4 Trouble on the Avenue

Chapter 4 Trouble on the Avenue We left Baker Street at quarter past six and reached Serpentine Avenue thirty-five minutes later. It was already dusk and the street lamps were being lighted as we paced up and down in front of Briony Lodge waiting for Mrs. Norton to arrive. Her house was just as Holmes had described, but the street was a lot busier than I expected in this quiet corner of St. John's Wood. There was a group of shabbily dressed men laughing and talking on the street corner, a scissors-grinder with his wheel, two guardsmen who were talking to a nurse, and several well- dressed young men idling around as if waiting for a party to begin.

我们六点一刻离开贝克街，三十五分钟后到达瑟彭汀大街。 天已经黑了，我们在布里奥尼旅馆门前踱来踱去，等着诺顿夫人的到来，路灯已经亮了。 她的房子正如福尔摩斯所描述的那样，但是在圣乔治街这个安静的角落里，街道比我想象的要热闹得多。 约翰的木头。有一群衣衫褴褛的人在街角谈笑风生，一个磨刀工在磨刀，两个卫兵在跟一个护士说话，还有几个衣冠楚楚的年轻人闲荡着，好像在等晚会开始似的。

"This marriage rather simplifies matters," Holmes remarked as we paced to and fro in front of the house. "The photograph has become a double-edged weapon, for she won't want it seen by Mr. Godfrey Norton any more than our client will want it coming to the attention of his princess."

当我们在房前踱来踱去时，福尔摩斯说："这桩婚事使事情简化了许多。 “这张照片成了一把双刃剑，因为她不愿让戈弗雷·诺顿先生看到，就像我们的委托人不愿让他的公主看到一样。”

"Where do you think the photograph is?" I asked. "It's very unlikely she carries it with her." "Why is that?" "The king said it was large in size with a cardboard backing, so she'd struggle to conceal it within her coat. She also knows that the king is quite capable of having her stopped and searched —he's tried that twice already." "So if it's not with her, where is it?" "It could be at her bank or with her lawyer, but I'm inclined to think neither. My impression is that she trusts no one and relies on herself. A banker or lawyer could be pressured into handing

“你觉得照片在哪儿？”我问。 “她不太可能随身携带。” “为什么？”国王说这封信很大，背面是硬纸板，所以她很难把它藏在大衣里。 她也知道国王完全有能力把她拦下来搜身——他已经试过两次了。” “那么，如果它不在她身上，它在哪里呢？”“可能是在她的银行，也可能是在她的律师那里，但我倾向于认为两者都不是。 我的印象是她不相信任何人，只靠自己。 银行家或律师可能会迫于压力而出手

over the photograph, but she probably believes she can't be. Besides, remember that she plans to send the photograph to the king of Scandinavia in a few days, when his daughter's engagement is announced, so it must be in a place where she can lay her hands on it. It has to be in her house." "But the king's men burgled it twice." "They didn't know where to look." "And how will you know where to look?" "I'm not going to look, Watson." "What's your plan then?" "I'll get her to show me where it is." "But she'll refuse," I insisted.

因为照片，但她可能觉得自己不可能。 此外，别忘了，她打算过几天把照片寄给斯堪的纳维亚国王，那时他女儿的订婚消息就宣布了，所以照片一定要放在一个她能拿得到的地方。 肯定是在她家里。” “可是国王的人偷了两次。” “他们不知道该去哪里找。” “那你怎么知道去哪儿找呢？”“我不去看，华生。” “那你的计划是什么？”“我让她告诉我在哪儿。” “但她会拒绝的，”我坚持说。

"She won't be able to," said Holmes. Then he stopped. "Hear that rumble of wheels? That's her carriage. Now remember to do exactly as I told you." As he spoke, the gleam of a carriage's sidelights appeared around the curve of Serpentine Avenue, and a smart little carriage rattled up to the door of Briony Lodge. It was just pulling up when one of the shabbily dressed men who had been lounging on the corner suddenly dashed forward to open the door in the hope of earning a shilling. He was elbowed out of the way by another lounger, who had rushed up with the same intention. A fierce quarrel broke out, which was made worse when the two guardsmen took the side of one of the loungers, and when the scissors- grinder decided to support the other man.

福尔摩斯说："她是不能这样做的。 然后他停了下来。“听到车轮的隆隆声了吗？” 那是她的马车。现在你要记得照我所说的去做。” 他说话的时候，一辆马车的侧灯在蛇形大道的拐弯处闪烁，一辆漂亮的小马车嘎吱嘎吱地开到了布里奥尼府邸的门前。 车子刚停下来，一个衣衫褴褛的人就突然冲上前开门，他一直懒洋洋地躺在街角，希望能挣到一个先令。 他被另一个游手好闲的人用胳膊肘推开了，那个人也怀着同样的意图冲了过来。 一场激烈的争吵爆发了，当两个卫兵站在其中一个游手好闲的人一边，而剪剪刀的人决定支持另一个人时，情况变得更糟了。

Very soon, the lady, who had stepped out of the carriage, found herself in the midst of a knot of battling men, all striking wildly at each other with fists and sticks. Holmes dashed into the crowd to protect the lady, but as he reached her, he gave a cry and fell to the ground with blood pouring down his face.

很快，这位从马车里走出来的女士发现自己置身于一群打架的人中间，他们都用拳头和棍棒疯狂地互相殴打。 福尔摩斯冲进人群去保护这位女士，但当他走到她身边时，他叫了一声，倒在地上，脸上流着血。