《福尔摩斯探案集·红发会》第21节
“What are you going to do, then?” I asked. “To smoke,” he answered. “It is quite a three pipe problem, and I beg that you won’t speak to me for fifty minutes.” He curled himself up in his chair, with his thin knees drawn up to his hawk-like nose, and there he sat with his eyes closed and his black clay pipe thrusting out like the bill of some strange bird. I had come to the conclusion that he had dropped asleep, and indeed was nodding myself, when he suddenly sprang out of his chair with the gesture of a man who has made up his mind and put his pipe down upon the mantelpiece. “Sarasate plays at the St. James’s Hall this afternoon,” he remarked. “What do you think, Watson? Could your patients spare you for a few hours?” “I have nothing to do to-day. My practice is never very absorbing.” “Then put on your hat and come. I am going through the City first, and we can have some lunch on the way. I observe that there is a good deal of German music on the programme, which is rather more to my taste than Italian or French. It is introspective, and I want to introspect. Come along!”
注释摘要
华生直问福尔摩斯下一步要做什么，得到的回答是一句简短而古怪的话：“我要抽烟。这是一个三烟斗的问题，请你五十分钟之内别跟我讲话。” 这不是修辞性的夸大，而是福尔摩斯将思考量化为烟斗消耗的习惯——三烟斗意味着问题的复杂程度需要相当长的、不受打扰的专心推敲时间。随后道尔给出了一幅极其生动的姿态描写：福尔摩斯把瘦削的膝盖蜷起来，几乎贴到鹰钩鼻尖，眼睛闭着，黑色的陶…