2 The Old Book Collector

Chapter 2 The Old Book Collector I had only been back in my study for five minutes when the maid informed me I had a visitor. To my astonishment, it was the old book collector who I'd bumped into on Park Lane. His sharp, wrinkled face jutted out from beneath a fringe of white hair. Wedged under his arm were at least a dozen of his precious volumes. "You're surprised to see me, sir," he said in a croaking voice. "I am indeed."

我刚回到书房五分钟，女仆就告诉我有人来了。 令我吃惊的是，我在公园巷碰到的是一位旧书收藏家。 他那张尖利的、布满皱纹的脸从一绺白发下伸出来。 他腋下夹着至少十二本珍贵的书。 “你见到我很吃惊吧，先生。”他用嘶哑的声音说。 “是的。”

"Well, to tell you the truth, I was feeling guilty after our encounter just now. I wanted to let you know that if I was gruff in my manner there was no harm meant, and I'm most grateful to you for picking up my books." "It was nothing, really," I said. "May I ask how you knew who I was?" "Well, sir, as it happens, I live very near to you. You'll find my little bookshop at the corner of Church Street. Maybe you collect yourself, sir. I have volumes here on swiss birds, unsolved crimes, and travels in Tibet—a bargain, every one of them. Just five of these books would fill up that gap on your second shelf very nicely, wouldn't you say so, sir?" I glanced briefly at the bookshelf. When I turned back, the old man was transformed. In his place stood Sherlock Holmes. I stared at him for several seconds. Then a faint mist swirled before my eyes and, for the first and last time in my life, I fainted.

“好吧，说实话，我们刚才相遇之后，我感到很内疚。 我想让你知道，即使我态度粗暴，也没有恶意，我非常感谢你捡起我的书。” “没什么，真的，”我说。 “请问你是怎么知道我是谁的？”“嗯，先生，碰巧我住得离你很近。 你会在教堂街的拐角处找到我的小书店。 也许你该冷静一下，先生。 我这里有关于瑞士鸟类、悬案和西藏旅行的书——每一本都很便宜。 只要五本书就可以很好地填满你第二层书架上的空白，你说呢，先生？”我匆匆瞥了一眼书架。 当我回头的时候，老人已经变了。 歇洛克·福尔摩斯站在他的位置上。 我盯着他看了几秒钟。 接着，一团薄雾在我眼前盘旋，我昏倒了，这是我有生以来第一次也是最后一次。

I woke to find myself seated in an armchair, my collar open at the neck. Holmes was standing over me, a look of tender concern on his face. "My dear Watson," he said in that familiar voice, "I owe you a thousand apologies. I had no idea you'd be so affected." I gripped his arm. "Holmes, is it really you? Are you alive? How did you climb out of that waterfall?" "I'll happily tell you the whole story," smiled Holmes, "but are you sure you're in a fit state to hear it?"

我醒来发现自己坐在扶手椅上，衣领在脖子上敞开着。 福尔摩斯站在我面前，脸上流露出温柔关切的神情。 “我亲爱的华生，”他用那熟悉的声音说道，“我欠你一千次道歉。 我不知道你会这么受影响。” 我抓住他的胳膊。“福尔摩斯，真的是你吗？ 你还活着吗？你是怎么爬出瀑布的？”福尔摩斯微笑着说：“我很乐意把整个故事都告诉你，可是你确信你的身体状况适合听吗？”

"I'm fine," I promised him. "Holmes, I can hardly believe my eyes. It's so incredible seeing you standing here in my study." Again, I grabbed his sleeve and felt the thin, muscular arm beneath it. "You're not a spirit, that's for sure... My dear chap, I'm so happy to see you. Sit down and tell me everything."

“我很好，”我向他保证。 "福尔摩斯，我简直不敢相信自己的眼睛。 看到你站在我的书房里真是太不可思议了。” 我又一次抓住他的袖子，摸到了袖子下面那只瘦削、肌肉发达的手臂。 “你不是幽灵，这是肯定的…… 亲爱的小伙子，见到你真高兴。 坐下，把一切都告诉我。”