yī bā qī bā nián wǒ zài lún dūn dà xué huò dé yī xué bó shì xué wèi yǐ hòu， jiù dào nèi tè lí qù jìn xiū jūn yī de bì xiū kè chéng。 wǒ zài nà lǐ dú wán liǎo wǒ de kè chéng yǐ hòu， lì kè jiù bèi pài wǎng nuò sāng bó lán dì wǔ míng huǒ qiāng tuán chōng dāng jūn yī zhù lǐ。 zhè gè tuán dāng shí zhù zhā zài yìn dù。 zài wǒ hái méi yòu gǎn dào bù duì yǐ qián， dì 'èr cì 'ā fù hàn zhàn yì jiù bào fā liǎo。 wǒ zài mèng mǎi shàng 'àn de shí hòu， tīng shuō wǒ suǒ shǔ de nà gè bù duì yǐ jīng chuān guò shān 'ài， xiàng qián tǐng jìn， shēn rù dí jìng liǎo。 suī rán rú cǐ， wǒ hái shì gēn zhe yī qún hé wǒ yī yàng diào duì de jūn guān gǎn shàng qián qù， píng 'ān dì dào dá liǎo kǎn dá hā。 wǒ zài nà lǐ zhǎo dào liǎo wǒ de tuán， mǎ shàng dān fù qǐ wǒ de xīn zhí wù。
　　 zhè cì zhàn yì gěi xǔ duō rén dài lái liǎo shēng qiān hé róng yù， dàn shì dài gěi wǒ de què zhǐ shì bù xìng hé zāinàn。 wǒ zài bèi zhuǎn diào dào bā kè zhōu lǚ yǐ hòu， jiù hé zhè gè lǚ yī qǐ cān jiā liǎo mài wàng dé nà chǎng jué sǐ de jī zhàn。 zài zhè cì zhàn yì zhōng， wǒ de jiān bù zhōng liǎo yī lì jié zé 'ěr qiāng dàn， dǎ suì liǎo jiān gǔ， cā shāng liǎo suǒ gǔ xià miàn de dòng mài。 ① ruò bù shì wǒ nà zhōng yǒng de qín wù bīng mó ruì bǎ wǒ zhuā qǐ lái rēng dào yī qǐ duǒ mǎ de bèi shàng， ān quán dì bǎ wǒ dài huí yīng guó zhèn dì lái， wǒ jiù yào luò dào nà xiē cán rěn de gā jí rén de shǒu zhōng liǎo。 ②
　　① jié zé 'ěr wéi yī zhǒng bèn zhòng de 'ā fù hàn qiāng de míng chēng。 héng héng yì zhě zhù
　　② huí jiào tú shì bīng。 héng héng yì zhě zhù
　　 chuāngtòng shǐ wǒ xíng xiāo gǔ lì， zài jiā shàng cháng qī de niǎn zhuǎn láo dùn， shǐ wǒ gèng jiā xū ruò bù kān。 yú shì wǒ jiù hé yī dà pī shāng yuán yī qǐ， bèi sòng dào liǎo bō shū 'ěr de hòu fāng yī yuàn。 zài nà lǐ， wǒ de jiàn kāng zhuàng kuàng dà dà hǎo zhuǎn qǐ lái， kě shì dāng wǒ yǐ jīng néng gòu zài bìng fáng zhōng shāo shāo zǒu dòng， shèn zhì hái néng zài zǒu láng shàng shài yī huì 'ér tài yáng de shí hòu， wǒ yòu bìng dǎo liǎo， rǎn shàng liǎo wǒ men yìn dù shǔ dì de nà zhǒng dǎo méi yì zhèng héng héng shāng hán。 yòu hǎo jǐ gè yuè， wǒdōu shì hūn mí bù xǐng， yǎn yǎn yī xī。 zuì hòu wǒ zhōng yú huī fù liǎo shén zhì， zhú jiàn quán yù qǐ lái。 dàn shì bìng hòu wǒ de shēn tǐ shí fēn xū ruò、 qiáo cuì， yīn cǐ jīng guò yī shēng huì zhěn hòu， jué dìng lì jí jiāng wǒ sòng huí yīng guó， yī tiān yě bù xǔ dān gē。 yú shì， wǒ jiù chéng yùn bīng chuán " ào lún tī cí hào " bèi qiǎn sòng huí guó。 yī gè yuè yǐ hòu， wǒ biàn zài pǔ cì máo sī de mǎ tóu dēng 'àn liǎo。 nà shí， wǒ de jiàn kāng yǐ shì zāo gāo tòu liǎo， jīhū dá dào nán yǐ huī fù de dì bù。 dàn shì， hǎo xīn de zhèng fǔ gěi liǎo wǒ jiǔ gè yuè de jiàqī， shǐ wǒ jiāng yǎng shēn tǐ。
　　 wǒ zài yīng guó wú qīn wú yǒu， suǒ yǐ jiù xiàng kōng qì yī yàng de zì yóu； huò zhě shuō shì xiàng yī gè měi tiān shōu rù shí yī xiān lìng liù biàn shì de rén nà yàng xiāo yáo zì zài。 zài zhè zhǒng qíng kuàng xià， wǒ hěn zì rán dì jiù bèi xī yǐn jìn lún dūn zhè gè dà wū shuǐ kēng lǐ qù， dà yīng dì guó suǒ yòu de yóu mín lǎn hàn yědōu shì huì jí dào zhè lǐ lái de。 wǒ zài lún dūn hé bīn mǎ lù shàng de yī jiā gōng yù lǐ zhù liǎo yī xiē shí hòu， guò zhe jì bù shū shì yòu fēi cháng wú liáo de shēng huó， qián yī dào shǒu jiù huā guāng liǎo， dà dà dì chāo guò liǎo wǒ suǒ néng fù dān de kāi zhī， yīn cǐ wǒ de jīng jì qíng kuàng biàn dé fēi cháng kǒng huāng qǐ lái。 wǒ bù jiǔ jiù kàn liǎo chū lái： wǒ bì xū lí kāi zhè gè dà dū shì yí jū dào xiāng xià qù； yào bù jiù dé chè dǐ gǎi biàn wǒ de shēng huó fāng shì。 wǒ xuǎn dìng liǎo hòu yī gè bàn fǎ， jué xīn lí kāi zhè jiā gōng yù， lìng zhǎo yī gè bù tài shē chǐ 'ér yòu huà fèi bù dà de zhù chù。
　　 jiù zài wǒ jué dìng zhè yàng zuò de nà tiān， wǒ zhèng zhàn zài kè lāi tī lì 'ān jiǔ bā mén qián de shí hòu， hū rán yòu rén pāi liǎo pāi wǒ de jiān bǎng。 wǒ huí tóu yī kàn， yuán lái shì xiǎo sī tǎn fú。 tā shì wǒ zài bā cí shí de yī gè zhù shǒu。 zài zhè máng máng rén hǎi de lún dūn chéng zhōng， jū rán néng gòu pèng dào yī gè shú rén， duì yú yī gè gū dú de rén lái shuō， què shì yī jiàn lìng rén fēi cháng yú kuài de shì。 sī tǎn fú dāng rì bìng bù shì hé wǒ tè bié yào hǎo de péng yǒu， dàn xiàn zài wǒ jìng rè qíng dì xiàng tā zhāo hū qǐ lái。 tā jiàn dào wǒ， sì hū yě hěn gāo xīng。 wǒ zài kuáng xǐ zhī yú， lì kè yāo tā dào hóu běn cān tīng qù chī wǔ fàn； yú shì wǒ men jiù yī tóng chéng chē qián wǎng。
　　 dāng wǒ men de chē zǐ lín lín dì chuān guò lún dūn rè nào jiē dào de shí hòu， tā hěn jīng pò dì wèn wǒ：“ huá shēng， nǐ jìn lái gān xiē shénme？ kàn nǐ miàn huáng jī shòu， zhǐ shèng liǎo yī bǎ gǔ tóu liǎo。”
　　 wǒ bǎ wǒ de wēi xiǎn jīng lì jiǎn dān dì duì tā xù shù liǎo yī xià。 wǒ de huà hái méi yòu jiǎng wán， wǒ men jiù dào dá liǎo mùdì dì。
　　 tā tīng wán liǎo wǒ de bù xìng zāo yù yǐ hòu， lián mǐn dì shuō：“ kě lián de jiā huǒ！ nǐ xiàn zài zuò hé dǎ suàn ní？ " wǒ huí dá shuō：“ wǒ xiǎng zhǎo gè zhù chù， dǎ suàn zū jǐ jiān jià qián bù gāo 'ér yòu shū shì yī xiē de fáng zǐ， bù zhī dào zhè gè wèn tí néng bù néng gòu jiě jué。”
　　 wǒ de huǒ bàn shuō：“ zhè zhēn shì guài shì， jīn tiān nǐ shì dì 'èr gè duì wǒ shuō zhè yàng huà de rén liǎo。”
　　 wǒ wèn dào：“ tóu yī gè shì shuí？”
　　“ shì yī gè zài yī yuàn huà yàn shì gōng zuò de。 jīn tiān zǎo chén tā hái zài 'āi shēng tàn qì， yīn wéi tā zhǎo dào liǎo jǐ jiān hǎo fáng zǐ， dàn shì， zū jīn hěn guì， tā yī gè rén zhù bù qǐ， yòu zhǎo bù dào rén gēn tā hé zū。”
　　 wǒ shuō：“ hǎo 'ā， rú guǒ tā zhēn de yào zhǎo gè rén hé zhù de huà， wǒ dǎo zhèng shì tā yào zhǎo de rén。 wǒ jué dé yòu gè bàn 'ér bǐ dú zì yī gè 'ér zhù yào hǎo de duō。”
　　 xiǎo sī tǎn fú cóng jiǔ bēi shàng hěn jīng pò dì wàng zhe wǒ， tā shuō：“ nǐ hái bù zhī dào xiē luò kè · fú 'ěr mó sī bā， fǒu zé nǐ yě xǔ huì bù yuàn yì hé tā zuò yī gè cháng nián xiāng chù de huǒ bàn li。”
　　“ wèishénme， nán dào tā yòu shénme bù hǎo de dì fāng má？”
　　“ ò， wǒ bù shì shuō tā yòu shénme bù hǎo de dì fāng。 tā zhǐ shì sī xiǎng shàng yòu xiē gǔ guài 'ér yǐ héng héng tā lǎo shì zī zī bù juàn dì zài yán jiū yī xiē kē xué。 jù wǒ suǒ zhī， tā dǎo shì gè hěn zhèng pài de rén。”
　　 wǒ shuō：“ yě xǔ tā shì yī gè xué yī de bā？”
　　“ bù shì， wǒ yī diǎn yě mō bù qīng tā zài zuānyán xiē shénme。 wǒ xiāng xìn tā jīng yú jiě pōu xué， yòu shì gè dì yī liú de yào jì shī。 dàn shì， jù wǒ liǎo jiě， tā cóng lái méi yòu xì tǒng dì xué guò yī xué。 tā suǒ yán jiū de dōng xī fēi cháng zá luàn， bù chéng xì tǒng， bìng qiě yě hěn lí pò； dàn shì tā què jī lěi liǎo bù shǎo xī pò gǔ guài de zhī shí， zú yǐ shǐ tā de jiào shòu dū gǎn dào jīng yà。”
　　 wǒ wèn dào：“ nǐ cóng lái méi yòu wèn guò tā zài zuānyán xiē shénme má？”
　　“ méi yòu， tā shì bù qīng yì shuō chū xīn lǐ huà de， suī rán zài tā gāo xīng de shí hòu， tā yě shì tāo tāo bù jué dì hěn 'ài shuō huà。”
　　 wǒ shuō：“ wǒ dǎo yuàn yì jiàn jiàn tā。 rú guǒ wǒ yào hé bié rén hé zhù， wǒ dǎo nìngyuàn gēn yī gè hàoxué 'ér yòu chén jìng de rén zhù zài yī qǐ。 wǒ xiàn zài shēn tǐ hái bù dà jiēshí， shòu bù liǎo chǎo nào hé cì jī。 wǒ zài 'ā fù hàn yǐ jīng cháng gòu liǎo nà zhǒng zī wèi， zhè yī bèi zǐ zài yě bù xiǎng shòu liǎo。 wǒ zěn yàng cái néng jiàn dào nǐ de zhè wèi péng yǒu ní？”
　　 wǒ de tóng bàn huí dá shuō：“ tā xiàn zài yī dìng shì zài huà yàn shì lǐ。 tā yào me jiù jǐ gè xīng qī bù qù， yào me jiù cóng zǎo dào wǎn zài nà lǐ gōng zuò。 rú guǒ nǐ yuàn yì de huà， zán men chī wán fàn jiù zuò chē yī kuài 'ér qù。”
　　“ dāng rán yuàn yì lā！ " wǒ shuō， yú shì wǒ men yòu zhuǎn dào bié de huà tí shàng qù。
　　 zài wǒ men lí kāi hóu běn qián wǎng yī yuàn qù de lù shàng， sī tǎn fú yòu gěi wǒ jiǎng liǎo yī xiē guān yú nà wèi xiān shēng de xiáng xì qíng kuàng。
　　 tā shuō：“ rú guǒ nǐ hé tā chù bù lái kě bù yào guài wǒ。 wǒ zhǐ shì zài huà yàn shì lǐ 'ǒu rán pèng dào tā， lüè wēi zhī dào tā yī xiē； cǐ wài， duì yú tā jiù yī wú suǒ zhī liǎo。 jì rán nǐ zì jǐ tí yì zhè me bàn， nà me， jiù bù yào jiào wǒ fù zé liǎo。”
　　 wǒ huí dá shuō：“ rú guǒ wǒ men chù bù lái， sàn huǒ yě hěn róng yì。 " wǒ yòng yǎn jīng dīng zhe wǒ de tóng bàn jiē zhe shuō dào，“ sī tǎn fú， wǒ kàn， nǐ duì zhè jiàn shì sì hū yào suō shǒu bù guǎn liǎo， qí zhōng yī dìng yòu yuán gù。 shì bù shì zhè gè rén de qǐ qǐ zhēn de nà yàng kě pà， hái shì yòu bié de yuán yīn？ bù yào zhè yàng tūn tūn tù tù de。”
　　 tā xiào liǎo yī xiào shuō：“ yào bǎ nán yǐ xíng róng de shì yòng yán yǔ biǎo dá chū lái kě zhēn bù róng yì。 wǒ kàn fú 'ěr mó sī zhè gè rén yòu diǎn tài kē xué huà liǎo， jīhū jìn yú lěng xuè de chéng dù。 wǒ jì dé yòu yī cì， tā ná yī xiǎo cuō zhí wù jiǎn gěi tā de péng yǒu cháng cháng。 nǐ yào zhī dào， zhè bìng bù shì chū yú shénme 'è yì， zhǐ bù guò shì chū yú yī zhǒng zuānyán de dòng jī， yào xiǎng zhèng què dì liǎo jiě zhè zhǒng yào wù de bù tóng xiào guǒ bà liǎo。 píng xīn 'ér lùn， wǒ rèn wéi tā zì jǐ yě huì yī kǒu bǎ tā tūn xià qù de。 kàn lái tā duì yú què qiē de zhī shí yòu zhe qiáng liè de 'àihào。”
