Chapter 6

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Outhouse Examination 
(String, Box, Ears)

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II. The Adventure of the Cardboard Box
  

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It was
a small shed ( 小棚屋)
in the narrow ( 狹窄的) garden ( 花園)
which ran
behind the house.

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Lestrade went in
and brought out
a yellow cardboard box ( 紙板盒),
with a piece
of brown paper ( 牛皮紙)
and some string ( 繩子).

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There was
a bench ( 長凳)
at the end
of the path,
and we all
sat down
while Holmes examined ( 檢視),
one by one,
the articles ( 物品)
which Lestrade
had handed to him.

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“The string
is exceedingly ( 極為) interesting,”
he remarked ( 評述),
holding it up
to the light
and sniffing at it.

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“What do you make
of this string,
Lestrade?”

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“It has been
tarred ( 沾焦油的).”

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“Precisely.

It is a piece
of tarred ( 沾焦油的) twine ( 麻線).”

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“You have also,
no doubt,
remarked
that Miss Cushing
has cut the cord ( 繩子)
with a scissors ( 剪刀),
as can be seen
by the double fray ( 鬚邊)
on each side.

This is
of importance ( 重要性).”

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“I cannot see
the importance,”
said Lestrade.

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“The importance
lies in the fact
that the knot
is left intact ( 完好無損),
and that this knot
is of a peculiar ( 特殊的)
character ( 特徵).”

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“It is
very neatly ( 工整地) tied.

I had already
made a note
to that effect,”
said Lestrade
complacently ( 自滿地).

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“So much
for the string,
then,”
said Holmes,
smiling,
“now for
the box wrapper ( 包裝紙).

Brown paper,
with a distinct ( 明顯的) smell ( 氣味)
of coffee.

What,
did you not
observe ( 注意到) it?

I think
there can be
no doubt
of it.”

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“Address
printed
in rather straggling ( 參差不齊的)
characters:
‘Miss S. Cushing,
Cross Street,
Croydon.’

Done with
a broad-pointed pen ( 寬尖筆),
probably a J,
and with
very inferior ( 劣質的) ink.”

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“The word ‘Croydon’
has been originally ( 最初)
spelled with an ‘i,’
which has been changed
to ‘y.’

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“The parcel ( 包裹)
was directed,
then,
by a man—
the printing
is distinctly
masculine ( 男性的)—
of limited education ( 教育有限)
and unacquainted ( 不熟悉的)
with the town
of Croydon.”

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“So far,
so good!

The box
is a yellow
half-pound
honeydew box,
with nothing distinctive
save two
thumb marks
at the left
bottom corner.”

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“It is filled
with rough salt ( 粗鹽)
of the quality
used for
preserving hides ( 生皮)
and other
of the coarser ( 較粗的)
commercial purposes ( 商業用途).

And embedded ( 嵌入的)
in it
are these
very singular ( 奇特的)
enclosures ( 內含物).”

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He took out
the two ears
as he spoke,
and laying a board
across his knee
he examined them
minutely ( 細緻地),
while Lestrade and I,
bending forward
on each side of him,
glanced alternately
at these
dreadful relics ( 可怖的遺物)
and at the
thoughtful ( 沉思的),
eager ( 熱切的) face
of our companion.

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Finally
he returned them
to the box
once more
and sat
for a while
in deep
meditation ( 深思).

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“You have observed,
of course,”
said he
at last,
“that the ears
are not
a pair.”

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“Yes,
I have noticed that.

But if this were
the practical joke ( 惡作劇)
of some students
from the dissecting-rooms ( 解剖室),
it would be
as easy
for them to send
two odd ears
as a pair.”

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“Precisely.

But this
is not
a practical joke.”

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“You are sure
of it?”

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“The presumption ( 推定)
is strongly
against it.

Bodies
in the dissecting-rooms ( 解剖室)
are injected
with preservative fluid ( 防腐液).

These ears
bear no signs
of this.

They are fresh,
too.”

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“They have been
cut off
with a blunt instrument ( 鈍器),
which would
hardly happen
if a student
had done it.”

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“Again,
carbolic ( 石炭酸)
or rectified spirits ( 精製酒精)
would be
the preservatives
which would suggest themselves
to the medical mind ( 醫學人的思路),
certainly not
rough salt ( 粗鹽).”

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“I repeat
that there is
no practical joke
here,
but that we
are investigating
a serious crime ( 嚴重罪行).”

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