04-01-01-巴斯克维尔猎犬 [29]
．He watched helplessly as the terrible creature got closer to him．We were so frozen bythe ghostly and unnatural sight that we let the hound go past us，and we could not move．Our friend was near to death，and we were helpless with fear．
■ 16 巴斯克维尔猎犬
那个傍晚我和福尔摩斯坐着马车驶过沼地，直到看见我们前面的斯台普顿夫妇家的灯光才停了下来。然后，我们从马车里出来，开始无声无息地沿着那条小道朝那栋房子走去。当我们靠到很近时，福尔摩斯叫我停下来。他从衣兜里掏出了左轮手枪，我也这么干了。
“我们将藏在这些岩石后面，”他低声说道。“华生，你了解这栋房子，所以我想让你上前从窗户向里瞧瞧。我想知道斯台普顿夫妇和亨利爵士现在在什么地方以及他们正在干些什么。谨慎行事些，因为他们不该知道有人正在监视他们。”
我非常小心地、轻轻地朝房子挪去。我先从饭厅的窗户向里望去。斯台普顿和亨利爵士正坐着，还抽着雪茄，可是没有斯台普顿小姐的迹象。我又挪向了别的窗户，可看到她不在任何房间里。
我又返回到饭厅的窗户旁；当我又向里张望时，斯台普顿离开了房间，又走出了屋子。他去了屋子旁的一个小屋，还开了门上的锁。我听到了从小屋里发出的一种奇怪的响声，可是我想不出来是什么东西发出了这种响声。接着，斯台普顿锁好了房门，又回到屋里去了，还返回了饭厅。
我回到福尔摩斯那儿，告诉了他我所见到的一切。他想要知道斯台普顿小姐在哪里，我不得不对他说了两遍，说屋内没有她的迹象。
月光正照在格林盆大泥潭上，白雾正从那儿冉冉飘起。福尔摩斯望着白雾，开始露出担忧的神情。雾正从泥潭缓缓地沿着地面飘向这栋房子。我们藏在小路旁，那条小路正坐落在这栋房子离泥潭较远的那一边。
“雾正向我们移来，华生，形势很严峻，”福尔摩斯说道。“这正是会打乱我的计划的那件事。”
在我们注视时，已经飘到了房子旁边的雾开始围着整个房屋飞旋着。福尔摩斯用张开的手掌生气地打了一下我们前面的岩石。
“如果他在一刻钟之内再不出来，这条小路就要被大雾遮住了。再过半小时，咱们都要看不见伸到前面的手了。我们必须后退到高出大雾的一处地方去。”
我们从房子旁退开，也就从那片大雾之中撤出身来。大雾正在慢慢地沿着地面飘移着，还把那条小路遮挡在我们的视野之外。
“我们不该走得太远了，”福尔摩斯说道。“那样的话，亨利爵士就可能在到达我们这儿之前给斯台普顿逮着了。”
福尔摩斯单膝跪着，把耳朵贴在地面上。“感谢上帝，我想我已听到他走来了。”
然后，我们听到了小路上传来的急促的脚步声。过了一小会儿，亨利爵士走出了浓雾，在清朗的月色中继续走着。他沿着那条小路快速走来了，经过了离我们的隐藏之处很近的地方，又开始走上我们背后的山坡。他一边走，一边不时地转过头来向后张望，就像一个为有什么东西跟着他而担忧的人。
“听！”福尔摩斯突然尖声说道。“当心！它来了！”
我听到他将左轮手枪做好开火的准备，我也这么做了。
从浓雾里传来了急促而又轻巧的脚步声。那云状的浓雾已经飘到了距我们藏匿的地方不到50米之处。我们努力向雾里张望着，不知道那里将出现什么可怕的东西。我看了看福尔摩斯。他的双眼直勾勾地盯着这条小路被大雾遮没之处。他面色苍白，可是双眼闪闪发光。他看上去像一位即将赢得一生中最重要的比赛的人。接着，他的双眼突然之间几乎要从眼眶里迸出来了，嘴巴因惊吓而大张着。我从他的身上移开视线去看他注视的地方。当我看到从雾中窜出、向我们直面扑来的那个形状可怕的怪物时，我便吓得魂飞魄散了。左轮手枪几乎要从手中跌落了，而我的整个身体也因害怕而发僵了。
我看到了一只猎犬，一只大的、黑色的猎犬。它比我所见过的任何狗都要大。可是，是别的原因才使我们充满恐惧之情的。任何人都未见过与此类似的猎犬。火从它那张着的嘴巴里喷了出来。它的眼睛亮得像冒火一样。头和躯体都由火焰笼罩着。这是一幅比任何人的想像所及还要恐怖的景象——一只由从恶魔派来的地狱看门犬。它不是自然界的一个生灵。
那只发光的大黑猎犬快速地、悄无声息地在亨利爵士后面跑着。我们从这条小路的远处看到，亨利爵士转身向后看到了那只猎犬。他的脸色在月光下惨白，双手恐惧地举了起来。那个可怕的家伙逼近他时他绝望地瞪着眼睛。我们被这个幽灵鬼怪似的景象惊得竟发呆到了那种程度，以至于听任它从我们身旁跑过，我们自己还丝毫动弹不得。我们的朋友正濒于死亡的边缘，而我们则因恐怖而无能为力。
■ 17 The Search for the Murderer
Then our fear for Sir Henry became greater than our ter- ror．Holmes and I fired our revolvers together．The creature gave a loud cry of pain，and we knew we had hit it．But it did not stop，and ran on，after Sir Henry．
When we heard the cry of pain，our fears disappeared．This was no supernatural hound．Our bullets could hurt it，and we could kill it．We ran after it as fast as we could．I have never seen anyone run as quickly as Holmes ran that night，and I could not keep up with him．In front of us on the path we heard scream after scream from Sir Henry，and the deep voice of the hound．I saw the creature jump at Sir Henry and throw him to the ground．Its teeth went for his throat．But the next moment Holmes had emptied his revolver into the hound's body．It gave a last deep cry，its teeth closed on the empty air，and it fell to the ground．I put my revolver to its head，but I did not need to fire．The hound was dead．