　　“ zhè zhǒng jīng shén yě shì duì de yā。”
　　“ shì de， bù guò yě wèi miǎn tài guò fēn liǎo。 hòu lái tā shèn zhì zài jiě pōu shì lǐ yòng gùn zǐ chōu dǎ shī tǐ， zhè bì jìng shì yī jiàn guài shì bā。”
　　“ chōu dǎ shī tǐ！”
　　“ shì 'ā， tā shì wèile zhèng míng rén sǐ yǐ hòu hái néng zào chéng shénme yàng de shāng hén。 wǒ qīn yǎn kàn jiàn guò tā chōu dǎ shī tǐ。”
　　“ nǐ bù shì shuō tā bù shì xué yī de má？”
　　“ shì yā。 tiān xiǎo dé tā zài yán jiū xiē shénme dōng xī。 xiàn zài zán men dào liǎo， tā dào dǐ shì zěn me yàng yī gè rén， nǐ zì jǐ qiáo bā。 " tā shuō zhe， wǒ men jiù xià liǎo chē， zǒu jìn yī tiáo xiá zhǎi de hú tóng， cóng yī gè xiǎo xiǎo de bàng mén jìn qù， lái dào yī suǒ dà yī yuàn de cè lóu。 zhè shì wǒ suǒ shú xī de dì fāng， bù yòng rén lǐng lù wǒ men jiù zǒu shàng liǎo bái shí tái jiē， chuān guò yī tiáo cháng cháng de zǒu láng。 zǒu láng liǎng bì shuà dé xuě bái， liǎng bàng yòu xǔ duō 'àn hè sè de xiǎo mén。 kào zhe zǒu láng jìn tóu shàng yòu yī gè dī dī de gǒng xíng guò dào， cóng zhè lǐ yī zhí tōng wǎng huà yàn shì。
　　 huà yàn shì shì yī jiān gāo dà de wū zǐ， sì miàn zá luàn dì bǎi zhe wú shù de qī zǐ。 jǐ zhāng yòu 'ǎi yòu dà de zhuō zǐ zòng héng pái liè zhe， shàng biān fàng zhe xǔ duō zhēng liú píng、 shì guǎn hé yī xiē shǎn dòng zhe lán sè huǒ yàn de xiǎo xiǎo de běn shēng dēng。 wū zǐ lǐ zhǐ yòu yī gè rén， tā zuò zài jiào yuǎn de yī zhāng zhuō zǐ qián biān， fú zài zhuō shàng jù jīng huì shén dì gōng zuò zhe。 tā tīng dào wǒ men de jiǎo bù shēng， huí guò tóu lái qiáo liǎo yī yǎn， jiē zhe jiù tiào liǎo qǐ lái， gāo xīng dì huān hū zhe：“ wǒ fā xiàn liǎo！ wǒ fā xiàn liǎo！ " tā duì wǒ de tóng bàn dà shēng shuō zhe， yī miàn shǒu lǐ ná zhe yī gè shì guǎn xiàng wǒ men páo lái，“ wǒ fā xiàn liǎo yī zhǒng shì jì， zhǐ néng yòng xuè sè dàn bái zhì lái chén diàn， bié dedōu bù xíng。 " jí shǐ tā fā xiàn liǎo jīn kuàng， yě bù jiàn dé huì bǐ xiàn zài xiǎn dé gèng gāo xīng。
　　 sī tǎn fú gěi wǒ men jiè shào shuō：“ zhè wèi shì huá shēng yī shēng， zhè wèi shì fú 'ěr mó sī xiān shēng。”
　　“ nín hǎo。 " fú 'ěr mó sī rè chéng dì shuō， yī biān shǐ jìn wò zhù wǒ de shǒu。 wǒ jiǎn zhí bù néng xiāng xìn tā huì yòu zhè yàng dà de lì qì。
　　“ wǒ kàn dé chū lái， nín dào guò 'ā fù hàn。”
　　 wǒ chī jīng dì wèn dào：“ nín zěn me zhī dào de？”
　　“ zhè méi yòu shénme， " tā gé gé dì xiào liǎo xiào，“ xiàn zài yào tán de shì xuè sè dàn bái zhì de wèn tí。 méi yòu wèn tí， nín yī dìng huì kàn chū wǒ zhè fā xiàn de zhòng yào xìng liǎo bā？”
　　 wǒ huí dá shuō：“ cóng huà xué shàng lái shuō， wú yí dì zhè shì hěn yòu yì sī de， dàn shì zài shí yòng fāng miàn ……”
　　“ zěn me， xiān shēng， zhè shì jìn nián lái shí yòng fǎ yī xué shàng zuì zhòng dà de fā xiàn liǎo。 nán dào nín hái kàn bù chū lái zhè zhǒng shì jì néng shǐ wǒ men zài jiàn bié xuè jì shàng bǎi wú yī shī má？ qǐng dào zhè biān lái！ " tā jí máng lā zhù wǒ de xiù kǒu， bǎ wǒ tuō dào tā yuán lái gōng zuò de nà zhāng zhuō zǐ de qián miàn。 " zán men nòng diǎn xiān xuè， " tā shuō zhe， yòng yī gēn cháng zhēn cì pò zì jǐ de shǒu zhǐ， zài yòng yī zhī xī guǎn xī liǎo nà dī xuè。
　　“ xiàn zài bǎ zhè yī diǎn 'ér xiān xuè fàng dào yī gōng shēng shuǐ lǐ qù。 nín kàn， zhè zhǒng hùn hé yè yǔ qīng shuǐ wú yì。 xuè zài zhè zhǒng róng yè zhōng suǒ zhàn de chéngfèn hái bù dào bǎi wàn fēn zhī yī。 suī rán rú cǐ， wǒ què xìn zán men hái shì néng gòu dé dào yī zhǒng tè dìng de fǎn yìng。” shuō zhe tā jiù bǎ jǐ lì bái sè jié jīng fàng jìn zhè gè róng qì lǐ， rán hòu yòu jiā shàng jǐ dī tòu míng de yè tǐ。 bù yī huì 'ér， zhè róng yè jiù xiàn chū 'àn hóng sè liǎo， yī xiē zōng sè kē lì jiàn jiàn chén diàn dào píng dǐ shàng。
　　“ hā！ hā！ " tā pāi zhuóshǒu， xiàng xiǎo hái zǐ ná dào xīn wán jù sì dì nà yàng xīng gāo cǎi liè dì hǎn dào，“ nín kàn zěn me yàng？”
　　 wǒ shuō：“ kàn lái zhè dǎo shì yī zhǒng fēi cháng jīng mì de shí yàn。”
　　“ miào jí liǎo！ jiǎn zhí miào jí liǎo！ guò qù yòng yù chuàng mù yè shì yàn de fāng fǎ， jì nán zuò yòu bù zhǔn què。 yòng xiǎn wēi jìng jiǎn yàn xuè qiú de fāng fǎ yě tóng yàng bù hǎo。 rú guǒ xuè jì yǐ gān liǎo jǐ gè zhōng tóu yǐ hòu， zài yòng xiǎn wēi jìng lái jiǎn yàn jiù bù qǐ zuò yòng liǎo。 xiàn zài， bù lùn xuè jì xīn jiù， zhè zhǒng xīn shì jì kàn láidōu yī yàng huì fā shēng zuò yòng。 jiǎ rú zhè gè shì yàn fāng fǎ néng zǎo xiē fā xiàn， nà me， xiàn zài shì jiè shàng shù yǐ bǎi jì de xiāo yáo fǎ wài de zuì rén zǎo jiù shòu dào fǎ lǜ de zhì cái liǎo。”
　　 wǒ nán nán dì shuō dào：“ què shì zhè yàng！”
　　“ xǔ duō xíng shì fàn zuì 'àn jiàn wǎng wǎng qǔ jué yú zhè yī diǎn。 yě xǔ zuì xíng fā shēng hòu jǐ gè yuè cái néng chá chū yī gè xián yí fàn。 jiǎn chá liǎo tā de chèn yī huò zhě qí tā yī wù hòu， fā xiàn shàng miàn yòu hè sè bān diǎn。 zhè xiē bān diǎn jiū jìng shì xuè jì ní， hái shì ní jì， shì tiě xiù hái shì guǒ zhī de hén jì ní， hái shì qí tā shénme dōng xī？ zhè shì yī gè shǐ xǔ duō zhuān jiādōu gǎn dào wéi nán de wèn tí， kě shì wèishénme ní？ jiù shì yīn wéi méi yòu kě kào de jiǎn yàn fāng fǎ。 xiàn zài， wǒ men yòu liǎo xiē luò kè · fú 'ěr mó sī jiǎn yàn fǎ， yǐ hòu jiù bù huì yòu rèn hé kùn nán liǎo。”
　　 tā shuō huà de shí hòu， liǎng yǎn xiǎn dé jiǒng jiǒng yòu shén。 tā bǎ yī zhǐ shǒu 'àn zài xiōng qián， jū liǎo yī gōng， hǎo xiàng shì zài duì xǔ duō xiǎng xiàng zhī zhōng zhèng zài gǔ zhǎng de guān zhòng zhì xiè shìde。
　　 wǒ kàn dào tā nà xīng fèn de yàng zǐ hěn jué jīng pò， wǒ shuō：“ wǒ xiàng nǐ zhù hè。”
　　“ qù nián zài fǎ lán kè fú dì fāng fā shēng guò féng · bǐ shǎo fū yī 'àn。 rú guǒ dāng shí jiù yòu zhè gè jiǎn yàn fāng fǎ de huà， nà me， tā yī dìng zǎo jiù bèi jiǎo sǐ liǎo。 cǐ wài hái yòu bù lāi dé fú dì fāng de méi sēn； chòu míng zhāo zhù de mó lè； mào mǔ péi lì yé de luò fěi wò yǐ jí xīn 'ào 'ěr liáng de sài mǔ sēn。 wǒ kě yǐ jǔ chū 'èr shí duō gè 'àn jiàn， zài zhè xiē 'àn jiàn lǐ， yòng zhè gè fāng fǎ dū huì qǐ jué dìng xìng de zuò yòng。”
　　 sī tǎn fú bù jìn dà xiào qǐ lái， tā shuō：“ nǐ hǎo xiàng shì fàn zuì 'àn jiàn de huó zì diǎn。 nǐ zhēn kě yǐ chuàng bàn yī fèn bào zhǐ， qǐ míng jiào zuò ' jǐng wù xīn wén jiù lù bào '。”
　　“ dú dú zhè yàng de bào zhǐ yī dìng hěn yòu qù wèi。 " fú 'ěr mó sī yī miàn bǎ yī xiǎo kuài xiàng pí gāo tiē zài shǒu zhǐ pò kǒu shàng， yī miàn shuō，“ wǒ bù dé bù xiǎo xīn yī diǎn， " tā zhuǎn guò liǎn lái duì wǒ xiào liǎo yī xiào， jiē zhe yòu shuō，“ yīn wéi wǒ cháng hé dú qǐ jiē chù。” shuō zhe tā jiù shēn chū shǒu lái gěi wǒ kàn。 zhǐ jiàn tā de shǒu shàng jīhū tiē mǎn liǎo tóng yàng dà xiǎo de xiàng pí gāo， bìng qiě yóu yú shòu dào qiáng suān de qīn shí， shǒu yě biàn liǎo yán sè。
　　“ wǒ men dào nǐ zhè 'ér lái yòu diǎn shì qíng， " sī tǎn fú shuō zhe jiù zuò zài yī zhǐ sān jiǎo gāo dèng shàng， bìng qiě yòng jiǎo bǎ lìng yī zhǐ dèng zǐ xiàng wǒ zhè biān tuī liǎo yī tuī， jiē zhe yòu shuō，“ wǒ zhè wèi péng yǒu yào zhǎo gè zhù chù， yīn wéi nǐ zhèng bào yuàn zhǎo bù zhe rén gēn nǐ hé zhù， suǒ yǐ wǒ xiǎng zhèng hǎo gěi nǐ men liǎng rén jiè shào yī xià。”
　　 fú 'ěr mó sī tīng liǎo yào gēn wǒ hé zhù， sì hū gǎn dào hěn gāo xīng， tā shuō：“ wǒ kàn zhōng liǎo bèi kè jiē de yī suǒ gōng yù shì de fáng zǐ， duì zán men liǎng gè rén wán quán hé shì。 dàn yuàn nín bù tǎo yàn qiáng liè de yān cǎo qì wèi。”
　　 wǒ huí dá shuō：“ wǒ zì jǐ zǒng shì chōu ' chuán ' pái yān de。”
　　“ nà hǎo jí liǎo。 wǒ cháng cháng gǎo yī xiē huà xué yào pǐn， ǒu 'ěr yě zuò zuò shì yàn， nǐ bù tǎo yàn má？”
　　“ jué bù huì。”
　　“ ràng wǒ xiǎng xiǎng héng héng wǒ hái yòu shénme bié de quē diǎn ní？ yòu shí wǒ xīn qíng bù hǎo， yī lián jǐ tiān bù kāi kǒu； zài zhè zhǒng qíng xíng xià， nín bù yào yǐ wéi wǒ shì shēng qì liǎo， dàn tīng wǒ zì rán， bù jiǔ jiù huì hǎo de。 nín yě yòu shénme quē diǎn yào shuō yī shuō má？ liǎng gè rén zài tóng zhù yǐ qián， zuì hǎo néng gòu bǐ cǐ xiān liǎo jiě liǎo jiě duì fāng de zuì dà quē diǎn。”
　　 tīng dào tā zhè yàng zhuī gēn wèn dǐ， wǒ bù jìn xiào liǎo qǐ lái。 wǒ shuō：“ wǒ yǎng liǎo yī tiáo xiǎo hǔ tóu gǒu。 wǒ de shén jīng shòu guò cì jī， zuì pà chǎo nào。 měi tiān bù dìng shénme shí hòu qǐ chuáng， bìng qiě fēi cháng lǎn。 zài wǒ shēn tǐ jiàn zhuàng de shí hòu， wǒ hái yòu qí tā yī xiē huài xí guàn， dàn shì mù qián zhù yào de quē diǎn jiù shì zhè xiē liǎo。”
　　 tā yòu jíqiè dì wèn dào：“ nín bǎ lā tí qín yě suàn zài chǎo nào fàn wéi yǐ nèi má？”
　　 wǒ huí dá shuō：“ nà yào kàn lā tí qín de rén liǎo。 tí qín lā dé hǎo， nà zhēn shì xiàng xiānyuè yī bān de dòng tīng， yào shì lā dé bù hǎo de huà……”
　　 fú 'ěr mó sī gāo xīng dì xiào zhe shuō：“ ā， nà jiù hǎo liǎo。 rú guǒ nín duì nà suǒ fáng zǐ hái mǎn yì de huà， wǒ xiǎng zán men kě yǐ rèn wéi zhè jiàn shì jiù suàn tán tuǒ liǎo。”
　　“ zán men shénme shí hòu qù kàn kàn fáng zǐ？”
　　 tā huí dá shuō：“ míng tiān zhōng wǔ nín xiān dào zhè 'ér lái zhǎo wǒ， zán men zài yī qǐ qù， bǎ yī qièshì qíng dū jué dìng xià lái。”
　　 wǒ wò zhe tā de shǒu shuō：“ hǎo bā， míng tiān zhōng wǔ zhǔn shí jiàn。”
