← The Works of Edgar Allan Poe — Volume 2

The Works of Edgar Allan Poe — Volume 2 — Page 8

Chinese → English THE PURLOINED LETTER Level 8/10

「但他是个诗人,我认为这与傻瓜只有一步之遥。」

"but then he's a poet, which I take to be only one remove from a fool."

杜邦从他的海泡石烟斗中深吸一口,沉思片刻后说道:「说得对,尽管我自己也曾写过一些打油诗。」

"True," said Dupin, after a long and thoughtful whiff from his meerschaum, "although I have been guilty of certain doggrel myself."

我说:「请你详细说说你们搜查的经过吧。」

"Suppose you detail," said I, "the particulars of your search."

「事实是,我们不慌不忙,把每个地方都搜查遍了。我在这类事务上经验丰富。我把整栋建筑逐间搜查,每个房间花上整整一周的夜晚。我们首先检查了每个房间的家具。」

"Why the fact is, we took our time, and we searched everywhere. I have had long experience in these affairs. I took the entire building, room by room; devoting the nights of a whole week to each. We examined, first, the furniture of each apartment."

「我们打开了每一个可能的抽屉;我相信你知道,对于一个受过良好训练的警察人员来说,所谓暗格根本无处遁形。任何人若在这类搜查中让'暗格'从眼皮底下溜走,那简直就是个蠢货。」

We opened every possible drawer; and I presume you know that, to a properly trained police agent, such a thing as a secret drawer is impossible. Any man is a dolt who permits a 'secret' drawer to escape him in a search of this kind.

「道理很简单。每个柜子都有一定的体积和空间需要考量。我们有精确的方法,连十分之一毫米的误差都逃不过我们。」

The thing is so plain. There is a certain amount of bulk—of space—to be accounted for in every cabinet. Then we have accurate rules. The fiftieth part of a line could not escape us.

「搜完柜子之后,我们检查了椅子。椅垫我们用你见过我使用的那种细长针探查过。桌子的桌面也被我们取下来检查。」

After the cabinets we took the chairs. The cushions we probed with the fine long needles you have seen me employ. From the tables we removed the tops.

「为什么要这样做?」

"Why so?"

「有时候,想要藏匿物品的人会取下桌面或其他类似家具的顶板,然后将桌腿挖空,把物品藏入其中,再将顶板复原。」

"Sometimes the top of a table, or other similarly arranged piece of furniture, is removed by the person wishing to conceal an article; then the leg is excavated, the article deposited within the cavity, and the top replaced."

Vocabulary

but
表示转折,意为"但是"
then
表示"那么"或"然后"
poet
写诗的人,诗人
take
认为;理解为某种意思
only
仅仅,只有
remove
一步之遥;差距一级
fool
愚蠢的人,傻瓜
True
表示同意,确实如此
thoughtful
沉思的,深思熟虑的
whiff
一口(烟),轻吸一口
meerschaum
海泡石烟斗,一种烟斗
although
连词,表示"尽管,虽然"
guilty
有罪的;犯有……过失的
certain
某些;特定的
doggrel
拙劣的打油诗,低劣诗歌
Suppose
假设;请你……,用于提出请求
detail
详细描述;细节
particulars
具体细节,详情
search
搜索,寻找
fact
事实,实际情况
everywhere
到处,每个地方
experience
经验,经历
affairs
事务,事情,案件
entire
整个的,全部的
building
建筑物,楼房
devoting
专门用于,投入(时间精力)
whole
整个的,全部的
examined
仔细检查,审查
furniture
家具(总称)
apartment
公寓,套间
possible
可能的,可能存在的
drawer
抽屉
presume
推测,认为;冒昧假设
properly
适当地,正确地
trained
经过训练的,有经验的
police
警察,警方
agent
特工,代理人,探员
secret
秘密的;隐藏的
impossible
不可能的,无法做到的
dolt
愚笨的人,呆子
permits
允许,准许
escape
逃脱,被忽略
kind
种类;类型
plain
明显的,显而易见的
amount
数量,总量
bulk
体积,大小,庞大的量
space
空间,地方
accounted
被说明;被计算在内
cabinet
橱柜,储藏柜
accurate
精确的,准确的
rules
规则;标尺(此处指测量工具)
fiftieth
第五十;五十分之一
cabinets
橱柜(复数)
cushions
坐垫,靠垫(复数)
probed
用探针探查,仔细检查
fine
细的,精细的
needles
针(复数)
employ
使用,采用(方法工具)
removed
移除,取下,拆下
tops
顶部,桌面(复数)
Sometimes
有时,偶尔
similarly
类似地,同样地
arranged
安排好的,布置好的
conceal
隐藏,藏匿
article
物品,物件
leg
桌腿,椅腿;腿
excavated
挖空,掏空(过去式)
deposited
存放,放入(过去式)
within
在……里面,在……之内
cavity
空腔,洞,空穴
replaced
替换,放回原处(过去式)
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