Sherlock Holmes: The Speckled Band · chapter 4 of 5
The Night Watch
守夜
In pitch darkness, Holmes and Watson wait in Julia's old room for something to come down the bell-rope. When it does, a cry rings out and everything goes quiet.
Read what you hear
- Dr. Watson 天都黑了，还是没有灯。你说，海伦小姐会不会出事了？
Tiān dōu hēi le, háishi méiyǒu dēng. Nǐ shuō, Hǎilún xiǎojie huì búhuì chūshì le?
It's dark and there's still no lamp. Do you think something has happened to Miss Helen?
- Sherlock Holmes 别担心，华生。你看，那边有光！
Bié dānxīn, Huáshēng. Nǐ kàn, nàbiān yǒuguāng!
Don't worry, Watson. Look, there's a light over there!
- Dr. Watson 是她的灯！这就是我们等的信号！
Shì tā de dēng! Zhè jiùshì wǒmen děng de xìnhào!
It's her lamp! That's the signal!
Chapter 4 is part of SayMei Stories ($2.99 a month) and SayMei Premium. Chapter 1 of Sherlock Holmes: The Speckled Band is free, and so are The Second Cup of Tea, Mulan, The Butterfly Lovers, Journey to the West: The Monkey King, Cinderella, The Night of the Nian, Chang'e and the Moon, The Great Race: The Twelve Animals, Aesop's Fables, Little Red Riding Hood, The Three Little Pigs, The Ugly Duckling, Pangu and Nüwa: How the World Began, Beauty and the Beast, The Magic Lotus Lantern, Alice in Wonderland, Zhong Kui the Demon Queller, The Odyssey, Robin Hood, Jiang Ziya Goes Fishing, The Steadfast Tin Soldier, The Hound of the Baskervilles and The Kitchen God from start to finish.
- Sherlock Holmes 好。带上你的枪，可是不要用它，除非我说。
Hǎo. Dàishàng nǐ de qiāng, kěshì búyào yòng tā, chúfēi wǒ shuō.
Good. Bring your gun, but don't use it unless I say so.
- Dr. Watson 明白。我们要从大门进去吗？大门那么大，一定有人听见。
Míngbai. Wǒmen yào cóng dàmén jìnqù ma? Dàmén nàme dà, yídìng yǒurén tīngjiàn.
Understood. Do we go in through the front door? It is so big, someone would hear.
- Sherlock Holmes 不。大门是锁着的。海伦小姐的窗是开着的。
Bù. Dàmén shì suǒ zhe de. Hǎilún xiǎojie de chuāng shì kāi zhe de.
No. The front door is locked. Miss Helen's window is open.
- Dr. Watson 马车夫说，晚上没有人敢走这条路。这里真的有点可怕。
Mǎchēfū shuō, wǎnshang méiyǒu réngǎn zǒu zhè tiáolù. Zhèlǐ zhēnde yǒudiǎn kěpà.
The coachman said no one dares walk this road at night. It really is a bit frightening.
- Sherlock Holmes 那就更要小心。海伦小姐睡在她原来的小房间里，她是安全的。
Nà jiù gèng yào xiǎoxīn. Hǎilún xiǎojie shuì zài tā yuánlái de xiǎofángjiān lǐ, tā shì ānquán de.
Then we must be all the more careful. Miss Helen is sleeping in her old little room, so she is safe.
- Sherlock Holmes 轻一点儿，华生。就是这里。你的脚步要像猫一样轻，把灯关了。
Qīng yìdiǎnr, Huáshēng. Jiùshì zhèlǐ. Nǐ de jiǎobù yào xiàng māo yíyàng qīng, bǎ dēngguān le.
Softly, Watson. This is it. Step as lightly as a cat, and turn out the lantern.
- Dr. Watson 好黑啊！我伸出手，什么都看不见。
Hǎo hēi a! Wǒ shēnchūshǒu, shénme dōu kànbújiàn.
It's so dark! I can't see a thing.
- Sherlock Holmes 那就好，这样隔壁的人也看不见我们。
Nàjiùhǎo, zhèyàng gébì de rén yě kànbújiàn wǒmen.
Good, then the man next door can't see us either.
- Dr. Watson 隔壁有人吗？
Gébì yǒurén ma?
Is someone next door?
- Sherlock Holmes 有。他一直没睡。如果我们说话太大声，他就会听见。
Yǒu. Tā yìzhí méishuì. Rúguǒ wǒmen shuōhuà tài dàshēng, tā jiù huì tīngjiàn.
Yes. He has not slept. If we talk too loudly, he will hear us.
- Sherlock Holmes 你看通风口，那里有一点光。
Nǐ kàn tōngfēng kǒu, nàlǐ yǒu yìdiǎn guāng.
He isn't asleep. Look at the ventilator, there's a little light.
- Dr. Watson 我们要等多久？
Wǒmen yào děng duōjiǔ?
How long must we wait?
