The Hound of the Baskervilles — Page 1

巴斯克维尔的诅咒

The Curse of the Baskervilles

"我口袋里有一份手稿，"詹姆斯·莫蒂默博士说道。

"I have in my pocket a manuscript," said Dr. James Mortimer.

"您进来的时候我就注意到了，"福尔摩斯说。

"I observed it as you entered the room," said Holmes.

"这是一份古老的手稿。"

"It is an old manuscript."

"十八世纪初的，除非是伪造品。"

"Early eighteenth century, unless it is a forgery."

"您怎么能这样说呢，先生？"

"How can you say that, sir?"

"在您说话的整个过程中，您一直将它露出了一两英寸供我观察。

"You have presented an inch or two of it to my examination all the time that you have been talking.

一个连误差在十年左右都判断不出文件年代的专家，实在算不上称职。

It would be a poor expert who could not give the date of a document within a decade or so.

您或许读过我就这一课题写的小专论。

You may possibly have read my little monograph upon the subject.

我将其年代定为1730年。"

I put that at 1730."

"确切的年代是1742年。"莫蒂默博士从胸前的口袋里将它取了出来。

"The exact date is 1742." Dr. Mortimer drew it from his breast-pocket.

"这份家族文件是由查尔斯·巴斯克维尔爵士托付给我保管的，他在大约三个月前突然以悲剧性的方式离世，在德文郡引起了极大的轰动。

"This family paper was committed to my care by Sir Charles Baskerville, whose sudden and tragic death some three months ago created so much excitement in Devonshire.

我可以说，我既是他的私人朋友，也是他的私人医生。

I may say that I was his personal friend as well as his medical attendant.

他是一个意志坚强的人，先生，头脑敏锐，务实，和我一样缺乏想象力。

He was a strong-minded man, sir, shrewd, practical, and as unimaginative as I am myself.

然而他却对这份文件非常认真，他的内心似乎早已预料到自己最终会遭遇那样的结局。"

Yet he took this document very seriously, and his mind was prepared for just such an end as did eventually overtake him."

福尔摩斯伸手拿过手稿，将它平铺在膝盖上。

Holmes stretched out his hand for the manuscript and flattened it upon his knee.

"你会注意到，华生，长体's'和短体's'被交替使用。

"You will observe, Watson, the alternative use of the long s and the short.

这是使我得以确定其年代的几个依据之一。

It is one of several indications which enabled me to fix the date.