《福尔摩斯探案集·歪唇男人》第1节
Isa Whitney, brother of the late Elias Whitney, D.D., Principal of the Theological College of St. George’s, was much addicted to opium. The habit grew upon him, as I understand, from some foolish freak when he was at college; for having read De Quincey’s description of his dreams and sensations, he had drenched his tobacco with laudanum in an attempt to produce the same effects. He found, as so many more have done, that the practice is easier to attain than to get rid of, and for many years he continued to be a slave to the drug, an object of mingled horror and pity to his friends and relatives. I can see him now, with yellow, pasty face, drooping lids, and pin-point pupils, all huddled in a chair, the wreck and ruin of a noble man. One night—it was in June, ’89—there came a ring to my bell, about the hour when a man gives his first yawn and glances at the clock. I sat up in my chair, and my wife laid her needle-work down in her lap and made a little face of disappointment. “A patient!” said she. “You’ll have to go out.” I groaned, for I was newly come back from a weary day.
注释摘要
故事从华生摊开的一页私人病历讲起。伊萨·惠特尼，一位已故神学院院长的弟弟，深陷鸦片瘾，起因不过是大学时代的一桩荒唐事：读了德·昆西笔下关于鸦片梦境与感官的描述，便用鸦片酊浸泡烟草，模仿那种迷离体验。华生只用了半句便说尽结局——这种嗜好，染上容易，脱身太难。多年下来，惠特尼成了一个让亲友既恐惧又怜悯的废人。华生随即用外科医生式的眼睛，逼视出一副鸦片吸食者的活…