- Sherlock Holmes 也许要等到半夜。你可以想一想你最爱吃的东西，时间就会快一点儿。
Yěxǔ yào děngdào bànyè. Nǐ kěyǐ xiǎng yi xiǎng nǐ zuì ài chī de dōngxi, shíjiān jiù huì kuài yìdiǎnr.
Perhaps until midnight. Try thinking about your favorite food, and the time will pass faster.
- Dr. Watson 我想到牛排了，还有热汤……我现在更饿了。
Wǒ xiǎngdào niúpái le, háiyǒu rètāng… Wǒ xiànzài gèng è le.
I'm thinking of steak, and hot soup... Now I'm even hungrier.
- Sherlock Holmes 嘘！听！有钟声。
Xū! Tīng! Yǒu zhōngshēng.
Shh! Listen! A clock is striking.
- Dr. Watson 十二点了……夜真长啊。
Shí'èrdiǎn le… Yèzhēnzhǎng a.
Twelve o'clock... what a long night.
- Sherlock Holmes 一点了。两点了。华生，你没睡着吧？我听见你的头碰到墙了。
Yìdiǎn le. Liǎngdiǎn le. Huáshēng, nǐ méi shuìzháo ba? Wǒ tīngjiàn nǐ de tóu pèngdào qiáng le.
One o'clock. Two o'clock. Watson, you haven't fallen asleep, have you? I heard your head bump the wall.
- Dr. Watson 我睡着了……不，我没有！我只是闭着眼睛想事情。
Wǒ shuìzháo le… Bù, wǒ méiyǒu! Wǒ zhǐshì bìzhe yǎnjing xiǎng shìqíng.
I was asleep... no, I wasn't! I was only resting my eyes and thinking.
- Sherlock Holmes 别动！你闻到了吗？有一种很淡的味道。
Biédòng! Nǐ wéndào le ma? Yǒu yìzhǒng hěndàn de wèidao.
Don't move! Do you smell that? A faint smell.
- Dr. Watson 灯油的味道。隔壁的灯又亮了。
Dēngyóu de wèidao. Gébì de dēng yòu liàng le.
Lamp oil. The lamp next door is lit again.
- Sherlock Holmes 你看通风口，那里有光。它要来了。
Nǐ kàn tōngfēng kǒu, nàlǐ yǒuguāng. Tā yào lái le.
Look at the ventilator, there's light there. It's coming.
- Dr. Watson 什么要来了？福尔摩斯，你别吓我。
Shénme yàolái le? Fú'ěrmósī, nǐbié xià wǒ.
What is coming? Holmes, don't scare me.
- Sherlock Holmes 嘘……听。不要动，也不要说话。
Xū… Tīng. Búyào dòng, yě búyào shuōhuà.
Shh... listen. Do not move, and do not speak.
- Dr. Watson 我听见了……有什么东西，正在慢慢地爬。
Wǒ tīngjiàn le… Yǒu shénme dōngxi, zhèngzài mànmàn dì pá.
I hear it... something is crawling.
- Sherlock Holmes 就是现在！
Jiùshì xiànzài!
Now!
- Sherlock Holmes 走开，你这坏东西！回到你主人那里去！
Zǒukāi, nǐ zhè huàidōngxi! Huídào nǐ zhǔrén nàlǐ qù!
Get away, you wretched thing! Go back!
- Dr. Watson 那是什么声音？我听到一种很大的嘶嘶声！
Nà shì shénme shēngyīn? Wǒ tīngdào yìzhǒng hěndà de sīsīshēng!
What was that sound? I heard a loud hissing!
- Sherlock Holmes 它回去了，回到它主人的房间。它一定被吓坏了。
Tā huíqù le, huídào tā zhǔrén de fángjiān. Tā yídìng bèi xiàhuài le.
It's gone back to its master's room.
- Narrator 隔壁传来一声可怕的大叫，声音很长很长。然后，一切都静了下来。
Gébì chuánlái yìshēng kěpà de dàjiào, shēngyīn hěnzhǎng hěnzhǎng. Ránhòu, yíqiè dōu jìng le xiàlái.
A terrible cry came from the room next door. Then everything went still.
- Dr. Watson 福尔摩斯……那是什么声音？是……是他吗？
Fú'ěrmósī… Nà shì shénme shēngyīn? Shì… Shì tā ma?
Holmes... what was that? Was it... was it him?
- Sherlock Holmes 是我们在等的东西。快，拿灯，跟我来！
Shì wǒmen zài děng de dōngxi. Kuài, nádēng, gēnwǒlái!
It's the thing we've been waiting for. Quick, take the lantern and follow me!
Hear the chapter
What changed in the story?
- How do Holmes and Watson know it is time to enter the house?
“你看，那边有光！”…“是她的灯！这就是我们等的信号！”
- How do they get into the house?
“海伦小姐的窗是开着的。”
- What do they smell before the creature comes?
“灯油的味道。”
- What does Holmes do when he hears the crawling?
“就是现在！”
- What happens right after the angry hiss?
“隔壁传来一声可怕的大叫，声音很长很长。然后，一切都静了下来。”