福尔摩斯探案集·五个桔核 第31期:展开复仇计划(3)
"What then?" "I searched the Dundee records,
"以后又怎样呢？""我查阅了敦提的记录。
and when I found that the bark Lone Star was there in January, '85, my suspicion became a certainty.
当我看到一八八五年一月三桅帆船'孤星号'抵达那里的记录时，我心里的猜想就变为确信无疑的了。
I then inquired as to the vessels which lay at present in the port of London." "Yes?"
我接着就对目前停泊在伦敦港内的船只的情况进行了查询。""结果呢？"
"The Lone Star had arrived here last week.
"那'孤星号'上星期到达这里。
I went down to the Albert Dock and found that she had been taken down the river by the early tide this morning, homeward bound to Savannah.
我跑到艾伯特船坞，查明这船今天早晨已趁着早潮顺流而下，返航萨瓦纳港去了。
I wired to Gravesend and learned that she had passed some time ago,
我发电报给格雷夫森德，得知这船已经在不久前驶过去了。
and as the wind is easterly I have no doubt that she is now past the Goodwins and not very far from the Isle of Wight."
由于风向是朝东的，我确信：这船此刻已开过古德温斯，离怀特岛不远。"
"What will you do, then?" "Oh, I have my hand upon him.
"那么，你想干什么呢？""我要去逮住他！
He and the two mates, are, as I learn, the only native-born Americans in the ship. The others are Finns and Germans.
他和那两个副手，据我所知，是那船上仅有的美国人。其余的是芬兰人和德国人。
I know, also, that they were all three away from the ship last night.
我还了解到他们三人昨晚曾离船上岸。
I had it from the stevedore who has been loading their cargo.
这消息是当时正在给他们装货的码头工人说的。
By the time that their sailing-ship reaches Savannah the mail-boat will have carried this letter,
等到他们的这艘帆船到达萨瓦纳时，邮船也已经把这封信带到那地方了，
and the cable will have informed the police of Savannah that these three gentlemen are badly wanted here upon a charge of murder."
同时海底电报则已经通知了萨瓦纳的警察，说明这三位先生是这里正在通缉中的被控犯有谋杀罪的人犯。"
There is ever a flaw, however, in the best laid of human plans,
然而，人谋布下的罗网纵极工巧，终不能没有丝毫漏洞。
and the murderers of John Openshaw were never to receive the orange pips which would show them that another,
谋杀约翰·奥彭肖的凶手竟然再也收不到那几个桔核了，而那几个桔核是会使他们知道
as cunning and as resolute as themselves, was upon their track.
世界上另外还有一个和他们同样狡猾、同样坚决的人正在追捕着他们。
Very long and very severe were the equinoctial gales that year.
那年秋分时的暴风刮得久，刮得猛。
We waited long for news of the Lone Star of Savannah, but none ever reached us.
我们等了很长时间，想得到萨瓦纳"孤星号"的消息，却一直杳无音信。
We did at last hear that somewhere far out in the Atlantic
终于我们听说：在远远的大西洋某处，
a shattered stern-post of the boat was seen swinging in the trough of a wave,
有人看到在一次海浪的退潮中漂泊着一块破碎的船尾柱，
with the letters "L. S." carved upon it, and that is all which we shall ever know of the fate of the Lone Star.
上面刻着"L.S."两个字母，而我们所能知道的关于"孤星号"的命运仅此而已。
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