"About a month then."

"How did he come?"

"In answer to an advertisement."

"Was he the only applicant¹?"

"No, I had a dozen."

"Why did you pick him?"

"Because he was handy and would come cheap."

"At half-wages, in fact."

"Yes."

"What is he like, this Vincent Spaulding?"

"Small, stout-built, very quick in his ways, no hair on his face, though he's not short of thirty. Has a white splash of acid upon his forehead."

Holmes sat up in his chair in considerable excitement. "I thought as much," said he. "Have you ever observed that his ears are pierced for earrings²?"

"Yes, sir. He told me that a gypsy had done it for him when he was a lad."

"Hum!" said Holmes, sinking back in deep thought. "He is still with you?"

"Oh, yes, sir; I have only just left him."

"And has your business been attended to in your absence?"

"Nothing to complain of, sir. There's never very much to do of a morning."

"That will do, Mr. Wilson. I shall be happy to give you an opinion upon the subject in the course of a day or two. To-day is Saturday, and I hope that by Monday we may come to a conclusion."

"Well, Watson," said Holmes when our visitor had left us, "what do you make of it all?"

"I make nothing of it," I answered frankly³. "It is a most mysterious business."

"As a rule," said Holmes, "the more bizarre a thing is the less mysterious it proves to be. It is your commonplace, featureless crimes which are really puzzling, just as a commonplace face is the most difficult to identify. But I must be prompt over this matter."

"What are you going to do, then?" I asked.

"To smoke," he answered. "It is quite a three pipe problem, and I beg that you won't speak to me for fifty minutes." He curled himself up in his chair, with his thin knees drawn⁴ up to his hawk-like nose, and there he sat with his eyes closed and his black clay pipe thrusting out like the bill of some strange bird. I had come to the conclusion that he had dropped asleep, and indeed was nodding myself, when he suddenly sprang out of his chair with the gesture of a man who has made up his mind and put his pipe down upon the mantelpiece.

"Sarasate plays at the St. James's Hall this afternoon," he remarked. "What do you think, Watson? Could your patients spare you for a few hours?"

点击收听单词发音  

1 applicant
n.申请人，求职者，请求者
参考例句：
He was the hundredth applicant for the job. 他是第100个申请这项工作的人。 In my estimation, the applicant is well qualified for this job. 据我看, 这位应征者完全具备这项工作的条件。

2 earrings
n.耳环( earring的名词复数 )；耳坠子
参考例句：
a pair of earrings 一对耳环 These earrings snap on with special fastener. 这付耳环是用特制的按扣扣上去的。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 frankly
adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说
参考例句：
To speak frankly, I don't like the idea at all.老实说，我一点也不赞成这个主意。 Frankly speaking, I'm not opposed to reform.坦率地说，我不反对改革。

4 drawn
v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的
参考例句：
All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。 Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

5 dingy
adj.昏暗的，肮脏的
参考例句：
It was a street of dingy houses huddled together. 这是一条挤满了破旧房子的街巷。 The dingy cottage was converted into a neat tasteful residence.那间脏黑的小屋已变成一个整洁雅致的住宅。

6 clumps
n.（树、灌木、植物等的）丛、簇( clump的名词复数 )；（土、泥等）团；块；笨重的脚步声v.（树、灌木、植物等的）丛、簇( clump的第三人称单数 )；（土、泥等）团；块；笨重的脚步声
参考例句：
These plants quickly form dense clumps. 这些植物很快形成了浓密的树丛。 来自《简明英汉词典》 The bulbs were over. All that remained of them were clumps of brown leaves. 这些鳞茎死了，剩下的只是一丛丛的黃叶子。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 gilt
adj.镀金的；n.金边证券
参考例句：
The plates have a gilt edge.这些盘子的边是镀金的。 The rest of the money is invested in gilt.其余的钱投资于金边证券。

8 puckered
v.（使某物）起褶子或皱纹( pucker的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
His face puckered , and he was ready to cry. 他的脸一皱，像要哭了。 His face puckered, the tears leapt from his eyes. 他皱着脸，眼泪夺眶而出。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 thumped
v.重击， （指心脏）急速跳动( thump的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
Dave thumped the table in frustration . 戴夫懊恼得捶打桌子。 He thumped the table angrily. 他愤怒地用拳捶击桌子。

10 strand
vt.使（船）搁浅，使（某人）困于（某地）
参考例句：
She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ears.她把一缕散发夹到了耳后。 The climbers had been stranded by a storm.登山者被暴风雨困住了。

11 promptly
adv.及时地，敏捷地
参考例句：
He paid the money back promptly.他立即还了钱。 She promptly seized the opportunity his absence gave her.她立即抓住了因他不在场给她创造的机会。

12 judgment
n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见
参考例句：
The chairman flatters himself on his judgment of people.主席自认为他审视人比别人高明。 He's a man of excellent judgment.他眼力过人。

13 retired
adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的
参考例句：
The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。 Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

14 arteries
n.动脉( artery的名词复数 )；干线，要道
参考例句：
Even grafting new blood vessels in place of the diseased coronary arteries has been tried. 甚至移植新血管代替不健康的冠状动脉的方法都已经试过。 来自《简明英汉词典》 This is the place where the three main arteries of West London traffic met. 这就是伦敦西部三条主要交通干线的交汇处。 来自《简明英汉词典》

