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It was some time before the health of my friend Mr. Sherlock Holmes recovered from the strain caused by his immense exertions in the spring of '87.
那是在一八八七年春天，我的朋友歇洛克·福尔摩斯先生由于操劳过度，把身体累垮了，健康尚未恢复。
The whole question of the Netherland-Sumatra Company and of the colossal schemes of Baron Maupertuis are too recent in the minds of the public, and are too intimately concerned with politics and finance to be fitting subjects for this series of sketches.
荷兰—苏门答腊公司案和莫波吐依兹男爵的庞大计划案，人们还记忆犹新，这些案件与政治和经济关系极为密切，不便在我的一系列回忆录中加以报道。
They led, however, in an indirect fashion to a singular and complex problem which gave my friend an opportunity of demonstrating the value of a fresh weapon among the many with which he waged his lifelong battle against crime.
但是，从另一个角度来说，那两起案子又很独特、复杂，使我的朋友有机会证实一种新的斗争方法的重要，这方法是他在毕生与犯罪行为作斗争中所使用的许多方法中的一种。
On referring to my notes I see that it was upon the fourteenth of April that I received a telegram from Lyons which informed me that Holmes was lying ill in the Hotel Dulong.
我查阅笔记，看到在四月十四日，我曾收到一封从里昂发来的电报，通知我，福尔摩斯在杜朗旅馆卧病在床。
Within twenty-four hours I was in his sick-room and was relieved to find that there was nothing formidable in his symptoms.
没过二十四小时，我就赶到他的病房，发现他的症状不甚严重，方才放心。
Even his iron constitution, however, had broken down under the strain of an investigation which had extended over two months,
不过，甚至像他这样钢铁般的体质，在两个多月调查的劳累之下，也免不了垮了下来，
during which period he had never worked less than fifteen hours a day and had more than once, as he assured me, kept to his task for five days at a stretch.
在这段期间，他每天最少工作十五小时，而且他向我说，还有一次他夜以继日地工作了五天。
Even the triumphant issue of his labours could not save him from reaction after so terrible an exertion,
甚至胜利的喜悦也不能使他在如此可怕的劳累之后恢复过来，
and at a time when Europe was ringing with his name and when his room was literally ankle-deep with congratulatory telegrams I found him a prey to the blackest depression.
在他的名字响遍欧洲，各处发来的贺电在他屋中堆积如山的时候，我发现福尔摩斯依然感到很痛苦，神情沮丧。
Even the knowledge that he had succeeded where the police of three countries had failed, and that he had outmanoeuvred at every point the most accomplished swindler in Europe, was insufficient to rouse him from his nervous prostration.
消息传来，三个国家的警察都失败了，而他却赢得了成功，他在各方面都挫败了欧洲最高超的诈骗犯玩弄的鬼把戏，即使这样，也不能使他从疲惫中振作品来。
Three days later we were back in Baker Street together; but it was evident that my friend would be much the better for a change, and the thought of a week of springtime in the country was full of attractions to me also.
三天以后，我们一起回到了贝克街，不过，换个环境对我的朋友显然会更好一些，乘此大好春光，到乡间去呆一个星期，这种想法对我也充满着吸引力。
My old friend, Colonel Hayter, who had come under my professional care in Afghanistan, had now taken a house near Reigate in Surrey and had frequently asked me to come down to him upon a visit.
我的老朋友海特上校在阿富汗时，请我给他治过病，他现在在萨里郡的赖盖特附近买了一所住宅，经常邀请我到他那里去作客。
On the last occasion he had remarked that if my friend would only come with me he would be glad to extend his hospitality to him also.
最近，他说，只要我的朋友愿意和我一起去，他也会很高兴地款待他。
A little diplomacy was needed, but when Holmes understood that the establishment was a bachelor one, and that he would be allowed the fullest freedom, he fell in with my plans and a week after our return from Lyons we were under the colonel's roof.
我转弯抹角地把这意思说了出来，当福尔摩斯听说主人是个单身汉，而且他完全可以自由行动时，他同意了我的计划，在从里昂回来后一个星期，我们便来到了上校的住所。
Hayter was a fine old soldier who had seen much of the world, and he soon found, as I had expected, that Holmes and he had much in common.
海特是一个洒脱的老军人，见多识广，他很快就发觉，他和福尔摩斯很谈得来，这正是我料到的。
