前情提要：
海倫。斯托納、姐姐還有繼父一起生活，兩年前姐姐突然去逝，她覺得姐姐的死可能有問題，現在她也遇到了姐姐臨死之前遇到的問題，她很害怕，希望獲得福爾摩斯的幫助。
故事原文：
2 Holmes and Watson Visit the House 福爾摩斯和華生來訪
Holmes went out for the morning，but he came back at lunch-time．We then went by train into the country，and took a taxi to Dr Roylott‘s house．‘You see，’said Holmes to me，‘our
dangerous
friend Roylott needs the girls’ money，because he only has ￡750 a year from his dead wife．I found that out this morning．But the gypsies，the whistle，the band — they are more difficult to understand，but I think I have an answer．’
福爾摩斯出去了一個上午，但在午飯的時候回來了。然後我們乘火車到鄉下，坐出租馬車到了羅伊洛特醫生的家。“你看，”福爾摩斯對我說，“我們危險的朋友羅伊洛特需要姑娘們的錢，因為他每年只能從他死去的妻子那裡得到750英鎊。這是我今天上午發現的。但是吉普賽人、口哨聲、帶子——這些比較難以理解，但我想我有答案了。”
When we arrived，Helen Stoner showed us the three bedrooms．We saw her room first．
我們到達之後，海倫·斯托納領我們看了三個臥室。我們先看了她的臥室。
‘Why are they mending your bedroom wall？’asked Holmes．‘There‘s nothing wrong with it．’
“他們為什麼要修補你臥室的牆？”福爾摩斯問，“牆沒有什麼問題啊。”
‘You’re right，’she said．‘I think it was a plan to move me into my sister‘s room．’
“你說的對，”她說，“我想這是為了讓我搬到我姐姐的房間。”
‘Yes，’said Holmes．We went into Julia’s room，and Holmes looked at the windows carefully．
“是的，”福爾摩斯說。我們走進朱莉婭的房間，福爾摩斯仔細查看了窗戶。
‘Nobody could come in from outside，’he said．Then he looked round the room．‘Why is that
bell-rope
there，just over the bed？’
“沒人能從外面進來，”他說。然後他環顧了一下房間。“那個拉鈴的繩子為什麼安在床的上方？”
‘My stepfather put it there two years ago．It‘s for calling a servant，but Julia and I never used it because we didn’t have any servants．He also put in that
air-vent
on the wall between his room and this one．’
“兩年前我繼父把它安到那兒的，說是用來叫僕人，但朱莉婭和我從來都沒用過，因為我們根本沒有僕人。他還在他的房間和這個房間相接的牆上開了那個通風口。”
Holmes pulled the rope．‘But it doesn‘t work，’he said．‘How strange！And it’s just over the air-vent．That also is interesting．Why have an air-vent on an inside wall？Air-vents are usually on outside walls．’
福爾摩斯拉了拉繩子。“可是這不管用啊，”他說，“真奇怪！而且它正好掛在通風口那兒。那通風口也很有意思。為什麼在內牆上開通風口呢？通風口通常是開在外牆上的。”
Then we went into Dr Roylott‘s room．Holmes saw a large metal box near the wall．
之後我們又進了羅伊洛特醫生的房間。福爾摩斯看到牆邊有個大金屬箱子。
‘My stepfather keeps business papers in there，’said Helen．
“我繼父在那裡面放檔案。”海倫說。
‘Does he keep a cat in there too？’asked Holmes．‘Look！’There was some milk on a plate on top of the box．‘Now，Miss Stoner，’he said，‘I think your life is in danger．Tonight my friend Watson and I must spend the night in your sister’s room，where you are sleeping
at the moment
．’
“他還在那裡面養了一隻貓嗎？”福爾摩斯問，“看！”箱子上面有個盛著牛奶的盤子。“現在，斯托納小姐，”他說，“我想你的生命處在危險中。今晚我的朋友華生和我必須在你姐姐的房間裡過夜，就是你現在睡覺的地方。”
Helen Stoner and I looked at him in surprise．
海倫·斯托納和我驚奇地看著他。
‘Yes，we must，’he went on．‘We‘ll take a room in a hotel in the village．When your stepfather goes to bed，put a light in your sister’s bedroom window and leave it open．Then go into your old room and we‘ll get into your sister’s room through the window．We‘ll wait for the sound of the whistle and the falling metal．’
“是的，我們必須這麼做，”他繼續說，“我們會在村裡的旅館找一個房間。你繼父上床睡覺之後，請你在你姐姐房間的視窗放一盞燈，把窗戶開著。然後你到原來的房間睡覺，我們會從窗戶進入你姐姐的房間，等著口哨聲和金屬落地的聲音。”
‘How did my sister die，Mr Holmes？Do you know？Please tell me！’said Helen．She put her hand on Sherlock Holmes’s arm．
“我姐姐是怎麼死的？福爾摩斯先生，你知道嗎？請告訴我！”海倫說著，抓住了夏洛克·福爾摩斯的胳膊。
‘I must find out more before I tell you，Miss Stoner．Now goodbye，and don‘t be afraid，’replied Sherlock Holmes．
“我必須瞭解更多的情況才能告訴你，斯托納小姐。現在再見，不要害怕。”夏洛克·福爾摩斯回答。
We walked to the village，and Holmes said to me，‘Tonight will be dangerous，Watson．Roylott is a very violent man．’
們向村子走去，福爾摩斯對我說：“今晚將會很危險，華生。羅伊洛特是個很兇殘的人。”
‘But if I can help，Holmes，I shall come with you，’I said．
“但是如果我可以幫你，福爾摩斯，我想和你一起去。”我說。
‘Thank you，Watson．I’ll need your help．Did you see the bell-rope，and the air-vent？I knew about the air-vent before we came．Of course there is a hole between the two rooms．That explains why Helen‘s sister could smell Dr Roylott’s cigarette．’
“謝謝你，華生。我需要你的幫助。剛才你看到那個拉鈴繩和通風口了嗎？我們來之前我就知道通風口的事了。兩個房間之間肯定有個洞。這就解釋了海倫的姐姐為什麼能夠聞到羅伊洛特醫生的雪茄煙味。”
‘My dear Holmes！How clever of you！’I cried．
“我親愛的福爾摩斯！你真聰明！”我叫道。
‘And did you see the bed？It‘s
fixed
to the floor．She can’t move it．It must stay under the rope，which is near the air-vent．’
“你看到那床了嗎？它是固定在地板上的，她不能移動它。床只能在繩子下面，那裡接近通風口。”
‘Holmes！’I cried．‘I begin to understand！What a terrible crime！’
“福爾摩斯！”我叫道，“我開始懂了！多可怕的罪行！”
‘Yes，this doctor is a very clever man．But we can stop him，I think，Watson．’
“是的，那醫生是個很聰明的人。但我想我們可以阻止他，華生。”
核心語言點：
dangerous adj．able or likely to cause harm or injury 危險的
bell-rope n．a long piece of thin rope，fixed to a wall；you pull it to ring a bell 拉鈴繩
air-vent n．a hole，usually on an outside wall，to bring air into a room 通風口
at the moment right now 現在，此刻
fixed adj．if something is fixed，it is not possible to move it 固定的