前情提要：
9月的一天，詹姆斯.摩梯末醫生來到貝克街221号福爾摩斯家裡尋求幫助。華生和福爾摩斯一起接待了他。
故事原文：
2 The Baskerville Papers 巴斯克維爾家族的手稿
These papers were given to me by Sir Charles Baskerville,said Dr Mortimer.'He asked me to take good care of them. You may remember that Sir Charles died suddenly three months ago. His death caused much excite ment in Devonshire, the county where Baskerville Hall is. Sir Charles was a sensible man, but he believed the story which is told in these papers.’
“這些手稿是查爾斯·巴斯克維爾爵士托付給我的，”摩梯末醫生道。“他要我保管好這些手稿。您可能還記得,查爾斯爵士于三個月前突然逝去。他的去世在德文郡引起了很大的關注,德文郡就是巴斯克維爾莊園的所在地。查爾斯爵士是個很理智的人，但是他相信這些手稿中所講述的故事。
Dr Mortimer went on:'The story is about the Baskerville family. I have come to see you because I need your help. I think that something terrible is going to happen in the next twenty-four hours. But you can’t help me unless you know the story in these papers. May I read them to you?’
摩梯末醫生繼續講道:“這個故事與巴斯克維爾家族有關。因為我需要您的幫助，是以來見您。我認為在即将到來的24小時之内将會發生一樁可怕的事情。但是,如果您不了解手稿中所講述的故事的話,那麼您就不可能幫得了我。我可以将它讀給您聽嗎?"
'Please continue,Dr Mortimer,said Holmes and sat back in his chair with his eyes shut.
“請講下去吧,摩梯末醫生,”福爾摩斯說道,閉着眼睛向後坐了坐。
Mortimer began to read in his high,rather strange voice
摩梯末開始以他那高亢、奇特的嗓音讀道
I,William Baskerville, write this for my sons in the year 1742. My father told me about the Hound of the Baskervilles.He told me when it was first seen and I believe his story was true.I want you, my sons to read this story carefully. I want you to know that God punishes those who do evil. But never forget that He will forgive those who are sorry for any evil they have done.
本人，威廉·巴斯克維爾，于1742年為後代寫下了這些。我的父親告訴了我有關巴斯克維爾獵犬的事情。他告訴了我它第一次被人看見的經過，我認為他講的故事是真實的。我希望你們,我的孩子們,認真看一看這個故事。我想讓你們知道:上帝一貫懲罰那些為非作歹的人們。但是,永遠不要忘記:上帝将寬恕那些悔過的人們。
Over a hundred years ago, in 1640, the head of the Baskerville family was Sir Hugo Baskerville He was a wild and evil man. He was cruel and enjoyed hurting people.Sir Hugo fell in love with the daughter of a farmer who was a neighbour of his. The young woman was afraid of the evil Hugo, and avoided him. One day,Hugo heard that her father and brothers were away. He knew that she would be alone. So he rode to the farm with five or six of his evil friends. They made the girl go back to Baskerville Hall with them, and locked her in a room upstairs.Then they sat down in the great dining hall to drink. As usual, they drank bottle after bottle and soon they began to sing and laugh and shout evil words.
一百多年前，在1640年，巴斯克維爾家族的頭面人物是雨果·巴斯克維爾爵士。他既放蕩又邪惡。他殘忍，以傷害别人為樂。雨果爵士愛上了與他毗鄰的一位農夫的女兒。這位少女害怕這個邪惡的人,而且還躲着他。一天,雨果聽說她的父兄幾人都出門去了。他知道她将獨自一人在家了。是以,他與五六個下流的狐朋狗友策馬去了這個農場。他們把她弄回了巴斯克維爾莊園,還把她關在樓上的一個房間裡。然後他們便在樓下的大飯廳裡坐下痛飲了起來。同往常一樣,他們喝了一瓶又一瓶的酒,不久便開始狂歌亂笑并吐起髒話來。
The girl upstairs, who was already very frightened,felt desperate when she heard the terrible things they were shouting. So she did a very brave thing. She opened the window,climbed out of the room and down the ivy on the wall. Then she started to run across the moor towards her home.
樓上的這位姑娘，這時已是驚恐萬分了,聽到他們所講的那些不堪入耳的髒話時便感到十分絕望。在此情形之下她竟幹出一件勇敢的事來。她打開窗戶,從房間裡爬出來,順着牆上的常春藤一直爬了下來。然後她就穿過沼地徑直往家中跑去了。
A little while later, Hugo left his friends and went upstairs to the room to take her some food and drink. When he found an open window and an empty room, he behaved like a man who was mad. He ran down the stairs. He screamed that he would give himself to the Devil if he caught the girl before she reached home. Some of Hugo's drunken friends told him to let the hounds chase her, and so he ran from the house and unlocked the dogs. Then he jumped onto his black horse, and rode off over the moor with the hounds running and crying around him.
過了不多一會兒,雨果離開了他的那幫朋友,到樓上的那個房間給她送食物和酒去了。當他發現窗戶大開、室内空空時,他就像中了魔一般。他沖下樓，大叫大嚷着說,隻要他能在這個女孩趕回家之前追上她,他就願意把自己獻給魔王。雨果的那些已經喝得酩酊大醉的朋友們讓他把獵狗放出去追她，是以他就從屋裡跑出去把狗放了出來。接着，他跳到了那匹黑馬的背上,由那群狂奔亂吼的狗簇擁着在沼地上策馬而去。
Hugo's friends fetched their horses and followed him. There were thirteen of them. After a mile or two they passed an old farmer and asked him if he had seen Sir Hugo and the hounds. The man looked half mad with fear and spoke with difficulty. He said that he had seen the girl and the hounds running close behind her. Sir Hugo had been riding just behind the hounds 'But I have seen more than that, the old man said' Behind Sir Hugo I saw a huge and terrible hound running silently. May God keep me safe from that hound of hell.’
