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"No doubt it is an American shotgun," White Mason continued.
"这支枪无疑是一支美洲火枪，"怀特·梅森继续说道。
"I seem to have read that a sawed-off shotgun is a weapon used in some parts of America.
"我似乎在书上看到过记载，截短的火枪是在美洲某些地区使用的一种武器。
Apart from the name upon the barrel, the idea had occurred to me.
撇开枪管上的名字不谈，我想到一个问题。
There is some evidence, then, that this man who entered the house and killed its master was an American."
有些迹象证明：进到屋里并杀死主人的是一个美国人。"
MacDonald shook his head. "Man, you are surely travelling overfast," said he.
麦克唐纳摇了摇头说道："老兄，你实在想得太远了。
"I have heard no evidence yet that any stranger was ever in the house at all."
我还根本没有听到过什么证据，说明这所庄园里有外人进来过呢。"
"The open window, the blood on the sill, the queer card, the marks of boots in the corner, the gun!"
"这大开的窗户、窗台上的血迹、奇怪的名片、墙角的长统靴印及这支火枪又怎么说呢？"
"Nothing there that could not have been arranged. Mr. Douglas was an American, or had lived long in America. So had Mr. Barker.
"那里的一切没有什么不可以伪造的。道格拉斯先生是个美国人，或者说曾长期住在美国。巴克先生也是如此。
You don't need to import an American from outside in order to account for American doings."
你没有必要从外边弄个美国人来为你所见到的一些美国人的作为寻求解答。"
"Ames, the butler..."
"那个管家艾姆斯..."
"What about him? Is he reliable?"
"他怎么样？可靠吗？"
"Ten years with Sir Charles Chandos–as solid as a rock.
"他在查尔斯·钱多斯爵士那里呆过十年，非常可靠。
He has been with Douglas ever since he took the Manor House five years ago. He has never seen a gun of this sort in the house."
他是在五年前道格拉斯买下这座庄园时到这里来的。他在庄园里从来没见过一杆这样的枪。"
"The gun was made to conceal. That's why the barrels were sawed. It would fit into any box. How could he swear there was no such gun in the house?"
"这枪已经被改造得便于隐藏了。枪管就是为此而截断的，任何箱子都装得进，他怎么能发誓说庄园中没有这样的枪呢？"
"Well, anyhow, he had never seen one." MacDonald shook his obstinate Scotch head.
"啊，不管怎么说，他确实从来没有见到过。"麦克唐纳摇了摇他那天生固执的苏格兰人的脑袋。
"I'm not convinced yet that there was ever anyone in the house," said he.
"我还不能相信有什么外人到房子里来过。
"I'm asking you to conseedar" (his accent became more Aberdonian as he lost himself in his argument)
我请你考虑考虑，"每当麦克唐纳辩论输了的时候，他的阿伯丁口音就变得更重了。
"I'm asking you to conseedar what it involves if you suppose that this gun was ever brought into the house, and that all these strange things were done by a person from outside.
"你假设这支枪是从外面带进来的，并且所有这些怪事是一个外来人干的。我请你考虑一下，你这样的假设会产生什么样的影响。
Oh, man, it's just inconceivable! It's clean against common sense! I put it to you, Mr. Holmes, judging it by what we have heard."
啊，老兄，这简直不可思议！这也完全不合乎一般常识！福尔摩斯先生，我向你提出这个问题来。请根据我们所听到的一切判断一下吧。"
