福尔摩斯：巴斯克维尔猎犬-第2课

前情提要  

这天早上10点半，来自德文郡的詹姆斯·摩梯末医生如约拜访了福尔摩斯，来请求他的帮助，因为发生了一件既奇怪又恐怖的事情……

故事原文 

The Hound of the Baskervilles L2

巴斯克维尔猎犬 L2

'These papers were given to me by Sir Charles Baskerville,' said Dr Mortimer. 'He asked me to take good care of them. You may remember that Sir Charles died suddenly three months ago. His death caused much excitement in Devonshire, the county where Baskerville Hall is.(1) Sir Charles was a sensible man, but he believed the story which is told in these papers.'

“这些手稿是查尔斯·巴斯克维尔爵士托付给我的，”摩梯末医生道。“他要我保管好这些手稿。您可能还记得，查尔斯爵士于三个月前突然逝去。他的去世在德文郡引起了很大的关注，德文郡就是巴斯克维尔庄园的所在地。查尔斯爵士是个很理智的人，但是他相信这些手稿中所讲述的故事。”

Dr Mortimer went on: 'The story is about the Baskerville family. I have come to see you because I need your help. I think that something terrible is going to happen in the next twenty-four hours. But you can't help me unless you know the story in these papers.(2) May I read them to you?'

摩梯末医生继续讲道：“这个故事与巴斯克维尔家族有关。因为我需要您的帮助，所以来见您。我认为在即将到来的24小时之内将会发生一桩可怕的事情。但是，如果您不了解手稿中所讲述的故事的话，那么您就不可能帮得了我。我可以将它读给您听吗？”

'Please continue, Dr Mortimer,' said Holmes, and sat back in his chair with his eyes shut.

“请讲下去吧，摩梯末医生，”福尔摩斯说道，闭着眼睛向后坐了坐。

Mortimer began to read in his high, rather strange, voice:

摩梯末开始以他那高亢、奇特的嗓音读道：

I, William Baskerville, write this for my sons in the year 1742. My father told me about the Hound of the Baskervilles. He told me when it was first seen, and I believe his story was true. I want you, my sons, to read this story carefully. I want you to know that God punishes those who do evil. But never forget that He will forgive those who are sorry for any evil they have done.

本人，威廉·巴斯克维尔，于1742年为后代写下了这些。我的父亲告诉了我有关巴斯克维尔猎犬的事情。他告诉了我它第一次被人看见的经过，我认为他讲的故事是真实的。我希望你们，我的孩子们，认真看一看这个故事。我想让你们知道：上帝一贯惩罚那些为非作歹的人们。但是，永远不要忘记：上帝将宽恕那些悔过的人们。

Over a hundred years ago, in 1640, the head of the Baskerville family was Sir Hugo Baskerville.(3) He was a wild and evil man. He was cruel and enjoyed hurting people. Sir Hugo fell in love with the daughter of a farmer who was a neighbour of his. The young woman was afraid of the evil Hugo, and avoided him.(4) One day, Hugo heard that her father and brothers were away. He knew that she would be alone. So he rode to the farm with five or six of his evil friends. They made the girl go back to Baskerville Hall with them, and locked her in a room upstairs. Then they sat down in the great dining hall to drink. As usual, they drank bottle after bottle and soon they began to sing and laugh and shout evil words.

一百多年前，在1640年，巴斯克维尔家族的头面人物是雨果·巴斯克维尔爵士。他既放荡又邪恶。他残忍，以伤害别人为乐。雨果爵士爱上了与他毗邻的一位农夫的女儿。这位少女害怕这个邪恶的人，而且还躲着他。一天，雨果听说她的父兄几人都出门去了。他知道她将独自一人在家了。因此，他与五六个下流的狐朋狗友策马去了这个农场。他们把她弄回了巴斯克维尔庄园，还把她关在楼上的一个房间里。然后他们便在楼下的大饭厅里坐下痛饮了起来。同往常一样，他们饮了一瓶又一瓶的酒，不久便开始狂歌乱笑并吐起脏话来。

The girl upstairs, who was already very frightened, felt desperate when she heard the terrible things they were shouting.(5) So she did a very brave thing. She opened the window, climbed out of the room and down the ivy on the wall. Then she started to run across the moor towards her home.

楼上的这位姑娘，这时已是惊恐万分了，听到他们所讲的那些不堪入耳的脏话时便感到十分绝望。因此，在此情形之下她竟干出一件勇敢的事来。她打开窗户，从房间里爬出来，顺着墙上的常春藤一直爬了下来。然后她就穿过沼地径直往家中跑去了。

A little while later, Hugo left his friends and went upstairs to the room to take her some food and drink. When he found an open window and an empty room, he behaved like a man who was mad. He ran down the stairs. He screamed that he would give himself to the Devil if he caught the girl before she reached home. Some of Hugo's drunken friends told him to let the hounds chase her, and so he ran from the house and unlocked the dogs. Then he jumped onto his black horse, and rode off over the moor with the hounds running and crying around him.

过了不多一会儿，雨果离开了他的那帮朋友，到楼上的那个房间给她送食物和酒去了。当他发现窗户大开、室内空空时，他就像中了魔一般。他冲下楼，大叫大嚷着说，只要他能在这个女孩赶回家之前追上她，他就愿把自己献给魔王。雨果的那些已经喝得酩酊大醉的朋友们让他把猎狗放出去追她，因此他就从屋里跑出去把狗放了出来。接着，他跳到了那匹黑马的背上，由那群狂奔乱吼的狗簇拥着在沼地上策马而去。

（原文中出现高光标示内容请见核心语言点）

核心语言点  

1. cause 原因，导致，引起

    cause of death 死因

    cause for... ……的原因

    cause a problem 引起一个问题

    cause trouble 引起麻烦

例句：

I decided not to complain because I didn’t want to cause trouble.

我决定不去投诉了，因为我不想惹麻烦。

2. unless 除非

    if 如果

    in case 以防万一

    otherwise 不然，否则

例句：

You can’t learn English well unless you try hard.

除非你努力学习，否则你学不好英语。

Drink plenty of water, otherwise you will become dehydrated.

多喝水，否则你就会脱水。

3. head 头部，头脑，领导；朝……走

    head of state 一国元首

    head teacher/principal 校长

4. avoid 躲避，避免

    avoid doing sth. 避免做某事

    avoid someone 避开某人

    steer clear of 绕开，避开（令人不快或危险的人或事物）

例句：

Try to avoid getting in the traffic.

尽量避开拥堵的交通。

Why have you been avoiding me?

你为什么总是躲着我？

Steer clear of the screen door.

请远离车门。

5. desperate 极严重的，渴望的，非常需要的，非常想要的

    serious 严重的

    be desperate to do sth. 很想做某事

例句：

He has a desperate desire to succeed.

他非常渴望成功。

He was desperate to tell someone his good news.

他很想把自己的好消息告诉别人。