Sir Henry lay unconscious where he had fallen．Quickly we opened the neck of his shirt．Holmes had fired just in time，and the hound's teeth had not reached our friend's throat．Already his eyes were beginning to open and he looked up at us．
'My God，'he whispered．'What was it？What in heaven's name was it？'
'It's dead，whatever it was，'said Holmes．'We've killed the family ghost for ever．'
The creature that lay before us was as large as a small lion．Its mouth and teeth were huge．They shone with blue flames．There were rings of blue fire round its cruel eyes，too．I touched the hound's burning coat．When I held up my hand，it，too，seemed to be on fire．
'Phosphorus，'I said，'That is why the hound appears to burn in the dark．Stapleton put phosphorous paint on the hound in the hut beside the house．'
But Holmes was thinking more about Sir Henry than about Stapleton's cleverness．
'I must apologize to you，Sir Henry，'he said．'I put your life in danger．I expected to see a huge hound，but not a crea- ture like this．The fog gave us a very short time to control our fear，and for moments we could not move．'
'Never mind，'said Sir Henry．'You saved my life
■ 16 巴斯克维尔猎犬
那个傍晚我和福尔摩斯坐着马车驶过沼地，直到看见我们前面的斯台普顿夫妇家的灯光才停了下来。然后，我们从马车里出来，开始无声无息地沿着那条小道朝那栋房子走去。当我们靠到很近时，福尔摩斯叫我停下来。他从衣兜里掏出了左轮手枪，我也这么干了。
“我们将藏在这些岩石后面，”他低声说道。“华生，你了解这栋房子，所以我想让你上前从窗户向里瞧瞧。我想知道斯台普顿夫妇和亨利爵士现在在什么地方以及他们正在干些什么。谨慎行事些，因为他们不该知道有人正在监视他们。”
我非常小心地、轻轻地朝房子挪去。我先从饭厅的窗户向里望去。斯台普顿和亨利爵士正坐着，还抽着雪茄，可是没有斯台普顿小姐的迹象。我又挪向了别的窗户，可看到她不在任何房间里。
我又返回到饭厅的窗户旁；当我又向里张望时，斯台普顿离开了房间，又走出了屋子。他去了屋子旁的一个小屋，还开了门上的锁。我听到了从小屋里发出的一种奇怪的响声，可是我想不出来是什么东西发出了这种响声。接着，斯台普顿锁好了房门，又回到屋里去了，还返回了饭厅。
我回到福尔摩斯那儿，告诉了他我所见到的一切。他想要知道斯台普顿小姐在哪里，我不得不对他说了两遍，说屋内没有她的迹象。
月光正照在格林盆大泥潭上，白雾正从那儿冉冉飘起。福尔摩斯望着白雾，开始露出担忧的神情。雾正从泥潭缓缓地沿着地面飘向这栋房子。我们藏在小路旁，那条小路正坐落在这栋房子离泥潭较远的那一边。
“雾正向我们移来，华生，形势很严峻，”福尔摩斯说道。“这正是会打乱我的计划的那件事。”
在我们注视时，已经飘到了房子旁边的雾开始围着整个房屋飞旋着。福尔摩斯用张开的手掌生气地打了一下我们前面的岩石。
“如果他在一刻钟之内再不出来，这条小路就要被大雾遮住了。再过半小时，咱们都要看不见伸到前面的手了。我们必须后退到高出大雾的一处地方去。”
我们从房子旁退开，也就从那片大雾之中撤出身来。大雾正在慢慢地沿着地面飘移着，还把那条小路遮挡在我们的视野之外。
“我们不该走得太远了，”福尔摩斯说道。“那样的话，亨利爵士就可能在到达我们这儿之前给斯台普顿逮着了。”
福尔摩斯单膝跪着，把耳朵贴在地面上。“感谢上帝，我想我已听到他走来了。”
然后，我们听到了小路上传来的急促的脚步声。过了一小会儿，亨利爵士走出了浓雾，在清朗的月色中继续走着。他沿着那条小路快速走来了，经过了离我们的隐藏之处很近的地方，又开始走上我们背后的山坡。他一边走，一边不时地转过头来向后张望，就像一个为有什么东西跟着他而担忧的人。
“听！”福尔摩斯突然尖声说道。“当心！它来了！”
我听到他将左轮手枪做好开火的准备，我也这么做了。
