《福尔摩斯探案集·歪唇男人》第13节
“This discovery, and the evident confusion which the cripple showed, made the inspector realise that the matter was serious. The rooms were carefully examined, and results all pointed to an abominable crime. The front room was plainly furnished as a sitting-room and led into a small bedroom, which looked out upon the back of one of the wharves. Between the wharf and the bedroom window is a narrow strip, which is dry at low tide but is covered at high tide with at least four and a half feet of water. The bedroom window was a broad one and opened from below. On examination traces of blood were to be seen upon the windowsill, and several scattered drops were visible upon the wooden floor of the bedroom. Thrust away behind a curtain in the front room were all the clothes of Mr. Neville St. Clair, with the exception of his coat. His boots, his socks, his hat, and his watch—all were there. There were no signs of violence upon any of these garments, and there were no other traces of Mr. Neville St. Clair. Out of the window he must apparently have gone for no other exit could be discovered, and the ominous bloodstains upon the sill gave little promise that he could save himself by swimming, for the tide was at its very highest at the moment of the tragedy.
注释摘要
这段叙述出自福尔摩斯对华生的案情转述，不是正在发生的现场，而是回溯到上周一的调查。这一点需要注意：我们并不是直接目睹警方勘察，而是经由福尔摩斯之口得知。华生在这里充当的正是第一手听众——他听到的一切，也是我们读到的全部。这种双层叙述（福尔摩斯讲给华生听，华生写给我们看）让读者与华生同步获得信息，也同步陷入谜团。 福尔摩斯用了一连串极具现场感的细节来搭建警方…