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The doctor had taken the lamp and was narrowly scrutinizing the body.
伍德医生拿起灯，仔细地检查尸体。
"What's this mark?" he asked. "Could this have any connection with the crime?"
"这是什么记号？"他问道，"这可和案情有什么关系吗？"
The dead man's right arm was thrust out from his dressing gown, and exposed as high as the elbow.
死尸的右臂露在外面，直露到臂肘。
About halfway up the forearm was a curious brown design, a triangle inside a circle, standing out in vivid relief upon the lard-coloured skin.
大约在前臂中间的地方，有一个奇特的褐色标记--一个圆圈，里面有一个三角形，每一条痕迹都是凸起的--在灰白的皮肤上显得异常醒目。
"It's not tattooed," said the doctor, peering through his glasses.
"这不是针刺的花纹，"伍德医生的目光透过眼镜紧盯着标记说道。
"I never saw anything like it. The man has been branded at some time as they brand cattle. What is the meaning of this?"
"我从来没见过像这样的标记。这个人曾经烙过烙印呢，就像牲口身上的烙印一样。这是怎么回事？"
"I don't profess to know the meaning of it," said Cecil Barker; "but I have seen the mark on Douglas many times this last ten years."
"我不知道这是什么意思，不过近十年间我曾多次看到他臂上的这个标记。"塞西尔·巴克说道。
"And so have I," said the butler.
"我也看到过，"管家说道。
"Many a time when the master has rolled up his sleeves I have noticed that very mark. I've often wondered what it could be."
"有很多次主人挽起衣袖，我就看到那个标记。我一直不明白那究竟是怎么回事？"
"Then it has nothing to do with the crime, anyhow," said the sergeant.
"那么，这和案情没有什么关系了，"警官说道。
"But it's a rum thing all the same. Everything about this case is rum. Well, what is it now?"
"但这是一件怪事。牵涉到这一案子的每桩事都这么怪。喂，这到底是怎么回事？"
The butler had given an exclamation of astonishment and was pointing at the dead man's outstretched hand.
管家指着死者伸出的手，惊呼起来。
"They've taken his wedding ring!" he gasped.
"他们把他的结婚戒指拿走了！"他气喘吁吁地说。
"What!"
"什么？！"
"Yes, indeed. Master always wore his plain gold wedding ring on the little finger of his left hand.
"不错，真是这样！主人左手小指上总戴着纯金结婚戒指，
That ring with the rough nugget on it was above it, and the twisted snake ring on the third finger.
再上面戴着带有天然块金的戒指，中指上戴着盘蛇形戒指。
There's the nugget and there's the snake, but the wedding ring is gone."
现在天然块金戒指和盘蛇戒指都还在，唯独结婚戒指没有了。"
"He's right," said Barker.
"他说得不错，"巴克说道。
"Do you tell me," said the sergeant, "that the wedding ring was below the other?"
"你是说那只结婚戒指戴在另一只戒指下面吗？"警官问道。
"Always!"
"始终如此！"
"Then the murderer, or whoever it was, first took off this ring you call the nugget ring, then the wedding ring, and afterwards put the nugget ring back again."
"那么这凶手，或者不管他是谁吧，首先要把你说的那个天然块金戒指取下来，再取下结婚戒指，然后再把块金戒指套上去。"
"That is so!"
"是这样。"
The worthy country policeman shook his head. "Seems to me the sooner we get London on to this case the better," said he.
这位可敬的乡村警官摇起头来，他说："依我看我们最好把这个案子交给伦敦去办吧，愈快愈好。
"White Mason is a smart man. No local job has ever been too much for White Mason.
怀特·梅森是一个精明人。当地案件没有怀特·梅森应付不了的。
It won't be long now before he is here to help us. But I expect we'll have to look to London before we are through.
过不多久他就要到这里来帮助我们了。不过我想，我们只好指望伦敦把事情办到底。
Anyhow, I'm not ashamed to say that it is a deal too thick for the likes of me."
不管怎么说，不怕说出来让人笑话，像我这样的人，办这样的案子，实在是力所不及呢。"
