《福尔摩斯探案集·铜山毛榉案》第14节
“At least,” said I as we heard her quick, firm steps descending the stairs, “she seems to be a young lady who is very well able to take care of herself.” “And she would need to be,” said Holmes gravely. “I am much mistaken if we do not hear from her before many days are past.” It was not very long before my friend’s prediction was fulfilled. A fortnight went by, during which I frequently found my thoughts turning in her direction and wondering what strange side-alley of human experience this lonely woman had strayed into. The unusual salary, the curious conditions, the light duties, all pointed to something abnormal, though whether a fad or a plot, or whether the man were a philanthropist or a villain, it was quite beyond my powers to determine. As to Holmes, I observed that he sat frequently for half an hour on end, with knitted brows and an abstracted air, but he swept the matter away with a wave of his hand when I mentioned it. “Data! data! data!” he cried impatiently. “I can’t make bricks without clay.” And yet he would always wind up by muttering that no sister of his should ever have accepted such a situation.
注释摘要
华生听见楼梯上传来维奥莱特·亨特小姐轻快而坚定的脚步声，便说了那句“她看起来是个很能照顾自己的年轻女士”。这话里带着一种宽慰，也带着叙述者本人对委托人的初步判断。华生试图从一个人的步态中读出性格，这种做法在日常生活中很常见，但我们在这里也能看出他作为叙述者的限度：他捕捉到了表面特征——脚步快而稳——并将它直接等同于内在的应对能力。 福尔摩斯的回答则把气氛一…