《福尔摩斯探案集·蓝宝石案》第12节
“Hum! So much for the police-court,” said Holmes thoughtfully, tossing aside the paper. “The question for us now to solve is the sequence of events leading from a rifled jewel-case at one end to the crop of a goose in Tottenham Court Road at the other. You see, Watson, our little deductions have suddenly assumed a much more important and less innocent aspect. Here is the stone; the stone came from the goose, and the goose came from Mr. Henry Baker, the gentleman with the bad hat and all the other characteristics with which I have bored you. So now we must set ourselves very seriously to finding this gentleman and ascertaining what part he has played in this little mystery. To do this, we must try the simplest means first, and these lie undoubtedly in an advertisement in all the evening papers. If this fail, I shall have recourse to other methods.” “What will you say?” “Give me a pencil and that slip of paper. Now, then: ‘Found at the corner of Goodge Street, a goose and a black felt hat. Mr. Henry Baker can have the same by applying at 6:30 this evening at 221B, Baker Street.’ That is clear and concise.”
注释摘要
福尔摩斯读完报纸上那则关于珠宝失窃案的警方法庭报道，把报纸丢开，说了一句颇耐人寻味的话：警方那边的情况就到这里了。他立刻将问题的焦点重新框定——现在要解决的，是从一端被撬开的珠宝箱，到另一端托特纳姆法院路一只鹅的嗉囊之间，这中间到底发生了什么序列的事件。 这句话本身就是一个精彩的叙事转折。就在这一节开头，福尔摩斯还笑着说这顶破帽子不涉及犯罪，不过是四百万人…