I rose to go, but Holmes caught me by the arm and pushed me back into my chair." You hire either both of us, or none," he said. "You can trust this gentleman with anything which you may say to me."
我起身要走，可是福尔摩斯一把抓住我的手腕，又把我推回原来的扶手椅里。”要雇就两个一起雇，要么就别雇，“他说，”凡是你想和我说的任何事情，你尽可以当着这位绅士的面说。“
The Count shrugged his broad shoulders.
伯爵耸了耸他那宽阔的肩膀。
broad adj. 宽阔的
shrug one's shoulders 耸了耸肩
"Then I'll begin," he said. "But first, you must both promise to keep what I tell you secret for two years. After two years, the matter will be of no importance. But right now, what I am about to tell you may change the course of European history."
”那我就开始了，“他说道，”但首先，你们二位得保证两年之内绝对保守我所说的秘密。两年之后这事就无关紧要了。但目前来说，我将要告诉你们的事情或许能改变整个欧洲历史的进程。“
be about to 将要
"I promise," said Holmes and I at the same time.
”我保证，“福尔摩斯和我同声说道。
"Please excuse this mask," continued the Count. "The person who employs me wishes me to be unknown to you. Also, the title by which I have just called myself is not exactly my own."
”请别介意这个面具，“伯爵继续说道，”派我来的那位不希望你们知道我的身份。并且，我刚才所用的头衔也并不是我真正的称号。“
excuse v. 介意
employ v. 雇佣
title n. 头衔
"I already knew," said Holmes dryly.
”这我知道，“福尔摩斯冷冰冰地回答道。
dryly adv. 冷冰冰地
"We are dealing with something very sensitive. Every care has to be taken to get rid of what might grow into a big scandal that can seriously hurt one of the royal families of Europe. The matter is regarding the great House of Ormstein, the kings of Bohemia."
”我们要处理的事情十分敏感，必须采取一切措施，以避免事情发展为一桩重大丑闻，以免使欧洲皇家受到严重损害。这件事情牵涉到伟大的奥姆斯坦家族，波西米亚世袭国王。“
deal with 处理
get rid of 摆脱
hurt v. 损坏
regard v. 关系到
"I knew that too," murmured Holmes. He fell back into his armchair and closed his eyes.
“这我也知道，”福尔摩斯喃喃道。他坐回到扶手椅里，闭上了双眼。
murmur v. 喃喃说道
Our visitor looked at Holmes with surprise. Holmes had no doubt been described to him as the most incisive and energetic private detective in Europe. Holmes slowly reopened his eyes and looked impatiently at his new client.
我们的这位来客惊讶地看着福尔摩斯。毫无疑问，人们口中的那个福尔摩斯被刻画为欧洲最为敏锐深刻、也最为精力充沛的私人侦探。福尔摩斯慢条斯理地重新睁开双眼，不耐烦地瞧着他的新委托人。
describe v. 刻画
incisive adj. 敏锐的
energetic adj. 精力充沛的
private detective 私人侦探
impatiently adv. 不耐烦地
client n. 委托人
"If Your Majesty were to reveal himself, and be honest with me, I would be in a better position to help you," he said.
“要是陛下肯表明身份，对我坦诚相待，那我就能更好地为您效劳，”他说道。
Your Majesty 陛下
be in a position to 处于...的位置
The man sprang from his chair and walked up and down the room nervously. Then he tore the mask from his face and threw it on the floor.
那个男人从椅子里猛地站了起来，紧张地在房间里踱来踱去。接着，他扯下脸上的面具，一把扔到了地上。
nervously adv. 紧张地
tear v. 扯下来
"You are right!" the man cried. "I am the King."
“你说对了！”他喊道，“我就是国王。”
"I know," said Holmes. "The moment you walked in the door I knew who you were. You are Wilhelm Gottsreich Sigismon von Ormstein, Grand Duke of Cassel-Felstein, and hereditary King of Bohemia."
“我知道，”福尔摩斯说，“您一走进房子，我就知道您的身份了。您是威廉•戈特赖希•西吉斯蒙德•冯•奥姆施泰因，卡斯尔-费尔施泰因大公、波西米亚的世袭国王。”
duke n. 公爵
hereditary adj. 世袭的
"You understand that I am not used to doing such business myself," said our strange visitor. "Yet the matter was so delicate that I had to do it myself. I have come from Prague in secret to talk with you."
“你能理解，我通常不会亲自办这种事情的，“我们这位奇怪的来客说道，”但是这件事太微妙了，我不得不亲力亲为。为了和你商谈，我是从布拉格秘密来此的。”
delicate adj. 敏感的
in secret 秘密地
"Go ahead," said Holmes, shutting his eyes once more.
“那就请继续谈吧，”福尔摩斯说道，又把眼睛闭上了。
shut v. 闭上
"Five years ago, I took a long holiday in Warsaw. There, I came to know the well-known adventuress, Irene Adler. I believe you know the woman."
“五年以前，我在华沙休长假的时候，在那儿认识了大名鼎鼎的女探险家艾琳•艾德勒。我相信你认识这位小姐。”
adventuress n. 女探险家
"Please look her up in my index, Watson," said Holmes without opening his eyes. I found her biography sandwiched in between that of a Hebrew rabbi and that of a commander who had written an essay on deep-sea creatures.
“华生，请你在我的资料索引里查查这个人，”福尔摩斯眼睛睁都没睁开，对我说道。我找到了她的个人材料，夹在一个犹太拉比和写过一起关于深海生物专题论文的参谋官这两份材料中间。
index n. 索引
biography n. 个人资料
sandwich in 夹在...中间
Hebrew adj. 犹太的
rabbi n. 拉比（犹太人的学者）
commander n. 参谋官
essay n. 专题论文
creature n. 生物