　　 wǒ men zǒu de shí hòu， tā hái zài máng zhe zuò huà xué shì yàn。 wǒ hé sī tǎn fú biàn yī qǐ xiàng wǒ suǒ zhù de gōng yù zǒu qù。
　　“ shùn biàn wèn nǐ yī jù， " wǒ tū rán zhàn zhù， zhuǎn guò liǎn lái xiàng sī tǎn fú shuō，“ zhēn jiàn guǐ， tā zěn me huì zhī dào wǒ shì cóng 'ā fù hàn huí lái de ní？”
　　 wǒ de tóng bàn yì wèi shēn cháng dì xiào liǎo xiào， tā shuō：“ zhè jiù shì tā tè bié de dì fāng。 xǔ duō réndōu xiǎng yào zhī dào tā jiū jìng shì zěn me kàn chū wèn tí lái de。”
　　“ ké， zhè bù shì hěn shén mì má？ " wǒ cuō zhe liǎng shǒu shuō，“ zhēn yòu qù jí liǎo。 wǒ hěn gǎn xiè nǐ bǎ wǒ men liǎng rén lā zài yī qǐ。 yào zhī dào， zhēn shì ' yán jiū rén lèi zuì qiàdàng de tú jìng hái shì cóng jù tǐ de rén zhuóshǒu '。”
　　“ ǹg， nǐ yī dìng dé yán jiū yán jiū tā， " sī tǎn fú zài hé wǒ gào bié de shí hòu shuō，“ dàn shì nǐ huì fā xiàn， tā zhēn shì gè nán yǐ yán jiū de rén wù。 wǒ gǎn dān bǎo， tā liǎo jiě nǐ yào bǐ nǐ liǎo jiě tā gāo míng dé duō。 zài jiàn bā！”
　　 wǒ dá liǎo yī shēng：“ zài jiàn！ " rán hòu jiù màn bù xiàng zhe wǒ de gōng yù zǒu qù， wǒ jué dé wǒ xīn jié shí de zhè gè péng yǒu fēi cháng yòu qù。

　　IN the year 1878 I took my degree of Doctor of Medicine of the University of London, and proceeded to Netley to go through the course prescribed for surgeons in the army. Having completed my studies there, I was duly attached to the Fifth Northumberland Fusiliers as Assistant Surgeon. The regiment was stationed in India at the time, and before I could join it, the second Afghan war had broken out. On landing at Bombay, I learned that my corps had advanced through the passes, and was already deep in the enemy's country. I followed, however, with many other officers who were in the same situation as myself, and succeeded in reaching Candahar in safety, where I found my regiment, and at once entered upon my new duties.
　　 The campaign brought honours and promotion to many, but for me it had nothing but misfortune and disaster. I was removed from my brigade and attached to the Berkshires, with whom I served at the fatal battle of Maiwand. There I was struck on the shoulder by a Jezail bullet, which shattered the bone and grazed the subclavian artery. I should have fallen into the hands of the murderous Ghazis had it not been for the devotion and courage shown by Murray, my orderly, who threw me across a pack-horse, and succeeded in bringing me safely to the British lines.
　　 Worn with pain, and weak from the prolonged hardships which I had undergone, I was removed, with a great train of wounded sufferers, to the base hospital at Peshawar. Here I rallied, and had already improved so far as to be able to walk about the wards, and even to bask a little upon the verandah, when I was struck down by enteric fever, that curse of our Indian possessions. For months my life was despaired of, and when at last I came to myself and became convalescent, I was so weak and emaciated that a medical board determined that not a day should be lost in sending me back to England. I was dispatched, accordingly, in the troopship "Orontes," and landed a month later on Portsmouth jetty, with my health irretrievably ruined, but with permission from a paternal government to spend the next nine months in attempting to improve it.
　　 I had neither kith nor kin in England, and was therefore as free as air -- or as free as an income of eleven shillings and sixpence a day will permit a man to be. Under such circumstances, I naturally gravitated to London, that great cesspool into which all the loungers and idlers of the Empire are irresistibly drained. There I stayed for some time at a private hotel in the Strand, leading a comfortless, meaningless existence, and spending such money as I had, considerably more freely than I ought. So alarming did the state of my finances become, that I soon realized that I must either leave the metropolis and rusticate somewhere in the country, or that I must make a complete alteration in my style of living. Choosing the latter alternative, I began by making up my mind to leave the hotel, and to take up my quarters in some less pretentious and less expensive domicile.
　　 On the very day that I had come to this conclusion, I was standing at the Criterion Bar, when some one tapped me on the shoulder, and turning round I recognized young Stamford, who had been a dresser under me at Barts. The sight of a friendly face in the great wilderness of London is a pleasant thing indeed to a lonely man. In old days Stamford had never been a particular crony of mine, but now I hailed him with enthusiasm, and he, in his turn, appeared to be delighted to see me. In the exuberance of my joy, I asked him to lunch with me at the Holborn, and we started off together in a hansom.
　　 "Whatever have you been doing with yourself, Watson?" he asked in undisguised wonder, as we rattled through the crowded London streets. "You are as thin as a lath and as brown as a nut."
　　 I gave him a short sketch of my adventures, and had hardly concluded it by the time that we reached our destination.
　　 "Poor devil!" he said, commiseratingly, after he had listened to my misfortunes. "What are you up to now?"
　　 "Looking for lodgings," I answered. "Trying to solve the problem as to whether it is possible to get comfortable rooms at a reasonable price."
　　 "That's a strange thing," remarked my companion; "you are the second man to-day that has used that expression to me."
　　 "And who was the first?" I asked.
　　 "A fellow who is working at the chemical laboratory up at the hospital. He was bemoaning himself this morning because he could not get someone to go halves with him in some nice rooms which he had found, and which were too much for his purse."
　　 "By Jove!" I cried, "if he really wants someone to share the rooms and the expense, I am the very man for him. I should prefer having a partner to being alone."
　　 Young Stamford looked rather strangely at me over his wine-glass. "You don't know Sherlock Holmes yet," he said; "perhaps you would not care for him as a constant companion."
　　 "Why, what is there against him?"
　　 "Oh, I didn't say there was anything against him. He is a little queer in his ideas -- an enthusiast in some branches of science. As far as I know he is a decent fellow enough."
　　 "A medical student, I suppose?" said I.
　　 "No -- I have no idea what he intends to go in for. I believe he is well up in anatomy, and he is a first-class chemist; but, as far as I know, he has never taken out any systematic medical classes. His studies are very desultory and eccentric, but he has amassed a lot of out-of-the way knowledge which would astonish his professors."
　　 "Did you never ask him what he was going in for?" I asked.
　　 "No; he is not a man that it is easy to draw out, though he can be communicative enough when the fancy seizes him."
　　 "I should like to meet him," I said. "If I am to lodge with anyone, I should prefer a man of studious and quiet habits. I am not strong enough yet to stand much noise or excitement. I had enough of both in Afghanistan to last me for the remainder of my natural existence. How could I meet this friend of yours?"
　　 "He is sure to be at the laboratory," returned my companion. "He either avoids the place for weeks, or else he works there from morning to night. If you like, we shall drive round together after luncheon."
　　 "Certainly," I answered, and the conversation drifted away into other channels.
　　 As we made our way to the hospital after leaving the Holborn, Stamford gave me a few more particulars about the gentleman whom I proposed to take as a fellow-lodger.
　　 "You mustn't blame me if you don't get on with him," he said; "I know nothing more of him than I have learned from meeting him occasionally in the laboratory. You proposed this arrangement, so you must not hold me responsible."
　　 "If we don't get on it will be easy to part company," I answered. "It seems to me, Stamford," I added, looking hard at my companion, "that you have some reason for washing your hands of the matter. Is this fellow's temper so formidable, or what is it? Don't be mealy-mouthed about it."
　　 "It is not easy to express the inexpressible," he answered with a laugh. "Holmes is a little too scientific for my tastes -- it approaches to cold-bloodedness. I could imagine his giving a friend a little pinch of the latest vegetable alkaloid, not out of malevolence, you understand, but simply out of a spirit of inquiry in order to have an accurate idea of the effects. To do him justice, I think that he would take it himself with the same readiness. He appears to have a passion for definite and exact knowledge."
