《福尔摩斯探案集·歪唇男人》第33节
“God bless you!” cried the prisoner passionately. “I would have endured imprisonment, ay, even execution, rather than have left my miserable secret as a family blot to my children. “You are the first who have ever heard my story. My father was a schoolmaster in Chesterfield, where I received an excellent education. I travelled in my youth, took to the stage, and finally became a reporter on an evening paper in London. One day my editor wished to have a series of articles upon begging in the metropolis, and I volunteered to supply them. There was the point from which all my adventures started. It was only by trying begging as an amateur that I could get the facts upon which to base my articles. When an actor I had, of course, learned all the secrets of making up, and had been famous in the green-room for my skill. I took advantage now of my attainments. I painted my face, and to make myself as pitiable as possible I made a good scar and fixed one side of my lip in a twist by the aid of a small slip of flesh-coloured plaster. Then with a red head of hair, and an appropriate dress, I took my station in the business part of the city, ostensibly as a match-seller but really as a beggar. For seven hours I plied my trade, and when I returned home in the evening I found to my surprise that I had received no less than 26s. 4d.
注释摘要
这一节在结构上是一个典型的“套娃式坦白”——圣克莱尔在囚室里向福尔摩斯、华生和警长交代自己的双重身份。从字面上看，他说了这样几件事：他宁愿坐牢甚至被处死，也不愿让秘密成为孩子身上的家族污点；父亲是切斯特菲尔德的校长，给了他良好的教育；年轻时旅行、登台演戏，后来成为伦敦一家晚报的记者；编辑要他写一组关于都市乞讨的报道，他自告奋勇，为了获得素材而乔装体验乞讨；…