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特殊記憶技能
大家都知道卷福那個神乎其神的思維宮殿(Mind Palace),這是他幫助自己記憶的方法。原著中的福爾摩斯,并沒有那么大的宮殿,他用的是一個大腦閣樓(brain-attic)。
I consider that a man's brain originally is like a little empty attic, and you have to stock it with such furniture as you choose. A fool takes in all the lumber of every sort that he comes across, so that the knowledge which might be useful to him gets crowded out, or at best is jumbled up with a lot of other things so that he has a difficulty in laying his hands upon it.
我認(rèn)為人的腦子本來象一間空空的小閣樓,應(yīng)該有選擇地把一些家具裝進(jìn)去。只有傻瓜才會把他碰到的各種各樣的破爛雜碎一古腦兒裝進(jìn)去。這樣一來,那些對他有用的知識反而被擠了出來;或者,最多不過是和許多其他的東西摻雜在一起。因此,在取用的時候也就感到困難了。
It is a mistake to think that that little room has elastic walls and can distend to any extent. Depend upon it there comes a time when for every addition of knowledge you forget something that you knew before. It is of the highest importance, therefore, not to have useless facts elbowing out the useful ones.
如果認(rèn)為這間小閣樓的墻壁富有彈性,可以任意伸縮,那就錯了。請相信我的話,總有一天,當(dāng)你增加新知識的時候,你就會把以前所熟習(xí)的東西忘了。所以最要緊的是,不要讓一些無用的知識把有用的擠出去。
演繹法
福爾摩斯之所以有實(shí)力讓一代又一代的偵探小說迷折服,主要是因為他的一套推理演繹法(the Science of Deduction)。
我們來看看他自己是怎樣解釋的。
From a drop of water, a logician could infer the possibility of an Atlantic or a Niagara without having seen or heard of one or the other. So all life is a great chain, the nature of which is known whenever we are shown a single link of it.
一個邏輯學(xué)家不需親眼見到或者聽說過大西洋或尼加拉瀑布,但他能從一滴水推測出它們有可能存在,所以整個生活就是一條巨大的鏈條,只要見到其中的一環(huán),整個鏈條的情況就可推想出來了。
When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.
當(dāng)你排除一切不可能的,剩下的無論是什么——無論多么荒謬——那一定是真相。
I never guess. It is a shocking habit – destructive to the logical faculty.
我從不猜測,那是破壞思維能力的壞習(xí)慣。
I never make exceptions. An exception disproves the rule.
我向來不作任何例外。定律沒有例外。
It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. Insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts.
在沒有得到事實(shí)之前妄下猜測是個很可怕的錯誤。你會不自覺地扭曲事實(shí)去套自己的猜測,而不是根據(jù)事實(shí)來推導(dǎo)結(jié)論。
偉大的友(ji)情
福爾摩斯和華生的深厚友情是這個偵探故事中最動人的部分。
原著中各種微妙細(xì)節(jié),如今依然是腐女們津津樂道的內(nèi)容,不如摘錄一些感受一下。
我們偶爾能在原著里瞥見這種兩人在一起時歲月靜好的樣子……
Sherlock Holmes was a man who seldom took exercise for exercise's sake... One day in early spring he had so far relaxed as to go for a walk with me in the Park, where the first faint shoots of green were breaking out upon the elms, and the sticky spear-heads of the chestnuts were just beginning to burst into their five-fold leaves. For two hours we rambled about together, in silence for the most part, as befits two men who know each other intimately. It was nearly five before we were back in Baker Street once more.
歇洛克·福爾摩斯是一個很少為鍛煉身體而進(jìn)行體育活動的人……早春的一天,他清閑起來,居然有時間陪我到公園去散步。此時榆樹已生出嫩綠的枝芽,栗樹梢頭開始冒出五瓣形新葉。我們在一起不言不語地漫步了兩個小時,這對兩個互知肺腑的人是很適合的。我們回到貝克街,已近五點(diǎn)了。
看完下面這段,不禁要感嘆,原來柯南道爾才是霸道總裁文鼻祖。
Holmes had been back for some months, and I, at his request, had sold my practice and returned to share the old quarters in Baker Street. A young doctor, named Verner, had purchased my small Kensington practice, and given with astonishingly little demur the highest price that I ventured to ask—an incident which only explained itself some years later when I found that Verner was a distant relation of Holmes's, and that it was my friend who had really found the money.
