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It was now March, and Mr Utterson was sitting by the fire after dinner, when he was surprised to receive a visit from Doctor Jekyll's servant, Poole. The old man looked pale and frightened.
时值三月，厄特森先生吃过晚饭坐在炉火旁，哲基尔博士的仆人普尔的到访，让他大吃一惊。老仆人面色苍白，像是受过惊吓。
'Mr Utterson,' he said, 'something is wrong.'
“厄特森先生，”他说，“出事了。”
'Sit down by the fire and tell me all about it.'
“先坐下来，边烤火边说事情。”
'The doctor's locked himself up in his study, sir.'
“博士把自己锁在研究室里了，先生。”
'That's quite usual, surely,' said the lawyer. 'You know your master's habits as well as I do. He often shuts himself away from the world.'
“这很平常啊！”律师说。“你我都了解你主人的习惯。他经常关门闭户足不出户的。”
'Yes, but this time it's different. It frightens me, sir-I've been frightened for more than a week now, and I just can't go on any longer.'
“是的，但这次不一样，都吓到我了，先生――我受惊吓有一个多星期了，不能再被吓了。”
He stopped and stared down at the floor.
他顿了顿，低头盯着地板。
'Try and tell me, Poole,' said Mr Utterson gently.
“那仔细跟我说说，普尔”厄特森先生小声说。
'Something terrible is happening to my master. I can't explain. But... please, sir, can you come with me and see for yourself?'
“主人要出事了，我说不清，但……先生，您能陪我走一趟亲自看看吗？”
At once Mr Utterson fetched his coat and hat.
厄特森先生立马穿上外套和戴上帽子出门。
'Thank you, sir,' whispered Poole gratefully.
“谢谢，先生，”普尔轻声感谢。
Together they made their way to Doctor Jekyll's house. It was a wild, stormy night. To Mr Utterson the streets seemed strangely empty and lonely. The square, when they reached it, was full of wind and flying dust. The thin trees were blowing wildly, and untidy grey clouds were sailing past a pale, sickly moon.
他们一起去哲基尔博士家。当晚寒冷冽，厄特森先生觉得街上异常的冷清孤寂。广场上，被风吹得尘土飞扬，树枝呼呼作响，头顶乌云遮月。
'Well, sir,' said Poole, 'here we are, and I hope that nothing is wrong.' He knocked softly at the front door. The door was opened just a little and a voice from inside asked, 'Is that you, Poole?'
“恩，先生，”普尔开口说，“到了，希望一切都好。”他轻轻敲了敲前门。门只开了一点点，里面有个声音问，“是你吗，普尔？”
'Yes-open the door.'
“是我，快开门。”
The hall, when they entered, was brightly lit. A good fire was burning. The room was full of people-every servant in the house was there. They looked like a crowd of frightened children.
他们进屋，大厅里灯火明亮，壁炉里的火烧得正旺。屋里挤满了人――仆人都在那，看上去就像受了惊的孩童。
'What's all this?' said the lawyer. 'What are you all doing here? Your master would not be pleased.'
“怎么回事？”律师说。“你们都在这干什么？这会令你们主人不悦的。”
'They're frightened,' said Poole simply. No one else spoke. A little servant girl began to cry.
“他们都受了惊，”普尔回答很简洁。其他人都默不作声。一个年轻的女仆开始哭泣。
'Quiet!' said Poole sharply, trying to control his own fear. 'Now-fetch me a light and we'll finish this business at once. Mr Utterson, sir, please follow me.' He led the way across the back garden towards the laboratory.
“安静点！”普尔厉声说，竭力让自己不害怕。“现在――给我一根蜡烛，我们马上结束这事。厄特森先生，请跟我来。”他带路穿过后花园往实验室走。
'Come as quietly as you can, sir. I want you to hear, but I don't want him to hear you. And sir-if he asks you to go inside-don't go.'
“请尽量不要有声响，先生。我想你能听见声响，但不想他听出你来了。还有先生――如果他让你进屋――记得别进。”
Mr Utterson's heart gave a little jump of fear, but he bravely followed the servant into the laboratory to the bottom of the stairs.
厄特森先生心生惧意，但还是无畏地跟着仆人进实验室走到楼梯口。
'Wait here, sir-and listen carefully,' whispered Poole. He himself, again
controlling his fear, climbed the stairs and knocked on the study door.
“在这等，先生――仔细听，”普尔小声交代。他，又竭力不让自己恐惧，爬上楼梯，敲研究室的门。
'Mr Utterson would like to see you, sir,' he called.
“厄特森先生想见你，先生。”他说。
'Tell him I cannot see anyone,' said a voice from inside the study.
“跟他说我不见任何人。”一个声音从研究室里传出来。
'Thank you, sir,' said Poole. He led Mr Utterson back across the garden and into the house. 'Sir,' he said, 'was that my master's voice?'
“好的，先生，”普尔说。他让厄特森先生跟着他穿过花园回到屋内。“先生，”他问，“那是主人的声音吗？”
The lawyer's face was pale. 'It has changed,' he said.
律师面色苍白。“声音不一样，”他说。
'Changed? You're right,' said Poole. 'I've worked for Doctor Jekyll for twenty years. That was not my master's voice. Someone has murdered my master. Eight days ago, we heard his voice for the last time. "Dear God!" he cried-then no more. The voice you heard just now was the voice of his murderer.'
“不一样？是不一样！”普尔说，“我在哲基尔博士这工作20年了。那不是主人的声音，有人将他害了。我们8天前最后一次听到主人声音。‘上帝啊！’他喊――停了停。你刚听到的声音就是杀人凶手的声音。”
'This is an extraordinary story, my good man,' said Mr Utterson. He tried hard to appear calm. 'If Dr Jekyll has been murdered -why is his murderer still there? What reason could he possibly have for staying?'
“这事真怪，好人，”厄特森先生说，并极力让自己保持冷静。“如果哲基尔博士被害――为什么凶手不逃？有什么原因能让他呆那？”
'Perhaps you don't believe me, sir, but I know what I heard. For a week now the person-or thing-in that study has been crying night and day for some special chemical powders. My master was in the habit, when he was particularly busy with his scientific work, of writing orders on pieces of paper and leaving them on the stairs. We've had nothing else this week, nothing except written orders and a locked door. I've been to every chemist in town in search of these chemicals of his, but they were never right. They weren't pure enough, he said. I had to take them back to the shop, and try another chemist. I don't know what these chemicals are, but the person in that study wants them terribly badly.'
“你可能不信，先生，但我听得清清楚楚。已经一周了，那人或物在研究室里因某种特殊的化学粉末日悲夜泣。当主人忙着做科学实验时，他有个习惯会将需要的东西写在纸上，放在楼梯那。我们这周别无它事，除了纸上的清单和关紧房门，概无它事。我去过镇上所有的药店买他要的，但都不行。他说纯度不够。我又将他们退回去，再找其他药店。我不清楚具体药物，但研究室里的人急需它。”
更多译文：
《化身博士》更新中
《雾都孤儿》（完）
《多里安·格雷的画像》（完）
《秘密花园》（完）
PS:本书为牛津系列简易读物，由英国著名作家罗斯玛丽·博德根据英国作家查罗伯特·路易莎·斯蒂文森的同名小说改写。
英文为书虫系列原文，译文是笔者翻译。本文仅因个人兴趣而译，故本文谢绝转载和各种商业用途，同时承诺若出现任何责任由作者承担，必要时简书可删除文章。
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