6 The Reichenbach Falls

Chapter 6 The Reichenbach Falls On May 3, we reached Meiringen. This beautiful Swiss village lay in a verdant valley surrounded by majestic mountains. Icy streams from these mountains fed the Aare river that ran past the village on its winding course through the valley. We stayed at the Englischer Hof, a charming hotel owned and run by an elderly gentleman named Peter Steiler. He was an intelligent, friendly fellow who spoke excellent English, having worked for three years at the Grosvenor Hotel in London. "While you are here," he said, "you simply must visit the hamlet of Rosenlaui. It is the highest settlement in this valley, and the views from up there are spectacular. You can spend the night at the inn there and return here the following day. On the way up, you will pass the famous Reichenbach Falls. A small detour on the path will take you to a spot where you can view

第六章莱辛巴赫瀑布5月3日，我们到达了梅林根。 这个美丽的瑞士村庄坐落在苍翠的山谷中，周围环绕着雄伟的山脉。 从这些山上流下的冰流注入了阿勒河，这条河蜿蜒流过村庄，穿过山谷。 我们住在英国旅馆，这是一家迷人的旅馆，老板是一位名叫彼得·斯泰勒的老先生。 他是一个聪明、友好的人，英语说得很好，在伦敦格罗夫纳酒店工作了三年。 “既然你在这里，”他说，“你一定要去罗森劳伊村看看。 它是这个山谷中最高的定居点，从那里俯瞰的景色非常壮观。 你可以在那里的客栈过夜，第二天再回来。 在上山的路上，你会经过著名的莱辛巴赫瀑布。 在小路上绕一小段路就可以看到风景

them properly. Believe me, it is a sight to behold!" So, on Steiler's advice, we set off up the valley after lunch on May 4. I had no idea how fateful that day would turn out to be. It was a beautiful afternoon without a cloud in the sky. Our route followed one of the streams that fed the Aare. Along the way, we stopped to take in views of the Wetterhorn and other mountains, their snowy caps gleaming in the late spring sunshine. Before long, we reached the detour that led to the Reichenbach Falls. The path to the falls was a

他们正确。相信我，这是一幅值得一看的景象！”所以，在斯特勒的建议下，我们在5月4日午饭后出发了。 我不知道那一天会变成如此重要的一天。 这是一个万里无云的美丽下午。 我们的路线是沿着一条流入森林的小溪走的。 一路上，我们停下来欣赏韦特霍恩峰和其他山脉的景色，它们雪白的山峰在晚春的阳光下闪闪发光。 没过多久，我们就绕道来到了莱辛巴赫瀑布。 通往瀑布的小路是一条

ledge cut into the mountainside, with a steep, rocky wall on one side and a sharp drop on the other. As we stood above the thundering torrent, I was struck dumb with fear and wonder at its colossal power. The river, swollen by melting snow, plunged into a deep chasm lined with glistening, coal- black rock. The endless cascade of green water roared downward, soaking us with its spray.

岩壁切入山腰，一边是陡峭的岩壁，另一边是陡坡。 当我们站在雷鸣般的激流之上时，我被它巨大的力量吓得说不出话来。 由于积雪融化，河水涨了起来，流进了一条深沟，沟两旁是闪闪发光的煤黑色岩石。 一望无际的碧水瀑布呼啸而下，溅得我们浑身湿透。

At the bottom, it boiled and churned in a creamy froth before spilling over the jagged lip of another yawning drop. Holmes and I stood there for a long time in silence, taking in this awesome sight, and I became quite giddy at the scale of it, and the noise and violence. The path circled around the falls so spectators could view it from different angles. It ended abruptly, however, about halfway around, so we had no choice but to return the way we came. We were about to do so when a Swiss lad came running toward us waving a letter. He handed it to me. Shielding it from the spray, I

在底部，它沸腾并搅拌成奶油泡沫，然后溢出另一滴水的锯齿状嘴唇。 福尔摩斯和我在那里站了很久，一言不发，欣赏着这可怕的景象，我被它的规模、噪音和暴力弄得头晕目眩。 这条小径环绕着瀑布，因此观众可以从不同的角度观赏瀑布。 然而，它突然结束了，大约在中途，所以我们别无选择，只能返回我们来的路。 我们正要这么做的时候，一个瑞士小伙子向我们跑过来，手里挥舞着一封信。 他把它递给我。保护它不受喷雾的伤害，我

read the message, which was addressed to me by our landlord, Peter Steiler. It appeared that shortly after our departure, a frail old English lady had arrived at the hotel. She had spent the winter at Davos Platz and was on her way to join friends at Lucerne when a sudden sickness had overcome her. She was convinced she only had a few more hours to live, and it would be a great comfort to her to see an English doctor, if I wouldn't mind returning. Steiler was very apologetic but he said she absolutely refused to see a Swiss physician. It was impossible to ignore this request from a dying woman. Even so, I felt uneasy about leaving Holmes alone.

这是房东彼得·斯泰勒写给我的信。 我们离开后不久，一位体弱多病的英国老太太来到了旅馆。 她在达沃斯广场度过了一个冬天，在前往卢塞恩与朋友相聚的路上，突然病倒了。 她确信自己只能再活几个小时了，如果我不介意回去的话，去看一位英国医生对她来说会是一个很大的安慰。 斯特勒非常抱歉，但他说她绝对拒绝看瑞士医生。 对一个垂死的女人的请求置之不理是不可能的。 尽管如此，我还是对留下福尔摩斯独自一人感到不安。

Holmes, however, insisted that I go. "If it makes you feel better," he said, "this young lad will stay with me as my guide and companion. We'll remain here for a while and then walk slowly up the hill to Rosenlaui where you can rejoin us this evening." I agreed to this and began making my way back down the ledge toward the main path. At one point, I turned to see Holmes leaning against the rocky wall with his arms folded, gazing down at the rushing waters. Looking back now, with the knowledge of what was to come, it is a sight that I shall treasure for as long as I live.

可是福尔摩斯坚持要我去。 “如果这能让你感觉好点的话，”他说，“这个年轻人将和我一起做我的向导和同伴。 我们在这里呆一会儿，然后慢慢地上山去罗森劳伊，今晚你可以在那里和我们会合。” 我同意了，并开始沿着岩架往回走，向主路走去。 有一次，我转过身来，看见福尔摩斯双臂交叉，倚在石壁上，凝视着下面奔腾的河水。 现在回想起来，知道会发生什么，这是我一生都会珍惜的景象。