　　 "Very right too."
　　 "Yes, but it may be pushed to excess. When it comes to beating the subjects in the dissecting-rooms with a stick, it is certainly taking rather a bizarre shape."
　　 "Beating the subjects!"
　　 "Yes, to verify how far bruises may be produced after death. I saw him at it with my own eyes."
　　 "And yet you say he is not a medical student?"
　　 "No. Heaven knows what the objects of his studies are. But here we are, and you must form your own impressions about him." As he spoke, we turned down a narrow lane and passed through a small side-door, which opened into a wing of the great hospital. It was familiar ground to me, and I needed no guiding as we ascended the bleak stone staircase and made our way down the long corridor with its vista of whitewashed wall and dun-coloured doors. Near the further end a low arched passage branched away from it and led to the chemical laboratory.
　　 This was a lofty chamber, lined and littered with countless bottles. Broad, low tables were scattered about, which bristled with retorts, test-tubes, and little Bunsen lamps, with their blue flickering flames. There was only one student in the room, who was bending over a distant table absorbed in his work. At the sound of our steps he glanced round and sprang to his feet with a cry of pleasure. "I've found it! I've found it," he shouted to my companion, running towards us with a test-tube in his hand. "I have found a re-agent which is precipitated by haemoglobin, and by nothing else." Had he discovered a gold mine, greater delight could not have shone upon his features.
　　 "Dr. Watson, Mr. Sherlock Holmes," said Stamford, introducing us.
　　 "How are you?" he said cordially, gripping my hand with a strength for which I should hardly have given him credit. "You have been in Afghanistan, I perceive."
　　 "How on earth did you know that?" I asked in astonishment.
　　 "Never mind," said he, chuckling to himself. "The question now is about hoemoglobin. No doubt you see the significance of this discovery of mine?"
　　 "It is interesting, chemically, no doubt," I answered, "but practically ----"
　　 "Why, man, it is the most practical medico-legal discovery for years. Don't you see that it gives us an infallible test for blood stains. Come over here now!" He seized me by the coat-sleeve in his eagerness, and drew me over to the table at which he had been working. "Let us have some fresh blood," he said, digging a long bodkin into his finger, and drawing off the resulting drop of blood in a chemical pipette. "Now, I add this small quantity of blood to a litre of water. You perceive that the resulting mixture has the appearance of pure water. The proportion of blood cannot be more than one in a million. I have no doubt, however, that we shall be able to obtain the characteristic reaction." As he spoke, he threw into the vessel a few white crystals, and then added some drops of a transparent fluid. In an instant the contents assumed a dull mahogany colour, and a brownish dust was precipitated to the bottom of the glass jar.
　　 "Ha! ha!" he cried, clapping his hands, and looking as delighted as a child with a new toy. "What do you think of that?"
　　 "It seems to be a very delicate test," I remarked.
　　 "Beautiful! beautiful! The old Guiacum test was very clumsy and uncertain. So is the microscopic examination for blood corpuscles. The latter is valueless if the stains are a few hours old. Now, this appears to act as well whether the blood is old or new. Had this test been invented, there are hundreds of men now walking the earth who would long ago have paid the penalty of their crimes."
　　 "Indeed!" I murmured.
　　 "Criminal cases are continually hinging upon that one point. A man is suspected of a crime months perhaps after it has been committed. His linen or clothes are examined, and brownish stains discovered upon them. Are they blood stains, or mud stains, or rust stains, or fruit stains, or what are they? That is a question which has puzzled many an expert, and why? Because there was no reliable test. Now we have the Sherlock Holmes' test, and there will no longer be any difficulty."
　　 His eyes fairly glittered as he spoke, and he put his hand over his heart and bowed as if to some applauding crowd conjured up by his imagination.
　　 "You are to be congratulated," I remarked, considerably surprised at his enthusiasm.
　　 "There was the case of Von Bischoff at Frankfort last year. He would certainly have been hung had this test been in existence. Then there was Mason of Bradford, and the notorious Muller, and Lefevre of Montpellier, and Samson of new Orleans. I could name a score of cases in which it would have been decisive."
　　 "You seem to be a walking calendar of crime," said Stamford with a laugh. "You might start a paper on those lines. Call it the `Police News of the Past.'"
　　 "Very interesting reading it might be made, too," remarked Sherlock Holmes, sticking a small piece of plaster over the prick on his finger. "I have to be careful," he continued, turning to me with a smile, "for I dabble with poisons a good deal." He held out his hand as he spoke, and I noticed that it was all mottled over with similar pieces of plaster, and discoloured with strong acids.
　　 "We came here on business," said Stamford, sitting down on a high three-legged stool, and pushing another one in my direction with his foot. "My friend here wants to take diggings, and as you were complaining that you could get no one to go halves with you, I thought that I had better bring you together."
　　 Sherlock Holmes seemed delighted at the idea of sharing his rooms with me. "I have my eye on a suite in Baker Street," he said, "which would suit us down to the ground. You don't mind the smell of strong tobacco, I hope?"
　　 "I always smoke `ship's' myself," I answered.
　　 "That's good enough. I generally have chemicals about, and occasionally do experiments. Would that annoy you?"
　　 "By no means."
　　 "Let me see -- what are my other shortcomings. I get in the dumps at times, and don't open my mouth for days on end. You must not think I am sulky when I do that. Just let me alone, and I'll soon be right. What have you to confess now? It's just as well for two fellows to know the worst of one another before they begin to live together."
　　 I laughed at this cross-examination. "I keep a bull pup," I said, "and I object to rows because my nerves are shaken, and I get up at all sorts of ungodly hours, and I am extremely lazy. I have another set of vices when I'm well, but those are the principal ones at present."
　　 "Do you include violin-playing in your category of rows?" he asked, anxiously.
　　 "It depends on the player," I answered. "A well-played violin is a treat for the gods -- a badly-played one ----"
　　 "Oh, that's all right," he cried, with a merry laugh. "I think we may consider the thing as settled -- that is, if the rooms are agreeable to you."
　　 "When shall we see them?"
　　 "Call for me here at noon to-morrow, and we'll go together and settle everything," he answered.
　　 "All right -- noon exactly," said I, shaking his hand.
　　 We left him working among his chemicals, and we walked together towards my hotel.
　　 "By the way," I asked suddenly, stopping and turning upon Stamford, "how the deuce did he know that I had come from Afghanistan?"
　　 My companion smiled an enigmatical smile. "That's just his little peculiarity," he said. "A good many people have wanted to know how he finds things out."
　　 "Oh! a mystery is it?" I cried, rubbing my hands. "This is very piquant. I am much obliged to you for bringing us together. `The proper study of mankind is man,' you know."
　　 "You must study him, then," Stamford said, as he bade me good-bye. "You'll find him a knotty problem, though. I'll wager he learns more about you than you about him. Good-bye."
　　 "Good-bye," I answered, and strolled on to my hotel, considerably interested in my new acquaintance.

　　àn zhào fú 'ěr mó sī de 'ān pái， wǒ men dì 'èr tiān yòu jiàn liǎo miàn， bìng qiě dào shàng cì jiàn miàn shí tā suǒ tán dào de bèi kè jiē hào yǐ nà lǐ kàn liǎo fáng zǐ。 zhè suǒ fáng zǐ gòng yòu liǎng jiān shū shì de wò shì hé yī jiān kuān chǎng 'ér yòu kōng qì liú chàng de qǐ jū shì， shì nèi chén shè qǐ néng shǐ rén gǎn jué yú kuài， hái yòu liǎng gè kuān dà de chuāng zǐ， yīn cǐ wū nèi guāng xiàn chōng zú， fēi cháng míng liàng。 wú lùn cóng nǎ fāng miàn lái shuō， zhè xiē fáng jiān dōuhěn lìng rén mǎn yì。 wǒ men fēn zū yǐ hòu， zū jīn biàn gèng hé shì liǎo。 yīn cǐ wǒ men jiù dāng chǎng chéng jiāo， lì kè zū liǎo xià lái。 dāng wǎn， wǒ jiù shōu shí xíng náng cóng gōng yù bān liǎo jìn qù。 dì 'èr tiān zǎo chén， fú 'ěr mó sī yě gēn zhe bǎ jǐ zhǐ xiāng zǐ hé lǚ xíng qǐ bāo bān liǎo jìn lái。 wǒ men dǎ kāi xíng náng， bù zhì chén shè， yī zhí máng liǎo yī liǎng tiān。 jìn kě néng 'ān pái tuǒ shàn yǐ hòu， wǒ men jiù zhú jiàn 'ān dìng xià lái， duì zhè gè xīn huán jìng yě màn màn dì shú xī qǐ lái liǎo。
