"Not at all," I answered earnestly.
我恳切地回答道："非但不觉得心烦，
"It is of the greatest interest to me,
并且极感兴趣。
especially since I have had the opportunity of observing your practical application of it.
这是因为我曾经亲自看见过你对于这些方法的应用。
But you spoke just now of observation and deduction.
你方才谈到观察和推断，
Surely the one to some extent implies the other."
当然，在一定程度上，这两方面是彼此关联着的。"
"Why, hardly," he answered, leaning back luxuriously in his armchair and sending up thick blue wreaths from his pipe.
他舒服地靠在椅背上，从烟斗里喷出一股浓厚的蓝烟来说道："没有什么关联。
"For example, observation shows me that you have been to the Wigmore Street Post-Office this morning,
举例来说：观察的结果说明，你今早曾到韦格摩尔街邮局去过，
but deduction lets me know that when there you dispatched a telegram."
而通过推断，却知道了，你在那里发过一封电报。"
"Right!" said I. "Right on both points!
我道："对！完全不错！
But I confess that I don't see how you arrived at it.
但是我真不明白，你怎么知道的。
It was a sudden impulse upon my part, and I have mentioned it to no one."
那是我一时突然的行动，并没有告诉任何人啊。"
"It is simplicity itself," he remarked, chuckling at my surprise
他看到我的惊奇，很得意地笑道："这个太简单了，
"so absurdly simple that an explanation is superfluous;
简直用不着解释，
and yet it may serve to define the limits of observation and of deduction.
但是解释一下倒可以分清观察和推断的范围。
Observation tells me that you have a little reddish mould adhering to your instep.
我观察到在你的鞋面上沾有一小块红泥，
Just opposite the Wigmore Street Office they have taken up the pavement and thrown up some earth,
韦格摩尔街邮局对面正在修路，从路上掘出的泥，
which lies in such a way that it is difficult to avoid treading in it in entering.
堆积在便道上，走进邮局的人很难不踏进泥里去，
The earth is of this peculiar reddish tint which is found,
那里的泥是一种特殊红色的，
as far as I know, nowhere else in the neighbourhood.
据我了解，附近再没有那种颜色的泥土了。
So much is observation. The rest is deduction."
这就是从观察上得来的，其余的就都是由推断得来的了。"
"How, then, did you deduce the telegram?"
"那么你怎么推断到那封电报呢？"
"Why, of course I knew that you had not written a letter, since I sat opposite to you all morning.
"今天整整一个上午我都坐在你的对面，并没有看见你写过一封信。
I see also in your open desk there that you have a sheet of stamps and a thick bundle of postcards.
在你的桌子上面，我也注意到有一大整张的邮票和一捆明信片，
What could you go into the post-office for, then, but to send a wire?
那么你去邮局除了发电报还会作什么呢？
Eliminate all other factors, and the one which remains must be the truth."
除去其他的因素，剩下的必是事实了。"
"In this case it certainly is so," I replied after a little thought.
我略想了一想又道："这件事确实如此，
"The thing, however, is, as you say, of the simplest.
正合你的说法，这是最简单的一件事了。
Would you think me impertinent if I were to put your theories to a more severe test?"
我现在给你一个比较复杂的考验，你不觉得我鲁莽吧？"
"On the contrary," he answered, "it would prevent me from taking a second dose of cocaine.
他答道："正相反，我很欢迎，这可以使我省去第二次注射可卡因了。
I should be delighted to look into any problem which you might submit to me."
你所提出的任何问题，我都高兴研究。"
