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"And how do you consider that all this bears upon the general case?"
"你认为这些情况同这件案子有什么关系呢？"
"Well, Mr. Holmes," said MacDonald, "when we have got our man -- and you may be sure that I had his description on the wires within five minutes of hearing it -- we shall be better able to judge.
"噢，福尔摩斯先生，"麦克唐纳说道，"你可以相信，我听到这些情况以后，不到五分钟就发出了电报。当我们捉住这个人时，我们就可以更好地判断了。
But, even as it stands, we have surely gone a long way.
不过，恰恰在这件案子停滞不前时，我们肯定是前进了一大步。
We know that an American calling himself Hargrave came to Tunbridge Wells two days ago with bicycle and valise.
我们知道一个自称哈格雷夫的美国人两天前来到滕布里奇韦尔斯市，随身携带一辆自行车和一个手提箱。
In the latter was a sawed-off shotgun; so he came withthe deliberate purpose of crime.
箱子里装的是一支截短了的火枪，所以他是蓄意来进行犯罪活动的。
Yesterday morning he set off for this place on his bicycle, with his gun concealed in his overcoat.
昨天早晨他把火枪藏在大衣里，骑着自行车来到这个地方。
No one saw him arrive, so far as we can learn; but he need not pass through the village to reach the park gates, and there are many cyclists upon the road.
据我们所知，谁也没看到他来，不过他到庄园大门口用不着经过村子，而且路上骑自行车的人也很多。
Presumably he at once concealed his cycle among the laurels where it was found,
大概他马上把他的自行车藏到月桂树丛里，
and possibly lurked there himself, with his eye on the house, waiting for Mr. Douglas to come out.
也可能他自己就潜伏在这里，注视着庄园的动静，等候道格拉斯先生走出来。
The shotgun is a strange weapon to use inside a house; but he had intended to use it outside,
在咱们看来，在室内使用火枪这种武器是件怪事，不过，他本来是打算在室外使用的，
and there it has very obvious advantages, as it would be impossible to miss with it,
火枪在室外有一个很明显的好处，因为它不会打不中，
and the sound of shots is so common in an English sporting neighbourhood that no particular notice would be taken."
而且在英国爱好射击运动的人聚居的地方，枪声是很平常的事，不会引仆人们特别注意的。"
"That is all very clear," said Holmes.
"这一切都很清楚了！"福尔摩斯说道。
"Well, Mr. Douglas did not appear. What was he to do next? He left his bicycle and approached the house in the twilight.
"可是，道格拉斯先生没有出来。凶手下一步怎么办呢？他丢下自行车，在黄昏时走近庄园。
He found the bridge down and no one about. He took his chance, intending, no doubt, to make some excuse if he met anyone.
他发现吊桥是放下来的，附近一个人也没有。他就利用了这个机会，毫无疑问，假如有人碰到他，他可以捏造一些借口。
He met no one. He slipped into the first room that he saw, and concealed himself behind the curtain.
可是他没有碰到一个人。他溜进了他首先看到的屋子，隐藏在窗帘后面。
Thence he could see the drawbridge go up, and he knew that his only escape was through the moat.
从那个地方，他看到吊桥已经拉起来，他知道，唯一的生路就是蹚过护城河。
He waited until quarter-past eleven, when Mr. Douglas upon his usual nightly round came into the room. He shot him and escaped, as arranged.
他一直等到十一点一刻，道格拉斯先生进行睡前的例行检查走进房来。他按事先预定计划向道格拉斯开枪以后就逃跑了。
He was aware that the bicycle would be described by the hotel people and be a clue against him;
他知道，旅馆的人会说出他的自行车特征来，这是个对他不利的线索，
so he left it there and made his way by some other means to London or to some safe hiding place which he had already arranged. How is that, Mr. Holmes?"
所以他就把自行车丢在此地，另行设法到伦敦，或是到他预先安排好的某一安全隐身地去。福尔摩斯先生，我说得怎么样？"
"Well, Mr. Mac, it is very good and very clear so far as it goes. That is your end of the story.