　　 shuō shí zài de， fú 'ěr mó sī bìng bù shì yī gè nán yǔ xiāng chù de rén。 tā wéi rén chén jìng， shēng huó xí guàn hěn yòu guī lǜ。 měi wǎn hěn shǎo zài shí diǎn yǐ hòu hái bù shuì jué。 zǎo chén， tā zǒng shì zài wǒ qǐ chuáng zhī qián jiù chī wán zǎo fàn chū qù liǎo。 yòu shí， tā bǎ zhěng tiān de shí jiān dū xiāo mó zài huà yàn shì lǐ， huò shì zài jiě pōu shì lǐ； ǒu 'ěr yě bù xíng dào hěn yuǎn de dì fāng qù， suǒ qù de dì fāng hǎo xiàng shì lún dūn chéng de píng mín kū yī dài。 zài tā gāo xīng gōng zuò de shí hòu， jué méi yòu rén néng bǐ dé shàng tā nà fèn wàng shèng de jīng lì； kě shì cháng cháng yě huì shàng lái yī gǔ xiāng fǎn de jìn tóu， zhěng tiān dì tǎng zài qǐ jū shì de shā fā shàng， cóng zǎo dào wǎn， jīhū yī yán bù fā， yī dòng bù dòng。 měi féng zhè yàng de shí hòu， wǒ zǒng kàn dào tā de yǎn lǐ yòu zhe nà me yī zhǒng máng rán ruò shī de shén sè。 ruò bù shì tā píng rì shēng huó yán jǐn 'ér yòu jié zhì， wǒ zhēn yào yí xīn tā yòu fú má zuì jì de yǐn pǐ liǎo。
　　 jǐ gè xīng qī guò qù liǎo， wǒ duì yú tā zhè gè rén de xīng qù yǐ jí duì yú tā de shēng huó mùdì hé zài de hǎo pò xīn yě rì yì jiā shēn。 tā de xiàngmào hé wài biǎo， zhà jiàn zhī xià jiù zú yǐ yǐn rén zhù yì。 tā yòu liù yīng chǐ duō gāo， shēn tǐ yì cháng shòuxuē， yīn cǐ xiǎn dé gé wài qí cháng； mù guāng ruì lì（ tā máng rán ruò shī de shí hòu chú wài）； xì cháng de yīng gōu bí zǐ shǐ tā de xiàngmào xiǎn dé gé wài jī jǐng、 guǒ duàn； xià 'è fāng zhèng 'ér tū chū， shuō míng tā shì gè fēi cháng yòu yì lì de rén。 tā de liǎng shǒu suī rán bān bān diǎn diǎn zhān mǎn liǎo mò shuǐ hé huà xué yào pǐn， dàn shì dòng zuò què yì hū xún cháng dì shú liàn、 zǎi xì。 yīn wéi tā bǎi nòng nà xiē jīng zhì yì suì de huà yàn yí píng shí， wǒ cháng cháng zài yī bàng guān chá zhe tā。
　　 rú guǒ wǒ chéng rèn fú 'ěr mó sī zhè gè rén dà dà dì yǐn qǐ liǎo wǒ de hǎo pò xīn， wǒ yě shí shí xiǎng shè fǎ gōng pò tā nà shǐ kǒu bù tán zì jǐ de jiān mò bì lěi， nà me， dú zhě yě xǔ yào rèn wéi wǒ shì gè bù kě jiù yào de duō shì guǐ bā。 dàn shì， zài nín xià zhè yàng de jié lùn yǐ qián， qǐng bù fáng xiǎng yī xiǎng： wǒ de shēng huó shì duō me kōng xū wú liáo； zài zhè yàng de shēng huó zhōng， néng gòu xī yǐn wǒ zhù yì lì de shì wù yòu shì duō me pí fá。 chú fēi shì tiān qì tè bié qíng hé， wǒ de jiàn kāng qíng kuàng yòu bù yǔn xǔ wǒ dào wài miàn qù； tóng shí， wǒ yòu méi yòu shénme hǎo yǒu lái fǎng， zú yǐ dǎ pò wǒ dān diào de rì cháng shēng huó。 zài zhè zhǒng qíng kuàng xià， wǒ zì rán jiù duì wéi rào zài wǒ huǒ bàn zhōu wéi de zhè gè xiǎo xiǎo de mì mì fā shēng liǎo jí dà de xīng qù， bìng qiě bǎ dà bù fēn shí jiān xiāo mó zài shè fǎ jiē chuān zhè gè mì mì shàng。
　　 tā bìng bù shì zài yán jiū yī xué。 zài huí dá wǒ de yī gè wèn tí de shí hòu， tā zì jǐ zhèng shí liǎo sī tǎn fú zài zhè yī diǎn shàng de shuō fǎ shì zhèng què de。 tā jì bù xiàng shì wèile huò dé kē xué xué wèi 'ér zài yán jiū rèn hé xué kē， yě bù xiàng shì zài cǎi qǔ qí tā rèn hé yī bān de tú jìng， shǐ tā néng gòu jìn rù xué shù jiè。 rán 'ér tā duì mǒu xiē fāng miàn yán jiū gōng zuò de rè chén què shì jīng rén de； zài yī xiē xī pò gǔ guài de zhī shí lǐng yù yǐ nèi， tā de xué shí què shì yì cháng de yuān bó， yīn cǐ， tā wǎng wǎng chū yǔ jīng rén。 kěn dìng dì shuō， rú guǒ bù shì wèile mǒu zhǒng yī dìng de mùdì， yī gè rén jué bù huì zhè yàng xīn qín dì gōng zuò， yǐ qiú huò dé zhè yàng què qiē de zhī shí de。 yīn wéi màn wú mù biāo、 wú shū bù dú de rén， tā men de zhī shí hěn nán shì fēi cháng jīng zhàn de。 chú fēi shì wèile mǒu zhǒng chōng fēn de lǐ yóu， fǒu zé jué bù huì yòu rén yuàn yì zài xǔ duō xì wēi mò jié shàng zhè yàng huā fèi jīng lì。
　　 tā de zhī shí pí fá de yī miàn， zhèng rú tā de zhī shí fēng fù de yī miàn tóng yàng dì jīng rén。 guān yú xiàn dài wén xué、 zhé xué hé zhèng zhì fāng miàn， tā jīhū yī wú suǒ zhī。 dāng wǒ yǐn yòng tuō mǎ sī · kǎ lāi 'ěr de wén zhāng de shí hòu， tā shǎ lǐ shǎ píng dì wèn wǒ① kǎ lāi 'ěr jiū jìng shì shénme rén， tā gān guò xiē shénme shì qíng。 zuì shǐ wǒ jīng yà bù zhǐ de shì： wǒ wú yì zhōng fā xiàn tā jìng rán duì yú gē bái ní xué shuō yǐ jí tài yáng xì de gòu chéng， yě quán rán bù jiě。 dāng cǐ shí jiǔ shì jì， yī gè yòu zhī shí de rén jū rán bù zhī dào dì qiú rào zhe tài yáng yùn xíng de dào lǐ， zhè jiàn guài shì jiǎn zhí lìng wǒ nán yǐ lǐ jiě。
　　 tā kàn dào wǒ chī jīng de yàng zǐ， bù jué wēi xiào zhe shuō：“ nǐ sì hū gǎn dào chī jīng bā。 jí shǐ wǒ dǒng dé zhè xiē， wǒ yě yào jìn lì bǎ tā wàng diào。”
　　“ bǎ tā wàng diào！”
　　 tā jiě shì dào：“ nǐ yào zhī dào， wǒ rèn wéi rén de nǎo zǐ běn lái xiàng yī jiān kōng kōng de xiǎo gé lóu， yīnggāi yòu xuǎn zé dì bǎ yī xiē jiā jù zhuāng jìn qù。 zhǐ yòu shǎ guā cái huì bǎ tā pèng dào de gè zhǒng gè yàng de pò làn zá suì yī gǔ nǎo 'ér zhuāng jìn qù。 zhè yàng yī lái， nà xiē duì tā yòu yòng de zhī shí fǎn 'ér bèi jǐ liǎo chū lái； huò zhě， zuì duō bù guò shì hé xǔ duō qí tā de dōng xī càn zá zài yī qǐ。 yīn cǐ， zài qǔ yòng de shí hòu yě jiù gǎn dào kùn nán liǎo。 suǒ yǐ yī gè huì gōng zuò de rén， zài tā xuǎn zé yào bǎ yī xiē dōng xī zhuāng jìn tā de nà jiān xiǎo gé lóu shìde tóu nǎo zhōng qù de shí hòu， tā què shí shì fēi cháng zǎi xì xiǎo xīn de。 chú liǎo gōng zuò zhōng yòu yòng de gōng jù yǐ wài， tā shénme yě bù dài jìn qù， ér zhè xiē gōng jù yòu yàng yàng jù bèi， yòu tiáo yòu lǐ。 rú guǒ rèn wéi zhè jiān xiǎo gé lóu de qiáng bì fù yòu tánxìng， kě yǐ rèn yì shēn suō， nà jiù cuò liǎo。 qǐng xiāng xìn wǒ de huà， zǒng yòu yī tiān， dāng nǐ zēng jiā xīn zhī shí de shí hòu， nǐ jiù huì bǎ yǐ qián suǒ shú xí de dōng xī wàng liǎo。 suǒ yǐ zuì yào jǐn de shì， bù yào ràng yī xiē wú yòng de zhī shí bǎ yòu yòng de jǐ chū qù。”
　　① Ｔ ｈ ｏ ｍ ａ ｓ Ｃａ ｒ ｌ ｙｌ ｅ（ héng）： yīng guó sǎnwén jiā， lì shǐ xué jiā hé zhé xué jiā， zhù yòu《 yīng xióng yǔ yīng xióng chóng bài》 děng shū。 héng héng yì zhě zhù
　　 wǒ fēn biàn shuō：“ kě shì， nà shì tài yáng xì de wèn tí 'ā！”
　　 tā bù nài fán dì dǎ duàn wǒ de huà shuō：“ zhè yǔ wǒ yòu yòu shénme xiāng gān？ nǐ shuō zán men shì rào zhe tài yáng zǒu de， kě shì， jí shǐ zán men rào zhe yuè liàng zǒu， zhè duì yú wǒ huò zhě duì yú wǒ de gōng zuò yòu yòu shénme guān xì ní？”
　　 wǒ jīhū jiù yào wèn tā， tā de gōng zuò jiū jìng shì shénme de shí hòu， wǒ cóng tā de tài dù zhōng kàn chū lái， zhè gè wèn tí yě xǔ huì yǐn qí tā de bù gāo xīng。 yú shì wǒ biàn bǎ wǒ men de duǎn duǎn tán huà kǎo lǜ liǎo yī fān， jìn lì xiǎng cóng zhè lǐ biān dé chū yī xiē kě zī tuī lùn de xiàn suǒ lái。 tā shuō tā bù yuàn qù zhuī qiú nà xiē yǔ tā suǒ yán jiū de dōng xī wú guān de zhī shí， yīn cǐ tā suǒ jù yòu de yī qiē zhī shí， dāng rán dōushì duì tā yòu yòng de liǎo。 wǒ jiù zài xīn zhōng bǎ tā suǒ liǎo jiě dé tè bié shēn de xué kē yī yī liè jǔ chū lái， ér qiě yòng qiān bǐ bǎ tā xiě liǎo chū lái。 xiě wán liǎo yī kàn， wǒ rěn bù zhù xiào liǎo。 yuán lái shì zhè yàng：
　　 xiē luò kè · fú 'ěr mó sī de xué shí fàn wéi：
　　 １ ． wén xué zhī shí héng héng wú。 ２． zhé xué zhī shí héng héng wú。 ３． tiān wén xué zhī shí héng héng wú。 ４． xué zhī shí héng héng qiǎn bó。
　　 ５． zhí wù xué zhī shí héng héng bù quán miàn， dàn duì yú láng xu zhì jì hé yā piàn què zhī zhī shèn xiáng。 duì dú jì yòu yī bān de liǎo jiě， ér duì yú shí yòng yuán yì xué què yī wú suǒ zhī。
　　 ６． dì zhì xué zhī shí héng héng piān yú shí yòng， dàn yě yòu xiàn。 dàn tā yī yǎn jiù néng fēn biàn chū bù tóng de tǔ zhì。 tā zài sàn bù huí lái hòu， céng bǎ jiàn zài tā de kù zǐ shàng de ní diǎn gěi wǒ kàn， bìng qiě néng gēn jù ní diǎn de yán sè hé jiān shí chéng dù shuō míng shì zài lún dūn shénme dì fāng jiàn shàng de。
　　 ７． huà xué zhī shí héng héng jīng shēn。 ８． jiě pōu xué zhī shí héng héng zhǔn què， dàn wú xì tǒng。
　　 ９． jīng xiǎn wén xué héng héng hěn guǎng bó， tā sì hū duì jìn yī shì jì zhōng fā shēng de yī qiē kǒng bù shì jiàn dū shēn zhī dǐ xì。
　　１ ０． tí qín lā dé hěn hǎo。１１． shàn shǐ gùn bàng， yě jīng yú dāo jiàn quán shù。１２． guān yú yīng guó fǎ lǜ fāng miàn， tā jù yòu chōng fēn shí yòng de zhī shí。
　　 wǒ xiě liǎo zhè xiē tiáo， hěn jué shī wàng。 wǒ bǎ tā rēng zài huǒ lǐ， zì yán zì yǔ dì shuō：“ rú guǒ wǒ bǎ zhè xiē běn lǐng yī yī lián xì qǐ lái， yǐ qiú zhǎo chū yī zhǒng xū yào suǒ yòu zhè xiē běn lǐng de hángyè lái， dàn jiēguǒ bìng bù néng nòng qīng zhè wèi lǎo xiōng jiū jìng zài gǎo xiē shénme de huà， nà wǒ hái bù rú mǎ shàng fàng qì zhè zhǒng qǐ tú wéi miào。”
　　 wǒ jì dé zài qián miàn céng tí dào guò tā lā tí qín de běn shì。 tā tí qín lā dé hěn chū sè， dàn yě xiàng tā de qí tā běn lǐng yī yàng， yòu xiē gǔ guài chū pò zhī chù。 wǒ shēn zhī tā néng lā chū yī xiē qǔzǐ， ér qiě hái shì yī xiē hěn nán lā de qǔzǐ。 yīn wéi zài wǒ de qǐng qiú zhī xià， tā céng jīng wèiwǒ lā guò jǐ zhī mén dé 'ěr sōng de duǎn gē hé yī xiē tā suǒ xǐ 'ài de qǔzǐ。 kě shì dāng tā dú zì yī rén de shí hòu， tā jiù nán dé huì lā chū shénme xiàng yàng de yuèqǔ huò shì dà jiā suǒ shú xī de diào zǐ liǎo。 huáng hūn shí， tā kào zài fú shǒu yǐ shàng， bì shàng yǎn jīng， xìn shǒu dàn nòng zhe píng fàng zài xī shàng de tí qín。 yòu shí qín shēng gāo kàng 'ér yōu yù， yòu shí yòu gǔ guài 'ér huān chàng。 xiǎn rán， zhè xiē qín shēng fǎn yìng liǎo dāng shí zhī pèi zhe tā de mǒu zhǒng sī cháo， bù guò zhè xiē qǔdiào shì fǒu zhùzhǎng liǎo tā de zhè zhǒng sī cháo， huò zhě jǐn jǐn shì yī shí xīng zhī suǒ zhì， wǒ jiù wú fǎ duàn yán liǎo。 duì yú tā de nà xiē cì 'ěr de dú zòu， wǒ gǎn dào shí fēn bù nài fán； rú guǒ bù shì tā cháng cháng zài zhè xiē qǔzǐ zhī hòu， jiē lián lā shàng jǐ zhī wǒ xǐ 'ài de qǔzǐ， zuò wéi duì wǒ nài xīn de xiǎo xiǎo bǔ cháng， wǒ zhēn yào bào tiào qǐ lái。
