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"The only unofficial detective?" I said, raising my eyebrows.
我抬眼问道："唯一的私人侦探吗？"
"The only unofficial consulting detective," he answered.
他答道："唯一私家咨询侦探。
"I am the last and highest court of appeal in detection.
我是侦探的最高裁决机关。
When Gregson, or Lestrade, or Athelney Jones are out of their depths–which,
当葛莱森、雷斯垂德或埃瑟尔尼·琼斯遇到困难的时候
by the way, is their normal state–the matter is laid before me.
这倒是他们常有的事，他们就来向我请教。
I examine the data, as an expert, and pronounce a specialist's opinion.
我以专家的资格，审查材料，贡献一个专家的意见。
I claim no credit in such cases. My name figures in no newspaper.
我不居功，报纸上也不发表我的名字。
The work itself, the pleasure of finding a field for my peculiar powers, is my highest reward.
工作本身使我的特殊精力得到发挥的这种快乐，就是我无上的报酬。
But you have yourself had some experience of my methods of work in the Jefferson Hope case."
你总还记得在杰弗逊·侯波案里我的工作方法所给你的一些经验吧？"
"Yes, indeed," said I cordially.
我热诚地答道："不错，我还记得。
"I was never so struck by anything in my life.
那是我平生从未遇到过的奇案。
I even embodied it in a small brochure, with the somewhat fantastic title of 'A Study in Scarlet.'"
我已经把始末写成一本册子，用了一个新颖的标题：《血字的研究》。"
He shook his head sadly. "I glanced over it," said he.
他不满意地摇头道："我约略看过一遍，
"Honestly, I cannot congratulate you upon it.
实在不敢恭维。
Detection is, or ought to be, an exact science and should be treated in the same cold and unemotional manner.
要知道，侦探术是——或者应当是一种精确的科学，应当用同样冷静而不是感情用事的方法来研究它。
You have attempted to tinge it with romanticism,
你把它渲染上一层小说色彩，
which produces much the same effect as if you worked a love-story or an elopement into the fifth proposition of Euclid."
结果就弄得象是在几何定理里掺进了恋爱故事一样了。"
"But the romance was there," I remonstrated. "I could not tamper with the facts."
我反驳他道："但是书中确有象小说的情节，我不能歪曲事实。"
"Some facts should be suppressed, or, at least, a just sense of proportion should be observed in treating them.
"有些事实可以不写，至少要把重点所在显示出来。
The only point in the case which deserved mention was the curious analytical reasoning from effects to causes,
这案件里唯一值得提出的，只是我怎样从事实的结果找出原因，
by which I succeeded in unravelling it."
再经过精密的分析和推断而破案的过程。"
I was annoyed at this criticism of a work which had been specially designed to please him.
我写那篇短文，本来是想要得到他的欢心，没想到反而受到了批评，心中很不愉快。
I confess, too, that I was irritated by the egotism
我承认，正是他的自负激怒了我，
which seemed to demand that every line of my pamphlet should be devoted to his own special doings.
他的要求似乎是：我的著作必须完全用来描写他个人的行为。
More than once during the years that I had lived with him in Baker Street
在我和他同住在贝克街的几年里，
I had observed that a small vanity underlay my companion's quiet and didactic manner.
我不止一次地发觉我那伙伴在静默和说教的态度里，总隐藏着一些骄傲和自负。
I made no remark, however, but sat nursing my wounded leg.
我不愿多说了，只是坐着抚摩我的伤腿，
I had had a Jezail bullet through it some time before,
我的腿以前曾被枪弹打穿，
and though it did not prevent me from walking it ached wearily at every change of the weather.
虽然不碍走路，但是一遇天气变化就感到痛楚难堪。
