Page 251 - 血字的研究·四签名(外研社双语读库) (福尔摩斯探案全集)

He cowered away with wild cries and prayers for mercy,
but I drew my knife and held it to his throat until he had

obeyed me. Then I swallowed the other, and we stood facing
one another in silence for a minute or more, waiting to see
which was to live and which was to die. Shall I ever forget
the look which came over his face when the first warning
pangs told him that the poison was in his system? I laughed

as I saw it, and held Lucy's marriage ring in front of his eyes.
It was but for a moment, for the action of the alkaloid is
rapid. A spasm of pain contorted his features; he threw his

hands out in front of him, staggered, and then, with a
hoarse cry, fell heavily upon the floor. I turned him over with
my foot, and placed my hand upon his heart. There was no
movement. He was dead!"

他吓得躲到一边，大喊大叫，祈求宽恕，但是，我拔出刀来，指
着他的喉咙，直到他乖乖地吞下了一粒。我也吞下了剩下的一粒，我

们面对面一声不响地站着，有一两分钟，等着瞧究竟谁死谁活。最初
的剧痛告诉他自己吞下了毒药，他当时的那副嘴脸，我怎么会忘记

呢？我看见他那副样子，不禁大笑起来，并且把露西的结婚戒指举到
他的眼前。可是，这一切只花了一小会儿工夫，因为那种生物碱的作

用发挥得很快。一阵痛苦的痉挛使他的面目都扭曲变形了，他两手向
前伸出，摇晃着，接着就惨叫一声，一头倒在地板上了。我用脚把他

翻转过来，用手摸摸他的胸口。心脏不跳了。他死了！”

"The blood had been streaming from my nose, but I had

taken no notice of it. I don't know what it was that put it into
my head to write upon the wall with it. Perhaps it was some
mischievous idea of setting the police upon a wrong track,
for I felt light-hearted and cheerful. I remembered a German
being found in New York with RACHE written up above him,

and it was argued at the time in the newspapers that the
secret societies must have done it. I guessed that what
puzzled the New Yorkers would puzzle the Londoners, so I

dipped my finger in my own blood and printed it on a
convenient place on the wall. Then I walked down to my cab