文/阿瑟·柯南·道尔 译/李家真

《垂死的侦探》（节选）1

文/阿瑟·柯南·道尔 译/李家真

T he incident left a most unpleasant impression upon my mind. The violent and causeless excitement, followed by this brutality of speech, so far removed from his usual suavity2suavity温文，谦和。, showed me how deep was the disorganization of his mind. Of all ruins, that of a noble mind is the most deplorable3deplorable糟透的。. I sat in silent dejection until the stipulated time4故事前文中，华生执意去请医生来给福尔摩斯诊病，福尔摩斯严词拒绝，还把华生锁在自己的房里，叫华生稍安毋躁，等六点钟到了再说。stipulate规定；明确要求。had passed. He seemed to have been watching the clock as well as I, for it was hardly six before he began to talk with the same feverish animation5animation活力。as before.

[2] “Now, Watson,” said he. “Have you any change in your pocket?”

这事情弄得我难受极了。他先是无缘无故地狂喊乱叫，跟着又一反平日的温文作派，说了这么一通蛮不讲理的话，让我知道他的心智紊乱到了何种程度。世上的灾祸万种千般，高贵心灵的毁灭最是让人哀叹。接下来，我默默地坐在那里，满心黯然，就这么捱过了剩下的时间。看样子，他跟我一样，也在密切留意钟上的时间。六点刚到，他立刻打开了话匣子，神态跟先前一样亢奋狂躁。

[2]“好啦，华生，”他说道，“你兜里有零钱吗？”

“Yes.”

“Any silver?”

“A good deal.”

“How many half-crowns6half-crown半克朗。克朗为英国旧币，1克朗等于5先令，即1/4英镑。?”

“I have fi ve.”

“Ah, too few! Too few! How very unfortunate, Watson! However, such as they are you can put them in your watchpocket. And all the rest of your money in your left trouser pocket. Thank you. It will balance you so much better like that.”

“有。”

“有银币吗？”

“多得很。”

“半克朗的有多少？”

“五个。”

“哎呀，太少啦！太少啦！你可真是倒霉，华生！不过，虽然只有这么点儿，你还是把它们揣到你的表袋里吧。然后呢，你就把剩下的钱全都揣进左边的裤兜。谢谢你。这样的话，你身体的平衡会好得多的。”

[3] This was raving insanity. He shuddered, and again made a sound between a cough and a sob.

“You will now light the gas, Watson, but you will be very careful that not for one instant shall it be more than half on. I implore7implore恳求；哀求。you to be careful, Watson. Thank you, that is excellent. No, you need not draw the blind. Now you will have the kindness to place some letters and papers upon this table within my reach. Thank you. Now some of that litter from the mantelpiece. Excellent, Watson! There is a sugar-tongs there. Kindly raise that small ivory box with its assistance. Place it here among the papers. Good! You can now go and fetch Mr. Culverton Smith, of 13 Lower Burke Street8这条街是作者虚构的。.”

[3]这已经完全是胡言乱语了。他身子一抖，再一次发出了又像咳嗽又像呜咽的声音。

“你去把煤气灯点上吧，华生，可你千万小心，最多只能让灯亮到五成，有一秒钟超过了都不行。我求你务必小心，华生。谢谢你，这样正好。不，不用把百叶帘放下来。好了，麻烦你把一些信和报纸放到这张桌子上，放到我够得着的地方。谢谢你。再把壁炉台上的一些杂物摆上来。好极了，华生！那边有一把夹方糖的镊子，麻烦你用镊子把那个小象牙盒子夹起来，再把盒子放到这些报纸中间。行了！好啦，你可以去请卡维尔顿·史密斯先生了，他住在南伯克街13号。”

[4]说实话，我已经不怎么想去请医生了，因为可怜的福尔摩斯表现出了如此明显的谵妄症状，撇下他兴许会有危险。可是，眼下他急不可耐地要找他说的那个人看病，态度跟他之前拒绝看病的时候一样执拗。

[4] To tell the truth, my desire to fetch a doctor had somewhat weakened,for poor Holmes was so obviously delirious9delirious精神错乱的。that it seemed dangerous to leave him. However, he was as eager now to consult the person named as he had been obstinate in refusing.

[5] “I never heard the name,” said I.

“Possibly not, my good Watson. It may surprise you to know that the man upon earth who is best versed in10versed in sth精通的；熟练的。this disease is not a medical man, but a planter. Mr. Culverton Smith is a well-known resident of Sumatra, now visiting London. An outbreak of the disease upon his plantation, which was distant from medical aid, caused him to study it himself, with some rather farreaching consequences. He is a very methodical person, and I did not desire you to start before six, because I was well aware that you would not fi nd him in his study. If you could persuade him to come here and give us the bene fi t of his unique experience of this disease, the investigation of which has been his dearest hobby, I cannot doubt that he could help me.”

