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"Well, we can adopt it as a working hypothesis and then see how far our difficulties disappear.
"好，我们可以把它当作一个合理的假设吧。由此出发，看一看我们的疑难究竟能解决多少。
An agent from such a society makes his way into the house, waits for Mr. Douglas, blows his head nearly off with this weapon, and escapes by wading the moat,
那个团体派来的一个人设法钻进庄园，守候着道格拉斯先生，用这支火枪几乎打掉了他的脑袋，然后蹚过护城河逃跑了，
after leaving a card beside the dead man, which will, when mentioned in the papers, tell other members of the society that vengeance has been done.
他所以要在死者身旁留下一张卡片，无非为了一个目的，报纸上一登出来，那个团体的其他党徒就能知道：仇已报了。
That all hangs together. But why this gun, of all weapons?"
这些事情都是连贯在一起的。可是，武器有的是，他为什么单单要用这种火枪呢？"
"Exactly."
"是啊。"
"And why the missing ring?"
"还有，丢失的戒指又是怎么回事呢？"
"Quite so."
"对呀。"
"And why no arrest? It's past two now. I take it for granted that since dawn every constable within forty miles has been looking out for a wet stranger?"
"现在已经两点多了，为什么还没有拿获凶手呢？我认为肯定从天亮以后，方圆四十英里内，每一个警察都在搜寻一个浑身湿淋淋的外来人。"
"That is so, Mr. Holmes."
"福尔摩斯先生，正是这样。"
"Well, unless he has a burrow close by or a change of clothes ready, they can hardly miss him. And yet they have missed him up to now!"
"好，除非他在附近有个藏身之处，或者事先准备好一套替换的衣服，他们是不会让他溜掉的。但现在他们不是已经把他放过了吗？"
Holmes had gone to the window and was examining with his lens the blood mark on the sill.
福尔摩斯走到窗旁，用他的放大镜察看窗台上的血迹。
"It is clearly the tread of a shoe. It is remarkably broad; a splay-foot, one would say.
"很显然这是一个鞋印，很宽大概是八字脚。
Curious, because, so far as one can trace any footmark in this mud-stained corner, one would say it was a more shapely sole.
真怪呀，不管是谁到这沾满泥污的墙角来察看脚印，他都会说这个鞋底式样倒不错。
However, they are certainly very indistinct. What's this under the side table?"
可是，当然了，很不清楚。旁边这桌子底下是什么呢？"
"Mr. Douglas's dumb-bells," said Ames.
"是道格拉斯先生的哑铃，"艾姆斯说道。
"Dumb-bell. There's only one. Where's the other?"
"哑铃？这里只有一个。另外那个哑铃在哪儿呢？"
"I don't know, Mr. Holmes. There may have been only one. I have not noticed them for months."
"我不知道，福尔摩斯先生。也可能本来就只有一只。我有好几个月没看到这东西了。"
"One dumb-bell..." Holmes said seriously; but his remarks were interrupted by a sharp knock at the door.
"一只哑铃..."福尔摩斯严肃地说，可是话还没说完，就被一阵急剧的敲门声打断了。
A tall, sunburned, capable-looking, clean-shaved man looked in at us.
一个身材高大、晒得黝黑、外表精干、脸刮得精光的人探头看着我们。
I had no difficulty in guessing that it was the Cecil Barker of whom I had heard.
我一下子就猜出来了，这就是我听人讲过的塞西尔·巴克。
His masterful eyes travelled quickly with a questioning glance from face to face.
他用傲慢的疑问目光迅速扫视了大家一眼。
"Sorry to interrupt your consultation," said he, "but you should hear the latest news."
"对不起，打断了你们的谈话，"巴克说道，"不过，诸位应该听听最新的情况了。"
"An arrest?"
"逮着凶手了吗？"
"No such luck. But they've found his bicycle. The fellow left his bicycle behind him.
"没有这样的好事。不过人们已经找到他的自行车了。这家伙把他的自行车扔下了。
Come and have a look. It is within a hundred yards of the hall door."
请你们来看看，放在大厅门外一百码的地方。"
We found three or four grooms and idlers standing in the drive inspecting a bicycle which had been drawn out from a clump of evergreens in which it had been concealed.
我们看到三四个仆人和几个闲汉站在马车道上查看那辆自行车，车子原是藏在常青树丛里，后来才被拖出来的。
It was a well used Rudge Whitworth, splashed as from a considerable journey.
这是一辆用得很旧的拉奇·惠特沃思牌的自行车，车上溅着不少泥浆，好像骑过相当远的路。
There was a saddlebag with spanner and oilcan, but no clue as to the owner.
车座后面有一个工具袋，里面有扳子和油壶，可是究竟车主是谁，却没有什么线索。
"It would be a grand help to the police," said the inspector, "if these things were numbered and registered.
"如果这些东西都曾登记、编号，对警方就很有帮助了，"警官说道。
But we must be thankful for what we've got. If we can't find where he went to, at least we are likely to get where he came from.
"不过咱们能得到这些东西，也就应该感激不尽了。即使我们弄不清他到什么地方去了，至少我们很可能弄清他是从哪儿来的了。
But what in the name of all that is wonderful made the fellow leave it behind? And how in the world has he got away withoutit?
不过，这个家伙究竟为什么要丢下这辆车子呢？这倒是件怪事。他不汽车子，又是怎么走的呢？
We don't seem to get a gleam of light in the case, Mr. Holmes."
福尔摩斯先生，我们这件案子似乎还看不出一点眉目来呢。"
"Don't we?" my friend answered thoughtfully. "I wonder!"
"真看不出一点眉目来吗？"我的朋友若有所思地答道，"我看不一定！"
