The Adventure of the Noble Bachelor 单身贵族（四）

时间：2020-05-11 05:53:34

（单词翻译:单击）

 
"Eh? What was that?"
 
"I say that I have solved it."
 
"Where, then, is my wife?"
 
"That is a detail which I shall speedily supply."
 
Lord St. Simon shook his head. "I am afraid that it will take
wiser heads than yours or mine," he remarked, and bowing in a
stately, old-fashioned manner he departed.
 
"It is very good of Lord St. Simon to honor my head by putting
it on a level with his own," said Sherlock Holmes, laughing. "I
think that I shall have a whisky and soda1 and a cigar after all
this cross-questioning. I had formed my conclusions as to the
case before our client came into the room."
 
"My dear Holmes!"
 
"I have notes of several similar cases, though none, as I
remarked before, which were quite as prompt. My whole examination
served to turn my conjecture2 into a certainty. Circumstantial
evidence is occasionally very convincing, as when you find a
trout3 in the milk, to quote Thoreau's example."
 
"But I have heard all that you have heard."
 
"Without, however, the knowledge of pre-existing cases which
serves me so well. There was a parallel instance in Aberdeen some
years back, and something on very much the same lines at Munich
the year after the Franco-Prussian War. It is one of these
cases--but, hello, here is Lestrade! Good-afternoon, Lestrade!
You will find an extra tumbler upon the sideboard,and there are
cigars in the box."
 
The official detective was attired4 in a pea-jacket and cravat5,
which gave him a decidedly nautical6 appearance, and he carried a
black canvas bag in his hand. With a short greeting he seated
himself and lit the cigar which had been offered to him.
 
"What's up, then?" asked Holmes with a twinkle in his eye. "You
look dissatisfied."
 
"And I feel dissatisfied. It is this infernal St. Simon marriage
case. I can make neither head nor tail of the business."
 
"Really! You surprise me."
 
"Who ever heard of such a mixed affair? Every clew seems to slip
through my fingers. I have been at work upon it all day."
 
"And very wet it seems to have made you," said Holmes laying his
hand upon the arm of the pea-jacket.
 
"Yes, I have been dragging the Serpentine7."
 
"In heaven's name, what for?"
 
"In search of the body of Lady St. Simon."
 
Sherlock Holmes leaned back in his chair and laughed heartily8.
 
"Have you dragged the basin of Trafalgar Square fountain?" he
asked.
 
"Why? What do you mean?"
 
"Because you have just as good a chance of finding this lady in
the one as in the other."
 
Lestrade shot an angry glance at my companion. "I suppose you
know all about it," he snarled9.
 
"Well, I have only just heard the facts, but my mind is made up."
 
"Oh, indeed! Then you think that the Serpentine plays no part in
the maner?"
 
"I think it very unlikely."
 
"Then perhaps you will kindly10 explain how it is that we found
this in it?" He opened his bag as he spoke11, and tumbled onto the
floor a wedding-dress of watered silk, a pair of white satin
shoes and a bride's wreath and veil, all discolored and soaked
in water. "There," said he, putting a new wedding-ring upon the
top of the pile. "There is a little nut for you to crack, Master
Holmes."
 
"Oh, indeed!" said my friend, blowing blue rings into the air.
"You dragged them from the Serpentine?"
 
"No. They were found floating near the margin12 by a park-keeper.
They have been identified as her clothes, and it seemed to me
that if the clothes were there the body would not be far off."
 
"By the same brilliant reasoning, every man's body is to be found
in the neighborhood of his wardrobe. And pray what did you hope
to arrive at through this?"
 
"At some evidence implicating13 Flora14 Millar in the disappearance15."
 
"I am afraid that you will find it difficult."
 
"Are you, indeed, now?" cried Lestrade with some bitterness. "I
am afraid, Holmes, that you are not very practical with your
deductions16 and your inferences. You have made two blunders in as
many minutes. This dress does implicate17 Miss Flora Millar."
 
"And how?"
 
"In the dress is a pocket. In the pocket is a card-case. In the
card-case is a note. And here is the very note." He slapped it
down upon the table in front of him. "Listen to this: 'You will
see me when all is ready. Come at once. F.H.M.' Now my theory all
along has been that Lady St. Simon was decoyed away by Flora
Millar, and that she, with confederates, no doubt, was
responsible for her disappearance. Here, signed with her
initials, is the very note which was no doubt quietly slipped
into her hand at the door and which lured18 her within their
reach."
 
