At the farther end was a small brazier of burning charcoal,

在远处一头，有一个小炭火盆，炭火熊熊。

beside which on a three-legged wooden stool there sat a tall, thin old man,

盆旁一只三足木板凳上坐着一个瘦高的老头，

with his jaw resting upon his two fists, and his elbows upon his knees, staring into the fire.

双拳托腮，两肘支在膝盖上，双目凝视着炭火。

As I entered, a sallow Malay attendant had hurried up with a pipe for me and a supply of the drug, beckoning me to an empty berth.

当我进屋时，一个面无血色的马来人伙计兴冲冲地走上前来，递给我一杆烟枪和一份烟剂，招呼我到一张空榻上去。

"Thank you. I have not come to stay," said I.

"谢谢你。我不是来久呆的，"我说，

"There is a friend of mine here, Mr. Isa Whitney, and I wish to speak with him."

"我有一位朋友艾萨·惠特尼先生在这里。我要找他说话。"

There was a movement and an exclamation from my right,

在我右边有人蠕动并发出喊声。

and peering through the gloom I saw Whitney, pale, haggard, and unkempt, staring out at me.

我透过暗淡的灯光瞧见惠特尼面色苍白，憔悴不堪，邋里邋遢，睁大眼睛盯着我。

"My God! It's Watson," said he. He was in a pitiable state of reaction, with every nerve in a twitter.

"天哪！原来是华生！"他说，他答话的样子显得既可怜又可鄙，他的每条神经似乎都处于紧张状态。

"I say, Watson, what o'clock is it?" "Nearly eleven."

"嘿，华生，几点钟了？""快十一点钟了。"

"Of what day?" "Of Friday, June 19th."

"哪天的十一点钟？""星期五，六月十九日。"

"Good heavens! I thought it was Wednesday. It is Wednesday. What d'you want to frighten the chap for?"

"我的天！我一直认为是星期三。今天是星期三，你吓唬人干什么？"

He sank his face onto his arms and began to sob in a high treble key.

他低下头，把脸埋在双臂之间，开始放声痛哭起来。