福爾摩斯探案經典:《恐怖谷》第8章Part3

"Well, I don't know it; but Vermissa is out of my beat. I live at Hobson's Patch, and that's here where we are drawing up. But, say, there's one bit of advice I'll give you before we part: If you're in trouble in Vermissa, go straight to the Union House and see Boss McGinty. He is the Bodymaster of Vermissa Lodge, and nothing can happen in these parts unless Black Jack McGinty wants it. So long, mate! Maybe we'll meet in lodge one of these evenings. But mind my words: If you are in trouble, go to Boss McGinty."
Scanlan descended, and McMurdo was left once again to his thoughts. Night had now fallen, and the flames of the frequent furnaces were roaring and leaping in the darkness. Against their lurid background dark figures were bending and straining, twisting and turning, with the motion of winch or of windlass, to the rhythm of an eternal clank and roar.
"I guess hell must look something like that," said a voice.
McMurdo turned and saw that one of the policemen had shifted in his seat and was staring out into the fiery waste.
"For that matter," said the other policeman, "I allow that hell must BE something like that. If there are worse devils down yonder than some we could name, it's more than I'd expect. I guess you are new to this part, young man?"
"Well, what if I am?" McMurdo answered in a surly voice.
"Just this, mister, that I should advise you to be careful in choosing your friends. I don't think I'd begin with Mike Scanlan or his gang if I were you."
"What the hell is it to you who are my friends?" roared McMurdo in a voice which brought every head in the carriage round to witness the altercation. "Did I ask you for your advice, or did you think me such a sucker that I couldn't move without it? You speak when you are spoken to, and by the Lord you'd have to wait a long time if it was me!" He thrust out his face and grinned at the patrolmen like a snarling dog.
The two policemen, heavy, good-natured men, were taken aback by the extraordinary vehemence with which their friendly advances had been rejected.
"No offense, stranger," said one. "It was a warning for your own good, seeing that you are, by your own showing, new to the place."
"I'm new to the place; but I'm not new to you and your kind!" cried McMurdo in cold fury. "I guess you're the same in all places, shoving your advice in when nobody asks for it."
"Maybe we'll see more of you before very long," said one of the patrolmen with a grin. "You're a real hand-picked one, if I am a judge."
"I was thinking the same," remarked the other. "I guess we may meet again."

“噢，我不知道這個公寓，我對維爾米薩不太熟悉。我住在霍布森領地，現在就要到了。不過，在我們分手以前，我要奉告你一句話。如果你在維爾米薩遇到困難，你就直接到工會去找首領麥金蒂。他是維爾米薩分會的身主，在此地，沒有布萊克·傑克·麥金蒂的許可，是不會出什麼事的。再見，老弟，或許我們有一天晚上能夠在分會裏見面。不過請記住我的話：如果你一旦遇到困難，就去找首領麥金蒂。”
斯坎倫下車了，麥克默多又重新陷入沉思。現在天已完全黑了，黑暗中高爐噴出的火焰在嘶列着、跳躍着發出閃光。在紅光映照中，一些黑色的身影在隨着起重機或捲揚機的動作，和着鏗鏘聲與轟鳴聲的旋律，彎腰、用力、扭動、轉身。
“我想地獄一定是這個樣子，"有人說道。
麥克默多轉回身來，看到一個警察動了動身子，望着外面爐火映紅的荒原。
“就這一點來說，"另一個警察說道，“我認爲地獄一定象這個樣子，我不認爲，那裏的魔鬼會比我們知道的更壞。年輕人，我想你剛到這地方吧？”
“嗯，我剛到這裏又怎麼樣？"麥克默多粗暴無禮地答道。
“是這樣，先生，我勸你選擇朋友要小心謹慎。我要是你，我不會一開頭就和邁克·斯坎倫或他那一幫人交朋友。”
“我和誰交朋友，這幹你屁事！"麥克默多厲聲說道。他的聲音驚動了車廂內所有的人，大家都在看他們爭吵，“我請你勸告我了嗎？還是你認爲我是個笨蛋，不聽你的勸告就寸步難行？有人跟你說話你再張口，我要是你呀，嗨！還是靠邊呆會兒吧！”他把臉衝向警察，咬牙切齒，象一隻狺狺狂吠的狗。
這兩個老練、溫厚的警察對這種友好的表示竟遭到這麼強烈的拒絕，不免都大吃一驚。
“請不要見怪！先生，"一個警察說道，“看樣子，你是初到此地的。我們對你提出警告，也是爲了你好嘛。”
“我雖是初到此地，可是我對你們這一類貨色卻並不生疏，"麥克默多無情地怒喊道，“我看你們這些人是天下烏鴉一般黑，收起你們的規勸吧，沒有人需要它。”
“我們不久就要再會的，"一個警察冷笑着說道，“我要是法官的話，我敢說你可真是百裏挑一的好東西了。”
“我也這樣想，"另一個警察說，“我想我們後會有期的。”