“From a drop of water,” said the writer,
作者说："一个逻辑学家不需亲眼见到或者听说过大西洋或尼加拉契布，
“a logician could infer the possibility of an Atlantic or a Niagara without having seen or heard of one or the other.
他能从一滴水上推测出它有可能存在，
So all life is a great chain, the nature of which is known whenever we are shown a single link of it.
所以整个生活就是一条巨大的链条，只要见到其中的一环，整个链条的情况就可推想出来了。
Like all other arts, the Science of Deduction and Analysis is one which can only be acquired by long and patient study,
推断和分析的科学也象其他技艺一样，只有经过长期和耐心的钻研才能掌握；
nor is life long enough to allow any mortal to attain the highest possible perfection in it.
人们虽然尽其毕生精力，也未必能够达到登峰造极的地步。
Before turning to those moral and mental aspects of the matter which present the greatest difficulties,
初学的人，在着手研究极其困难的有关事物的精神和心理方面的问题以前，
let the inquirer begin by mastering more elementary problems.
不妨先从掌握较浅显的问题入手。
Let him, on meeting a fellow-mortal, learn at a glance to distinguish the history of the man, and the trade or profession to which he belongs.
比如遇到了一个人，一瞥之间就要辨识出这人的历史和职业。
Puerile as such an exercise may seem, it sharpens the faculties of observation,
这样的锻炼，看起来好象幼稚无聊，但是，它却能够使一个人的观察能力变得敏锐起来，
and teaches one where to look and what to look for.
并且教导人们：应该从哪里观察，应该观察些什么。
By a man’s finger-nails, by his coat-sleeve, by his boots, by his trouser-knees,
一个人的手指甲、衣袖、靴子和裤子的膝盖部分，
by the callosities of his forefinger and thumb, by his expression, by his shirt-cuffs
大拇指与食指之间的茧子、表情、衬衣袖口等等，
by each of these things a man’s calling is plainly revealed.
不论从以上所说的哪一点，都能明白地显露出他的职业来。
That all united should fail to enlighten the competent inquirer in any case is almost inconceivable.”
如果把这些情形联系起来，还不能使案件的调查人恍然领悟，那几乎是难以想象的事了。"
“What** ineffable** twaddle!” I cried, slapping the magazine down on the table;
我读到这里，不禁把杂志往桌上一丢，大声说道："真是废话连篇！
“I never read such rubbish in my life.”
我一辈子也没有见过这样无聊的文章。"
“What is it?” asked Sherlock Holmes.
"哪篇文章？"福尔摩斯问道。
“Why, this article,” I said, pointing at it with my eggspoon as I sat down to my breakfast.
"唔，就是这篇文章。"我一面坐下来吃早餐，一面用小匙子指着那篇文章说，
“I see that you have read it since you have marked it. I don’t deny that it is smartly written.
"我想你已经读过了，因为你在下边还画有铅笔道。我并不否认这篇文章写得很漂亮，
It** irritates** me, though.
但是我读了之后，还是不免要生气。
It is evidently the theory of some armchair lounger who evolves all these neat little paradoxes in the seclusion of his own study.
显然，这是哪一位饱食终日、无所事事的懒汉，坐在他的书房里闭门造车地空想出来的一套似是而非的妙论。
It is not practical. I should like to see him clapped down in a third-class carriage on the Underground,
一点也不切合实际。我倒愿意试一试把他关进地下火车的三等车厢里，
and asked to give the trades of all his fellow-travellers.
叫他把同车人的职业一个个都说出来。
I would lay a thousand to one against him.”
我愿跟他打个赌，一千对一的赌注都行。"
“You would lose your money,” Holmes remarked calmly.
"那你就输了，"福尔摩斯安详地说，
“As for the article, I wrote it myself.”
"那篇是我写的。"
“You!”
"是你！"
“Yes; I have a turn both for observation and for deduction.
"对啦，我在观察和推理两方面都具有特殊的才能。
The theories which I have expressed there, and which appear to you to be so chimerical,
我在这篇文章里所提出的那些理论，在你看来真是荒谬绝伦，
are really extremely practical–so practical that I depend upon them for my bread and cheese.”
其实它却非常实际，实际到这样程度，甚至我就是靠着它挣得我这份干酪和面包的。"
“And how?” I asked** involuntarily**.
"你怎样靠它生活呢？"我不禁问道。
“Well, I have a trade of my own. I suppose I am the only one in the world.
"啊，我有我自己的职业。我想全世界上干这行职业的人恐怕只有我一个。
I’m a consulting detective, if you can understand what that is.
我是一个'咨询侦探' ，也许你能够理解这是一个什么行业吧。
Here in London we have lots of government detectives and lots of private ones.
在这伦敦城中，有许多官方侦探和私人侦探。
When these fellows are at fault, they come to me, and I manage to put them on the right scent.
这些人遇到困难的时候就来找我，我就设法把他们引入正轨。
They lay all the evidence before me, and I am generally able, by the help of my knowledge of the history of crime, to set them straight.
他们把所有的证据提供给我，一般说来我都能凭着我对犯罪史的知识，把他们的错误纠正过来。
There is a strong family resemblance about misdeeds,
犯罪行为都有它非常类似的地方，
and if you have all the details of a thousand at your finger ends,
如果你对一千个案子的详情细节都能了如指掌，
it is odd if you can’t unravel the thousand and first.
而对第一千零一件案子竟不能解释的话，那才是怪事哩。
Lestrade is a well-known detective.
雷斯垂德是一位著名的侦探。
He got himself into a fog recently over a forgery case, and that was what brought him here.”
最近他在一桩伪造案里坠入五里雾中，所以他才来找我。"