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the greek interpreter-第1部分

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                                SHERLOCK HOLMES

                             THE GREEK INTERPRETER

                           by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle



  During my long and intimate acquaintance with Mr。 Sherlock Holmes

I had never heard him refer to his relations; and hardly ever to his

own early life。 This reticence upon his part had increased the

somewhat inhuman effect which he produced upon me; until sometimes I

found myself regarding him as an isolated phenomenon; a brain

without a heart; as deficient in human sympathy as he was preeminent

in intelligence。 His aversion to women and his disinclination to

form new friendships were both typical of his unemotional character;

but not more so than his complete suppression of every reference to

his own people。 I had come to believe that he was an orphan with no

relatives living; but one day; to my very great surprise; he began

to talk to me about his brother。

  It was after tea on a summer evening; and the conversation; which

had roamed in a desultory; spasmodic fashion from golf clubs to the

causes of the change in the obliquity of the ecliptic; came round at

last to the question of atavism and hereditary aptitudes。 The point

under discussion was; how far any singular gift in an individual was

due to his ancestry and how far to his own early training。

  〃In your own case;〃 said I; 〃from all that you have told me; it

seems obvious that your faculty of observation and your peculiar

facility for deduction are due to your own systematic training。〃

  〃To some extent〃 he answered thoughtfully。 〃My ancestors were

country squires; who appear to have led much the same life as is

natural to their class。 But; none the less; my turn that way is in

my veins; and may have come with my grandmother; who was the sister of

Vernet; the French artist。 Art in the blood is liable to take the

strangest forms。〃

  〃But how do you know that it is hereditary?〃

  〃Because my brother Mycroft possesses it in a larger degree than I

do。〃

  This was news to me indeed。 If there were another man with such

singular powers in England; how was it that neither police nor

public had heard of him? I put the question; with a hint that it was

my companion's modesty which made him acknowledge his brother as his

superior。 Holmes laughed at my suggestion。

  〃My dear Watson;〃 said he; 〃I cannot agree with those who rank

modesty among the virtues。 To the logician all things should be seen

exactly as they are; and to underestimate one's self is as much a

departure from truth as to exaggerate one's own powers。 When I say;

therefore; that Mycroft has better powers of observation than I; you

may take it that I am speaking the exact and literal truth。〃

  〃Is he your junior?〃

  〃Seven years my senior。〃

  〃How comes it that he is unknown?〃

  〃Oh; he is very well known in his own circle。〃

  〃Where; then?〃

  Well; in the Diogenes Club; for example。〃

  I had never heard of the institution; and my face must have

proclaimed as much; for Sherlock Holmes pulled out his watch。

  〃The Diogenes Club is the queerest club in London; and Mycroft one

of the queerest men。 He's always there from quarter to five to

twenty to eight。 It's six now; so if you care for a stroll this

beautiful evening I shall be very happy to introduce you to two

curiosities。〃

  Five minutes later we were in the street walking towards Regent's

Circus。

  〃You wonder;〃 said my companion; 〃why it is that Mycroft does not

use his powers for detective work。 He is incapable of it。〃

  〃But I thought you said…〃

  〃I said that he was my superior in observation and deduction。 If the

art of the detective began and ended in reasoning from an armchair; my

brother would be the greatest criminal agent that ever lived。 But he

has no ambition and no energy。 He will not even go out of his way to

verify his own solutions; and would rather be considered wrong than

take the trouble to prove himself right。 Again and again I have

taken a problem to him; and have received an explanation which has

afterwards proved to be the correct one。 And yet he was absolutely

incapable of working out the practical points which must be gone

into before a case could be laid before a judge or jury。〃

  〃It is not his profession; then?〃

  〃By no means。 What is to me a means of livelihood is to him the

merest hobby of a dilettante。 He has an extraordinary faculty for

figures; and audits the books in some of the government departments。

Mycroft lodges in Pall Mall; and he walks round the corner into

Whitehall every morning and back every evening。 From year's end to

year's end he takes no other exercise; and is seen nowhere else;

except only in the Diogenes Club; which is just opposite his rooms。〃

  〃I cannot recall the name。〃

  〃Very likely not。 There are many men in London; you know; who;

some from shyness; some from misanthropy; have no wish for the company

of their fellows。 Yet they are not averse to comfortable chairs and

the latest periodicals。 It is for the convenience of these that the

Diogenes Club was started; and it now contains the most unsociable and

unclubable men in town。 No member is permitted to take the least

notice of any other one。 Save in the Stranger's Room; no talking is;

under any circumstances; allowed; and three offences; if brought to

the notice of the committee; render the talker liable to expulsion。 My

brother was one of the founders; and I have myself found it a very

soothing atmosphere。〃

  We had reached Pall Mall as we talked; and were walking down it from

the St。 James's end。 Sherlock Holmes stopped at a door some little

distance from the Carlton; and; cautioning me not to speak; he led the

way into the hall。 Through the glass panelling I caught a glimpse of a

large and luxurious room; in which a considerable number of men were

sitting about and reading papers; each in his own little nook。

Holmes showed me into a small chamber which looked out into Pall Mall;

and then; leaving me for a minute; he came back with a companion

whom I knew could only be his brother。

  Mycroft Holmes was a much larger and stouter man than Sherlock。

His body was absolutely corpulent; but his face; though massive; had

preserved something of the sharpness of expression which was so

remarkable in that of his brother。 His eyes; which were of a

peculiarly light; watery gray; seemed to always retain that

far…away; introspective look which I had only observed in Sherlock's

when he was exerting his full powers。

  〃I am glad to meet you; sir;〃 said he; putting out a broad; fat hand

like the flipper of a seal。 〃I hear of Sherlock everywhere since you

became his chronicler。 By the way; Sherlock; I expected to see you

round last week to consult me over that Manor House case。 I thought

you might be a little out of your depth。〃

  〃No; I solved it;〃 said my friend; smiling。

  〃It was Adams; of course。〃

  〃Yes; it was Adams。〃

  〃I was sure of it from the first。〃 The two sat down together in

the bow…window of the club。 To anyone who wishes to study mankind this

is the spot;〃 said Mycroft。 〃Loo
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