关于本书
这部经典侦探小说讲述了夏洛克·福尔摩斯和华生医生调查英国乡间一桩离奇死亡案的故事。当一位当地医生带着一个令人毛骨悚然的家族传说前来苦苦求助时，两人必须解开一桩牵涉被诅咒家族的复杂案件。这是一部扣人心弦的推理小说，将充满氛围的悬疑与福尔摩斯敏锐的演绎推理融为一体。
开篇
Chapter 1. Mr. Sherlock Holmes
第一章 夏洛克·福尔摩斯先生
Mr. Sherlock Holmes, who was usually very late in the mornings, save upon those not infrequent occasions
夏洛克·福尔摩斯先生早上通常起得很晚，除了那些并不少见的场合，
when he was up all night, was seated at the breakfast table.
即他通宵未睡的时候，此刻他正坐在早餐桌旁。
I stood upon the hearth-rug and picked up the stick which our visitor had left behind him the night before.
我站在壁炉前的地毯上，拿起了我们的来访者前一天晚上落下的那根手杖。
It was a fine, thick piece of wood, bulbous-headed, of the sort which is known as a “Penang lawyer.”
那是一根很好的粗木杖，杖头呈球状，属于被称为“槟榔屿律师”的那一种。
Just under the head was a broad silver band nearly an inch across.
就在杖头下面，有一道将近一英寸宽的宽银箍。
“To James Mortimer, M.R.C.S., from his friends of the C.C.H.,” was engraved upon it, with the date “1884.”
上面刻着“赠皇家外科医学会会员詹姆斯·莫蒂默，C.C.H.的朋友们敬赠”，还有日期“1884年”。
It was just such a stick as the old-fashioned family practitioner used to carry—dignified, solid, and reassuring.
这正是一根老派的家庭医生常常带着的那种手杖——庄重、结实、令人放心。
“Well, Watson, what do you make of it?”
“喂，华生，你对它怎么看？”
Holmes was sitting with his back to me, and I had given him no sign of my occupation.
福尔摩斯背对着我坐着，而我并没有向他透露过我在做什么的任何迹象。
“How did you know what I was doing?
“你怎么知道我在做什么？
I believe you have eyes in the back of your head.”
我相信你脑袋后面长着眼睛。”
“I have, at least, a well-polished, silver-plated coffee-pot in front of me,” said he.
“至少，我面前有一把擦得锃亮的镀银咖啡壶。”他说。
“But, tell me, Watson, what do you make of our visitor’s stick?
“不过，告诉我，华生，你对我们来访者的这根手杖怎么看？
Since we have been so unfortunate as to miss him
既然我们这么不走运，错过了他，
and have no notion of his errand, this accidental souvenir becomes of importance.
又不知道他来办什么事，这件偶然留下的纪念品就变得重要起来了。
Let me hear you reconstruct the man by an examination of it.”
让我听听你如何通过检查它来重现这个人吧。”
“I think,” said I, following as far as I could the methods of my companion,
“我认为，”我说，尽可能地遵循我同伴的方法，
“that Dr. Mortimer is a successful, elderly medical man, well-esteemed since those who know him give him this mark of their appreciation.”
“莫蒂默医生是一位事业有成、上了年纪的医生，很受人尊敬，因为认识他的人送给了他这件表示赞赏的标志。”
“Good!” said Holmes.
“好！”福尔摩斯说。