《福尔摩斯探案集·歪唇男人》第6节
“Yes, I have one waiting.” “Then I shall go in it. But I must owe something. Find what I owe, Watson. I am all off colour. I can do nothing for myself.” I walked down the narrow passage between the double row of sleepers, holding my breath to keep out the vile, stupefying fumes of the drug, and looking about for the manager. As I passed the tall man who sat by the brazier I felt a sudden pluck at my skirt, and a low voice whispered, “Walk past me, and then look back at me.” The words fell quite distinctly upon my ear. I glanced down. They could only have come from the old man at my side, and yet he sat now as absorbed as ever, very thin, very wrinkled, bent with age, an opium pipe dangling down from between his knees, as though it had dropped in sheer lassitude from his fingers. I took two steps forward and looked back. It took all my self-control to prevent me from breaking out into a cry of astonishment. He had turned his back so that none could see him but I. His form had filled out, his wrinkles were gone, the dull eyes had regained their fire, and there, sitting by the fire and grinning at my surprise, was none other than Sherlock Holmes. He made a slight motion to me to approach him, and instantly, as he turned his face half round to the company once more, subsided into a doddering, loose-lipped senility.
注释摘要
华生的朋友伊萨·惠特尼已被鸦片折磨得神志不清，连自己欠了多少钱都无力去问。华生只得屏住呼吸，穿过两排躺着人的木铺之间的窄道，去找鸦片馆的掌柜结账。就在他经过那个坐在炭火盆旁的高个子老人身边时，衣服下摆突然被人轻轻扯了一下，随即一个低沉的声音极清晰地传入耳中：“走过去，然后回头看我。”华生低下头，那声音分明只能来自身旁这个老人，可这老人此刻又恢复了先前的全神…