《福尔摩斯探案集·斑点带子案》第38节
With a grave face he lit the lamp and led the way down the corridor. Twice he struck at the chamber door without any reply from within. Then he turned the handle and entered, I at his heels, with the cocked pistol in my hand. It was a singular sight which met our eyes. On the table stood a dark-lantern with the shutter half open, throwing a brilliant beam of light upon the iron safe, the door of which was ajar. Beside this table, on the wooden chair, sat Dr. Grimesby Roylott clad in a long grey dressing-gown, his bare ankles protruding beneath, and his feet thrust into red heelless Turkish slippers. Across his lap lay the short stock with the long lash which we had noticed during the day. His chin was cocked upward and his eyes were fixed in a dreadful, rigid stare at the corner of the ceiling. Round his brow he had a peculiar yellow band, with brownish speckles, which seemed to be bound tightly round his head. As we entered he made neither sound nor motion. “The band! the speckled band!” whispered Holmes. I took a step forward. In an instant his strange headgear began to move, and there reared itself from among his hair the squat diamond-shaped head and puffed neck of a loathsome serpent.
注释摘要
这一段是整篇故事暴力与恐惧的骤然收束。福尔摩斯和华生从黑暗的卧房守夜中起身，点灯走向隔壁罗伊洛特医生的房门。敲门两次无人应答，于是他们推开房门，看到的是一幅凝固的惊怖画面：房间里，一盏暗灯半开，射出的光束笔直打在铁制保险柜上，柜门半敞。罗伊洛特医生坐在木椅上，身着灰色长袍，赤裸的脚踝下是一双土耳其式无跟红拖鞋。他膝上放着我们白天见过的那根拴着长鞭的短柄。他…