福爾摩斯探案集·工程師大拇指案 第37期:一片火海(3)
The firemen had been much perturbed at the strange arrangements which they had found within,
消防隊員們發(fā)現(xiàn)房子里面的布置很奇怪，感到很傷腦筋，
and still more so by discovering a newly severed human thumb upon a window-sill of the second floor.
更使他們不安的是在三樓的一個窗臺上發(fā)現(xiàn)了一截剛被砍下來的大拇指。
About sunset, however, their efforts were at last successful, and they subdued the flames,
大約在日落西山的時候，他們才總算沒有白費勁，終于控制了這場大火，
but not before the roof had fallen in, and the whole place been reduced to such absolute ruin that,
但是房頂已經(jīng)燒塌了，整個現(xiàn)場已變成了一片廢墟，
save some twisted cylinders and iron piping,
以至除了一些彎曲的氣缸和鐵管子外，
not a trace remained of the machinery which had cost our unfortunate acquaintance so dearly.
我們的不幸的朋友為之付出如此巨大代價的那臺機器，竟沒有留下任何其它的遺跡。
Large masses of nickel and of tin were discovered stored in an out-house, but no coins were to be found,
我們發(fā)現(xiàn)了貯藏在一間附屬的外屋里的大量鎳錠和錫錠，但卻沒有找到硬幣，
which may have explained the presence of those bulky boxes which have been already referred to.
這情況也許可以說明為什么有上面提到的那些沉重的大箱子。
How our hydraulic engineer had been conveyed from the garden to the spot where he recovered his senses
我們這位水利工程師是如何從花園里被送到他恢復知覺的那個地方，
might have remained forever a mystery were it not for the soft mould, which told us a very plain tale.
可能會永遠是個謎，如果不是那塊松軟的泥土給我們留下了清楚的足跡的話。
He had evidently been carried down by two persons, one of whom had remarkably small feet and the other unusually large ones.
顯而易見他是被兩個人抬過去的。一個人的腳異常小，另一個人的腳卻大得出奇。
On the whole, it was most probable that the silent Englishman, being less bold or less murderous than his companion,
總的來說，很可能那個沉默寡言的英國人不像他的同伙那么膽大妄為，或者說不象他的同伙那么兇殘，
had assisted the woman to bear the unconscious man out of the way of danger.
是他幫助那個女人把失去知覺的人抬離險地的。
"Well," said our engineer ruefully as we took our seats to return once more to London, "it has been a pretty business for me!
當我們再次坐上火車返回倫敦的時候，我們的這位工程師沮喪地說，"唉，這對我說來真是件糟糕的事情。
I have lost my thumb and I have lost a fifty-guinea fee, and what have I gained?"
我失去了我的大拇指，失去了五十畿尼的酬金，而我得到的是什么呢？"
"Experience," said Holmes, laughing. "Indirectly it may be of value, you know;
"經(jīng)驗！"福爾摩斯笑著說，"您要明白，間接地說這可能是有價值的；
you have only to put it into words to gain the reputation of being excellent company for the remainder of your existence."
只要這事一宣揚出去，在您今后的生活中，您的事務所就會獲得很好的聲譽。"
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