蓝宝石案 16蓝宝石现身(6)

（单词翻译）

When the commissionaire had gone, Holmes took up the stone and held it against the light.

看门人走了以后，福尔摩斯拿起宝石对着光线仔细鉴赏。

"It's a bonny thing," said he. "Just see how it glints and sparkles.

"真是一颗美奂绝伦的宝石，"他说，"请看看它是何等地光彩照耀呀。

Of course it is a nucleus¹ and focus of crime. Every good stone is.

当然，它又是罪恶的渊薮。每颗珍贵的宝石无不如此。

They are the devil's pet baits. In the larger and older jewels every facet² may stand for a bloody³ deed.

它们是魔鬼最得意的诱饵。在更大的和更古老的宝石上，每一个刻面都象征着一个血腥的罪行。

This stone is not yet twenty years old.

这颗宝石问世以来还不到二十年。

It was found in the banks of the Amoy River in southern China

它是在华南厦门河岸上发现的，

and is remarkable⁴ in having every characteristic of the carbuncle, save that it is blue in shade instead of ruby⁵ red.

它的奇异之处在于，除了它是蔚蓝色的而不是鲜红色的这一点之外，它具有红宝石的一切特点，

In spite of its youth, it has already a sinister⁶ history.

尽管它流传在世为时不长，可是已经有过一段不幸的历史了。

There have been two murders, a vitriol- throwing, a suicide, and several robberies

已经发生了两起谋杀案，一起浇洒硝镪水毁人容貌案，一起自杀案，另外还有几起抢劫案，

brought about for the sake of this forty-grain weight of crystallized charcoal⁷.

就是由于这颗重四十谷的结晶碳的缘故。

Who would think that so pretty a toy would be a purveyor⁸ to the gallows⁹ and the prison?

谁能想到如此美丽的小装饰品竟是向绞刑架和监狱输送罪犯的供应商呢？

I'll lock it up in my strong box now and drop a line to the Countess to say that we have it."

我要把它锁在我的保险柜里，并写一封短笺给伯爵夫人，说我们已经觅获这颗宝石。"