A professional case of great gravity was engaging my own attention at the time,
当时，我正忙于治疗一个病情严重的患者，
and the whole of next day I was busy at the bedside of the sufferer.
第二天我在病床边又忙碌了一整天。
It was not until close upon six o'clock that I found myself free and was able to spring into a hansom and drive to Baker Street,
将近六点钟时我才得到空暇，于是跳上一辆双轮小马车直驶贝克街，
half afraid that I might be too late to assist at the denouement of the little mystery.
有些担心去晚了会赶不上为了结这桩奇案助一臂之力。
I found Sherlock Holmes alone, however, half asleep, with his long, thin form curled up in the recesses of his armchair.
我见到歇洛克·福尔摩斯时，他独自一人在家，瘦长的身子蜷缩在深陷下去的扶手椅中，处于半睡半醒状态。
A formidable array of bottles and test-tubes, with the pungent cleanly smell of hydrochloric acid,
令人望而生畏的一排排烧瓶和试管散发出清新而刺鼻的盐酸气味，
told me that he had spent his day in the chemical work which was so dear to him.
说明他整天埋首于他酷爱的化学试验。
"Well, have you solved it?" I asked as I entered.
"喂，解决了吗？"我边问边走进门。
"Yes. It was the bisulphate of baryta." "No, no, the mystery!" I cried.
"解决了，是硫酸氢钡。""不，不，我说的是那个谜啊！"我叫道。
"Oh, that! I thought of the salt that I have been working upon.
"呵，那个！我想到的是我一直在做试验的这种盐。
There was never any mystery in the matter, though, as I said yesterday, some of the details are of interest.
虽然我昨天说过，这个案子毫无任何神秘之处，但是有些细节还是饶有趣味的。
The only drawback is that there is no law, I fear, that can touch the scoundrel."
唯一的缺憾是我担心没有哪一条法律可以惩处那个恶棍。"
"Who was he, then, and what was his object in deserting Miss Sutherland?"
"他是谁呢？他抛弃萨瑟兰小姐的目的何在？"
The question was hardly out of my mouth, and Holmes had not yet opened his lips to reply,
问题刚从我口中说出，福尔摩斯还没来得及开口作答，
when we heard a heavy footfall in the passage and a tap at the door.
我们就听到楼道里响起一阵沉重的脚步声，嗒嗒嗒有人敲门。
"This is the girl's stepfather, Mr. James Windibank," said Holmes.
"是那位姑娘的继父詹姆斯·温迪班克先生。"福尔摩斯说道，
"He has written to me to say that he would be here at six. Come in!"
"他给我写信说，将于六点钟前来。请进吧！"
