The Yellow Face
黄面人

In publishing these short sketches based upon the numerous cases in which my companion's singular gifts have made us the listeners to,
在一些神秘的案件中，我的朋友福尔摩斯的非凡才能使我们对一些离奇的戏剧性故事听得入了神，
and eventually the actors in, some strange drama, it is only natural that I should dwell rather upon his successes than upon his failures.
最后我们自己也投身到这些故事中去了，在我发表根据这些案件所写的短篇小说时，很自然地就把他的成就写得比失败要详细得多。
And this not so much for the sake of his reputation
我所以这样做，并不是为了顾全福尔摩斯的名声，
for, indeed, it was when he was at his wit's end that his energy and his versatility were most admirable
事实上，每逢濒于绝境时，他的精力和多才多能实在令人钦佩不迭，
but because where he failed it happened too often that no one else succeeded, and that the tale was left forever without a conclusion.
而是因为凡是福尔摩斯遭到失败之处，别人也不会成功，而故事也就永远没有结局了。
Now and again, however, it chanced that even when he erred the truth was still discovered.
然而，往往发生一种情况，甚至当他出现了错误，最后还是被他查出了真情。
I have noted of some half-dozen cases of the kind;
我曾注意到五六种这类情况的案子，
the adventure of the Musgrave Ritual and that which I am about to recount are the two which present the strongest features of interest.
其中有两件案子最明显而引人入胜，一件是马斯格雷夫礼典案，一件就是我现在准备讲述的故事。

Sherlock Holmes was a man who seldom took exercise for exercise's sake.
福尔摩斯是一个很少为锻炼身体而进行体育活动的人。
Few men were capable of greater muscular effort, and he was undoubtedly one of the finest boxers of his weight that I have ever seen;
一般来说，善于运用自己体力的人并不很多，而毫无疑问，在与他同体重的人中，福尔摩斯是我见过的最优秀的拳击家，
but he looked upon aimless bodily exertion as a waste of energy,
不过，他把盲目锻炼身体看作是浪费精力，
and he seldom bestirred himself save where there was some professional object to be served.
所以除了与他职业有关的项目以外，他对其余活动一向很少问津。
Then he was absolutely untiring and indefatigable.
可是他精力非常充沛，不知疲倦。
That he should have kept himself in training under such circumstances is remarkable,
显然，他这样的养身之道，确实是很奇怪的。
but his diet was usually of the sparest, and his habits were simple to the verge of austerity.
他的饮食总是很简单的，起居也极其简朴，近于节衣缩食。
Save for the occasional use of cocaine, he had no vices,
除了偶尔注射些可卡因以外，福尔摩斯没有其他恶习，
and he only turned to the drug as a protest against the monotony of existence when cases were scanty and the papers uninteresting.
每当没有案件可查，而报纸新闻又枯燥无味时，他便求助于麻醉剂，以解除生活的单调。