15 footpaths
人行小径，人行道( footpath的名词复数 )
参考例句：
There are a lot of winding footpaths in the col. 山坳里尽是些曲曲弯弯的羊肠小道。 There are many footpaths that wind through the village. 有许多小径穿过村子。

16 swarm
n.(昆虫)等一大群；vi.成群飞舞；蜂拥而入
参考例句：
There is a swarm of bees in the tree.这树上有一窝蜜蜂。 A swarm of ants are moving busily.一群蚂蚁正在忙碌地搬家。

17 pedestrians
n.步行者( pedestrian的名词复数 )
参考例句：
Several pedestrians had come to grief on the icy pavement. 几个行人在结冰的人行道上滑倒了。 来自《简明英汉词典》 Pedestrians keep to the sidewalk [footpath]! 行人走便道。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

18 premises
n.建筑物，房屋
参考例句：
According to the rules,no alcohol can be consumed on the premises.按照规定，场内不准饮酒。 All repairs are done on the premises and not put out.全部修缮都在家里进行，不用送到外面去做。

19 abutted
v.（与…）邻接( abut的过去式和过去分词 )；（与…）毗连；接触；倚靠
参考例句：
Their house abutted against the hill. 他们的房子紧靠着山。 来自辞典例句 The sidewalk abutted on the river. 人行道紧挨着河川。 来自辞典例句

20 stagnant
adj.不流动的，停滞的，不景气的
参考例句：
Due to low investment,industrial output has remained stagnant.由于投资少，工业生产一直停滞不前。 Their national economy is stagnant.他们的国家经济停滞不前。

21 standing
n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的
参考例句：
After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。 They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

22 suburban
adj.城郊的，在郊区的
参考例句：
Suburban shopping centers were springing up all over America. 效区的商业中心在美国如雨后春笋般地兴起。 There's a lot of good things about suburban living.郊区生活是有许多优点。

23 vegetarian
n.素食者；adj.素食的
参考例句：
She got used gradually to the vegetarian diet.她逐渐习惯吃素食。 I didn't realize you were a vegetarian.我不知道你是个素食者。

24 depot
n.仓库，储藏处；公共汽车站；火车站
参考例句：
The depot is only a few blocks from here.公共汽车站离这儿只有几个街区。 They leased the building as a depot.他们租用这栋大楼作仓库。

25 delicacy
n.精致，细微，微妙，精良；美味，佳肴
参考例句：
We admired the delicacy of the craftsmanship.我们佩服工艺师精巧的手艺。 He sensed the delicacy of the situation.他感觉到了形势的微妙。

26 vex
vt.使烦恼，使苦恼
参考例句：
Everything about her vexed him.有关她的一切都令他困惑。 It vexed me to think of others gossiping behind my back.一想到别人在背后说我闲话，我就很恼火。

27 conundrums
n.谜，猜不透的难题，难答的问题( conundrum的名词复数 )
参考例句：
After all the conundrums of Hungary, the second Turkish Grand Prix promises much. 继匈牙利站所有猜不透的事之后，第二届土耳其大奖赛许诺了太多。 来自互联网 I see conundrums, dilemmas, quandaries, impasses, gnarly thickets of fateful possibility with no obvious way out. 眼看问题经纬万端，进退两难、入困境，死路一条，盘根错节的命定可能性，但找不到明显的出路。 来自互联网

28 relentless
adj.残酷的，不留情的，无怜悯心的
参考例句：
The traffic noise is relentless.交通车辆的噪音一刻也不停止。 Their training has to be relentless.他们的训练必须是无情的。

29 dual
adj.双的；二重的，二元的
参考例句：
The people's Republic of China does not recognize dual nationality for any Chinese national.中华人民共和国不承认中国公民具有双重国籍。 He has dual role as composer and conductor.他兼作曲家及指挥的双重身分。

30 astuteness
n.敏锐；精明；机敏
参考例句：
His pleasant, somewhat ordinary face suggested amiability rather than astuteness. 他那讨人喜欢而近乎平庸的脸显得和蔼有余而机敏不足。 来自互联网 Young Singaporeans seem to lack the astuteness and dynamism that they possess. 本地的一般年轻人似乎就缺少了那份机灵和朝气。 来自互联网

31 poetic
adj.富有诗意的，有诗人气质的，善于抒情的
参考例句：
His poetic idiom is stamped with expressions describing group feeling and thought.他的诗中的措辞往往带有描写群体感情和思想的印记。 His poetic novels have gone through three different historical stages.他的诗情小说创作经历了三个不同的历史阶段。

32 languor
n.无精力，倦怠
参考例句：
It was hot,yet with a sweet languor about it.天气是炎热的，然而却有一种惬意的懒洋洋的感觉。 She,in her languor,had not troubled to eat much.她懒懒的，没吃多少东西。

33 devouring
吞没( devour的现在分词 )； 耗尽； 津津有味地看； 狼吞虎咽地吃光
参考例句：
The hungry boy was devouring his dinner. 那饥饿的孩子狼吞虎咽地吃饭。 He is devouring novel after novel. 他一味贪看小说。

34 lust
n.性(淫)欲；渴(欲)望；vi.对…有强烈的欲望
参考例句：
He was filled with lust for power.他内心充满了对权力的渴望。 Sensing the explorer's lust for gold, the chief wisely presented gold ornaments as gifts.酋长觉察出探险者们垂涎黄金的欲念，就聪明地把金饰品作为礼物赠送给他们。