跳舞小人
      Holmes had been seated for some hours in silence with his long, thin back curved over a chemical vessel in which he was brewing a particularly malodorous product. His head was sunk upon his breast, and he looked from my point of view like a strange, lank bird, with dull grey plumage and a black topknot.
      “So, Watson,” said he, suddenly, “you do not propose to invest in South African securities?”
      I gave a start of astonishment. Accustomed as I was to Holmes’s curious faculties, this sudden intrusion into my most intimate thoughts was utterly inexplicable.
      “How on earth do you know that?” I asked.
      He wheeled round upon his stool, with a steaming test-tube in his hand and a gleam of amusement in his deep-set eyes.
      “Now, Watson, confess yourself utterly taken aback,” said he.
      “I am.”
      “I ought to make you sign a paper to that effect.”
      “Why?”
      “Because in five minutes you will say that it is all so absurdly simple.”
      “I am sure that I shall say nothing of the kind.”
      “You see, my dear Watson”—he propped his test-tube in the rack and began to lecture with
the air of a professor addressing his class—“it is not really difficult to construct a series of inferences, each dependent upon its predecessor and each simple in itself. If, after doing so, one simply knocks out all the central inferences and presents one’s audience with the starting-point and the conclusion, one may produce a startling, though possibly a meretricious, effect. Now, it was not really difficult, by an inspection of the groove between your left forefinger and thumb, to feel sure that you did not propose to invest your small capital in the goldfields.”
      “I see no connection.”
      “Very likely not; but I can quickly show you a close connection. Here are the missing links of the very simple chain: 1. You had chalk between your left finger and thumb when you returned from the club last night. 2. You put chalk there when you play billiards, to steady the cue. 3. You never play billiards except with Thurston. 4. You told me four weeks ago that Thurston had an option on some South African property which would expire in a month, and which he desired you to share with him. 5. Your cheque-book is locked in my drawer, and you have not asked for the key. 6. You do not propose to invest your money in this manner.”
      “How absurdly simple!” I cried.
      “Quite so!” said he, a little nettled. “Every problem becomes very childish when once it is explained to you. Here is an unexplained one. See what you can make of that, friend Watson.” He tossed a sheet of paper upon the table and turned once more to his chemical analysis.
I looked with amazement at the absurd hieroglyphics upon the paper.
       “Why, Holmes, it is a child’s drawing,” I cried.
       “Oh, that’s your idea!”
       “What else should it be?”
       “That is what Mr. Hilton Cubitt, of Riding Thorpe Manor, Norfolk, is very anxious to know. This little conundrum came by the first post, and he was to follow by the next train. There’s a ring at the bell, Watson. I should not be very much surprised if this were he.”
A heavy step was heard upon the stairs, and an instant later there entered a tall, ruddy, clean-shaven gentleman, whose clear eyes and florid cheeks told of a life led far from the fogs of Baker Street. He seemed to bring a whiff of his strong, fresh, bracing, east-coast air with him as he entered. Having shaken hands with each of us, he was about to sit down when his eye rested upon the paper with the curious markings, which I had just examined and left upon the table.
       “Well, Mr. Holmes, what do you make of these?” he cried. “They told me that you were fond of queer mysteries, and I don’t think you can find a queerer one than that. I sent the paper on ahead so that you might have time to study it before I came.”
      “It is certainly rather a curious production,” said Holmes. “At first sight it would appear to be some childish prank. It consists of a number of absurd little figures dancing across the paper upon which they are drawn. Why should you attribute any importance to so grotesque an object?”
      “I never should, Mr. Holmes. But my wife does. It is frightening her to death. She says nothing, but I can see terror in her eyes. That’s why I want to sift the matter to the bottom.”
       Holmes held up the paper so that the sunlight shone full upon it. It was a page torn from a note-book. The markings were done in pencil, and ran in this way:

      

      Holmes examined it for some time, and then, folding it carefully up, he placed it in his pocket-book.
       “This promises to be a most interesting and unusual case,” said he. “You gave me a few particulars in your letter, Mr. Hilton Cubitt, but I should be very much obliged if you would kindly go over it all again for the benefit of my friend, Dr. Watson.”

