K.,' said I.

我的心变成一块铅似地沉重。这是K.K.K...'我说。

He looked inside the envelope.

他看看信封的内层。

'So it is,' he cried. 'Here are the very letters. But what is this written above them?'

'不错，'他叫了起来，'就是这几个字母。这上面又写着什么？'

'Put the papers on the sundial,' I read, peeping over his shoulder.

'把文件放在日晷仪上，'我从他肩膀背后望着信封念道。'

'What papers? What sundial?' he asked.

'什么文件？什么日晷仪？'他又问道。

'The sundial in the garden. There is no other,' said I; 'but the papers must be those that are destroyed.'

'花园里的日晷仪，别处没有，'我说，‘文件一定是被毁掉的那些。'

'Pooh!' said he, gripping hard at his courage.

'呸！'他壮着胆子说。

'We are in a civilized land here, and we can't have tomfoolery of this kind. Where does the thing come from?'

'我们这里是文明世界，不容许有这种蠢事发生！这东西是哪里来的？'

'From Dundee,' I answered, glancing at the postmark.

'从敦提来的，'我看了一下邮戳回答说。

'Some preposterous practical joke,' said he.

'一个荒唐的恶作剧，'他说，

'What have I to do with sundials and papers? I shall take no notice of such nonsense.'

'我和日晷仪啦、文件啦，有什么关系？对这种无聊的事我不屑一顾。'

'I should certainly speak to the police,' I said.

'要是我的话，就一定报告警察，'我说。

'And be laughed at for my pains. Nothing of the sort.' 'Then let me do so?'

'这样，我痛苦，却让他们讥笑，我不干。' '那么让我去报告吧？'

'No, I forbid you. I won't have a fuss made about such nonsense.'

'不，也不许你去。我不愿为这种荒唐事庸人自扰。'

It was in vain to argue with him, for he was a very obstinate man.

与他争辩是徒劳的，因为他是个非常顽固的人。

I went about, however, with a heart which was full of forebodings.

我只好走开，心里惴惴不安，充满大祸将临的预感。