"You see!" said Athelney Jones, reappearing down the steps again; "facts are better than theories, after all.
埃瑟爾尼·瓊斯從上邊下來,說道:"你看,還是事實勝于理論。
My view of the case is confirmed. There is a trapdoor communicating with the roof, and it is partly open."
我的看法完全證實了:有一個暗門通屋頂,暗門還是半開的。"
"It was I who opened it."
"那暗門是我開開的。"
"Oh, indeed! You did notice it, then?" He seemed a little crestfallen at the discovery.
"啊,不錯!那么您也看見暗門了。"他好象有些沮喪,
"Well, whoever noticed it, it shows how our gentleman got away. Inspector!"
"好吧,不論是誰發(fā)現的,反正是說明了兇手逃走的路徑。警長!"
"Yes, sir," from the passage.
甬道里有聲音答應道:"有!官長。"
"Ask Mr. Sholto to step this way.
"叫舒爾托先生進來。
Mr. Sholto, it is my duty to inform you that anything which you may say will be used against you.
舒爾托先生,我有責任告訴您,您所要說的任何話全可能對您不利。
I arrest you in the Queen's name as being concerned in the death of your brother."
為了您哥哥的死亡,我代表政府逮捕您。"
"There, now! Didn't I tell you!" cried the poor little man, throwing out his hands and looking from one to the other of us.
這個可憐的矮小的人,舉起手來望著我們兩人叫道:"你們看怎么樣?我早就料到的。"
"Don't trouble yourself about it, Mr. Sholto," said Holmes;
福爾摩斯說道:"舒爾托先生,不要著急,
"I think that I can engage to clear you of the charge."
我想我是能夠為您洗清一切的。"
"Don't promise too much, Mr. Theorist, don't promise too much!" snapped the detective.
這位偵探立即反駁道:"大理論家先生,不要隨隨便便就答應,
"You may find it a harder matter than you think."
事實恐怕不象您想的那樣簡單。"
"Not only will I clear him, Mr. Jones,
"瓊斯先生,我不只要洗清他,
but I will make you a free present of the name and description of one of the two people who were in this room last night.
我還要奉贈您昨晚曾到這間屋里來的兩個兇手之中的一個人的姓名和特征。
His name, I have every reason to believe, is Jonathan Small.
他的姓名--我有理由認為是叫做瓊諾贊·斯茂。
He is a poorly educated man, small, active, with his right leg off, and wearing a wooden stump which is worn away upon the inner side.
他的文化程度很低,個子不大,人很靈活,右腿已斷去,裝了一只木腿。木腿向里的一面已經磨去了一塊。
His left boot has a coarse, square-toed sole, with an iron band round the heel.
他左腳的靴子下面有一塊粗糙的方形前掌,后跟上釘著鐵掌。
He is a middle-aged man, much sunburned, and has been a convict.
他是個中年人,皮膚曬得很黑,從前還是個囚犯。
These few indications may be of some assistance to you,
有些情況對您是有幫助的
coupled with the fact that there is a good deal of skin missing from the palm of his hand. The other man– –"
還有就是不少由他手掌上剝落的皮。那另外的一個--"
"Ah! the other man?" asked Athelney Jones in a sneering voice,
埃瑟爾尼·瓊斯仍用著嘲笑的態(tài)度問道:"不錯,那另外一個人呢?"
but impressed none the less, as I could easily see, by the precision of the other's manner.
但是他看來顯然是被另一人的正確性所打動了。