福爾摩斯回國幾個月了。我依著他的請求,出讓了我的診所,搬回貝克街我們合住過的舊寓所。有個姓弗納的年輕醫(yī)生買了我在肯辛頓開的小診所,他半點(diǎn)也沒猶豫就照我冒昧提出的最高價付了錢,使我感到奇怪。幾年后,我發(fā)現(xiàn)弗納是福爾摩斯的遠(yuǎn)親,錢實(shí)際上是他籌措的,才明白過來。
在《三個同姓人》中,華生在行動中中槍,福爾摩斯表露出的緊張和關(guān)切,讓我們首次窺見了這個自稱只有大腦的冷漠偵探的內(nèi)心。
"You're not hurt, Watson? For God's sake, say that you are not hurt!"
“沒傷著吧,華生?看在上帝的份上,告訴我你沒受傷!”
It was worth a wound; it was worth many wounds; to know the depth of loyalty and love which lay behind that cold mask. The clear, hard eyes were dimmed for a moment, and the firm lips were shaking. For the one and only time I caught a glimpse of a great heart as well as of a great brain. All my years of humble but single-minded service culminated in that moment of revelation.
當(dāng)我知道在這張冷冰的面具后面是有著多么深的忠實(shí)和友愛時,我覺得受一次傷,甚至受多次傷也是值得的。他那明亮堅強(qiáng)的眼睛有點(diǎn)濕潤了,那堅定的嘴唇在顫抖。這僅有的一次,讓我窺見了他不僅有偉大的頭腦,而且有偉大的心靈。我這么多年的微末而忠心的效勞,有這一點(diǎn)感受也就知足了。
知識儲備
華生在初識福爾摩斯時,對于他到底從事什么職業(yè)有極大的興趣,于是列出了他的知識范圍。
這個清單再次證明,天才都愛偏科……
Knowledge of Literature – nil.
文學(xué)知識——無
Knowledge of Philosophy – nil.
哲學(xué)知識——無
Knowledge of Astronomy – nil.
天文學(xué)知識——無
Knowledge of Politics – Feeble.
政治學(xué)知識——淺薄
Knowledge of Botany – Variable. Well up in belladonna, opium and poisons generally. Knows nothing of practical gardening.
植物學(xué)知識——片面,但對莨蓿制劑和鴉片卻非常了解;對毒劑具有一般知識,但對實(shí)用園藝一無所知。
Knowledge of Geology – Practical, but limited. Tells at a glance different soils from each other. After walks, has shown me splashes upon his trousers, and told me by their colour and consistence in what part of London he had received them.
地質(zhì)學(xué)知識——限于實(shí)用。他一眼就能分辨出不同的土質(zhì)。散完步,會把褲子上的泥點(diǎn)指給我看,能根據(jù)顏色和堅實(shí)程度告訴我這是在倫敦什么地方濺上的。
Knowledge of Chemistry – Profound.
化學(xué)知識——精深。
Knowledge of Anatomy – Accurate, but unsystematic.
解剖學(xué)知識——準(zhǔn)確,但無系統(tǒng)。
Knowledge of Sensational Literature – Immense. He appears to know every detail of every horror perpetrated in the century.
驚險文學(xué)——十分廣博,他似乎對近一世紀(jì)中發(fā)生的一切恐怖事件都深知底細(xì)。
Plays the violin well.
小提琴拉得很好。
Is an expert singlestick player, boxer and swordsman.
善用棍棒,精于刀劍拳術(shù)。
Has a good practical knowledge of British law.
具有豐富實(shí)用的英國法律知識。
語錄
言語犀利的福爾摩斯,有數(shù)不清的經(jīng)典語錄。
My name is Sherlock Holmes. It is my business to know what other people don't know.
我的名字是歇洛克·福爾摩斯。知道別人不知道的事是我份內(nèi)的事。
You see, but you do not observe.
你是在看,不是在觀察。
What one man can invent, another can discover.
有人能發(fā)明,就有人能看懂。
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.
我不同意有些人把謙虛列為美德。對邏輯學(xué)家來說,一切事物應(yīng)當(dāng)是什么樣就是什么樣,對自己估價過低和夸大自己的才能一樣都是違背事實(shí)的。
Mediocrity know nothing higher than itself; but talent instantly recognizes genius.
一個平庸的人看不到比自己高明的東西,但是一個有才能的人卻能立即認(rèn)出天才。
The emotional qualities are antagonistic to clear reasoning.
感情作用會影響清醒的邏輯。
Elementary, my dear Watson.
太基礎(chǔ)了,我親愛的華生。
Watson. Come at once if convenient. If inconvenient, come all the same.
華生。如方便,速來。如不方便,亦來。
(來源:中國日報網(wǎng)雙語新聞微信,編輯:左卓,丁一)
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