The Five Orange Pips

五个桔核

When I glance over my notes and records of the Sherlock Holmes cases between the years '82 and '90,

当我粗略地看了一遍我积存的一八八二年至一八九零年间福尔摩斯侦探案的笔记和记录时，

I am faced by so many which present strange and interesting features

我发觉摆在我眼前离奇有趣的材料浩如烟海，实在太多了，

that it is no easy matter to know which to choose and which to leave.

竟不知如何取舍是好。

Some, however, have already gained publicity through the papers,

有些案件通过报纸已经广为流传，

and others have not offered a field for those peculiar qualities which my friend possessed in so high a degree,

但是也有些案件缺乏可供我的朋友尽情发挥其出类拔萃的才能的余地，

and which it is the object of these papers to illustrate.

而我的朋友的这种卓越才能正是那些报纸亟想报道的主要题材。

Some, too, have baffled his analytical skill, and would be, as narratives, beginnings without an ending,

还有些案件使得他的擅长于分析的本领无法施展，正像有些故事一样，成为有头无尾的了。

while others have been but partially cleared up, and have their explanations founded

又有一些案件，他仅搞清楚了一部分，对其情节的剖析只是出于推测或臆断，

rather upon conjecture and surmise than on that absolute logical proof which was so dear to him.

而不是以我的朋友所珍视的、准确无误的逻辑论证为依据。

There is, however, one of these last which was so remarkable in its details and so startling in its results

在上述最后一类案件中，有一个案件情节异常、结局离奇，

that I am tempted to give some account of it

使我不禁要有所叙述，

in spite of the fact that there are points in connection with it which never have been,

尽管与这桩案子有关的一些真相是从未弄明白过，

and probably never will be, entirely cleared up.

而且也许是永远弄不明白的。

The year '87 furnished us with a long series of cases of greater or less interest, of which I retain the records.

一八八七年我们经手过一系列颇为有趣和趣味不大的案件，有关这些案件的记录，我都保留着。

Among my headings under this one twelve months I find an account of the adventure of the Paradol Chamber,

在这一年的十二个月的记录的标题中，有关于如下各案的记载："帕拉多尔大厦案"；

of the Amateur Mendicant Society, who held a luxurious club in the lower vault of a furniture warehouse,

"业余乞丐团案"，这个业余乞丐团在一个家具店库房的地下室拥有一个穷奢极侈的俱乐部；

of the facts connected with the loss of the British bark Sophy Anderson,

"美国帆船'索菲·安德森'号失事真相案"；

of the singular adventures of the Grice Patersons in the island of Uffa, and finally of the Camberwell poisoning case.

"格赖斯·彼得森在乌法岛上的奇案"；还有"坎伯韦尔放毒案"。

In the latter, as may be remembered, Sherlock Holmes was able, by winding up the dead man's watch,

记得在最后一案里，当歇洛克·福尔摩斯给死者的表上发条时，

to prove that it had been wound up two hours before, and that therefore the deceased had gone to bed within that time

发现该表在两小时前曾被上紧了发条，从而证明在那段时间里死者业已上床就寝。

a deduction which was of the greatest importance in clearing up the case.

这一推论对于廓清案情至关重要。

All these I may sketch out at some future date,

所有这些案件，我有朝一日也许会略述其梗概，

but none of them present such singular features as the strange train of circumstances which I have now taken up my pen to describe.

但是其中没有一个案件比我现在就要执笔描述的有着一连串扑朔迷离的情节的案件更加怪诞不经。