中文翻译
      福尔摩斯已经一言不发地坐了好几个钟头,忙着用化学容器炼制一种味道特别难闻的玩意儿。
      他弓着瘦长的脊背,脑袋贴在胸前,从我的角度看过去活像是一只瘦骨嶙峋的异鸟,身披暗灰色的羽衣、头顶黑色的冠毛。
      “如此说来,华生,”他没头没脑地说道,“你是不打算投资南非证券喽?”
      听了这话,我惊得猛一激灵。这一次,福尔摩斯突如其来地道破了我最隐秘的心事,尽管我对他的特异本领十分熟悉,但却还是完全想不出其中的道理。
      “这你究竟是怎么知道的呢?”我问道。他从凳子上转过身来,手里拿着一支热气腾腾的试管,深陷的眼睛里闪着恶作剧式的精光。
      “好了,华生,赶快坦白,你已经彻底晕头转向。”
      他说道。
      “确实如此。”
      “我得让你立张字据,给这件事情留个证明。”
      “为什么?”
      “因为五分钟之后,你就会说,这一切真是简单得可笑。”
      “我肯定不会说这种话。”
      “你明白吧,亲爱的华生,”——他把手里的试管插到架子上,摆出了教授讲课的架势——“要打造一根完整的演绎链条,并不是一件特别困难的事情,因为每一个单独的环节都很简单,都有前面的演绎作为基础。演绎链条构筑完成之后,你只需要砸掉所有的中间环节,再把链条的起点和终点同时呈现在观众面前,就可以制造出一种技惊四座,同时又可能流于粗鄙浮夸的效果。就拿这次来说吧,只需要好好看看你左手的虎口,谁都可以轻轻松松地断定,你不打算把你那笔小小的资金投进南非的金矿。”
      “我看不出这两件事情有什么联系。”
      “你多半是看不出,可我马上就会让你看到,两者之间的联系是多么的紧密。这根演绎链条非常简单,你没看见的只是以下几个中间环节:一、昨晚你从俱乐部回来的时候,左手的虎口沾着壳粉;二、你在虎口涂壳粉是为了稳定球杆,说明你打过台球;三、你只跟瑟斯顿打台球,从来不跟别人打;四、四个星期之前,你跟我说过,瑟斯顿手头有买进某种南非证券的期权,一个月之内就要到期,而他打算拉上你一起买;五、你的支票簿锁在我的抽屉里,你并没有问我要过钥匙;六、你不打算按这种方式进行投资。”
      “这真是简单得可笑!”我叫道。
      “你说得对!”他说话的时候带上了一点儿火气。“我给你解释完之后,所有的问题都变成了小孩子的把戏。喏,这儿有一个尚未得到解释的问题。我倒要看看,你能从里面看出些什么,华生老弟。”他把一张纸片扔到桌上,跟着就转过身去,重新投入了他的化学分析。
      我看了看纸上那些鬼画符一般的图形,只觉得莫名其妙。
      “咳,福尔摩斯,这不是小孩子的乱涂乱画嘛。”我大声说道。
      “喔,你的结论就是这个!”
      “不是这个,还能是什么?”
      “你这个问题,诺福克郡莱丁索普宅邸的希尔顿•丘比特先生也很想弄明白。这个谜语是早班邮差捎来的,他本人也会搭紧随其后的一班火车赶过来。这不,华生,门铃已经响了。来的人如果是他的话,我是不会觉得特别意外的。”
      楼梯上传来一阵沉重的脚步声,片刻之后,一位高个子绅士走了进来,脸刮得精光,清澈的眼睛和红润的双颊诉说着一种与贝克街的腾腾烟雾相去遥远的生活。进屋的时候,他似乎把东海岸那种浓郁清新的空气带了进来,让人精神一振。跟我俩握过手之后,他刚要坐下,却在突然之间瞥见了那张画着古怪符号的纸片。那张纸片我刚刚看完,这会儿还留在桌子上。
      “呃,福尔摩斯先生,这东西您怎么看呢?”他大声说道,“他们说您特别喜欢古怪的谜题,依我看,比这还古怪的谜题您可找不出来。我提前寄来这张纸片,就是为了让您有时间研究一下,不用等我来。”
      “这东西确实古怪,”福尔摩斯说道,“乍一看,大家多半会觉得它是一种孩子气的恶作剧,不过是画在纸上的一横排怪模怪样的跳舞小人而已。既然它如此怪诞无稽,您为什么会觉得它事关重大呢?”
      “我当然不会这么觉得,福尔摩斯先生。可是,我妻子这么觉得。这东西都快把她给吓死了。她什么也没说,可我能看见她眼睛里的恐惧。就是由于这个原因,我才要把这件事情追查到底。”
      福尔摩斯把纸片举到了阳光下。纸片是从记事本上扯下来的,上面是一些用铅笔画的符号,如下图所示:

      

      福尔摩斯仔仔细细地看了一阵,然后就小心翼翼地把纸片叠起来,放进了自己的记事本。
       “这多半会成为一个极有趣味、极不寻常的案子,”他说道,“您的信里已经提到了一些细节,希尔顿•丘比特先生,可我还是很想麻烦您把所有事情再讲一遍,让我朋友华生医生听一听。”

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