亲爱的华生，"一个很熟的声音说，"我万分抱歉。
Dear Watson, "said a familiar voice," I'm terribly sorry.
我一点也没想到你会这样经受不住。”
I had no idea that you would be so unbearable. "
我紧紧抓住他的双臂。
I gripped his arms tightly.
“福尔摩斯！"我大喊了一声，"真的是你？
"Holmes! "I shouted," is it really you?
难道你还活着？
Are you still alive?
你怎么可能从那可怕的深渊中爬出来？”
How can you climb out of that terrible abyss? "
“等一等，"他说，“你现在真觉得有精神来谈这事儿了吗？
"Wait a minute," he said, "do you really feel energetic to talk about this now?
瞧我这多此一举的戏剧性的出现给了你多大的刺激。”
Look how exciting my unnecessary dramatic appearance has given you. "

“我好了。
"I'm ready.
可是说真的，福尔摩斯，我简直不敢相信自己的眼睛。
But really, Holmes, I can't believe my eyes.
天哪！世界上这么多人，单单会是你在我书房中站着。"
Oh, my god Of all the people in the world, you will be the only one standing in my study. "
我又抓其他的一只袖子，摸着里面那只精瘦而有力的胳臂。
I grabbed the other sleeve and touched the lean and powerful arm inside.
"可是不管怎样，你不是鬼，"我说，"亲爱的朋友，看到你我太高兴了。
" But anyway, you are not a ghost, "I said," dear friend, I am so happy to see you.
坐下来，告诉我你是怎样从那可怕的峡谷中逃生的。”
Sit down and tell me how you escaped from that terrible canyon. "

他面对着我坐下来，照老样儿若无其事地点燃了一支烟。
He sat down facing me and casually lit a cigarette as usual.
他全身裹在一件卖书商人穿的破旧长外套里，剩下看得见的只有那一堆白发和放在桌上的旧书。
He was wrapped in an old coat worn by a bookseller, and all that was left in sight was a pile of white hair and old books on the table.
福尔摩斯显得比以前更加清瘦、机警，但他那张鹰似的脸上带着一丝苍白的颜色，使我看出来他最近一阵子生活不规律。
Holmes looks thinner and more alert than before, but his eagle-like face is pale, which makes me see that his life has been irregular recently.

我亲爱的老朋友，咱们——如果我可以求你合作的话——面前还有一个晚上的艰险工作。
My dear old friend, we-if I may ask for your cooperation-still have one night of arduous work ahead of us.
或许最好是这项工作完了以后，我再把全部情况告诉你。”
Maybe it's best that I tell you the whole situation after this work is finished. "

“我很想知道，更喜欢现在就听到。”
"I'd like to know, I prefer to hear it now."
“今天晚上你愿意跟我一起去吗？”
"Would you like to go with me tonight?"
“随你说什么时候、去什么地方都行。”
"Whenever and wherever you say."

“真的还象过去那样。
"Really like in the past.
咱们出发前还有时间吃点晚饭。
We still have time to have some dinner before we leave.
好吧，就说说那个峡谷。
Okay, let's talk about the canyon.
我从峡谷中逃出来并没有多大困难。
I didn't have much difficulty in escaping from the canyon.
理由很简单：我根本没有掉进去。”
The reason is simple: I didn't fall in at all. "
“你根本没有掉进去？”
"You didn't fall in at all?"

“没有，华生。
"No, Watson.
我根本没有掉进去。
I didn't even fall in.
我给你的便条可完全是真的。
My note to you is completely true.
当我发觉模样像莫里亚蒂教授站在那条窄道上的时候，我一点都不怀疑我的末日到了。
When I found that I looked like Professor moriarty standing on that narrow road, I had no doubt that my end was coming.
在他的灰色眼睛中，我觉察到一个无情的意图。
In his gray eyes, I sensed a ruthless intention.
于是我跟他交谈了几句，得到他彬彬有礼的许可，写了那封后来你收到的短信。
So I talked with him for a few words, got his polite permission, and wrote the short message you received later.
我把信、烟盒和手杖一起留在那里，就沿着那条窄道往前走，莫里亚蒂仍紧跟着我。
I left the letter, cigarette case and cane there, and walked along the narrow road, with moriarty still following me.

