1 A Sad Tale

The SPECKLED BAND.

斑点带。

Chapter 1 A Sad Tale The case I am about to relate took place in April 1883, during the early days of my friendship with the famous detective Mr. Sherlock Holmes, when we were sharing rooms at 221B Baker Street. Holmes tended to be a late riser, so I was surprised one early April morning to find myself being shaken awake by my roommate. The clock on the mantelpiece stood at just past seven, yet there was Holmes, fully dressed and in a state of some excitement.

我将要讲述的这个案件发生在1883年4月，当时我和著名侦探歇洛克·福尔摩斯先生刚刚成为朋友，我们住在贝克街221B号同住一室。 福尔摩斯往往起得很晚，所以四月初的一个早晨，我惊讶地发现自己被室友摇醒了。 壁炉架上的钟刚过七点，福尔摩斯却在那儿，穿戴整齐，神情激动。

"What is it—a fire?" I asked. "No, a client," he answered. "Mrs. Hudson, our landlady, tells me a young lady has arrived. She is waiting for me now in the sitting-room. The fact that she's come alone and at such an early hour suggests it's about something fairly serious. I've a hunch this one may prove to be an interesting case, Watson, and I thought you might wish to be involved." "My dear fellow, I wouldn't miss it for the world," I said, leaping out of bed. For then, as now, nothing gave me greater pleasure than following Holmes in his investigations, watching as he untangled the knottiest problems with his sharp, logical mind. I threw on some clothes and a few minutes later my friend and I entered the sitting-room. The lady was seated near the hearth, dressed in black and with a dark veil covering her face. She rose as we entered.

“这是什么——火吗？”我问。 “不，是客户，”他回答。 “我们的房东哈德森太太告诉我有位年轻女士来了。 她现在正在客厅里等我。 她一个人来，而且这么早，说明事情很严重。 我有一种预感，这件案子可能会很有趣，华生，我想你也许愿意参与其中。” “我亲爱的朋友，无论如何我也不会错过的，”我说着，从床上跳了起来。 因为当时和现在一样，没有什么比跟随福尔摩斯进行调查更让我高兴的了，我看着他用他那敏锐的逻辑思维来解开最棘手的问题。 我匆匆穿上几件衣服，几分钟后我和我的朋友走进了起居室。 那位女士坐在炉边，身穿黑衣，蒙着黑纱。 我们进来时，她站了起来。

"Good morning, madam," said Holmes cheerfully. "My name is Sherlock Holmes and this is my partner, Dr. Watson. I'm pleased to see Mrs. Hudson has lit the fire. Shall I order you some hot coffee, for I notice you are shivering." "It is not cold that makes me shiver," said the woman in a low, trembling voice. "What then?" "It is fear, Mr. Holmes. It is terror." She raised her veil as she spoke, and we could see she was in some distress. Her face was drawn and pale with restless, frightened eyes, like those of a

“早上好，夫人，”福尔摩斯高兴地说。 “我叫夏洛克·福尔摩斯，这是我的搭档福尔摩斯医生。 沃森。我很高兴看到赫德森太太生了火。 我要不要给你点杯热咖啡，因为我注意到你在发抖。” “让我发抖的不是寒冷，”那女人用一种低沉而颤抖的声音说。 “什么?”“那是恐惧，福尔摩斯先生。 这是恐怖。”她一边说，一边掀起面纱，我们可以看出她有些痛苦。 她的脸憔悴而苍白，眼睛不安而惊恐，就像一个

hunted animal. Although she looked no older than thirty, her hair was flecked with silver. Holmes reached forward and patted her forearm soothingly. "You must not fear, madam," he said. "Whatever trouble you are in, we shall soon set matters right. I see you came by train this morning." "How did you know?" she asked. "I spy the second half of a return ticket in the palm of your left glove," said Holmes. "I also know you took a dogcart to the station along muddy roads and that you sat on the left side of the driver." The lady gave a start of surprise. "Do you have magic powers, Mr. Holmes?" "Not at all, madam, merely the power of eyesight. The left arm of your jacket is spattered

猎杀动物。虽然她看起来不到三十岁，但她的头发上却有一些银白色的斑点。 福尔摩斯伸出手来，轻轻拍了拍她的小臂，安慰她。 “你不必害怕，夫人，”他说。 “不管你遇到什么麻烦，我们很快就会解决的。 我看你今天早上是坐火车来的。” “你怎么知道的？”她问。 “我在你左手的手套里发现了一张回程机票的下半部分，”福尔摩斯说道。 “我还知道你坐着一辆狗车沿着泥泞的路去车站，而且你坐在司机的左边。” 那位女士吓了一跳。 “福尔摩斯先生，你会魔法吗？”“一点也不，夫人，只是眼力使然。 你外套的左臂上溅满了水

with fresh mud. There is no other vehicle except a dogcart that throws up mud in that way, and only if you sit next to the driver. But enough of this. Please tell us what brought you here." "Sir," she said, "I am in a desperate situation and have no one else to turn to. I was recommended to you by Mrs. Farintosh, who you helped in her hour of need. I hope you can help me, too, or at least throw a little light on the darkness that surrounds me. I have no money at present, but in a month or so I shall be married, with control of my own income, and I shall be happy to reward you generously for your time." "Farintosh," said Holmes with a frown. "Ah yes, I recall the case. It concerned the theft of an opal tiara. I think it was before your time, Watson. I assure you, madam, that I am happy to devote the same care to your case as I did to your friend's. As to money, my work is its own reward. If I incur expenses, you can repay them at a time that suits you. Now, please tell us your problem and include as much detail as you can."

用新鲜的泥。只有当你坐在司机旁边时，除了狗车之外，没有其他交通工具会像你这样扔泥巴。 但是够了。请告诉我们是什么风把你吹来的。” “先生，”她说，“我现在走投无路了，没有人可以求助。 我是法林托什太太推荐给你的，你在她需要的时候帮助了她。 我希望你也能帮助我，或者至少给我周围的黑暗带来一点光明。 我现在没有钱，不过再过一个月左右，我就要结婚了，那时我就能自己支配我的收入了，我很乐意慷慨地酬谢你。” “法林托什，”福尔摩斯皱着眉头说道。 “啊，是的，我想起了那个案子。 是关于一顶蛋白石王冠的盗窃案。 我想那是在你出生之前吧，华生。 我向你保证，夫人，我很乐意像对待你朋友的案子一样对待你的案子。 至于钱，我的工作本身就是报酬。 如果我需要开支，你可以在合适的时候偿还。 现在，请告诉我们你的问题，并尽可能详细地告诉我们。”