雨果的朋友們找到了自己的馬匹，跟着他追去了。他們一共是 13 個人。在他們跑了一兩英裡路之後,遇到了一位老農夫,便問他看到了雨果爵士與他的那群獵狗沒有。這個人看上去被吓得有些發瘋,幾乎都說不出話來。他說他曾看到過那位少女以及一群緊追她不放的獵犬。雨果爵士就騎着馬跟在這些獵犬後面。“但是我看到的還不止這些,”這位老人說道。“我看到一條碩大而可怕的獵犬正一聲不吭地跟在他的後面。但願上帝别讓這條地獄之犬傷害我!”
The thirteen men laughed at the old man and rode on. But their laughter soon stopped when they saw Sir Hugos horse running wildly towards them without a rider.
這13個人對這位老人嘲笑了一番，接着又策馬往前。但是當他們不久看到雨果爵士的那匹馬獨自朝他們狂奔而來時就笑不出聲來了。
The thirteen men moved closer together as they rode on.They were suddenly afraid. Over the moor they went until, at last,they caught up with the hounds.
這13個人騎着馬，同時往一起靠了靠。他們突然間感到很害怕。他們在這片沼地上一直朝前騎着,直到最終趕上了那群獵狗。
Everyone in the county knew that the Baskerville hounds were brave and strong. But now they were standing at the head of a deep valley in the moor with their ears and tails down. They were very frightened.Hugo's friends stopped. Most of them would not go on, but three were brave enough to go down into the valley.
巴斯克維爾家的獵犬骁勇而又強壯,在郡裡是家喻戶曉的。但它們這時卻耷拉着雙耳和尾巴站在沼地裡的一條深谷的盡頭。它們十分驚恐。雨果的這幫朋友們停了下來。他們大多數人都不願意再往前騎了，但有三人比較膽大,朝山谷裡走了過去。
The valley had a wide flat floor.In the middle of the flat ground stood two great stones.They had stood there for thousands of years. The moon was shining brightly on the great stones, and between them on the flat ground, lay the girl.She had fallen there dead of fear and exhaustion. Sir Hugo’s body was lying near her. But it was not the sight of Sir Hugo or the girl that filled the men with fear. It was the sight of the huge animal that was standing over Sir Hugo.Its teeth were at his throat.It was a great black creature that looked like a hound. But it was larger than any hound they had ever seen.
這個山谷的底部是一片寬闊的平地。在平地的中央立着兩塊大岩石。它們已經在那兒豎立了幾千年之久。月光明朗地照在這兩塊大岩石上,而那位少女就躺在它們之間的平地上。她已因驚恐和疲憊倒地而死。雨果爵士的屍體躺在她旁邊。但是,使這些人毛骨悚然的不是那位少女或雨果爵士的那幅景象,而是站在雨果爵士身旁的一隻形體碩大的畜生。它的牙齒撕扯着他的喉嚨。它是一個樣子像獵狗的又大又黑的畜生。可是他們誰也沒見過這麼大的獵犬。
As they watched,it tore out Hugo Baskerville’s throat. Then it turned towards them. Its eyes were burning brightly. Its body shone with a strange light. Blood ran from its mouth. The men screamed and kicked their horses. They rode back up the valley as fast as they could go. Later that night one died from the horror he had seen The other two were mad for the rest of their lives.
在他們注視的時候,它扯斷了雨果，巴斯克維爾的喉嚨。然後,它轉過身來面朝着他們。它的眼睛冒着火。身體也閃爍着一種奇特的光芒。鮮血從它的嘴裡淌了出來。這幾個人大叫起來并且踢了踢馬。他們調轉馬頭以最快的速度跑出了山谷。在這之後，其中的一個人就在當天夜裡因自己所看到的恐怖景象而吓死了，另外兩個則終身精神失常。
That was the first time the Hound appeared, my sons. It has been seen many times since then, and many of the Baskervilles have died in strange and terrible ways. Because of this I warn you not to cross the moors at night. The Devil finds it easy to do his work when the world is dark.
那就是那隻獵犬初次露面的經過，我的孩子們。從那以後，人們曾多次目睹過它的蹤迹，而且巴斯克維爾家族裡有許多人都以蹊跷和恐怖的方式死去。是以，我警告你們不要在黑夜裡走過沼地。魔鬼發現黑夜裡正易于它嚣張一番。
核心語言點：
- county n. a large area or part of a country. 郡，州縣。
- Sir n.頭銜:爵士。
- sensible adj.明智的。
- unless conj. if not,except when.除非。
- hound n. dog used for hunting and racing.獵犬。
- God n. creator and ruler of the universe.上帝。
- Hepron.大寫時常指上帝。
- daughter n. one’s female child.女兒。
- evil adj. wicked，harmful.邪惡的，有害的。
- desperate adj.filled with despair and ready to do anything.因絕望而不惜冒險的。
- ivy n.常春藤。
- behave v. act.行動。
- Deviln.the most wicked spirit of evil(Satun),and the enemy of God.魔王;撒旦。
- Moor n.open,uncultivatsed land.荒野,曠野。
- fetch v.go for and bring back.接來。
- may v.用以表示願望和希望。
- head n.upper end.上端。
- frightened adj. afraid.害怕的。