'Did you keep any of these written orders?' asked Mr Utterson.
“你还留有任何字条吗？”厄特森先生问。
Poole reached in his pocket and brought out a note. The lawyer read it carefully. It said: 'I am returning your chemicals, as they are impure and therefore useless. In the year 18-you made up a mixture of chemical powders for Doctor Henry Jekyll. Please search your cupboards for some more of the same mixture and send it to Doctor Jekyll AT ONCE. This is VERY IMPORTANT.'
普尔将手伸进口袋拿出张便条。律师读得很仔细。上面写着：“我要把药退了，因质地不纯，无法使用。在18年时，您帮亨利·哲基尔博士弄了份混合药包。麻烦您再在橱窗中找那相同的混合药包，立马给到哲基尔博士。切记。”
'This is a strange note,' said Mr Utterson.
“真是张不寻常的便条。”厄特森先生说。
'The chemist thought so too, sir,' said Poole. 'When I took him this note, he cried, "All my chemicals are pure, and you can tell your master so!", and he threw the note back at me.
“药剂师也这么想，先生，”普尔说。“当我把字条给他时，他脱口而出‘我所有的药质地都很纯，你这么跟你主人说。’，就将字条又丢给我了。”
'Are you sure this is your master's handwriting?' asked Mr Utterson.
“你确定是你主人的字吗？”厄特森先生问。
'Of course, sir,' said Poole. 'But what does handwriting matter? I've seen my master's murderer.'
“确定，先生，”普尔说。“但字迹有啥用呢？我都见过杀主人的凶手了。”
'Seen him?' repeated Mr Utterson.
“见过凶手？”厄特森先生重复道。
'Yes! It was like this. I came suddenly into the laboratory from the garden. I think he had left the study to look for something. The study door was open and there he was at the far end of the laboratory. He was searching among some old boxes. He looked up when I came in, gave a kind of cry and ran upstairs and into the study. I only saw him for a moment, but my blood seemed to freeze. Sir, if that was my master, why was he wearing a mask over his face? If it was my master, why did he cry out like a trapped animal and run away from me? I've been his servant for twenty years. And then...' Poole paused, and covered his face with his hands, too upset to speak.
“是的。事情是这样的。我从花园突然闯进实验室。原以为他早离开实验室找东西去了。书房的门着开，他就在实验室的另一端。他正在翻之前的旧箱子。我进屋时他抬起头就一阵尖叫，冲进了楼上的书房。我只看到他一会会，吓得直僵在那。先生，如果他是主人，为何要戴面具？如果他是主人，为何他会发出犹如困兽的嘶吼又仓皇逃开？我都当他仆人二十年了，再是……”普尔没再说话，而是双手掩面，哽咽地说不出话。
'This is all very mysterious,' said Mr Utterson, 'but I think I begin to understand. Your master, Poole, is ill. And the illness has changed his appearance. Perhaps that also explains the change in his voice. It certainly explains the mask and the way he has been avoiding his friends. And of course, he's searching for these chemicals because he believes they will make him well again. Dear God, I hope he's right! Poor Jekyll-that is my explanation. It's sad enough, Poole, but it's normal and natural, and there's nothing to be alarmed about.'
“这确实很奇怪，”厄特森先生说，“但我想我终于明白了。普尔，你主人病了，病症改变了他的样貌，或许这就能解释声音的变化了。同样也解释了面具和对朋友的拒而不见了。还有他要找的那些药，因为他相信那药能再治愈他。上帝！佑他平安！可伶的哲基尔――我是这么想的。真让人难受，普尔，但很平常，没有什么可怕的了。”
'Sir,' said the servant, 'that... thing was not my master. My master is a tall, fine, well-built man. The stranger was much shorter...Sir, I have been with my master for twenty years and I know his appearance as well as I know my own. No, sir, that thing in the mask was never Doctor Jekyll, and I believe that he-it- murdered my master!'
“先生”普尔说，“那……那物不是我主人！我主人高高大大的、体型很好。那不知名物要矮得多……先生，我在主人这20年了，对他的样貌就像自己的一样了解。先生，那戴面具的不是哲基尔博士，我想是他――它――杀了我主人。”
'Poole,' said the lawyer, 'if you say that, I must make sure We must break down the study door.'
“普尔”律师说，“你要这么说，我们得卸掉书房的门一探究竟。”
'You're right, Mr Utterson!' cried the old servant.
“是这样，厄特森先生。”老仆人喊。
'Very well. Will you help me? If we are wrong, I'll make sure that you're not blamed for it.'
“好的。你会帮我吗？要是我们做的不对，我也能保你不会因此受罚。”
'There's an axe in the laboratory,' suggested Poole.
“实验室里有把斧子。”普尔提议。
'You realize, Poole,' said Mr Utterson, 'that this may be dangerous for us both? Let us now be honest with each other. This masked figure that you saw-you're certain that it was not your master.'
“你清楚的，普尔”厄特森先生说，“这可能会对我俩不利。我们还得坦诚些。你看到的那戴着面具的――你确定那不是你主人。”
'That' s right, sir.'
“是的，先生。”
'Did you in fact recognize it?'
“你真的认清楚了吗？”
'Well, sir, it was all so quick that I'm not really sure. But-well, I think it was Mr Hyde. It was short, like Mr Hyde, and it moved in the same light, quick, active way. And who else could come in by the laboratory door from the street? You must remember, sir, that at the time of the Carew murder Mr Hyde still had the laboratory key with him. But that's not all. Mr Utterson, did you ever meet Mr Hyde?'
“好吧，先生，那一切都太快了，不是很确定。但――呃，我猜是海德先生。它很矮，像海德先生一样，就连走路的步履、快慢、方式都一样。还有谁能从街上的门进实验室呢？先生，你应该还记得卡鲁先生遇害时，海德先生还拿着实验室的钥匙。但这也知道的不全。厄特森先生，你以前见过海德先生吗？”
'Yes,' replied the lawyer. 'I once spoke with him.'
“见过”律师回，“我之前跟他说过话。”
'Then you will know, sir, that there is something strange about Mr Hyde, something evil.'
“那你明白的，先生，感觉海德先生有点怪，有点阴暗。”
'I agree with you,' said Mr Utterson. 'I felt something like that, too.'
“是”厄特森先生说。“我也有那种感觉。”
'Yes, sir. Well, when that thing in the mask jumped out from behind the boxes and ran up the stairs, I had exactly the same feeling. That thing behind the mask was Mr Hyde!'
“是的，先生。呃，当那戴着面具的从箱子中跳出来冲上楼时，我就有那种感觉。那戴面具的是海德先生。”
更多译文：
《化身博士》更新中
《雾都孤儿》（完）
《多里安·格雷的画像》（完）
《秘密花园》（完）
PS:本书为牛津系列简易读物，由英国著名作家罗斯玛丽·博德根据英国作家查罗伯特·路易莎·斯蒂文森的同名小说改写。
英文为书虫系列原文，译文是笔者翻译。本文仅因个人兴趣而译，故本文谢绝转载和各种商业用途，同时承诺若出现任何责任由作者承担，必要时可删除文章。