　　 zài tóu yī liǎng gè xīng qī zhōng， méi yòu rén lái bài fǎng wǒ men。 wǒ céng yǐ wéi wǒ de huǒ bàn yě xiàng wǒ yī yàng， gū líng líng de méi yòu péng yǒu。 kě shì， bù jiǔ wǒ jiù fā xiàn tā yòu xǔ duō xiāng shí， ér qiě shì lái zì shè huì shàng gè gè jiǒng rán bù tóng de jiē céng de。 qí zhōng yòu yī gè rén miàn sè fā huáng， zhāng tóu shǔ mù， shēng zhe yī shuāng hēi sè de yǎn jīng。 jīng fú 'ěr mó sī jiè shào， wǒ zhī dào tā jiào léi sī chuí dé xiān shēng。 zhè gè rén měi xīng qī yào lái sān sì cì。 yī tiān zǎo shàng， yòu yī gè shí máo de nián qīng gū niàn lái liǎo， zuò liǎo bàn gè duō zhōng tóu cái zǒu。 dāng tiān xià wǔ， yòu lái liǎo yī gè tóu fā huī bái、 yī shān lán lǚ de kè rén， múyàng 'ér hěn xiàng gè yóu tài xiǎo fàn， tā de shén qíng sì hū fēi cháng jǐn zhāng， shēn hòu hái jǐn gēn zhe yī gè lā lā tà tà de lǎo fù rén。 hái yòu yī cì， yī gè báifà shēn shì bài fǎng liǎo wǒ de huǒ bàn； lìng wài yī huí， yī gè chuānzhuó mián róng de huǒ chē shàng de chá fáng lái zhǎo tā。 měi dāng zhè xiē pò tè de kè rén chū xiàn de shí hòu， xiē luò kè · fú 'ěr mó sī zǒng shì qǐng qiú ràng tā shǐ yòng pǐn jū shì， wǒ yě zhǐ hǎo huí dào wǒ de wò shì lǐ qù。 tā yīn wéi gěi wǒ dài lái zhè yàng de bù biàn， cháng cháng xiàng wǒ dào qiàn。 tā shuō：“ wǒ bù dé bù lì yòng zhè jiān qǐ jū shì zuò wéi bàn gōng de dì fāng， zhè xiē réndōu shì wǒ de gù kè。 " zhè yī cì， wǒ yòu zhǎo dào liǎo yī gè dān dāo zhí rù xiàng tā tí chū wèn tí de hǎo jī huì， dàn shì， wèile jǐn shèn qǐ jiàn， wǒ yòu méi yòu miǎnqiǎng tā duì wǒ tù lù zhēn qíng。 wǒ dāng shí xiǎng， tā bù tán chū tā de zhí yè， yī dìng yòu mǒu zhǒng zhòng dà lǐ yóu。 dàn shì， tā bù jiǔ jiù zhù dòng dì tán dào liǎo zhè gè wèn tí， dǎ pò liǎo wǒ yuán lái de xiǎng fǎ。
　　 wǒ jì dé hěn qīng chǔ， nà shì sān yuè sì rì， wǒ bǐ píng shí qī dé zǎo liǎo yī xiē； wǒ fā xiàn fú 'ěr mó sī hái méi yòu chī wán zǎo cān。 fáng dōng tài tài yī xiàng zhī dào wǒ yòu wǎn qǐ de xí guàn， yīn cǐ cān zhuō shàng méi yòu 'ān pái wǒ de zuò wèi， wǒ de yī fèn kā fēi yě méi yòu yù bèi hǎo。 wǒ yī shí méi yòu dào lǐ dì fā qǐ huǒ lái， lì kè 'àn líng， jiǎn jié dì gào sù fáng dōng tài tài， wǒ yǐ zhǔn bèi zǎo cān。 yú shì wǒ cóng zhuō shàng ná qǐ yī běn zá zhì fān fān， jiè cǐ xiāo mó děng dài de shí jiān， ér wǒ de tóng bàn què yī shēng bù xiǎng dì zhǐ guǎn jiáo zhe tā de miàn bāo。 zá zhì shàng yòu yī qǐ wén zhāng， biāo tí xià miàn yòu rén huà liǎo qiān bǐ dào， wǒ zì rán 'ér rán dì jiù xiān kàn liǎo zhè yī qǐ。
　　 wén zhāng de biāo tí sì hū yòu xiē kuā dà， jiào zuò shénme " shēng huó bǎo jiàn "。 zhè piān wén zhāng qǐ tú shuō míng： yī gè shàn yú guān chá de rén， rú guǒ duì tā suǒ jiē chù de shì wù jiā yǐ jīng què 'ér xì tǒng dì guān chá， tā jiāng yòu duō me dà de shōu huò。 wǒ jué dé zhè piān wén zhāng hěn tū chū， suī yòu qí jīng míng dú dào zhī chù， dàn yě wèi miǎn huāng táng kě xiào； zài lùn lǐ shàng， tā yán mì 'ér jǐn còu； dàn shì zài lùn duàn shàng， jù wǒ kàn lái， què wèi miǎn qiānqiǎng fù huì， kuā dà qí cí。 zuò zhě shēng chēng， cóng yī gè rén shùn xī zhī jiān de biǎo qíng， jī ròu de měi yī qiān dòng yǐ jí yǎn jīng de měi yī zhuàndòng， dōukě yǐ tuī cè chū tā nèi xīn shēn chù de xiǎng fǎ lái。 gēn jù zuò zhě de shuō fǎ， duì yú yī gè zài guān chá hé fēn xī shàng sù yòu duàn liàn de rén lái shuō，
　　“ qī piàn " shì bù kě néng de shì。 tā suǒ zuò chū de jié lùn zhēn hé 'ōu jǐ lǐ dé de dìng lǐ yī yàng de zhǔn què。 ér zhè xiē jié lùn， zài yī xiē mén wài hàn kàn lái， què shí jīng rén， zài tā men nòng míng bái tā suǒ yǐ dé dào zhè yàng jié lùn de gè gè bù zhòu yǐ qián， tā men zhēn huì bǎ tā dāng zuò yī gè wèi bǔ xiān zhī de shén rén。
　　 zuò zhě shuō：“ yī gè luó ji xué jiā bù xū qīn yǎn jiàn dào huò zhě tīng shuō guò dà xī yáng huò ní jiā lā qì bù， tā néng cóng yī dī shuǐ shàng tuī cè chū tā yòu kě néng cún zài， suǒ yǐ zhěng gè shēng huó jiù shì yī tiáo jù dà de liàn tiáo， zhǐ yào jiàn dào qí zhōng de yī huán， zhěng gè liàn tiáo de qíng kuàng jiù kě tuī xiǎng chū lái liǎo。 tuī duàn hé fēn xī de kē xué yě xiàng qí tā jì yì yī yàng， zhǐ yòu jīng guò cháng qī hé nài xīn de zuānyán cái néng zhǎng wò； rén men suī rán jìn qí bì shēng jīng lì， yě wèi bì néng gòu dá dào dēng fēng zào jí de dì bù。 chū xué de rén， zài zhuóshǒu yán jiū jí qí kùn nán de yòu guān shì wù de jīng shén hé xīn lǐ fāng miàn de wèn tí yǐ qián， bù fáng xiān cóng zhǎng wò jiào qiǎn xiǎn de wèn tí rù shǒu。 bǐ rú yù dào liǎo yī gè rén， yī qǐ zhī jiān jiù yào biàn shí chū zhè rén de lì shǐ hé zhí yè。 zhè yàng de duàn liàn， kàn qǐ lái hǎo xiàng yòu zhì wú liáo， dàn shì， tā què néng gòu shǐ yī gè rén de guān chá néng lì biàn dé mǐn ruì qǐ lái， bìng qiě jiào dǎo rén men： yīnggāi cóng nǎ lǐ guān chá， yīnggāi guān chá xiē shénme。 yī gè rén de shǒu zhǐ jiá、 yī xiù、 xuē zǐ hé kù zǐ de xī gài bù fēn， dà mǔ zhǐ yǔ shí zhǐ zhī jiān de jiǎn zǐ、 biǎo qíng、 chèn yī xiù kǒu děng děng， bù lùn cóng yǐ shàng suǒ shuō de nǎ yī diǎn， dōunéng míng bái dì xiǎn lù chū tā de zhí yè lái。 rú guǒ bǎ zhè xiē qíng xíng lián xì qǐ lái， hái bù néng shǐ 'àn jiàn de diào chá rén huǎng rán lǐng wù， nà jīhū shì nán yǐ xiǎng xiàng de shì liǎo。”
　　 wǒ dú dào zhè lǐ， bù jìn bǎ zá zhì wǎng zhuō shàng yī diū， dà shēng shuō dào：“ zhēn shì fèi huà lián piān！ wǒ yī bèi zǐ yě méi yòu jiàn guò zhè yàng wú liáo de wén zhāng。”
　　“ nǎ piān wén zhāng？ " fú 'ěr mó sī wèn dào。
　　“ wú， jiù shì zhè piān wén zhāng。 " wǒ yī miàn zuò xià lái chī zǎo cān， yī miàn yòng xiǎo chí zǐ zhǐ zhe nà piān wén zhāng shuō，“ wǒ xiǎng nǐ yǐ jīng dú guò liǎo， yīn wéi nǐ zài xià biān hái huà yòu qiān bǐ dào。 wǒ bìng bù fǒu rèn zhè piān wén zhāng xiěde hěn piào liàng， dàn shì wǒ dú liǎo zhī hòu， hái shì bù miǎn yào shēng qì。 xiǎn rán， zhè shì nǎ yī wèi bǎo shí zhōng rì、 wú suǒ shì shì de lǎn hàn， zuò zài tā de shū fáng lǐ bì mén zào chē dì kōng xiǎng chū lái de yī tào sì shì 'ér fēi de miào lùn。 yī diǎn yě bùqiè hé shí jì。 wǒ dǎo yuàn yì shì yī shì bǎ tā guān jìn dì xià huǒ chē de sān děng chē xiāng lǐ， jiào tā bǎ tóng chē rén de zhí yè yī gè gèdōu shuō chū lái。 wǒ yuàn gēn tā dǎ gè dǔ， yī qiān duì yī de dǔ zhù dū xíng。”
　　“ nà nǐ jiù shū liǎo， " fú 'ěr mó sī 'ān xiáng dì shuō，“ nà piān shì wǒ xiě de。”
　　“ shì nǐ！”
　　“ duì lā， wǒ zài guān chá hé tuī lǐ liǎng fāng miàn dū jù yòu tè shū de cái néng。 wǒ zài zhè piān wén zhāng lǐ suǒ tí chū de nà xiē lǐ lùn， zài nǐ kàn lái zhēn shì huāng miù jué lún， qí shí tā què fēi cháng shí jì， shí jì dào zhè yàng chéng dù， shèn zhì wǒ jiù shì kào zhe tā zhèng dé wǒ zhè fèn gān lào huómiàn bāo de。”
　　“ nǐ zěn yàng kào tā shēng huó ní？ " wǒ bù jìn wèn dào。
　　“ ā， wǒ yòu wǒ zì jǐ de zhí yè。 wǒ xiǎng quán shì jiè shàng gān zhè xíng zhí yè de rén kǒng pà zhǐ yòu wǒ yī gè。 wǒ shì yī gè ' zī xún zhēn tàn '， yě xǔ nǐ néng gòu lǐ jiě zhè shì yī gè shénme hángyè bā。 zài zhè lún dūn chéng zhōng， yòu xǔ duō guān fāng zhēn tàn hé sī rén zhēn tàn。 zhè xiē rén yù dào kùn nán de shí hòu jiù lái zhǎo wǒ， wǒ jiù shè fǎ bǎ tā men yǐn rù zhèng guǐ。 tā men bǎ suǒ yòu de zhèng jù tí gōng gěi wǒ， yī bān shuō lái wǒdōu néng qǐ zhe wǒ duì fàn zuì shǐ de zhī shí， bǎ tā men de cuò wù jiū zhèng guò lái。 fàn zuì xíng wéi dōuyòu tā fēi cháng lèi shìde dì fāng， rú guǒ nǐ duì yī qiān gè 'àn zǐ de xiáng qíng xì jié dōunéng liǎo rú zhǐ zhǎng， ér duì dì yī qiān líng yī jiàn 'àn zǐ jìng bù néng jiě shì de huà， nà cái shì guài shì li。 léi sī chuí dé shì yī wèi zhù míng de zhēn tàn。 zuì jìn tā zài yī zhuāng wěi zào 'àn lǐ zhuì rù wǔ lǐ wù zhōng， suǒ yǐ tā cái lái zhǎo wǒ。”
　　“ hái yòu lìng wài nà xiē rén ní？”
　　“ tā men duō bàn shì yóu sī rén zhēn tàn zhǐ diǎn lái de， dōushì yù dào xiē má fán wèn tí、 xū yào bié rén jiā yǐ zhǐ yǐn de。 wǒ zǎi xì tīng qǔ tā men de shì shí jīng guò， tā men zé tīng qǔ wǒ de yì jiàn； zhè yàng， fèi yòng jiù zhuāng jìn wǒ de kǒu dài lǐ liǎo。”
　　 wǒ shuō：“ nǐ de yì sī shì shuō， bié rén suī rán qīn yǎn mù dǔ gè zhǒng xì jié， dàn dōuwú fǎ jiě jué， ér nǐ zú bù chū hù， què néng jiě shì mǒu xiē yí nán wèn tí má？”
　　“ zhèng shì rú cǐ。 yīn wéi wǒ yòu nà me yī zhǒng lì yòng zhí jué fēn xī shì wù de néng lì。 jiànhuò yě huì yù dào yī jiàn shāo wēi fù zá de 'àn jiàn， nà me， wǒ jiù dé bēn bō yī fān， qīn zì chū mǎ zhēn chá。 nǐ zhī dào， wǒ yòu xǔ duō tè shū de zhī shí， bǎ zhè xiē zhī shí yìng yòng dào 'àn jiàn shàng qù， jiù néng shǐ wèn tí yíng rèn 'ér jiě。 nà piān wén zhāng lǐ suǒ tí dào de jǐ diǎn tuī duàn fǎ zé suī céng rě qǐ nǐ de shàn xiào， dàn zài shí jì gōng zuò zhōng， duì wǒ què yòu zhe wú bǐ de jià zhí。 guān chá néng lì shì wǒ de dì 'èr tiān xìng。 zán men chū cì huì miàn shí， wǒ jiù duì nǐ shuō guò， nǐ shì cóng 'ā fù hàn lái de， nǐ dāng shí hǎo xiàng hái hěn jīng yà li。”
　　“ méi wèn tí， yī dìng yòu rén gào sù guò nǐ。”