"Very good, Lestrade," said Holmes, laughing. "You really are
very fine indeed. Let me see it." He took up the paper in a
listless way, but his attention instantly became riveted19, and he
gave a little cry of satisfaction. "This is indeed important,"
said he.
 
"Ha! you find it so?"
 
"Extremely so. I congratulate you warmly."
 
Lestrade rose in his triumph and bent20 his head to look. "Why," he
shrieked21, "you're looking at the wrong side!"
 
"On the contrary, this is the right side."
 
"The right side? You're mad! Here is the note written in pencil
over here."
 
"And over here is what appears to be the fragment of a hotel
bill, which interests me deeply."
 
"There's nothing in it. I looked at it before," said Lestrade.
"'Oct. 4th, rooms 8s., breakfast 2s. 6d., cocktail22 1s., lunch 2s.
6d., glass sherry, 8d.' I see nothing in that."
 
"Very likely not. It is most important, all the same. As to the
note, it is important also, or at least the initials are, so I
congratulate you again."
 
"I've wasted time enough," said Lestrade, rising. "I believe in
hard work and not in sitting by the fire spinning fine theories.
Good-day, Mr. Holmes, and we shall see which gets to the bottom
of the matter first." He gathered up the garments, thrust them
into the bag, and made for the door.
 
"Just one hint to you, Lestrade," drawled Holmes before his rival
vanished; "I will tell you the true solution of the matter. Lady
St. Simon is a myth. There is not, and there never has been, any
such person."
 
Lestrade looked sadly at my companion. Then he turned to me,
tapped his forehead three times, shook his head solemnly, and
hurried away.