从浓雾里传来了急促而又轻巧的脚步声。那云状的浓雾已经飘到了距我们藏匿的地方不到50米之处。我们努力向雾里张望着，不知道那里将出现什么可怕的东西。我看了看福尔摩斯。他的双眼直勾勾地盯着这条小路被大雾遮没之处。他面色苍白，可是双眼闪闪发光。他看上去像一位即将赢得一生中最重要的比赛的人。接着，他的双眼突然之间几乎要从眼眶里迸出来了，嘴巴因惊吓而大张着。我从他的身上移开视线去看他注视的地方。当我看到从雾中窜出、向我们直面扑来的那个形状可怕的怪物时，我便吓得魂飞魄散了。左轮手枪几乎要从手中跌落了，而我的整个身体也因害怕而发僵了。
我看到了一只猎犬，一只大的、黑色的猎犬。它比我所见过的任何狗都要大。可是，是别的原因才使我们充满恐惧之情的。任何人都未见过与此类似的猎犬。火从它那张着的嘴巴里喷了出来。它的眼睛亮得像冒火一样。头和躯体都由火焰笼罩着。这是一幅比任何人的想像所及还要恐怖的景象——一只由从恶魔派来的地狱看门犬。它不是自然界的一个生灵。
那只发光的大黑猎犬快速地、悄无声息地在亨利爵士后面跑着。我们从这条小路的远处看到，亨利爵士转身向后看到了那只猎犬。他的脸色在月光下惨白，双手恐惧地举了起来。那个可怕的家伙逼近他时他绝望地瞪着眼睛。我们被这个幽灵鬼怪似的景象惊得竟发呆到了那种程度，以至于听任它从我们身旁跑过，我们自己还丝毫动弹不得。我们的朋友正濒于死亡的边缘，而我们则因恐怖而无能为力。
■ 17 The Search for the Murderer
Then our fear for Sir Henry became greater than our ter- ror．Holmes and I fired our revolvers together．The creature gave a loud cry of pain，and we knew we had hit it．But it did not stop，and ran on，after Sir Henry．
When we heard the cry of pain，our fears disappeared．This was no supernatural hound．Our bullets could hurt it，and we could kill it．We ran after it as fast as we could．I have never seen anyone run as quickly as Holmes ran that night，and I could not keep up with him．In front of us on the path we heard scream after scream from Sir Henry，and the deep voice of the hound．I saw the creature jump at Sir Henry and throw him to the ground．Its teeth went for his throat．But the next moment Holmes had emptied his revolver into the hound's body．It gave a last deep cry，its teeth closed on the empty air，and it fell to the ground．I put my revolver to its head，but I did not need to fire．The hound was dead．
Sir Henry lay unconscious where he had fallen．Quickly we opened the neck of his shirt．Holmes had fired just in time，and the hound's teeth had not reached our friend's throat．Already his eyes were beginning to open and he looked up at us．
'My God，'he whispered．'What was it？What in heaven's name was it？'
'It's dead，whatever it was，'said Holmes．'We've killed the family ghost for ever．'
The creature that lay before us was as large as a small lion．Its mouth and teeth were huge．They shone with blue flames．There were rings of blue fire round its cruel eyes，too．I touched the hound's burning coat．When I held up my hand，it，too，seemed to be on fire．
'Phosphorus，'I said，'That is why the hound appears to burn in the dark．Stapleton put phosphorous paint on the hound in the hut beside the house．'
But Holmes was thinking more about Sir Henry than about Stapleton's cleverness．
'I must apologize to you，Sir Henry，'he said．'I put your life in danger．I expected to see a huge hound，but not a crea- ture like this．The fog gave us a very short time to control our fear，and for moments we could not move．'
'Never mind，'said Sir Henry．'You saved my life