　　“ méi yòu nà huí shì。 wǒ dāng shí yī kàn jiù zhī dào nǐ shì cóng 'ā fù hàn lái de。 yóu yú cháng jiǔ yǐ lái de xí guàn， yī xì liè de sī suǒ fēi yě sì dì lüè guò wǒ de nǎo jì， yīn cǐ zài wǒ dé chū jié lùn shí， jìng wèi jué chá dé chū jié lùn suǒ jīng de bù zhòu。 dàn shì， zhè zhōng jiān shì yòu zhe yī dìng de bù zhòu de。 zài nǐ zhè jiàn shì shàng， wǒ de tuī lǐ guò chéng shì zhè yàng de： ‘ zhè yī wèi xiān shēng， jù yòu yī wù gōng zuò zhě de fēng dù， dàn què shì yī fù jūn rén qì gài。 nà me， xiǎn jiàn tā shì gè jūn yī。 tā shì gāng cóng rè dài huí lái， yīn wéi tā liǎn sè yǒu hēi， dàn shì， cóng tā shǒu wàn de pí fū hēi bái fēn míng kàn lái， zhè bìng bù shì tā yuán lái de fū sè。 tā miàn róng qiáo cuì， zhè jiù qīng chǔ dì shuō míng tā shì jiǔ bìng chū yù 'ér yòu lì jìn liǎo jiān kǔ。 tā zuǒ bì shòu guò shāng， xiàn zài dòng zuò pǐn lái hái yòu xiē jiāng yìng bù biàn。 shì wèn， yī gè yīng guó de jūn yī zài rè dài dì fāng lì jìn jiān kǔ， bìng qiě bì bù fù guò shāng， zhè néng zài shénme dì fāng ní？ zì rán zhǐ yòu zài 'ā fù hàn liǎo。 ' zhè yī lián chuàn de sī xiǎng， lì shí bù dào yī miǎo zhōng， yīn cǐ wǒ biàn tuō kǒu shuō chū nǐ shì cóng 'ā fù hàn lái de， nǐ dāng shí hái gǎn dào jīng pò li。”
　　 wǒ wēi xiào zhe shuō：“ tīng nǐ zhè yàng yī jiě shì， zhè jiàn shì hái shì xiāng dāng jiǎn dān de ní。 nǐ shǐ wǒ xiǎng qǐ 'āi dé jiā · ài lún · pō de zuò pǐn zhōng de zhēn tàn rén wù dù① bān lái liǎo。 wǒ zhēn xiǎng bù dào chú liǎo xiǎo shuō yǐ wài， shí jì shàng jìng huì zhēn yòu zhè yàng rén② wù cún zài。”
　　 fú 'ěr mó sī zhàn liǎo qǐ lái， diǎn rán tā de yān dǒu。 tā shuō：“ nǐ yī dìng yǐ wéi bǎ wǒ hé dù bān xiāng tí bìng lùn jiù shì chēng zàn wǒ liǎo。 kě shì， zài wǒ kàn lái， dù bān shí zài shì gè wēi bù zú dào de jiā huǒ。 tā xiān jìng mò yī kè zhōng， rán hòu cái tū rán dào pò tā de péng yǒu de xīn shì， zhè zhǒng jìliǎng wèi miǎn guò yú zuò zuò， guò yú fū qiǎn liǎo。 bù cuò， tā yòu xiē fēn xī wèn tí de tiān cái， dàn jué bù shì 'ài lún · qǐ xiǎng xiàng zhōng de fēi fán rén wù。”
　　 wǒ wèn dào：“ nǐ dú guò jiā bō lì 'ào de zuò pǐn má？ nǐ duì lè gāo kè zhè gè rén wù de píng jià rú hé， tā kě suàn dé shàng yī gè zhēn tàn me？”
　　 fú 'ěr mó sī qīng miè dì hēng liǎo yī shēng。 tā 'è shēng 'è píng dì shuō dào：“ lè gāo kè shì gè bù zhōng yòng de bèn dàn。 tā zhǐ yòu yī jiàn shì hái zhí dé tí yī tí， jiù shì tā de jīng lì。 nà běn shū jiǎn zhí shǐ wǒ nì tòu liǎo。 shū zhōng de zhù tí zhǐ shì tán dào zěn yàng qù biàn shí bù zhī míng de zuì fàn。 wǒ néng zài 'èr shí sì xiǎo shí zhī nèi jiě jué zhè yàng de wèn tí。 kě shì lè gāo kè què fèi liǎo liù gè yuè zuǒ yòu de gōng fū。 yòu zhè me cháng de shí jiān， zhēn kě yǐ gěi zhēn tàn men xiě chū yī běn jiào kē shū liǎo， jiào dǎo jiào dǎo tā men yīngdāng bì miǎn xiē shénme。”
　　 wǒ tīng dào tā bǎ wǒ suǒ qīn pèi de liǎng gè rén wù shuō chéng zhè yàng yī wén bù zhí， xīn zhōng gǎn dào fēi cháng nǎo nù。 wǒ biàn zǒu dào chuāng kǒu， wàng zhe rè nào de jiē dào。 wǒ zì yán zì yǔ dì shuō：“ zhè gè rén yě xǔ fēi cháng cōng míng， dàn shì tā què tài jiāo 'ào zì fù liǎo。”
　　① āi dé jiā · ài lún · pō EdgarAllanPoe（ héng）： měi guó xiǎo shuō jiā。 zhù yòu《 mò gé jiē xiōng shā 'àn》 děng zhēn tàn xiǎo shuō。 héng héng yì zhě zhù
　　② dù bān Ｄ ｕ ｐ ｉ ｎ wéi 'ài lún · pō suǒ xiě《 mò gé jiē xiōng shā 'àn》 yī shū zhōng zhī zhùjué。 héng héng yì zhě zhù
　　 tā bù mǎn dì bào yuàn zhe shuō：“ zhè xiē tiān lái yī zhí méi yòu zuì 'àn fā shēng， yě méi yòu fā xiàn shénme zuì fàn， gān wǒ men zhè xíng de rén， tóu nǎo zhēn shì méi yòng liǎo。 wǒ shēn zhī wǒ de cái néng zú yǐ shǐ wǒ chéng míng。 cóng gǔ dào jīn， cóng lái méi yòu rén xiàng wǒ zhè yàng， zài zhēn chá zuì xíng shàng jì yòu tiān fù yòu yòu zhè yàng jīng zhàn de yán jiū。 kě shì jiēguǒ zěn yàng ní？ jìng méi yòu zuì 'àn kě yǐ zhēn chá， dǐng duō yě bù guò shì xiē jiǎn dān yòu zhì de zuì 'àn， fàn zuì dòng jī qiǎn xiǎn yì jiàn， jiù lián sū gé lán chǎng de rén yuán yě néng yī yǎn shí pò。 "①
　　 wǒ duì tā zhè zhǒng dà yán bù cán de tán huà， yú nù wèi xī。 wǒ xiǎng zuì hǎo hái shì huàn gè huà tí。
　　“ wǒ bù zhī dào zhè gè rén zài zhǎo shénme？ " wǒ zhǐ zhe yī gè tǐ gé kuí wěi、 yī zhe pǔ sù de rén shuō。 tā zhèng zài jiē nà biān màn màn dì zǒu zhe， jiāo jí dì xún zhǎo zhe mén pái hào mǎ。 tā de shǒu zhōng ná zhe yī gè lán sè dà xìn fēng， fēn míng shì gè sòng xìn de rén。
　　 fú 'ěr mó sī shuō：“ nǐ shì shuō nà gè tuì wǔ de hǎi jūn lù zhàn duì de jūn cáo má？”
　　 wǒ xīn zhōng 'àn 'àn xiǎng dào：“ yòu zài chuī niú shuō dà huà liǎo。 tā míng zhī wǒ méi fǎ zhèng shí tā de cāi cè shì fǒu zhèng què。”
　　 zhè gè niàn tóu hái méi yòu cóng wǒ de nǎo zhōng xiāo shì， zhǐ jiàn wǒ men suǒ guān chá de nà gè rén kàn dào liǎo wǒ men de mén pái hào mǎ yǐ hòu， jiù cóng jiē duì miàn fēi kuài dì páo liǎo guò lái。 zhǐ tīng jiàn yī zhèn jí cù de qiāo mén shēng， lóu xià yòu rén yòng dī chén de shēng yīn jiǎng zhe huà， jiē zhe lóu tī shàng biàn xiǎng qǐ liǎo chén zhòng de jiǎo bù shēng。
　　 zhè gè rén yī zǒu jìn fáng lái， biàn bǎ nà fēng xìn jiāo gěi liǎo wǒ de péng yǒu。 tā shuō：
　　“ zhè shì gěi fú 'ěr mó sī xiān shēng de xìn。”
　　 zhè zhèng shì bǎ fú 'ěr mó sī de 'ào qì cuò zhé yī xià de hǎo jī huì。 tā fāng cái xìn kǒu hú shuō， jué méi xiǎng dào huì yòu mù qián zhè yī bù。 wǒ jìn liàng yòng wēn hé de shēng yīn shuō dào：“ xiǎo huǒ zǐ， qǐng wèn nǐ de zhí yè shì shénme？”
　　① sū gé lán chǎng ScotlandYard wéi lún dūn tīng zhī bié míng。 héng héng yì zhě zhù
　　“ wǒ shì dāng chā de， xiān shēng， " nà rén cū shēng cū píng dì huí dá shuō，“ wǒ de xiū bǔ qù liǎo。”
　　“ nǐ guò qù shì gànshénme de？ " wǒ yī miàn wèn tā， yī miàn lüè dài 'è yì dì piǎo liǎo wǒ tóng bàn yī yǎn。
　　“ jūn cáo， xiān shēng， wǒ zài huáng jiā hǎi jūn lù zhàn qīng bù bīng duì zhōng fú wù guò。 xiān shēng， méi yòu huí xìn má？ hǎo bā， xiān shēng。”
　　 tā pèng liǎo yī xià jiǎo gēn， jǔ shǒu jìng lǐ， rán hòu zǒu liǎo chū qù。

　　WE met next day as he had arranged, and inspected the rooms at No. 221B, Baker Street, of which he had spoken at our meeting. They consisted of a couple of comfortable bed-rooms and a single large airy sitting-room, cheerfully furnished, and illuminated by two broad windows. So desirable in every way were the apartments, and so moderate did the terms seem when divided between us, that the bargain was concluded upon the spot, and we at once entered into possession. That very evening I moved my things round from the hotel, and on the following morning Sherlock Holmes followed me with several boxes and portmanteaus. For a day or two we were busily employed in unpacking and laying out our property to the best advantage. That done, we gradually began to settle down and to accommodate ourselves to our new surroundings.
　　 Holmes was certainly not a difficult man to live with. He was quiet in his ways, and his habits were regular. It was rare for him to be up after ten at night, and he had invariably breakfasted and gone out before I rose in the morning. Sometimes he spent his day at the chemical laboratory, sometimes in the dissecting-rooms, and occasionally in long walks, which appeared to take him into the lowest portions of the City. Nothing could exceed his energy when the working fit was upon him; but now and again a reaction would seize him, and for days on end he would lie upon the sofa in the sitting-room, hardly uttering a word or moving a muscle from morning to night. On these occasions I have noticed such a dreamy, vacant expression in his eyes, that I might have suspected him of being addicted to the use of some narcotic, had not the temperance and cleanliness of his whole life forbidden such a notion.
　　 As the weeks went by, my interest in him and my curiosity as to his aims in life, gradually deepened and increased. His very person and appearance were such as to strike the attention of the most casual observer. In height he was rather over six feet, and so excessively lean that he seemed to be considerably taller. His eyes were sharp and piercing, save during those intervals of torpor to which I have alluded; and his thin, hawk-like nose gave his whole expression an air of alertness and decision. His chin, too, had the prominence and squareness which mark the man of determination. His hands were invariably blotted with ink and stained with chemicals, yet he was possessed of extraordinary delicacy of touch, as I frequently had occasion to observe when I watched him manipulating his fragile philosophical instruments.
　　 The reader may set me down as a hopeless busybody, when I confess how much this man stimulated my curiosity, and how often I endeavoured to break through the reticence which he showed on all that concerned himself. Before pronouncing judgment, however, be it remembered, how objectless was my life, and how little there was to engage my attention. My health forbade me from venturing out unless the weather was exceptionally genial, and I had no friends who would call upon me and break the monotony of my daily existence. Under these circumstances, I eagerly hailed the little mystery which hung around my companion, and spent much of my time in endeavouring to unravel it.