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点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 soda cr3ye     
n.苏打水；汽水
参考例句：
  • She doesn't enjoy drinking chocolate soda.她不喜欢喝巧克力汽水。
  • I will freshen your drink with more soda and ice cubes.我给你的饮料重加一些苏打水和冰块。
2 conjecture 3p8z4     
n./v.推测，猜测
参考例句：
  • She felt it no use to conjecture his motives.她觉得猜想他的动机是没有用的。
  • This conjecture is not supported by any real evidence.这种推测未被任何确切的证据所证实。
3 trout PKDzs     
n.鳟鱼；鲑鱼(属)
参考例句：
  • Thousands of young salmon and trout have been killed by the pollution.成千上万的鲑鱼和鳟鱼的鱼苗因污染而死亡。
  • We hooked a trout and had it for breakfast.我们钓了一条鳟鱼，早饭时吃了。
4 attired 1ba349e3c80620d3c58c9cc6c01a7305     
adj.穿着整齐的v.使穿上衣服，使穿上盛装( attire的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
  • The bride was attired in white. 新娘穿一身洁白的礼服。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • It is appropriate that everyone be suitably attired. 人人穿戴得体是恰当的。 来自《简明英汉词典》
5 cravat 7zTxF     
n.领巾，领结；v.使穿有领结的服装，使结领结
参考例句：
  • You're never fully dressed without a cravat.不打领结，就不算正装。
  • Mr. Kenge adjusting his cravat,then looked at us.肯吉先生整了整领带，然后又望着我们。
6 nautical q5azx     
adj.海上的，航海的，船员的
参考例句：
  • A nautical mile is 1,852 meters.一海里等于1852米。
  • It is 206 nautical miles from our present location.距离我们现在的位置有206海里。
7 serpentine MEgzx     
adj.蜿蜒的，弯曲的
参考例句：
  • One part of the Serpentine is kept for swimmers.蜿蜒河的一段划为游泳区。
  • Tremolite laths and serpentine minerals are present in places.有的地方出现透闪石板条及蛇纹石。
8 heartily Ld3xp     
adv.衷心地，诚恳地，十分，很
参考例句：
  • He ate heartily and went out to look for his horse.他痛快地吃了一顿，就出去找他的马。
  • The host seized my hand and shook it heartily.主人抓住我的手，热情地和我握手。
9 snarled ti3zMA     
v.（指狗）吠，嗥叫， （人）咆哮( snarl的过去式和过去分词 )；咆哮着说，厉声地说
参考例句：
  • The dog snarled at us. 狗朝我们低声吼叫。
  • As I advanced towards the dog, It'snarled and struck at me. 我朝那条狗走去时，它狂吠着向我扑来。 来自《简明英汉词典》
10 kindly tpUzhQ     
adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地
参考例句：
  • Her neighbours spoke of her as kindly and hospitable.她的邻居都说她和蔼可亲、热情好客。
  • A shadow passed over the kindly face of the old woman.一道阴影掠过老太太慈祥的面孔。
11 spoke XryyC     
n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说
参考例句：
  • They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
  • The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。
12 margin 67Mzp     
n.页边空白；差额；余地，余裕；边，边缘
参考例句：
  • We allowed a margin of 20 minutes in catching the train.我们有20分钟的余地赶火车。
  • The village is situated at the margin of a forest.村子位于森林的边缘。
13 implicating d73e0c5da8db9fdf8682551d9fa4e26b     
vt.牵涉，涉及（implicate的现在分词形式）
参考例句：
  • He was in the public dock, confessing everything, implicating everybody. 他站在被告席上，什么都招认，什么人都咬。 来自英汉文学
  • No one would have had me get out of the scrape by implicating an old friend. 无论什么人都不能叫我为了自己摆脱困难便把一个老朋友牵累到这案子里去。 来自辞典例句
14 flora 4j7x1     
n.(某一地区的)植物群
参考例句：
  • The subtropical island has a remarkably rich native flora.这个亚热带岛屿有相当丰富的乡土植物种类。
  • All flora need water and light.一切草木都需要水和阳光。
15 disappearance ouEx5     
n.消失，消散，失踪
参考例句：
  • He was hard put to it to explain her disappearance.他难以说明她为什么不见了。
  • Her disappearance gave rise to the wildest rumours.她失踪一事引起了各种流言蜚语。
16 deductions efdb24c54db0a56d702d92a7f902dd1f     
扣除( deduction的名词复数 )； 结论； 扣除的量； 推演
参考例句：
  • Many of the older officers trusted agents sightings more than cryptanalysts'deductions. 许多年纪比较大的军官往往相信特务的发现，而不怎么相信密码分析员的推断。
  • You know how you rush at things,jump to conclusions without proper deductions. 你知道你处理问题是多么仓促，毫无合适的演绎就仓促下结论。
17 implicate JkPyo     
vt.使牵连其中，涉嫌
参考例句：
  • He didn't find anything in the notebooks to implicate Stu.他在笔记本中没发现任何涉及斯图的东西。
  • I do not want to implicate you in my problem of the job.我工作上的问题不想把你也牵扯进来。
18 lured 77df5632bf83c9c64fb09403ae21e649     
吸引，引诱（lure的过去式与过去分词形式）
参考例句：
  • The child was lured into a car but managed to escape. 那小孩被诱骗上了车，但又设法逃掉了。
  • Lured by the lust of gold,the pioneers pushed onward. 开拓者在黄金的诱惑下，继续奋力向前。
19 riveted ecef077186c9682b433fa17f487ee017     
铆接( rivet的过去式和过去分词 )； 把…固定住； 吸引； 引起某人的注意
参考例句：
  • I was absolutely riveted by her story. 我完全被她的故事吸引住了。
  • My attention was riveted by a slight movement in the bushes. 我的注意力被灌木丛中的轻微晃动吸引住了。
20 bent QQ8yD     
n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的
参考例句：
  • He was fully bent upon the project.他一心扑在这项计划上。
  • We bent over backward to help them.我们尽了最大努力帮助他们。
21 shrieked dc12d0d25b0f5d980f524cd70c1de8fe     
v.尖叫( shriek的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
  • She shrieked in fright. 她吓得尖叫起来。
  • Li Mei-t'ing gave a shout, and Lu Tzu-hsiao shrieked, "Tell what? 李梅亭大声叫，陆子潇尖声叫：“告诉什么？ 来自汉英文学 - 围城
22 cocktail Jw8zNt     
n.鸡尾酒；餐前开胃小吃；混合物
参考例句：
  • We invited some foreign friends for a cocktail party.我们邀请了一些外国朋友参加鸡尾酒会。
  • At a cocktail party in Hollywood,I was introduced to Charlie Chaplin.在好莱坞的一次鸡尾酒会上，人家把我介绍给查理·卓别林。

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