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Choosing the latter alternative, I began by making up my mind to leave the hotel,
我选定了后一个办法，决心离开这家公寓，
and take up my quarters in some less pretentious and less expensive domicile.
另找一个不太奢侈而又花费不大的住处。
On the very day that I had come to this conclusion, I was standing at the Criterion Bar,
就在我决定这样做的那天，我正站在克莱梯利安酒吧门前的时候，
when someone tapped me on the shoulder, and turning round I recognized young Stamford, who had been a dresser under me at Bart's.
忽然有人拍了拍我的肩膀。我回头一看，原来是小斯坦弗。他是我在巴茨时的一个助手。
The sight of a friendly face in the great wilderness of London is a pleasant thing indeed to a lonely man.
在这茫茫人海的伦敦城中，居然能够碰到一个熟人，对于一个孤独的人来说，确是一件令人非常愉快的事。
In old days Stamford had never been a particular crony of mine,
斯坦弗当日并不是和我特别要好的朋友，
but now I hailed him with enthusiasm, and he, in his turn, appeared to be delighted to see me.
但现在我竟热情地向他招呼起来。他见到我，似乎也很高兴。
In the exuberance of my joy, I asked him to lunch with me at the Holborn, and we started off together in a hansom.
我在狂喜之余，立刻邀他到侯本餐厅去吃午饭；于是我们就一同乘车前往。
"Whatever have you been doing with yourself, Watson?" he asked in undisguised wonder, as we rattled through the crowded London streets.
当我们的车子辚辚地穿过伦敦热闹街道的时候，他很惊奇地问我：
"You are as thin as a lath and as brown as a nut."
"华生，你近来干些什么？看你面黄肌瘦，只剩了一把骨头了。"
I gave him a short sketch of my adventures, and had hardly concluded it by the time that we reached our destination.
我把我的危险经历简单地对他叙述了一下。我的话还没有讲完，我们就到达了目的地。
"Poor devil!" he said, commiseratingly, after he had listened to my misfortunes. "What are you up to now?"
他听完了我的不幸遭遇以后，怜悯地说："可怜的家伙！你现在作何打算呢？"
"Looking for lodgings," I answered. "Trying to solve the problem as to whether it is possible to get comfortable rooms at a reasonable price."
我回答说："我想找个住处，打算租几间价钱不高而又舒适一些的房子，不知道这个问题能不能够解决。"
"That's a strange thing," remarked my companion; "you are the second man to-day that has used that expression to me."
我的伙伴说："这真是怪事，今天你是第二个对我说这样话的人了。"
"And who was the first?" I asked. "A fellow who is working at the chemical laboratory up at the hospital.
我问道："头一个是谁？""是一个在医院化验室工作的。
He was bemoaning himself this morning because he could not get someone to go halves with him in some nice rooms which he had found,
今天早晨他还在唉声叹气，因为他找到了几间好房子，但是，租金很贵，
and which were too much for his purse."
他一个人住不起，又找不到人跟他合租。"
"By Jove!" I cried; "if he really wants someone to share the rooms and the expense, I am the very man for him.
我说："好啊，如果他真的要找个人合住的话，我倒正是他要找的人。
I should prefer having a partner to being alone."
我觉得有个伴儿比独自一个儿住要好的多。"
Young Stamford looked rather strangely at me over his wineglass.
小斯坦弗从酒杯上很惊奇地望着我，
"You don't know Sherlock Holmes yet," he said; "perhaps you would not care for him as a constant companion."
他说："你还不知道歇洛克·福尔摩斯吧，否则你也许会不愿意和他作一个长年相处的伙伴哩。"
"Why, what is there against him?"
"为什么，难道他有什么不好的地方吗？"
"Oh, I didn't say there was anything against him. He is a little queer in his ideas--an enthusiast in some branches of science.
"哦，我不是说他有什么不好的地方。他只是思想上有些古怪而已--他老是孜孜不倦地在研究一些科学。
As far as I know he is a decent fellow enough."
据我所知，他倒是个很正派的人。"
"A medical student, I suppose?" said I.
我说："也许他是一个学医的吧？"
"No.I have no idea what he intends to go in for. I believe he is well up in anatomy, and he is a first-class chemist;
"不是，我一点也摸不清他在钻研些什么。我相信他精于解剖学，又是个第一流的药剂师。
but, as far as I know, he has never taken out any systematic medical classes.
但是，据我了解，他从来没有系统地学过医学。
His studies are very desultory and eccentric, but he has amassed a lot of out-of-the-way knowledge which would astonish his professors."
他所研究的东西非常杂乱，不成系统，并且也很离奇；但是他却积累了不少稀奇古怪的知识，足以使他的教授都感到惊讶。"
"Did you never ask him what he was going in for?" I asked.
我问道："你从来没有问过他在钻研些什么吗？"
"No; he is not a man that it is easy to draw out, though he can be communicative enough when the fancy seizes him."
"没有，他是不轻易说出心里话的，虽然在他高兴的时候，他也是滔滔不绝地很爱说话。"
"I should like to meet him," I said. "If I am to lodge with anyone, I should prefer a man of studious and quiet habits.
我说："我倒愿意见见他。如果我要和别人合住，我倒宁愿跟一个好学而又沉静的人住在一起。
I am not strong enough yet to stand much noise or excitement.
我现在身体还不大结实，受不了吵闹和刺激。
I had enough of both in Afghanistan to last me for the remainder of my natural existence. How could I meet this friend of yours?"
我在阿富汗已经尝够了那种滋味，这一辈子再也不想受了。我怎样才能见到你的这位朋友呢？"
"He is sure to be at the laboratory," returned my companion.
我的同伴回答说："他现在一定是在化验室里。
"He either avoids the place for weeks, or else he works there from morning till night.
他要么就几个星期不去，要么就从早到晚在那里工作。
If you like, we will drive round together after luncheon."
如果你愿意的话，咱们吃完饭就坐车一块儿去。"
"Certainly," I answered, and the conversation drifted away into other channels.
"当然愿意啦！"我说，于是我们又转到别的话题上去。