我走到尽头便无路可去了。
When I get to the end, there is no way to go.
他并没有掏出武器，却突然冲过来把我抱住。
He didn't take out his weapon, but suddenly he rushed over and hugged me.
他知道他的一切都完了，只急着对我报复。
Knowing that everything for him is finished, he is only anxious to get revenge on me.
我们两人在瀑布边上扭成一团。
The two of us twisted together at the edge of the waterfall.
但是我懂点日本式摔跤，过去有好几次都用上了这一手。我从他的两臂中褪了出来。
But I know some Japanese wrestling, and I have used this skill several times in the past. I slipped out of his arms.
他发出一声可怕的尖叫，疯狂地踢了几下，两手向空中乱抓。
He let out a terrible scream, kicked wildly, and scratched his hands into the air.
尽管他费了很大的气力，仍旧无法保持平衡而掉下去了。
Despite his great efforts, he still couldn't keep his balance and fell.
我探头见他坠下去很长一段距离，然后撞在一块岩石上，又被弹出去，掉进水里。”
My probe saw him fall for a long distance, then hit a rock, was ejected and fell into the water. "

我惊奇地听了福尔摩斯边抽烟边作的这段解释。
I was surprised to hear this explanation made by Holmes while smoking.
“可是还有脚印哪！"我大声说，"我亲眼看见那条路上有两个人往前走的脚印，往回走的一个也没有。”
"But there are footprints! "I said with a loud voice," I saw with my own eyes the footprints of two people walking forward on that road, but none walking back. "

“事情是这样的。
"Here's the thing.
就在教授掉进深渊的一刹那，我忽然想到命运给我安排了再巧不过的机会。
Just as the professor fell into the abyss, it suddenly occurred to me that fate had arranged a perfect opportunity for me.
我知道不仅是莫里亚蒂一个人曾经发誓要置我于死地。
I know that moriarty is not the only one who has vowed to kill me.
至少还有三个人，他们要向我报复的欲望只会由于他们首领的死亡而变得更强烈。
There are at least three others, and their desire to take revenge on me will only be strengthened by the death of their leader.
他们都是最危险的人。
They are all the most dangerous people.
这三人当中，准有一个会找到我。
One of these three people will find me.
另一方面，如果全世界都相信我死了，这几个人就会随便行动，很快露面，这样我迟早能消灭他们。
On the other hand, if the whole world believes that I am dead, these people will act casually and show up soon, so that I can destroy them sooner or later.
到那个时候，我就可以宣布我仍在人间。
At that time, I can declare that I am still alive.
大脑活动起来是那么迅速，我相信在莫里亚蒂还没有沉到莱辛巴赫起布下的深潭底之前，我已经想出了这一切。
The brain moves so quickly that I believe I have come up with all this before moriarty has sunk to the bottom of the deep pool laid by Lessing Bach.

“我站起来观察后面的悬崖。
"I stood up and observed the cliff behind me.
在你那篇我后来读得津津有味的生动描述中，你断言那是绝壁。
In your vivid description which I later read with relish, you asserted that it was a precipice.
你说得不完全对。
You're not entirely right.
悬崖上仍有露在外面的几个窄小的立足点，并且有一块很象岩架的地方。
There are still several narrow footholds exposed on the cliff, and there is a place that looks like a rock shelf.
想要一直爬上那么高的峭壁显然是不可能的，再想顺着那条湿漉漉的窄道走出去而不留下脚印也同样不可能。
It's obviously impossible to climb such a high cliff all the time, and it's equally impossible to go out along that wet narrow road without leaving footprints.
当然，我也可以象在过去类似场合做过的那样把鞋倒穿，但是在同一方向出现三对脚印，无疑会使人想到这是仆人的手法。
Of course, I can also wear my shoes upside down as I have done on similar occasions in the past, but three pairs of footprints in the same direction will undoubtedly make people think that this is a servant's trick.
所以，总的看来，最好冒险爬上去。
So, on the whole, it's best to venture up.

这可不是一件叫我高兴的事，华生。
This is not something that pleases me, Watson.
瀑布在我脚下隆隆作响。
The waterfall rumbled under my feet.
我不是个富于幻想的人，但是一点不假，我仿佛听见莫里亚蒂的声音从深渊中冲着我喊叫。
I'm not a visionary, but it's true that I seem to hear the voice of moriarty shouting at me from the abyss.
好几次当我手没抓住身边的草丛或是脚从精湿的岩石缺口中滑下来的时候，我想我完了。
Several times, when my hands failed to grasp the grass around me or my feet slipped through the gaps in the wet rocks, I thought I was finished.
但是我拼命往上爬，终于爬上一块有几英尺宽的岩架，上面长着柔软的绿苔，在那儿我可以很舒服地躺下而不被人看见。
But I tried my best to climb up, and finally I climbed a rock shelf several feet wide with soft green moss, where I could lie down comfortably without being seen.
亲爱的华生，当你和你的随从正在极其同情而又毫无效力地调查我的死亡现场的时候，我就躺在岩架上。
Dear Watson, while you and your entourage were investigating the scene of my death with great sympathy and ineffectiveness, I was lying on the ledge.

