Sherlock Holmes chuckled to himself, and appeared to be about to make some remark,
福尔摩斯暗自笑了一笑，正要说些什么，
when Lestrade, who had been in the front room while we were holding this conversation in thehall,
这时雷斯垂德又来了，洋洋得意地搓着双手。
reappeared upon the scene, rubbing his hands in a pompous and self-satisfied manner.
我们和葛莱森在屋里谈话的时候，他是在前屋里。
"Mr. Gregson," he said, "I have just made a discovery of the highest importance,
"葛莱森先生，"他说，"我刚才发现了一件顶顶重要的事情。
and one which would have been overlooked had I not made a careful examination of the walls."
要不是我仔细地检查了墙壁，就会把它漏过了。"
The little man's eyes sparkled as he spoke,
这个小个子说话时，眼睛闪闪有光，
and he was evidently in a state of suppressed exultation at having scored a point against hiscolleague.
显然是因为他胜过了他同僚一着而在自鸣得意。
"Come here," he said, bustling back into the room,
"到这里来，"他一边说着，一边很快地回到前屋里。
the atmosphere of which felt clearer since the removal of its ghastly inmate.
由于尸体已经抬走，屋中空气似乎清新了许多。
"Now, stand there!" He struck a match on his boot and held it up against the wall.
"好，请站在那里！"他在靴子上划燃了一根火柴，举起来照着墙壁。
"Look at that!" he said, triumphantly.
"瞧瞧那个！"他得意地说。
I have remarked that the paper had fallen away in parts.
我前面说过，墙上的花纸已经有许多地方剥落了下来。
In this particular corner of the room a large piece had peeled off,
就在这个墙角上，在有一大片花纸剥落了的地方，
leaving a yellow square of coarse plastering.
露出一块粗糙的黄色粉墙。
Across this bare space there was scrawled in blood-red letters a single word--RACHE
在这处没有花纸的墙上，有一个用鲜血潦草写成的字：拉契（RACHE）
"What do you think of that?" cried the detective, with the air of a showman exhibiting his show.
"你对这个字的看法怎么样？"这个侦探象马戏班的老板夸耀自己的把戏一样地大声说道，
"This was overlooked because it was in the darkest corner of the room, and no one thought oflooking there.
"这个字所以被人忽略，因为它是在屋中最黑暗的角落里，谁也没有想起到这里来看看。
The murderer has written it with his or her own blood.
这是凶手蘸着他或者是她自己的血写的。
See this smear where it has trickled down the wall!
瞧，还有血顺墙往下流的痕迹呢！
That disposes of the idea of suicide anyhow.
从这点就可以看出：无论如何这决不是自杀。
Why was that corner chosen to write it on?
为什么要选择这个角落写呢？
I will tell you. See that candle on the mantelpiece.
我可以告诉你，你看壁炉上的那段蜡烛。
It was lit at the time, and if it was lit this corner would be the brightest instead of the darkestportion of the wall."
当时它是点着的，如果是点着的，那么这个墙角就是最亮而不是最黑的地方了。"
"And what does it mean now that you have found it?" asked Gregson in a depreciatory voice.
"葛莱森轻蔑地说："可是，你就是发现了这个字迹，又有什么意义呢？"
"Mean? Why, it means that the writer was going to put the female name Rachel,
"什么意义吗？这说明写字的人是要写一个女人的名字'瑞契儿' ，
but was disturbed before he or she had time to finish.
但是有什么事打搅了他，因此他或者是她就没有来得及写完。
You mark my words, when this case comes to be cleared up, you will find that a woman namedRachel has something to do with it.
你记住我的话，等到全案弄清楚以后，你一定能够发现一个名叫' 瑞契儿' 的女人和这个案子有关系。
It's all very well for you to laugh, Mr. Sherlock Holmes.
你现在尽可以笑话我，福尔摩斯先生；
You may be very smart and clever, but the old hound is the best, when all is said and done."
你也许是非常聪明能干的，但归根结底，生姜还是老的辣。"
"I really beg your pardon!" said my companion, who had ruffled the little man's temper bybursting into an explosion of laughter.
我的同伴听了他的意见后，不禁纵声大笑起来，这样就激怒了这个小个子。福尔摩斯说："实在对不起！
"You certainly have the credit of being the first of us to find this out and, as you say,
你的确是我们三个人中第一个发现这个字迹的，自然应当归功于你。而且正如你所说的一样，
it bears every mark of having been written by the other participant in last night's mystery.
由此可以充分看出，这字是昨夜惨案中另一个人写的。
I have not had time to examine this room yet, but with your permission I shall do so now."
我还没来得及检查这间屋子。你如允许，我现在就要进行检查。"
As he spoke, he whipped a tape measure and a large round magnifying glass from his pocket.
他说着，很快地就从口袋里拿出一个卷尺和一个很大的圆形放大镜。
With these two implements he trotted noiselessly about the room,
他拿着这两样工具，在屋里默默地走来走去，
sometimes stopping, occasionally kneeling, and once lying flat upon his face.
有时站住，有时跪下，有一次竟趴在地上了。
So engrossed was he with his occupation that he appeared to have forgotten our presence,
他全神贯注地工作着，似乎把我们全都忘掉了；
for he chattered away to himself under his breath the whole time,
他一直在自言自语地低声嘀咕着，
keeping up a running fire of exclamations, groans, whistles, and little cries suggestive ofencouragement and of hope.
一会儿惊呼，一会儿叹息，有时吹起口哨，有时又象充满希望、受到鼓舞似地小声叫了起来。