"Now, then, mister," said he, with his head cocked and his arms akimbo,
"那么,好吧,先生,"他揚著頭,手叉著腰說,
"what are you driving at? Let's have it straight, now."
"你這是什么意思?有什么話咱們就直截了當?shù)卣f個明白。"
"It is straight enough. I should like to know who sold you the geese which you supplied to the Alpha."
"我已經(jīng)夠直截了當?shù)牧?,我很想知道你供?yīng)阿爾法酒店的那些鵝是誰賣給你的?"
"Well, then, I shan't tell you. So now!"
"噢,是這么一回事,我不想告訴你,就是這個樣!"
"Oh, it is a matter of no importance; but I don't know why you should be so warm over such a trifle."
"噢,這是一件無關(guān)緊要的事,但是我不明白你為什么會為這件小事而大動肝火?"
"Warm! You'd be as warm, maybe, if you were as pestered as I am.
"大動肝火!如果你也象我那樣被人糾纏的話,也許你也會大動肝火的。
When I pay good money for a good article there should be an end of the business;
我花大價錢買好貨,這不就完事了嗎;
but it's 'Where are the geese?' and 'Who did you sell the geese to?' and 'What will you take for the geese?'
但是你卻要問:'鵝在哪兒?''你們的鵝賣給誰了?'和'你們這些鵝要換些什么東西???'
One would think they were the only geese in the world, to hear the fuss that is made over them."
人們在聽到對他們提出這些嘮嘮叨叨的問題時,也許會認為這些鵝在世界上是獨一無二的了。"
"Well, I have no connection with any other people who have been making inquiries," said Holmes carelessly.
"噢,可是我和別的提這些問題的人毫無聯(lián)系,"福爾摩斯漫不經(jīng)心地說,
"If you won't tell us the bet is off, that is all.
"如果你不愿意告訴我們,這個打賭就算吹了。我要說的就是這個話。
But I'm always ready to back my opinion on a matter of fowls,
但是我會永遠堅持我在家禽問題上的看法。
and I have a fiver on it that the bird I ate is country bred."
我在這個問題上下了五英鎊的賭注,我敢斷定我吃的那只鵝是在農(nóng)村喂大的。"