"Well, Jonathan Small," said Holmes, lighting a cigar, "I am sorry that it has come to this."
福爾摩斯燃上了一支雪茄煙,說道:"瓊諾贊·斯茂,我真不高興看到事情竟弄到了這樣的結局。"
"And so am I, sir," he answered frankly.
他直率地答道:"先生,我也不愿意啊。
"I don't believe that I can swing over the job.
這條命,我想也逃不過去了。
I give you my word on the book that I never raised hand against Mr. Sholto.
可是我向您發(fā)誓,我實在沒有想殺害舒爾托先生,
It was that little hell-hound, Tonga, who shot one of his cursed darts into him.
是那個惡鬼童格射出一支混帳的毒刺害死他的。
I had no part in it, sir. I was as grieved as if it had been my blood-relation.
先生,我是毫不知情的。舒爾托先生的死叫我很不好受。
I welted the little devil with the slack end of the rope for it,
我用繩子鞭打了那小鬼一頓,
but it was done, and I could not undo it again."
可是人已經(jīng)死了又有什么辦法呢!"
"Have a cigar," said Holmes; "and you had best take a pull out of my flask, for you are very wet.
福爾摩斯道:"你先吸一支雪茄煙。你看你全身都濕透了,喝一些我瓶子里的酒先暖和暖和吧。
How could you expect so small and weak a man as this black fellow to overpower Mr. Sholto and hold him while you were climbing the rope?"
我問你,你在爬繩上去的時候,你怎么會知道那矮小無力的黑小子能夠敵得住舒爾托先生呢?"
"You seem to know as much about it as if you were there, sir.
"先生,您說這話好象親眼看見過似的。
The truth is that I hoped to find the room clear.
我本以為那屋里是沒有人的,
I knew the habits of the house pretty well, and it was the time when Mr. Sholto usually went down to his supper.
我對那里的生活習慣都很清楚,那個時候是舒爾托先生氣常下樓吃晚飯的時候。
I shall make no secret of the business. The best defence that I can make is just the simple truth.
我絲毫也不隱瞞,我以為說實話就是我最好的辯護。
Now, if it had been the old major I would have swung for him with a light heart.
當時要是那個老少校在屋里,那我就會毫不憐惜地掐死他。
I would have thought no more of knifing him than of smoking this cigar.
我殺了他和吸這支雪茄煙沒有什么區(qū)別。
But it's cursed hard that I should be lagged over this young Sholto, with whom I had no quarrel whatever."
現(xiàn)在竟因為小舒爾托而使我被關進監(jiān)獄,實在令人痛心,因為我和他從來沒有任何糾葛。"