It was instantly opened by a bright-looking, clean-shaven young fellow, who asked him to step in.
一个看上去很精明能干、胡子刮得光光的年轻小伙子立即给他开了门，请他进去。
"Thank you," said Holmes, "I only wished to ask you how you would go from here to the Strand."
福尔摩斯说："劳驾，我只想问一下，从这里到斯特兰德怎么走。"
"Third right, fourth left," answered the assistant promptly, closing the door.
那个伙计立即回答说："到第三个路口往右拐，到第四个路口再往左拐。"随即关上了门。
"Smart fellow, that," observed Holmes as we walked away.
当我们从那里走开的时候，福尔摩斯说，"我看他真是个精明能干的小伙子。
"He is, in my judgment, the fourth smartest man in London,
据我的判断，他在伦敦可以算得上是第四个最精明能干的人了；
and for daring I am not sure that he has not a claim to be third. I have known something of him before."
至于在胆略方面，我不敢肯定说他是不是数第三。我以前对他有所了解。"
"Evidently," said I, "Mr. Wilson's assistant counts for a good deal in this mystery of the Red-headed League.
我说，"显然，威尔逊先生的伙计在这个红发会的神秘事件中起了很大的作用。
I am sure that you inquired your way merely in order that you might see him."
我相信你去问路不过是为了想看一看他而已。"
"Not him." "What then?" "The knees of his trousers."
"不是看他。""那又是为了什么呢？""看看他裤子膝盖那个地方。"
"And what did you see?" "What I expected to see." "Why did you beat the pavement?"
"你看见了什么？""我看到了我想看的东西。""你为什么要敲打人行道？"
"My dear doctor, this is a time for observation, not for talk.
"我的亲爱的大夫，现在是留心观察的时候，而不是谈话的时候。
We are spies in an enemy's country. We know something of Saxe-Coburg Square.
我们是在敌人的领土里进行侦查活动。我们知道一些萨克斯—科伯格广场的情况。
Let us now explore the parts which lie behind it."
让我们现在去探查一下广场后面那些地方。"
