《福尔摩斯探案集·红发会》第27节
It was a quarter-past nine when I started from home and made my way across the Park, and so through Oxford Street to Baker Street. Two hansoms were standing at the door, and as I entered the passage I heard the sound of voices from above. On entering his room, I found Holmes in animated conversation with two men, one of whom I recognised as Peter Jones, the official police agent, while the other was a long, thin, sad-faced man, with a very shiny hat and oppressively respectable frock-coat. “Ha! Our party is complete,” said Holmes, buttoning up his pea-jacket and taking his heavy hunting crop from the rack. “Watson, I think you know Mr. Jones, of Scotland Yard? Let me introduce you to Mr. Merryweather, who is to be our companion in to-night’s adventure.” “We’re hunting in couples again, Doctor, you see,” said Jones in his consequential way. “Our friend here is a wonderful man for starting a chase. All he wants is an old dog to help him to do the running down.” “I hope a wild goose may not prove to be the end of our chase,” observed Mr. Merryweather gloomily. “You may place considerable confidence in Mr. Holmes, sir,” said the police agent loftily. “He has his own little methods, which are, if he won’t mind my saying so, just a little too theoretical and fantastic, but he has the makings of a detective in him. It is not too much to say that once or twice, as in that business of the Sholto murder and the Agra treasure, he has been more nearly correct than the official force.”
注释摘要
华生在这里承担了典型的叙述者功能：他既是事件的参与者，又是信息的接收者，而他对全局的理解始终被福尔摩斯严格控制着节奏。晚上九点一刻出发，穿过公园，经过牛津街，抵达贝克街——这一连串地名对当时的伦敦读者来说，本身就是一幅精确的地图。从肯辛顿到贝克街，华生选择穿过海德公园，说明他住在西伦敦那个体面医生该住的区域，而贝克街则处在一个更混杂的地带，介于西区的住宅区…