“你作出了完全错误的结论就离开那里回旅馆去了，最后就剩下我一个人。
"You made a completely wrong conclusion and left there to go back to the hotel, leaving me alone in the end.
我以为我的险遇到此结束了。
I thought my adventure was over.
可是发生了非常突然的事故，使我预感到还有叫我吃惊的事情就要来到。
However, the accident in expect the unexpected gave me a premonition that something surprising was coming
一块巨大的岩石由上面落下来，轰隆一声从我身边擦过去，砸中下面那条小道，又蹦起来掉进深渊。
A huge rock fell from above, brushed past me with a roar, hit the path below, jumped up and fell into the abyss.
我当时还以为这块岩石是偶然掉下来的。
At that time, I thought this rock fell by accident.
过了一会儿，我抬头望见昏暗的天空中露出一个人头。
After a while, I looked up and saw a human head in the dark sky.
这时又落下来一块石头，砸在我躺着的地方，离我的头部不到一英尺。
At this moment, another stone fell and hit the place where I was lying, less than a foot from my head.
当然，这意味着什么就很清楚了。
Of course, what this means is clear.
莫里亚蒂并非单人行动。
Moriarty is not acting alone.
在他对我下手的时候，还有一个党羽在守望，而我一眼就看出了这个党羽是个多么危险的家伙。
When he laid hands on me, there was another henchmen watching, and I saw at a glance how dangerous this henchmen was.
他躲在我看不见的地方亲眼目睹了他的朋友淹死和我逃脱的情况。
He hid out of my sight and witnessed the drowning of his friend and my escape.
他一直等着，然后绕道上了崖顶，企图实现他朋友未能得逞的打算。
He waited all the time, then made a detour to the top of the cliff, trying to realize his friend's unsuccessful plan.

“我思考这一切并没有耽搁多少时间，华生。
"I don't have much time to think about all this, Watson.
我又看见那张冷酷的脸从崖顶朝下张望，这是有另一块石头要落下来的预兆。
I saw that cold face looking down from the top of the cliff again, which was a sign that another stone was about to fall.
我对准崖下的小道往下爬。
I aimed at the path under the cliff and climbed down.
我不认为自己当时能满不在乎地爬下去，这比往上爬更难百倍。
I don't think I could climb down carelessly, which is a hundred times more difficult than climbing up.
但是我没时间考虑往下爬的危险，因为就在我双手攀住岩架边沿、身体悬空吊起的时候，又有一块石头呼地一声从我身边落下去。
But I didn't have time to think about the danger of climbing down, because just as my hands were clinging to the edge of the ledge and my body was hanging in the air, another stone fell from my side with a loud shout.
我爬到一半的地方脚踩空了。
I climbed halfway and my foot was empty.
幸好上帝保佑，我掉在那条窄道上，摔得头破血流。
Fortunately, God bless me, I fell on that narrow road and my head was broken.
我爬起来就逃之夭夭，在山里摸黑走了十英里。
I got up and ran away, walking ten miles in the dark in the mountains.
一星期以后，我到了佛罗伦萨，这一来包管世界上谁也不知道我的下落。
A week later, I arrived in Florence, which guaranteed that no one in the world knew my whereabouts.

“那时候我只有一个可信赖的人——我的哥哥迈克罗夫特。
"At that time, I only had one reliable person-my brother Mycroft.
我再三向你道歉，亲爱的华生。
I apologize to you again and again, dear Watson.
但是当时最要紧的是让大家认为我死了。
But the most important thing at that time was to make everyone think I was dead.
你要是不相信我死了，你也一定写不出一篇那么令人信服的关于我不幸结局的故事来。
If you don't believe I'm dead, you won't be able to write such a convincing story about my unhappy ending.
在这三年中，我几次提笔要给你写信，但总是担心你对我的深切关心会使你不谨慎而泄漏秘密。
In the past three years, I have written to you several times, but I am always worried that your deep concern for me will make you careless and reveal the secret
也是为了这个缘故，今天傍晚你碰掉我的书的时候，我只能避开你，因为我的处境很危险，当时只要你稍露出点惊奇和激动，就可能引人注意我的身份而造成可悲的、无法弥补的结果。
It is also for this reason that when you knocked off my book this evening, I could only avoid you, because I was in a very dangerous situation. At that time, as long as you showed a little surprise and excitement, you might draw attention to my identity and cause sad and irreparable results.
至于迈克罗夫特，那是为了得到我需要的钱，我必须把我的秘密告诉他。
As for Mycroft, it was to get the money I needed, I had to tell him my secret.
在伦敦，事态的发展并非象我所想得那样顺利，因为在莫里亚蒂匪帮案的审理中，漏掉了两个最危险的成员，使这两个与我不共戴天的仇人得以逍遥法外。我在西藏旅行了两年，所以常以去拉萨跟大喇嘛在一起消磨几天为乐。
In London, things didn't go as smoothly as I thought, because two of the most dangerous members were left out of the trial of the moriarty gang case, which enabled these two sworn enemies to get away with it. I have traveled in Tibet for two years, so I often enjoy going to Lhasa to spend a few days with the big Lama.