Page 317 - 血字的研究·四签名(外研社双语读库) (福尔摩斯探案全集)

making an appointment in such a way that my man Williams
might be able to see you first. I have complete confidence in

his discretion, and he had orders, if he were dissatisfied, to
proceed no further in the matter. You will excuse these
precautions, but I am a man of somewhat retiring, and I
might even say refined, tastes, and there is nothing more
unaesthetic than a policeman. I have a natural shrinking

from all forms of rough materialism. I seldom come in
contact with the rough crowd. I live, as you see, with some
little atmosphere of elegance around me. I may call myself a

patron of the arts. It is my weakness. The landscape is a
genuine Corot, and though a connoisseur might perhaps
throw a doubt upon that Salvator Rosa, there cannot be the
least question about the Bouguereau. I am partial to the
modern French school."

“当我最初决定要联系你的时候，”他说，“我也许应该给你我的
地址，但我害怕你会无视我的要求，带来不合适的人。所以我才这样

安排，叫我的仆人先和你们见面。我完全信任他的谨慎细心，我嘱咐
过他，如果情形不对，就不要把事情进行下去。请原谅我的警惕，因

为我是一个不愿与人来往的人，甚至可以说很孤傲，我认为，没有比
警察更不文雅的人了。我天生就不喜欢任何粗俗、世故的人，也极少

跟那些粗人接触。我的生活，如同你们所看到的，是十分雅致而高贵

的。我可以自命为艺术鉴赏家。这是我的嗜好。那幅风景画确实是柯
罗的真迹，有的鉴赏家也许会怀疑那幅塞尔瓦托·罗萨的作品的真伪，

可是那幅布格罗的画毫无疑问是真品。我特别钟爱现代法国派。”

"You will excuse me, Mr. Sholto," said Miss Morstan, "but
I am here at your request to learn something which you
desire to tell me. It is very late, and I should desire the

interview to be as short as possible."

“请原谅，肖尔托先生，”摩斯坦小姐说道，“我应邀前来，是因
为你有话要跟我讲。现在时间不早了，我希望这次会面能尽量简短。”