On the night of the 20th of March, 1888, I was going home after seeing a patient. As I walked through Baker Street, I passed the door of the apartment which I remembered very well. I was suddenly seized with a desire to see Holmes again. I wanted to know what he was doing with his extraordinary gifts. His rooms were brightly lit.
那是1888年3月20日的晚上，我探望完病人，正走在回家的路上。经过贝克街时，我路过了那扇记忆犹新的寓所大门。突然之间，我产生了一种想要再见见福尔摩斯的愿望。我想要知道他正用他那非凡的天赋从事什么事情。他几间房子里的灯都亮堂堂的。
patient n. 病人
suddenly adv. 突然地
be seized with 产生...的感觉
desire n. 欲望
gift n. 天赋
As I looked up, I saw the silhouette of his tall, spare figure against the blinds. I could tell by the way he walked back and forth that he was at work again. He was thinking hard on some new problem. I rang the bell and was led up to the room which I used to share with Holmes.
我抬起头来，看见他那高大消瘦的身影映在窗帘上。他来回踱步，我明白他又在工作了。他正在苦苦思索些新难题。我按响了门铃，被领上了那间我曾和福尔摩斯共同居住过的房间。
silhouette n. 身影
spare adj. 消瘦的
figure n. 身影
blind n. 窗帘
back and forth 前后
share v. 分享，合用
As always, Holmes was subtle. But I think he was glad to see me. Without saying a word, but with a kind expression, he pointed to an armchair. I sat down, and he passed me his case of cigars and a glass of brandy. Then he stood before the fire and looked at me in his usual thoughtful way.
和往常一样，他仍旧不露声色。但我觉得福尔摩斯很高兴见到我。他虽一言不发，但却神色亲切地指了指一张扶手椅示意我坐下。我坐了下来，他把他的雪茄烟盒和一瓶白兰地递给了我。随即，他在炉火前站定，用他惯有的那种沉思的方式打量着我。
subtle adj. 不露声色的
expression n. 神色
armchair n. 扶手椅
cigar n. 雪茄
brandy n. 白兰地
usual adj. 惯常的
thoughtful adj. 沉思的
“Marriage suits you, Watson,” he said. “It looks like you’ve gained seven and a half pounds since the last time I saw you.”
“婚姻很适合你，华生，”他说，“看起来自从我上次见到你以来，你体重增加了七磅半。”
suit v. 适合
get wet 弄湿
inexperienced adj. 毫无经验的
careless adj. 粗心大意的
“Seven!” I answered.
“七磅！”我回答道。
“A little more than seven, I think. It also seems that you have been getting yourself very wet lately. And you have an inexperienced and careless servant girl. Am I right?”
“我想，比七磅还再多一点。并且，看起来最近你经常把自己搞得湿漉漉的。你还有个毫无经验、粗心大意的女仆。我猜对了吗？”
servant girl 女仆
“My dear Holmes, you’re right,” I said. “I had a country walk on Thursday and came home in a dreadful mess. But as I have changed my clothes, I don’t know how you knew that. As for Mary Jane, she is helpless. I think my wife is going to fire her. But again, how did you figure that out?”
“我亲爱的福尔摩斯，你猜对了，”我回答道，“星期四我步行去了趟乡下，回家时把自己搞得一团糟。但是我已经换过衣服了，真不知道你是怎么知道的。至于玛丽•珍，她真是无可救药了。我想我老婆正打算把她给打发走了。但是，你又是怎么推断出来的呢？”
in a dreadful mess 乱七八糟
helpless adj. 无可救药的
figure out 推断
He giggled and rubbed his long hands together.
他嘻嘻一笑，搓了搓他那双细长的手。
giggle v. 嘻嘻笑
rub v. 搓
“It’s simple,” said Holmes. “I can see that on the inside of your left shoe, the leather has six cuts. Obviously they have been caused by someone carelessly scratching around the edges of the sole to remove mud from it.”
“这简单得很。”福尔摩斯说，“在你左脚那只鞋的里侧，我能看见那里的皮革有六道裂痕。很明显，这是有人粗心大意地顺着鞋跟边缘刮泥时造成的。”
simple adj. 简单的
leather n. 皮革
cut n. 裂纹
obviously adv. 明显地
be caused by 由...造成
carelessly adv. 粗心大意地
scratch v. 刮
edge n. 边缘
sole n. 鞋底
remove v. 弄掉
mud n. 泥巴
I could not help but laugh at the ease with which he explained everything.
看到他解释这一切的那幅轻松劲儿，我情不自禁地笑了起来。
cannot help but 忍不住...
ease n. 轻松
explain v. 解释
“When you explain your reasons to me, they always seem so ridiculously simple,” I said. “My eyes and ears are as good as yours, and I feel like I could easily do it myself. Still, I am always confused until you explain your process.
“当你向我解释你的推理的时候，它们总是显得那么简单，几乎到了可笑的地步，”我说道，“我的眼睛和耳朵都和你一样好时，我觉得我自己都能轻易推理出来。但是，直到你把推理过程解释清楚之后，我才不会感到困惑不解。”
ridiculously adv. 可笑地
confused adj. 困惑不解的
process n. 过程
Holmes lit a cigarette and threw himself down into an armchair.
福尔摩斯点燃了一支香烟，全身舒展地坐进了扶手椅里头。
light a cigarette 点燃一根香烟
throw onself down 全身舒展坐进...
“You see, but you do not observe,” he said. “For example, you have frequently seen the steps which lead up from the hall to this room.”
“你在看，但你没在观察，”他回答道，“比如说，你经常会看到从下面大厅通往这间屋子的楼梯吧。”
observe v. 观察
frequently adv. 经常地
“Yes.”
“没错。”
“How many times?”
“看过多少次了？”
“Well, probably hundreds of times.”
“嗯，没准有几百次了。”
“Then do you know how many steps there are?”
“那么，你知道那儿有多少阶台阶吗？”
“I don’t know.”
“我不知道。”
“There you go! You have seen, but not observed. I know that there are seventeen steps, because I have both seen and observed. By the way, you may be interested in this. After all, you are good enough to record one or two of my trifling experiences.” He gave me a thick, pink-tinted letter which had been lying open on the table. “It came by post,” he said. “Read it out loud.”
“这就对啦！你只是在看，但是没有观察。我知道那儿有十七阶台阶，因为我不仅在看，而且还观察了。顺便说声，你可能会对这个感兴趣，毕竟你很擅长把我的一两次小经历给记录下来。”福尔摩斯把一直平放在他桌子上的一张粉红色的厚厚的信纸递给了我。“这是邮差送来的，”他说，“大声念念吧。”
after all 毕竟
record v. 记录
trifling adj. 微不足道的
experience n. 经历
pink-tinted adj. 粉色的
post n.邮差
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