[5]“我从来没听说过这号人物。”我说道。

“多半是没听说过，我的好华生哪。听我说完之后，你可能会觉得惊讶，世上最精通这种病的人并不是一个医生，而是一位种植园主。卡维尔顿·史密斯先生是苏门答腊岛上的名人，眼下正在伦敦作客。这种病曾经在他的种植园里蔓延，他的种植园又没有医疗的便利，于是他只好自个儿研究，研究造成的影响也可谓相当深远。他这个人生活很有规律，我没让你在六点钟之前出发，就是因为我非常清楚，六点之前，你是没法在他书房里找到他的。研究这种病是他最大的嗜好，只要你能说动他过来，让他跟咱们分享他对这种病的独特体会，那我绝不怀疑，他可以给我一点儿帮助。”

[6]我把福尔摩斯的这些话写成了完整连贯的句子，不打算写出那些病痛引起的间断，不打算写出穿插其间的一声声

[6] I gave Holmes’s remarks as aconsecutive whole and will not attempt to indicate how they were interrupted by gaspings for breath and those clutchings of his hands which indicated the pain from which he was suffering. His appearance had changed for the worse during the few hours that I had been with him. Those hectic11hectic（脸等）发红的。spots were more pronounced12pronounced显著的；很明显的。, the eyes shone more brightly out of darker hollows, and a cold sweat glimmered upon his brow. He still retained, however, the jaunty13jaunty神气活现的。gallantry of his speech. To the last gasp he would always be the master.急促喘息、一次次紧握双拳的挣扎。我进屋之后的几个钟头里面，他的模样每况愈下，热病引起的红斑更加明显，眼窝更加凹陷，眼睛更加精光灼灼，额上也沁出了一层亮晶晶的冷汗。即便如此，他说话的时候仍然保持着那种洋洋洒洒的豪迈气概。只要还有一口气在，他就改不了那副主子的架势。

[7] “You will tell him exactly how you have left me,” said he. “You will convey the very impression which is in your own mind—a dying man—a dying and delirious man. Indeed, I cannot think why the whole bed of the ocean is not one solid mass of oysters, so proli fi c the creatures seem. Ah, I am wandering! Strange how the brain controls the brain! What was I saying, Watson?”

“My directions for Mr. Culverton Smith.”

[7]“你一定要原原本本地告诉他，你出发的时候我是个什么样子，”他说道，“一定要把你自个儿对我的印象——一个垂死的人—— 一个垂死的疯子——分毫不爽地传达给他。说实在的，我真是想不通，牡蛎为什么没有把整个海床盖得严严实实，这种生物好像特别地能繁殖啊。咳，我说哪儿去啦！大脑控制大脑的方法可真奇怪！我刚才说到哪儿了呢，华生？”

“我拜访卡维尔顿·史密斯先生的注意事项。”

[8]“噢，没错，我想起来了。我的死活就得看这件事情。你得求他才行，华生。我跟他之间的交情不怎么样，都是因为他外甥的事情，华生——我怀疑那件事情有蹊跷，还让他瞧出了我的疑心。那孩子死得好惨哪。他对我怀恨在心。你得让他的心肠软下来，华生。你得恳求他，哀求他，无论如何也要把他请来。他救得了我——只有他！”

[8] “Ah, yes, I remember. My life depends upon it. Plead with him, Watson. There is no good feeling between us. His nephew, Watson—I had suspicions of foul play14foul play奸诈行径；暴行（尤指谋杀）。and I allowed him to see it. The boy died horribly. He has a grudge15grudge积怨；怨恨。against me. You willsoften him, Watson. Beg him, pray him, get him here by any means. He can save me—only he!”

“I will bring him in a cab, if I have to carry him down to it.”

“就算得把他扛进马车，我也会带着他一起回来的。”

[9] “You will do nothing of the sort. You will persuade him to come. And then you will return in front of him. Make any excuse so as not to come with him. Don’t forget, Watson. You won’t fail me. You never did fail me. No doubt there are natural enemies which limit the increase of the creatures. You and I, Watson, we have done our part. Shall the world, then, be overrun by oysters? No, no; horrible! You’ll convey all that is in your mind.”

[10] I left him full of the image of this magnificent intellect babbling like a foolish child. He had handed me the key, and with a happy thought I took it with me lest he should lock himself in. Mrs. Hudson was waiting, trembling and weeping, in the passage. Behind me as I passed from the flat I heard Holmes’s high, thin voice in some delirious chant.

[9]“你可千万别这么干。你首先要说动他来，然后就自个儿回来，抢在他的头里。理由你可以随便编，只要能不跟他一起回来就行。记住啊，华生。你不会让我失望吧，以前你可从来没让我失望过啊。毫无疑问，一定是有一些天敌限制了牡蛎的繁殖。你和我，华生，我们两个也难辞其咎啊。可是，难不成，我们应该任由牡蛎在世界上泛滥成灾吗？不行，不行，那样太可怕了！你一定得把你自个儿的印象全部传达给他。”

[10]从他身边离开的时候，我满脑子都是这位才智卓绝的人物像呆傻儿童一般胡言乱语的景象。之前他已经把钥匙交给了我，于是我灵机一动，带着钥匙出了门，免得他把自个儿锁在房里。哈德森太太等在过道里，一边瑟瑟发抖，一边抽泣。正要下楼的时候，我身后传来了福尔摩斯又尖又细的嗓音，唱的是一段不知所云的歌谣。

The Dying Detective (Excerpt)

By Arthur Conan Doyle

1译文节选自李家真译中华书局版《福尔摩斯探案全集》第六卷。据时光网报道，BBC剧集《神探夏洛克》第四季计划2017年1月开播，该季第二集名为The Lying Detective，改编自原著故事The Dying Detective。在这篇故事中，为了把以病菌杀人的卡维尔顿·史密斯绳之以法，福尔摩斯装病装疯，骗得身为医者的华生信以为真，然后又让华生去请史密斯来看病，以便诱使史密斯招认罪行。史密斯之前试图以同样的病菌害死福尔摩斯，见到华生上门求助，自以为奸计得逞，于是欣然来到福尔摩斯家里，在“垂死的”福尔摩斯面前炫耀自己的犯罪手段，由是伏法。