"Briefly," she continued, "the facts are these.
她继续说道："简单地说，事情是这样的：
My father was an officer in an Indian regiment, who sent me home when I was quite a child.
我父亲是驻印度的军官，我很小的时候就被送回了英国。
My mother was dead, and I had no relative in England.
我母亲早已去世，国内又没有亲戚，
I was placed, however, in a comfortable boarding establishment at Edinburgh,
于是就把我送到爱丁堡城读书，在一个环境很舒适的学校里寄宿，
and there I remained until I was seventeen years of age.
一直到我十七岁那一年方才离开那里。
In the year 1878 my father, who was senior captain of his regiment, obtained twelve months' leave and came home.
一八七八年，我的父亲——他是团里资格最老的上尉——请了十二个月的假，返回祖国。
He telegraphed to me from London that he had arrived all safe and directed me to come down at once, giving the Langham Hotel as his address.
他从伦敦拍来电报告诉我，他已到了伦敦，住在朗厄姆旅馆，催促我即刻前去相会。
His message, as I remember, was full of kindness and love.
我还记得，在他的电文中充满了慈爱。
On reaching London I drove to the Langham and was informed that Captain Morstan was staying there,
我一到伦敦就坐车去朗厄姆旅馆了。司事告诉我说，摩斯坦上尉确是住在那里，
but that he had gone out the night before and had not returned.
但是自从头天晚上出门后到现在还没有回来。
I waited all day without news of him.
我等了一天，毫无消息。
That night, on the advice of the manager of the hotel, I communicated with the police,
到了夜里，采纳了旅馆经理的建议，我去警察署报告，
and next morning we advertised in all the papers.
并在第二天早上的各大报纸上登了寻人广告。
Our inquiries led to no result; and from that day to this no word has ever been heard of my unfortunate father.
我们的探询没有得到任何结果。从那天起直到现在，始终没有得到有关我那不幸的父亲的任何消息。
He came home with his heart full of hope to find some peace, some comfort, and instead..."
他回到祖国，心中抱着很大的希望，本想可以享清福，没想到..."
She put her hand to her throat, and a choking sob cut short the sentence.
她用手摸着喉部，话还没有说完，已经泣不成声。
"The date?" asked Holmes, opening his notebook.
福尔摩斯打开了他的记事本问道："日子还记得吗？"
"He disappeared upon the third of December, 1878–nearly ten years ago."
"他在一八七八年十二月三日失踪——差不多已有十年了。"
"His luggage?"
"他的行李呢？"
"Remained at the hotel. There was nothing in it to suggest a clue
"还在旅馆里，行李里边找不出什么可以作为线索的东西
some clothes, some books, and a considerable number of curiosities from the Andaman Islands.
有些衣服和书籍，还有不少安达曼群岛的古玩，
He had been one of the officers in charge of the convict-guard there."
他从前在那里是个监管囚犯的军官。"
"Had he any friends in town?"
"他在伦敦有没有朋友？"
"Only one that we know of Major Sholto, of his own regiment, the Thirty-fourth Bombay Infantry.
"我们只知道一个--驻孟买陆军第三十四团的舒尔托少校，和他同在一个团里。
The major had retired some little time before and lived at Upper Norwood.
这位少校前些时已经退伍，住在上诺伍德。
We communicated with him, of course, but he did not even know that his brother officer was in England."
我们当然和他联系过，可是他连我父亲回到英国的事都不知道。"
