开篇出现的是在博物馆工作的姚素琳，她是这一故事中的关键人物。当她工作完在收拾茶具时，听到了一个声音，于是她走了出来看到了......
Y：The great artisans say the more the teapot is used the more beautiful it becomes. The pot is seasoned by repeatedly pouring tea over the surface. The deposit left on the clay creates this beautiful patina over time. Some pots, the clay has been burnished by tea made over 400 years ago.手艺精湛的匠人都说茶壶是愈用愈美之物。壶身常年浸润在溢出的茶水中。久而久之挂在壶身的茶锈形成唯美的光感。有些茶壶在400年前就用茶水来抛光了。
A：400 years old, they'reletting you use it to make yourself a brew. 400年的古董他们也让你来泡茶。
Y：Some things aren't supposed to sit behind glass, they're made to be touched. To be handled. These pots need attention. The clay is cracking.有些东西不该摆在玻璃罩里，而是需要双手的呵护。需要把玩。茶壶也要关爱。不然茶壶会有裂纹。
A：Well, I can't see how a tiny splash of tea is going to help. 溅出来这点水真有这么大作用吗？
Y：Sometimes you have to look hard at something to see its value. See? This one shines a little brighter.有些事物的价值要用心才能体会。看？这只壶更有光泽。
A：I don't suppose... Um, I mean... I don't suppose that you want to have a drink? Not tea, obviously. Um, in a pub, with me, tonight.我...我想说...我想请你和我去喝一杯，好吗？当然不是喝茶。今晚跟我一起去酒吧怎样。
Y：You wouldn't like me all that much. 你不会喜欢我的。
A：Can I maybe decide that for myself?这个让我来决定好吗？
Y：I can't. I'm sorry. Please stop asking.我不能去。对不起。请别问了。
S：You took your time. 怎么这么久。
W：Yeah, I didn’t get the shopping.好吧，东西还没买到。
S：What? Why not? 怎么？
W：Because I had a row in the shop with a Chip and PIN machine.因为我和自动识别机发生了一些口角。
S：You...You had a row with amachine?! 你跟机器吵架？！
W：Sort of. It sat there andI shouted abuse. Have you got cash?差不多。机器纹丝不动，我却大喊大叫。有现金吗？
S：Take my card.用我的卡吧。
W：You could always go yourself, you know, you've been sitting there all morning, you've not even moved since I left. And what happened about that case you were offered - the Jaria diamond?你怎么不自己去买，一早上净坐在这里，从我离开到现在你连动都没动。那件亚里亚钻石案进展如何？
S：Not interested. I sent them a message.没兴趣。我给他们去了个信。
W：Don't worry about me, I can manage. Is that my computer? 没事，我自己来。那不是我的电脑吗？
S：Of course.当然。 W：What?你的呢？
S：Mine was in my bedroom. 我的在卧室。
W：What? And you couldn't be bothered to get up? It's password protected.你怎么就不去拿自己的？我设密码了。
S：In a manner of speaking. Took me less than a minute to guess yours, not exactly Fort Knox.从你的说话方式就能猜出密码。用不了一分钟，一点也不牢靠。
W：Right. Thank you. Need to get a job.行行行。还我。我要找份工作。
S：Oh, dull.无聊。
W：Listen, um.....ifyou'd be able to lend me some... Sherlock, are you listening?
听着，你看能不能借我...Sherlock，你在听吗？
S：I need to go to the bank.我要去一趟银行。
Sebastian：How long-eight years since I last clapped eyes on you? 自从上次见面到现在一别八年了？
S：This is my friend, John Watson.这位是我的朋友，John Watson。
Sebastian：Friend?朋友吗？ W：Colleague.同事。
Sebastian：Right. Grab a pew. Do you need anything, coffee, water?好。随便坐。喝点什么，咖啡还是水？
W：No. We're all sorted here, thanks.不用麻烦了，多谢。
S：So you're doing well. You've been abroad a lot.看来过得不错。经常出国。
Sebastian：Well, so?怎么说？
S：Flying all the way around the world twice in a month.每个月两次环球飞行。
Sebastian：Right. You're doing that thing.We were at uni together, together: and this guyhere had a trick he used to do.对。你又来了。我们是大学同学，这家伙原来就喜欢玩这种把戏。
S：It's not a trick.这不是把戏。
Sebastian：He could look at you and tell you your whole life story.他看着你就能把你一生说完整。
W：Yes, I've seen him do it.对，我见识过。
Sebastian: Put the wind up everybody, we hatedhim. We'd come down to breakfast in the formal hall and this freak would knowyou'd been shagging the previous night. 他让所有人都害怕，我们讨厌他。早上在学校用餐时，这怪胎就能说出你昨晚鬼混的事。
S：I simply observed.略微观察就能看出来。
Sebastian：Goon, enlighten me. Two trips a month, flying all the way around the world, you'requite right. How could you tell? Are you going to tell me there's a stain on mytie from some special kind of ketchup you can only buy in Manhattan? 继续，启发我一下。一个月两次，飞遍全世界，没错。怎么看出来的？别又说我领带上有什么番茄酱，这种酱很特殊只能在曼哈顿买到？
S：No, I…不，我…
Sebastian：Is it the mud on my shoes？还是说我鞋上有泥点吗？
S：I was just chattingwith your secretary outside. She told me. 我就是刚跟你秘书在外面闲聊。她告诉我的。
Sebastian：I'm glad you could make it over, we've had a break-in. Sir William's office - the bank's former chairman. The room's been left here like a sort of memorial. Someone broke in late last night.很高兴你能来帮忙，我们公司遭人非法闯入。那是William爵士的办公室-他曾是银行总裁。那间办公室一直原封未动算是种纪念吧。昨晚这里遭人非法闯入。
W：What did they steal? 丢什么了？
Sebastian: Nothing. Just left a little message. 60 seconds apart. So, someone came up here in the middle of the night, splashed paint around and left within a minute.没有。只留下一条讯息。60秒的空档。有人半夜潜入房间，利用不到1分钟的时间画了两笔就跑了。
S：How many ways into that office?有几条路通到这间办公室？
Sebastian: Well, that's where this gets really interesting. Every door that opens in this bank, it gets locked right here. Every walk-in cupboard, every toilet.这个说来就有意思了。银行内所有的出入口都从这里关闭。另外还有所有的大型橱柜和洗手间。
S：That door didn't open last night? 昨天哪里没关吗？
Sebastian: There's a hole in our security. Find it and we'll pay you five figures. This is an advance. Tell me how he got in. There's a bigger one on its way.保安系统应该有漏洞。你来找我们付报酬5位数。这是定金。找出此人是如何潜入的。剩余款稍后奉上。
S：I don't need an incentive, Sebastian. Sebastian，你不必以此来激励我。
W：He's, er..he's kidding you, obviously. Shall I look after that for him? Thanks.他开玩笑呢，明摆着。我能替他保管吗？谢谢。