　　 He was not studying medicine. He had himself, in reply to a question, confirmed Stamford's opinion upon that point. Neither did he appear to have pursued any course of reading which might fit him for a degree in science or any other recognized portal which would give him an entrance into the learned world. Yet his zeal for certain studies was remarkable, and within eccentric limits his knowledge was so extraordinarily ample and minute that his observations have fairly astounded me. Surely no man would work so hard or attain such precise information unless he had some definite end in view. Desultory readers are seldom remarkable for the exactness of their learning. No man burdens his mind with small matters unless he has some very good reason for doing so.
　　 His ignorance was as remarkable as his knowledge. Of contemporary literature, philosophy and politics he appeared to know next to nothing. Upon my quoting Thomas Carlyle, he inquired in the naivest way who he might be and what he had done. My surprise reached a climax, however, when I found incidentally that he was ignorant of the Copernican Theory and of the composition of the Solar System. That any civilized human being in this nineteenth century should not be aware that the earth travelled round the sun appeared to be to me such an extraordinary fact that I could hardly realize it.
　　 "You appear to be astonished," he said, smiling at my expression of surprise. "Now that I do know it I shall do my best to forget it."
　　 "To forget it!"
　　 "You see," he explained, "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. Now the skilful workman is very careful indeed as to what he takes into his brain-attic. He will have nothing but the tools which may help him in doing his work, but of these he has a large assortment, and all in the most perfect order. 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."
　　 "But the Solar System!" I protested.
　　 "What the deuce is it to me?" he interrupted impatiently; "you say that we go round the sun. If we went round the moon it would not make a pennyworth of difference to me or to my work."
　　 I was on the point of asking him what that work might be, but something in his manner showed me that the question would be an unwelcome one. I pondered over our short conversation, however, and endeavoured to draw my deductions from it. He said that he would acquire no knowledge which did not bear upon his object. Therefore all the knowledge which he possessed was such as would be useful to him. I enumerated in my own mind all the various points upon which he had shown me that he was exceptionally well-informed. I even took a pencil and jotted them down. I could not help smiling at the document when I had completed it. It ran in this way --
　　 SHERLOCK HOLMES -- his limits.
　　 1. Knowledge of Literature. -- Nil. 2. Philosophy. -- Nil. 3. Astronomy. -- Nil. 4. Politics. -- Feeble. 5. Botany. -- Variable. Well up in belladonna, opium, and poisons generally. Knows nothing of practical gardening. 6. 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. 7. Chemistry. -- Profound. 8. Anatomy. -- Accurate, but unsystematic. 9. Sensational Literature. -- Immense. He appears to know every detail of every horror perpetrated in the century. 10. Plays the violin well. 11. Is an expert singlestick player, boxer, and swordsman. 12. Has a good practical knowledge of British law.
　　 When I had got so far in my list I threw it into the fire in despair. "If I can only find what the fellow is driving at by reconciling all these accomplishments, and discovering a calling which needs them all," I said to myself, "I may as well give up the attempt at once."
　　 I see that I have alluded above to his powers upon the violin. These were very remarkable, but as eccentric as all his other accomplishments. That he could play pieces, and difficult pieces, I knew well, because at my request he has played me some of Mendelssohn's Lieder, and other favourites. When left to himself, however, he would seldom produce any music or attempt any recognized air. Leaning back in his arm-chair of an evening, he would close his eyes and scrape carelessly at the fiddle which was thrown across his knee. Sometimes the chords were sonorous and melancholy. Occasionally they were fantastic and cheerful. Clearly they reflected the thoughts which possessed him, but whether the music aided those thoughts, or whether the playing was simply the result of a whim or fancy was more than I could determine. I might have rebelled against these exasperating solos had it not been that he usually terminated them by playing in quick succession a whole series of my favourite airs as a slight compensation for the trial upon my patience.
　　 During the first week or so we had no callers, and I had begun to think that my companion was as friendless a man as I was myself. Presently, however, I found that he had many acquaintances, and those in the most different classes of society. There was one little sallow rat-faced, dark-eyed fellow who was introduced to me as Mr. Lestrade, and who came three or four times in a single week. One morning a young girl called, fashionably dressed, and stayed for half an hour or more. The same afternoon brought a grey-headed, seedy visitor, looking like a Jew pedlar, who appeared to me to be much excited, and who was closely followed by a slip-shod elderly woman. On another occasion an old white-haired gentleman had an interview with my companion; and on another a railway porter in his velveteen uniform. When any of these nondescript individuals put in an appearance, Sherlock Holmes used to beg for the use of the sitting-room, and I would retire to my bed-room. He always apologized to me for putting me to this inconvenience. "I have to use this room as a place of business," he said, "and these people are my clients." Again I had an opportunity of asking him a point blank question, and again my delicacy prevented me from forcing another man to confide in me. I imagined at the time that he had some strong reason for not alluding to it, but he soon dispelled the idea by coming round to the subject of his own accord.
　　 It was upon the 4th of March, as I have good reason to remember, that I rose somewhat earlier than usual, and found that Sherlock Holmes had not yet finished his breakfast. The landlady had become so accustomed to my late habits that my place had not been laid nor my coffee prepared. With the unreasonable petulance of mankind I rang the bell and gave a curt intimation that I was ready. Then I picked up a magazine from the table and attempted to while away the time with it, while my companion munched silently at his toast. One of the articles had a pencil mark at the heading, and I naturally began to run my eye through it.
　　 Its somewhat ambitious title was "The Book of Life," and it attempted to show how much an observant man might learn by an accurate and systematic examination of all that came in his way. It struck me as being a remarkable mixture of shrewdness and of absurdity. The reasoning was close and intense, but the deductions appeared to me to be far-fetched and exaggerated. The writer claimed by a momentary expression, a twitch of a muscle or a glance of an eye, to fathom a man's inmost thoughts. Deceit, according to him, was an impossibility in the case of one trained to observation and analysis. His conclusions were as infallible as so many propositions of Euclid. So startling would his results appear to the uninitiated that until they learned the processes by which he had arrived at them they might well consider him as a necromancer.
　　 "From a drop of water," said the writer, "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. Like all other arts, the Science of Deduction and Analysis is one which can only be acquired by long and patient study nor is life long enough to allow any mortal to attain the highest possible perfection in it. Before turning to those moral and mental aspects of the matter which present the greatest difficulties, let the enquirer begin by mastering more elementary problems. Let him, on meeting a fellow-mortal, learn at a glance to distinguish the history of the man, and the trade or profession to which he belongs. Puerile as such an exercise may seem, it sharpens the faculties of observation, and teaches one where to look and what to look for. By a man's finger nails, by his coat-sleeve, by his boot, by his trouser knees, by the callosities of his forefinger and thumb, by his expression, by his shirt cuffs -- by each of these things a man's calling is plainly revealed. That all united should fail to enlighten the competent enquirer in any case is almost inconceivable."
　　 "What ineffable twaddle!" I cried, slapping the magazine down on the table, "I never read such rubbish in my life."
　　 "What is it?" asked Sherlock Holmes.
　　 "Why, this article," I said, pointing at it with my egg spoon as I sat down to my breakfast. "I see that you have read it since you have marked it. I don't deny that it is smartly written. It irritates me though. It is evidently the theory of some arm-chair lounger who evolves all these neat little paradoxes in the seclusion of his own study. It is not practical. I should like to see him clapped down in a third class carriage on the Underground, and asked to give the trades of all his fellow-travellers. I would lay a thousand to one against him."
　　 "You would lose your money," Sherlock Holmes remarked calmly. "As for the article I wrote it myself."
　　 "You!"
　　 "Yes, I have a turn both for observation and for deduction. The theories which I have expressed there, and which appear to you to be so chimerical are really extremely practical -- so practical that I depend upon them for my bread and cheese."
　　 "And how?" I asked involuntarily.
　　 "Well, I have a trade of my own. I suppose I am the only one in the world. I'm a consulting detective, if you can understand what that is. Here in London we have lots of Government detectives and lots of private ones. When these fellows are at fault they come to me, and I manage to put them on the right scent. They lay all the evidence before me, and I am generally able, by the help of my knowledge of the history of crime, to set them straight. There is a strong family resemblance about misdeeds, and if you have all the details of a thousand at your finger ends, it is odd if you can't unravel the thousand and first. Lestrade is a well-known detective. He got himself into a fog recently over a forgery case, and that was what brought him here."
　　 "And these other people?"
　　 "They are mostly sent on by private inquiry agencies. They are all people who are in trouble about something, and want a little enlightening. I listen to their story, they listen to my comments, and then I pocket my fee."
　　 "But do you mean to say," I said, "that without leaving your room you can unravel some knot which other men can make nothing of, although they have seen every detail for themselves?"
　　 "Quite so. I have a kind of intuition that way. Now and again a case turns up which is a little more complex. Then I have to bustle about and see things with my own eyes. You see I have a lot of special knowledge which I apply to the problem, and which facilitates matters wonderfully. Those rules of deduction laid down in that article which aroused your scorn, are invaluable to me in practical work. Observation with me is second nature. You appeared to be surprised when I told you, on our first meeting, that you had come from Afghanistan."
　　 "You were told, no doubt."
　　 "Nothing of the sort. I _knew_ you came from Afghanistan. From long habit the train of thoughts ran so swiftly through my mind, that I arrived at the conclusion without being conscious of intermediate steps. There were such steps, however. The train of reasoning ran, `Here is a gentleman of a medical type, but with the air of a military man. Clearly an army doctor, then. He has just come from the tropics, for his face is dark, and that is not the natural tint of his skin, for his wrists are fair. He has undergone hardship and sickness, as his haggard face says clearly. His left arm has been injured. He holds it in a stiff and unnatural manner. Where in the tropics could an English army doctor have seen much hardship and got his arm wounded? Clearly in Afghanistan.' The whole train of thought did not occupy a second. I then remarked that you came from Afghanistan, and you were astonished."
　　 "It is simple enough as you explain it," I said, smiling. "You remind me of Edgar Allen Poe's Dupin. I had no idea that such individuals did exist outside of stories."
　　 Sherlock Holmes rose and lit his pipe. "No doubt you think that you are complimenting me in comparing me to Dupin," he observed. "Now, in my opinion, Dupin was a very inferior fellow. That trick of his of breaking in on his friends' thoughts with an apropos remark after a quarter of an hour's silence is really very showy and superficial. He had some analytical genius, no doubt; but he was by no means such a phenomenon as Poe appeared to imagine."
　　 "Have you read Gaboriau's works?" I asked. "Does Lecoq come up to your idea of a detective?"
　　 Sherlock Holmes sniffed sardonically. "Lecoq was a miserable bungler," he said, in an angry voice; "he had only one thing to recommend him, and that was his energy. That book made me positively ill. The question was how to identify an unknown prisoner. I could have done it in twenty-four hours. Lecoq took six months or so. It might be made a text-book for detectives to teach them what to avoid."
　　 I felt rather indignant at having two characters whom I had admired treated in this cavalier style. I walked over to the window, and stood looking out into the busy street. "This fellow may be very clever," I said to myself, "but he is certainly very conceited."
　　 "There are no crimes and no criminals in these days," he said, querulously. "What is the use of having brains in our profession. I know well that I have it in me to make my name famous. No man lives or has ever lived who has brought the same amount of study and of natural talent to the detection of crime which I have done. And what is the result? There is no crime to detect, or, at most, some bungling villany with a motive so transparent that even a Scotland Yard official can see through it."
　　 I was still annoyed at his bumptious style of conversation. I thought it best to change the topic.
　　 "I wonder what that fellow is looking for?" I asked, pointing to a stalwart, plainly-dressed individual who was walking slowly down the other side of the street, looking anxiously at the numbers. He had a large blue envelope in his hand, and was evidently the bearer of a message.
　　 "You mean the retired sergeant of Marines," said Sherlock Holmes.
　　 "Brag and bounce!" thought I to myself. "He knows that I cannot verify his guess."
　　 The thought had hardly passed through my mind when the man whom we were watching caught sight of the number on our door, and ran rapidly across the roadway. We heard a loud knock, a deep voice below, and heavy steps ascending the stair.
　　 "For Mr. Sherlock Holmes," he said, stepping into the room and handing my friend the letter.
　　 Here was an opportunity of taking the conceit out of him. He little thought of this when he made that random shot. "May I ask, my lad," I said, in the blandest voice, "what your trade may be?"
　　 "Commissionaire, sir," he said, gruffly. "Uniform away for repairs."
　　 "And you were?" I asked, with a slightly malicious glance at my companion.
　　 "A sergeant, sir, Royal Marine Light Infantry, sir. No answer? Right, sir."
　　 He clicked his heels together, raised his hand in a salute, and was gone.