"很好，麦克先生，按照目前的情况来看，你说得很好，也很清楚。这是你所说的情况发展的结局。
My end is that the crime was committed half an hour earlier than reported;
我的结论是：犯罪时间比我听说的要早半小时；
that Mrs. Douglas and Barker are both in a conspiracy to conceal something;
道格拉斯夫人和巴克先生两个人合谋隐瞒了一些情况；
that they aided the murderer's escape -- or at least that they reached the room before he escaped
他们帮助杀人犯逃跑了，或者至少是在他们进屋以后凶手才逃走的；
and that they fabricated evidence of his escape through the window, whereas in all probability they had themselves let him go by lowering the bridge.
他们还伪造凶手从窗口逃跑的迹象，而十有八九是他们自己放下吊桥，让凶手逃走的。
That's my reading of the first half."
这是我对案子前一半情况的判断。"
The two detectives shook their heads.
这两个侦探摇了摇头。
"Well, Mr. Holmes, if this is true, we only tumble out of one mystery into another," said the London inspector.
"好，福尔摩斯先生，假如这是真的，那我们愈发弄得莫名其妙了。"这个伦敦警官说道。
"And in some ways a worse one," added White Mason.
"而且是更加难于理解了，"怀特·梅森补充说道。
"The lady has never been in America in all her life. What possible connection could she have with an American assassin which would cause her to shelter him?"
"道格拉斯夫人一生中从未到过美洲。她怎么可能和一个美洲来的凶手有瓜葛，并使她庇护这一罪犯呢？"
"I freely admit the difficulties," said Holmes.
"我承认存在这些疑问，"福尔摩斯说道。
"I propose to make a little investigation of my own to-night, and it is just possible that it may contribute something to the common cause."
"我打算今天晚上亲自去调查一下，也可能会发现一些有助于破案的情况。"
"Can we help you, Mr. Holmes?"
"福尔摩斯先生，我们能帮你的忙吗？"
"No, no! Darkness and Dr. Watson's umbrella -- my wants are simple. And Ames, the faithful Ames, no doubt he will stretch a point for me.
"不，不用！我的需要很简单。只要天色漆黑再加上华生医生的雨伞就行了。还有艾姆斯，这个忠实的艾姆斯，毫无疑问，他会破例给我些方便的。
All my lines of thought lead me back invariably to the one basic question -- why should an athletic man develop his frame upon so unnatural an instrument as a single dumb-bell?"
我的一切思路始终萦绕着一个基本问题：为什么一个运动员锻炼身体要这么不合情理地使用单个哑铃？"
It was late that night when Holmes returned from his solitary excursion.
半夜时候，福尔摩斯才独自调查回来。
We slept in a double-bedded room, which was the best that the littlecountry inn could do for us.
我们住的屋子有两张床，这已经是这家乡村小旅馆对我们最大的优待了。
I was already asleep when I was partly awakened by his entrance.
那时我已入睡，他进门时才把我惊醒。
"Well, Holmes," I murmured, "have you found anything out?"
"哦，福尔摩斯，"我喃喃地说道，"你可发现什么新情况了吗？"
He stood beside me in silence, his candle in his hand. Then the tall, lean figure inclined towards me.
他手里拿着蜡烛，站在我身边，默默不语，然后他那高大而瘦削的身影向我俯过来。
"I say, Watson," he whispered, "would you be afraid to sleep in the same room with a lunatic, a man with softening of the brain, an idiot whose mind has lost its grip?"
"我说，华生，"他低声说道，"你现在和一个神经失常的人，一个头脑失去控制的白痴，睡在同一个屋子里，不觉得害怕么？"
"Not in the least," I answered in astonishment.
"一点也不怕。"我吃惊地回答道。
"Ah, that's lucky," he said, and not another word would he utter that night.
"啊，运气还不错，"他说道，这一夜他就再也没有说一句话。
