Page 195 - 血字的研究·四签名(外研社双语读库) (福尔摩斯探案全集)

前，两手插在裤袋里，嘴里吹着一首流行的圣歌。费里尔进来的时

候，他们向他点了点头，躺在椅子上的那个首先开了口。

"Maybe you don't know us," he said. "This here is the
son of Elder Drebber, and I'm Joseph Stangerson, who

travelled with you in the desert when the Lord stretched out
His hand and gathered you into the true fold."

“也许你还不认识我们，”他说，“这一位是德雷伯长老的儿子，

我是约瑟夫·斯坦格森，当上帝伸出他神圣的手，把你们引进善良的羊
群时，我们就和你们一块儿穿越了沙漠。”

"As He will all the nations in His own good time," said
the other in a nasal voice; "He grindeth slowly but
exceeding small."

“上帝终究是要把普天之下所有的人都引进来的，”另一个人鼻音

很重地说，“上帝虽然研磨得缓慢，但却非常精细，毫无疏漏。”

John Ferrier bowed coldly. He had guessed who his

visitors were. "We have come," continued Stangerson, "at
the advice of our fathers to solicit the hand of your daughter
for whichever of us may seem good to you and to her. As I
have but four wives and Brother Drebber here has seven, it
appears to me that my claim is the stronger one."

约翰·费里尔冷冷地鞠了个躬。他已经猜到了这两位来客的身
份。“我们来这里，”斯坦格森继续说道，“是奉了父亲的命令，前来

向你的女儿求婚，请你和你的女儿看看，我们两个人之中，你们更中
意谁。我呢，只有四个妻子，可是德雷伯兄弟已经有了七个，因此，

在我看来，我的需要比他大。”

"Nay, nay, Brother Stangerson," cried the other; "the

question is not how many wives we have, but how many we
can keep. My father has now given over his mills to me, and
I am the richer man."