工程师大拇指案 18被砍掉的大拇指(4)

（单词翻译）

I glanced at the books upon the table, and in spite of my ignorance of German

我瞧着桌子上的书，尽管我不懂德文，

I could see that two of them were treatises¹ on science, the others being volumes of poetry.

我还是看出其中有两本是科学论文，其它是诗集。

Then I walked across to the window, hoping that I might catch some glimpse of the country-side,

我随后走到窗口，希望能看一看乡间的景色，

but an oak shutter², heavily barred, was folded across it.

但是一扇关闭得很严的栎木百叶窗遮住了窗子。

It was a wonderfully silent house.

房间里寂静的出奇。

There was an old clock ticking loudly somewhere in the passage, but otherwise everything was deadly still.

一座旧钟在走廊里不知什么地方滴嗒滴嗒地响着，除此之外，一切都是死一般的沉寂。

A vague feeling of uneasiness began to steal over me.

一阵模模糊糊的不安的感觉渐渐支配了我。

Who were these German people, and what were they doing living in this strange, out-of-the-way place?

这些德国人是些什么人，他们卜居在这穷乡僻壤干些什么勾当？

And where was the place?

这个地方又是在哪儿？

I was ten miles or so from Eyford, that was all I knew, but whether north, south, east, or west I had no idea.

我只知道这里距离艾津十英里左右，但是连东西南北，都分不清楚。

For that matter, Reading, and possibly other large towns, were within that radius³,

就这个地方的位置来说，雷丁可能还有其它一些大镇子的位置都是在这个半径范围之内，

so the place might not be so secluded⁴, after all.

所以这个地方可能并不那么偏僻。

Yet it was quite certain, from the absolute stillness, that we were in the country.

然而，这里是那么寂静，可以十分肯定我们是在乡间。

I paced up and down the room, humming a tune⁵ under my breath to keep up my spirits

我在房间里踱来踱去，低声地哼着小调来壮胆，

and feeling that I was thoroughly⁶ earning my fifty-guinea fee.

并感觉到我完全是为了挣那五十畿尼的酬金来的。