5 The Ambush

Chapter 5 The Ambush We hid ourselves and I placed my revolver on a crate within easy reach. Then Holmes slid the lantern cover down and the cellar was plunged into pitch darkness. The gloom and the smell of hot metal from the lantern only added to the tension within me at the thought of what was to come. "They have but one escape route," whispered Holmes. "That is back through the house into Coburg Square. I hope you have done what I asked, Jones." "I have an inspector and two officers waiting at the front door." "Then we have blocked all the holes. Now we must be silent and wait." What a wait it was! I worked out later it was only an hour and a quarter, but at the time it seemed to last the whole night. My limbs grew stiff from remaining so still, yet my nerves were

我们躲了起来，我把左轮手枪放在一个容易拿到的板条箱上。 接着福尔摩斯把灯罩拉了下来，地窖里顿时一片漆黑。 一想到即将发生的事情，昏暗的灯光和从灯笼里散发出来的热金属的气味只会增加我内心的紧张感。 “他们只有一条逃跑的路，”福尔摩斯低声说。 “那是穿过房子回到科堡广场。 我希望你已经照我说的做了，琼斯。” “我有一个巡官和两个警官在前门等着。” “那么我们就把所有的洞都堵上了。 现在我们必须保持沉默，等待。” 这是多么漫长的等待啊！后来我算出来，只有一个小时又一刻钟，但在当时，它似乎持续了整个晚上。 我的四肢僵直了，但我的神经

tight with tension. My hearing was so sharp that I could hear the quiet breathing of my companions. Suddenly, I saw a glint of light appear on the floor before us. At first it was just a point, but it soon lengthened to become a thin yellow line. The crack widened and a small, pale hand appeared. The hand, with its long, thin fingers, pushed the stone slab above the surface of the floor. It

紧绷着。我的听觉如此敏锐，以至于我能听到同伴们平静的呼吸声。 突然，我看到我们面前的地板上出现了一道闪光。 起初它只是一个点，但它很快就变长了，变成了一条细细的黄线。 裂缝扩大了，一只苍白的小手伸了出来。 那只手，用它细长的手指，把石板推到地面上。 它

remained like that for a minute at least, during which I scarcely breathed. Then it sank away and all was dark again except for a single spark of light from a chink between the stones. But the darkness lasted no more than a few seconds. With a grinding, tearing sound, the entire slab was raised and shoved to one side, leaving a square hole through which streamed the light of a lantern. A clean-shaven face appeared there, the same one I had seen that afternoon when we knocked on Mr. Wilson's door. He looked keenly around for a moment before placing his hands on the edge of the hole and pulling himself up. In another instant, he was standing beside the hole and helping his companion after him. The other man was also small and agile with a shock of very red hair.

这样至少保持了一分钟，在此期间我几乎没有呼吸。 然后它又沉下去了，除了石头缝隙里的一点亮光外，一切又变黑了。 但是黑暗只持续了几秒钟。 随着一声磨碎、撕裂的声音，整块石板被举起，推到一边，留下一个方洞，一盏灯笼的光从洞里射了进来。 那儿出现了一张刮得干干净净的脸，就是那天下午我们敲威尔逊先生房门时我看到的那张脸。 他敏锐地向四周看了一会儿，然后把手放在洞的边缘，把自己拉了上来。 不一会儿，他就站在洞口旁边，帮助同伴追他。 另一个人也个子矮小，动作敏捷，一头浓密的红发。

"It's all clear," the first man whispered to his companion. "Have you got the chisel and the bags?" At that moment, Sherlock Holmes sprang out from his hiding place and seized the first man by the collar. "Great Scott!" the man yelled. "Run, Archie, run!"

“一切都清楚了，”第一个人低声对他的同伴说。 “你有凿子和袋子吗？”就在这时，歇洛克·福尔摩斯从他的藏身之处跳了出来，抓住了第一个人的衣领。 “天哪！”那人喊道。 “快跑，阿尔奇，快跑！”

The other man immediately dove back into the hole. I heard the sound of tearing fabric as Jones clutched at the tail of his coat. The first man reached into his belt for something. Light flashed on the barrel of a revolver, but Holmes's hunting crop came down hard on the man's wrist and the pistol clinked to the stone floor. "It's no use, John Clay," said Holmes. "The game's up."

另一个人立刻跳进洞里。 我听到琼斯抓着他的衣摆时撕裂布料的声音。 第一个人把手伸进腰带里找东西。 一把左轮手枪的枪管上闪着亮光，但福尔摩斯的猎鞭重重地落在那人的手腕上，手枪叮当地落在石头地板上。 “这是没有用的，约翰·克莱，”福尔摩斯说道。 “游戏结束了。”

"So I see," Clay answered coolly as he eyed the revolver in my hand. "At least my mate will be okay. You only got his coat tails." "There are three men waiting for him at the front door," said Holmes. Clay nodded. "Is that so? You seem to have set your trap very skilfully. I must compliment you." "And I you," said Holmes. "Your red-headed idea was amusing and highly original." Jones now approached with a set of handcuffs. "Hold out your hands, Clay."

“我明白了，”克莱看着我手里的左轮手枪，冷冷地回答。 “至少我的伴侣会没事。 你只有他的燕尾服。” “有三个人在前门等他，”福尔摩斯说道。 粘土点点头。“是吗？”看来你的圈套设得很巧妙。 我必须称赞你。”“我也是你，”福尔摩斯说道。 “你的红发想法很有趣，很有创意。” 这时琼斯拿着一副手铐走了过来。 “伸出你的手，克莱。”