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One day -- it was in March, 1883–a letter with a foreign stamp lay upon the table in front of the colonel's plate.
有一天，那是在一八八三年三月，一封贴有外国邮票的信放在上校的餐盘前面。
It was not a common thing for him to receive letters,
对他来说，一封来信却是一件异乎寻常的事，
for his bills were all paid in ready money, and he had no friends of any sort.
因为他的帐单都用现款支付，他不管什么样的朋友都没有一个。
'From India!' said he as he took it up, 'Pondicherry postmark! What can this be?'
'从印度来的！'他一边拿起信来，一边诧异地说道，'本地治里的邮戳！这是怎么回事？'
Opening it hurriedly, out there jumped five little dried orange pips, which pattered down upon his plate.
在他急忙拆开信封的时候，忽地蹦出五个又干又小的桔核嗒嗒地落在盘子里。
I began to laugh at this, but the laugh was struck from my lips at the sight of his face.
我正待张嘴发笑，一看他的脸，我的笑容顿时从我的唇边消失了。
His lip had fallen, his eyes were protruding, his skin the colour of putty,
只见他咧着嘴唇，双眼突出，面如死灰，
and he glared at the envelope which he still held in his trembling hand,
直瞪瞪地瞧着颤抖的手中仍旧拿着的那个信封。
'K. K. K.!' he shrieked, and then, 'My God, my God, my sins have overtaken me!'
'K.K.K.！'他尖叫了起来，接着喊道，'天哪，天哪，罪孽难逃呀！'
'What is it, uncle?' I cried.
我叫道：'伯伯，怎么啦？'
'Death,' said he, and rising from the table he retired to his room, leaving me palpitating with horror.
'死亡！'他说着，从桌旁站起身来，回到他自己的房间，剩下我在那里怕得心惊肉跳。
I took up the envelope and saw scrawled in red ink upon the inner flap,
我拿起了那信封，发现信封口盖的里层，
just above the gum, the letter K three times repeated.
也就是涂胶水的上端，有三个用红墨水潦草地写的K字。
There was nothing else save the five dried pips.
此外，除了那五个干瘪的桔核，别无他物。
What could be the reason of his overpowering terror?
是什么原因使他吓得魂飞魄散呢？
I left the breakfast- table, and as I ascended the stair I met him coming down with an old rusty key,
我离开那早餐的桌子上楼时，正好碰见他走下楼来，一手拿着一只旧得生了锈的钥匙
which must have belonged to the attic, in one hand, and a small brass box, like a cashbox, in the other.
这一定是楼顶专用的了，另一手里却是一个象钱盒似的小黄铜匣。
'They may do what they like, but I'll checkmate them still,' said he with an oath.
'他们爱干什么就干什么，可是我仍将战胜他们。'他发誓赌咒地说道，
'Tell Mary that I shall want a fire in my room to-day, and send down to Fordham, the Horsham lawyer.'
'叫玛丽今天给我房间里的壁炉升火，再派人去请霍尔舍姆的福德姆律师来！'
