He made a slight motion to me to approach him, and instantly, as he turned his face half round to the company once more,
他暗暗示意叫我到他身边去,随即转过身去,再以侧面朝向众人时,
subsided into a doddering, loose-lipped senility.
马上又显出一副哆哆嗦嗦、随口乱说的龙钟老态。
"Holmes!" I whispered, "what on earth are you doing in this den?"
"福尔摩斯!"我低声说,"你究竟到这个烟馆来干什么?"
"As low as you can," he answered; "I have excellent ears.
"尽量放低声些,"他回答说,"我耳朵很灵。
If you would have the great kindness to get rid of that sottish friend of yours I should be exceedingly glad to have a little talk with you."
如果你肯帮个大忙,打发开你的那位瘾君子朋友,我倒很高兴能够和你稍微谈几句话。"
"I have a cab outside."
"我有一辆小马车在外边。"
"Then pray send him home in it. You may safely trust him, for he appears to be too limp to get into any mischief.
"那么,请让他坐了回去吧!对他你可以放心,因为他显然已经没有精神再去惹是生非了。
I should recommend you also to send a note by the cabman to your wife to say that you have thrown in your lot with me.
我建议你再写个便条,托马车夫捎给你的妻子,说咱俩又搭上伙啦。
If you will wait outside, I shall be with you in five minutes."
你在外边等一会,我过五分钟就出来。"
It was difficult to refuse any of Sherlock Holmes's requests,
要拒绝歇洛克·福尔摩斯的任何请求是很难的,
for they were always so exceedingly definite, and put forward with such a quiet air of mastery.
因为他的请求总是极其明确,又总以这样一种巧妙的温和态度提出来的。
I felt, however, that when Whitney was once confined in the cab my mission was practically accomplished;
总之,我觉得,惠特尼只要一登上马车,我的使命实际上就告完成了,
and for the rest, I could not wish anything better than to be associated with my friend in one of those singular adventures
至于余下的事,能够和我的老友共同携手去进行一次非同寻常的探奇涉险那是再好没有了,
which were the normal condition of his existence.
而探险对他说来,却是生活中习以为常的事情。