It was in the latter days of September, and the equinoctial gales had set in with exceptional violence.
那时正值九月下旬，秋分时节的暴风雨猛烈异常。
All day the wind had screamed and the rain had beaten against the windows,
一整天狂风怒号，苦雨击窗，
so that even here in the heart of great, hand-made London
甚至在这伟大的人类用双手建造起来的伦敦城内，
we were forced to raise our minds for the instant from the routine of life,
我们在这时刻，也失去了从事日常工作的心情，
and to recognize the presence of those great elemental forces
而不得不承认伟大的自然界威力的存在。
which shriek at mankind through the bars of his civilization, like untamed beasts in a cage.
它犹如铁笼里未经驯服的猛兽，透过人类文明的栅栏向人类怒吼。
As evening drew in, the storm grew higher and louder, and the wind cried and sobbed like a child in the chimney.
随着夜幕的降临，暴风骤雨也更为猛烈。风时而大声呼啸，时而低沉饮泣，颇似从壁炉烟囱里发出来的婴儿哭泣声。
Sherlock Holmes sat moodily at one side of the fireplace cross-indexing his records of crime,
福尔摩斯坐在壁炉的一端，心情忧郁，正在编制罪案记录互见索引；
while I at the other was deep in one of Clark Russell's fine sea-stories
而我则坐在另一端，埋头于阅读一本克拉克·拉塞尔著的精彩的有关海洋的小说。
until the howl of the gale from without seemed to blend with the text,
这时屋外狂风咆哮，仿佛和小说的主题互相呼应，混成一体了。
and the splash of the rain to lengthen out into the long swash of the sea waves.
而瓢泼大雨渐渐变成海浪似的冲击。
My wife was on a visit to her mother's, and for a few days I was a dweller once more in my old quarters at Baker Street.
我的妻子那时正回娘家省亲，所以几天来我又成为我那贝克街故居的旧客了。
"Why," said I, glancing up at my companion, "that was surely the bell. Who could come to-night? Some friend of yours, perhaps?"
"嘿，"我说，抬头望了望我的同伴，"确实是门铃响。今夜谁还能来？也许是你的哪位朋友吧？"
"Except yourself I have none," he answered. "I do not encourage visitors." "A client, then?"
"除了你，我哪里还有什么朋友？"他回答道。"我并不鼓励人们来访。" "那末，是位委托人吧？"
"If so, it is a serious case. Nothing less would bring a man out on such a day and at such an hour.
"如果是委托人，案情一定很严重。如果不严重，此时此刻谁还肯出来。
But I take it that it is more likely to be some crony of the landlady's."
但是我觉得这人更可能是咱们房东太太的亲密朋友。"
