福爾摩斯探案集·斑點(diǎn)帶子案 第9期:來龍去脈(3)

00:00

00:00

MP3下載 文本下載

https://online2.tingclass.net/lesson/shi0529/10000/10341/bddza9.mp3

https://image.tingclass.net/statics/js/2012

"But a terrible change came over our stepfather about this time.

"但是，大約在這段時(shí)間里，我們的繼父發(fā)生了可怕的變化。

Instead of making friends and exchanging visits with our neighbours,

他一反與鄰居們交朋友或互相往來的常態(tài)，

who had at first been overjoyed to see a Roylott of Stoke Moran back in the old family seat,

而起初，鄰居們看到斯托克莫蘭的羅伊洛特的后裔回到這古老家族的邸宅都十分高興，

he shut himself up in his house and seldom came out save to indulge in ferocious quarrels with whoever might cross his path.

他把自己關(guān)在房子里，深居簡出，不管碰到什么人，都一味窮兇極惡地與之爭吵。

Violence of temper approaching to mania has been hereditary in the men of the family, and in my stepfather's case it had,

這種近乎癲狂的暴戾脾氣，在這個(gè)家族中，是有遺傳性的，

I believe, been intensified by his long residence in the tropics.

我相信我的繼父是由于長期旅居于熱帶地方，致使這種脾氣變本加厲。

A series of disgraceful brawls took place, two of which ended in the police-court,

一系列使人丟臉的爭吵發(fā)生了，其中兩次，一直吵到違警罪法庭才算罷休，

until at last he became the terror of the village, and the folks would fly at his approach,

結(jié)果，他成了村里人人望而生畏的人，人們一看到他，無不敬而遠(yuǎn)之，趕緊躲開，

for he is a man of immense strength, and absolutely uncontrollable in his anger.

因?yàn)樗且粋€(gè)力大無窮的人，當(dāng)他發(fā)怒的時(shí)候，簡直是什么人也控制不了他。

Last week he hurled the local blacksmith over a parapet into a stream,

上星期他把村里的鐵匠從欄桿上扔進(jìn)了小河，

and it was only by paying over all the money which I could gather together that I was able to avert another public exposure.

只是在我花掉了盡我所能收羅到的錢以后，才避免了又一次當(dāng)眾出丑。

He had no friends at all save the wandering gypsies,

除了那些到處流浪的吉卜賽人以外，他沒有任何朋友，

and he would give these vagabonds leave to encamp upon the few acres of bramble-covered land which represent the family estate,

他允許那些流浪者在那一塊象征著家族地位的幾畝荊棘叢生的土地上扎營，

and would accept in return the hospitality of their tents, wandering away with them sometimes for weeks on end.

他會(huì)到他們帳篷里去接受他們作為報(bào)答的殷勤款待，有時(shí)候隨同他們出去流浪長達(dá)數(shù)周之久。

He has a passion also for Indian animals, which are sent over to him by a correspondent,

他還對印度的動(dòng)物有著強(qiáng)烈的愛好，這些動(dòng)物是一個(gè)記者送給他的。

and he has at this moment a cheetah and a baboon,

目前，他有一只印度獵豹和一只狒狒，

which wander freely over his grounds and are feared by the villagers almost as much as their master.

這兩只動(dòng)物就在他的土地上自由自在地跑來跑去，村里人就象害怕它們的主人一樣害怕它們。