As we made our way to the hospital after leaving the Holborn,
在我們離開侯本前往醫(yī)院去的路上,
Stamford gave me a few more particulars about the gentleman whom I proposed to take as a fellow-lodger.
斯坦弗又給我講了一些關于那位先生的詳細情況。
"You mustn't blame me if you don't get on with him," he said;
他說:"如果你和他處不來可不要怪我。
"I know nothing more of him than I have learned from meeting him occasionally in the laboratory.
我只是在化驗室里偶然碰到他,略微知道他一些;此外,對于他就一無所知了。
You proposed this arrangement, so you must not hold me responsible."
既然你自己提議這么辦,那么,就不要叫我負責了。"
"If we don't get on it will be easy to part company," I answered.
我回答說:"如果我們處不來,散伙也很容易。"
"It seems to me, Stamford," I added, looking hard at my companion, "that you have some reason for washing your hands of the matter.
我用眼睛盯著我的同伴接著說道,"斯坦弗,我看,你對這件事似乎要縮手不管了,其中一定有緣故。
Is this fellow's temper so formidable, or what is it? Don't be mealymouthed about it."
是不是這個人的脾氣真的那樣可怕,還是有別的原因?不要這樣吞吞吐吐的。"
"It is not easy to express the inexpressible," he answered with a laugh.
他笑了一笑說:"要把難以形容的事用言語表達出來可真不容易。
"Holmes is a little too scientific for my tastes–it approaches to cold- bloodedness.
我看福爾摩斯這個人有點太科學化了,幾乎近于冷血的程度。
I could imagine his giving a friend a little pinch of the latest vegetable alkaloid,
我記得有一次,他拿一小撮植物堿給他的朋友嘗嘗。
not out of malevolence, you understand, but simply out of a spirit of inquiry in order to have an accurate idea of the effects.
你要知道,這并不是出于什么惡意,只不過是出于一種鉆研的動機,要想正確地了解這種藥物的不同效果罷了。
To do him justice, I think that he would take it himself with the same readiness.
平心而論,我認為他自己也會一口把它吞下去的。
He appears to have a passion for definite and exact knowledge."
看來他對于確切的知識有著強烈的愛好。"
"Very right too."
"這種精神也是對的呀。"
"Yes, but it may be pushed to excess.
"是的,不過也未免太過分了。
When it comes to beating the subjects in the dissecting-rooms with a stick, it is certainly taking rather a bizarre shape."
后來他甚至在解剖室里用棍子抽打尸體,這畢竟是一件怪事吧。"
"Beating the subjects!"
"抽打尸體!"
"Yes, to verify how far bruises may be produced after death. I saw him at it with my own eyes."
"是啊,他是為了證明人死以后還能造成什么樣的傷痕。我親眼看見過他抽打尸體。"
"And yet you say he is not a medical student?"
"你不是說他不是學醫(yī)的嗎?"
"No. Heaven knows what the objects of his studies are. But here we are, and you must form your own impressions about him."
"是呀。天曉得他在研究些什么東西。現(xiàn)在咱們到了,他到底是怎么樣一個人,你自己瞧吧。"
As he spoke, we turned down a narrow lane and passed through a small side-door, which opened into a wing of the great hospital.
他說著,我們就下了車,走進一條狹窄的胡同,從一個小小的旁門進去,來到一所大醫(yī)院的側樓。
It was familiar ground to me,
這是我所熟悉的地方,
and I needed no guiding as we ascended the bleak stone staircase and made our way down the long corridor with its vista of whitewashed wall and dun-coloured doors.
不用人領路我們就走上了白石臺階,穿過一條長長的走廊。走廊兩壁刷得雪白,兩旁有許多暗褐色的小門。
Near the farther end a low arched passage branched away from it and led to the chemical laboratory.
靠著走廊盡頭上有一個低低的拱形過道,從這里一直通往化驗室。
This was a lofty chamber, lined and littered with countless bottles.
化驗室是一間高大的屋子,四面雜亂地擺著無數(shù)的瓶子。
Broad, low tables were scattered about, which bristled with retorts, test-tubes, and little Bunsen lamps, with their blue flickering flames.
幾張又矮又大的桌子縱橫排列著,上邊放著許多蒸餾瓶、試管和一些閃動著藍色火焰的小小的本生燈。
There was only one student in the room, who was bending over a distant table absorbed in his work.
屋子里只有一個人,他坐在較遠的一張桌子前邊,伏在桌上聚精會神地工作著。
At the sound of our steps he glanced round and sprang to his feet with a cry of pleasure.
他聽到我們的腳步聲,回過頭來瞧了一眼,接著就跳了起來,高興地歡呼著:
"I've found it! I've found it," he shouted to my companion, running towards us with a test-tube in his hand.
"我發(fā)現(xiàn)了!我發(fā)現(xiàn)了!"他對我的同伴大聲說著,一面手里拿著一個試管向我們跑來,
"I have found a re-agent which is precipitated by haemoglobin, and by nothing else."
"我發(fā)現(xiàn)了一種試劑,只能用血色蛋白質來沉淀,別的都不行。"
Had he discovered a gold mine, greater delight could not have shone upon his features.
即使他發(fā)現(xiàn)了金礦,也不見得會比現(xiàn)在顯得更高興。