我写的，我的英语不好，不许笑……
有一些内容是从推门的文章翻译的，在结尾的引文部分注明，算是给学校的老师们介绍了一下推门。不过我相信他们是不会来的。
I. Holmes’s Emotion
As readers know, from Devil’s Foot, Six Napoleons, Thor Bridge, Three Garridebs and many other stories, that there is a heart beating beneath the apparently cold and austere exterior. The fever of music is another thread to it; he has an ear for the highly emotional music of Wagner. From Watson readers know that Holmes does not undertake any problem that doesn’t accord with his sympathies.
He is an apathetic person loyal to his sympathy.
A. The Ideal Woman
Among the stories of Holmes, A Scandal in Bohemia is the most favorite one both for the author and reader. A Scandal in Bohemia is different from the other stories in the Canon. Not only is the problem involved basically a personal problem of the King of Bohemia’s—admittedly, being King, his personal problems would never be entirely personal—but you have probably the only time Holmes seems to have any feelings for a woman.
Watson delineates Irene Adler’s unique position in Holmes’s mind at the outset of the story. “To Sherlock Holmes she is always THE woman. I have seldom heard him mention her under any other name. In his eyes she eclipses and predominates the whole of her sex. It was not that he felt any emotion akin to love for Irene Adler.”(Doyle, 1891)
The meaning of the last line is just like that Watson has hidden silver, and emphasizes to others that there isn’t any silver. But Watson’s delineation doesn’t equal Doyle’s opinion.
We don’t actually find out that much about Irene Adler as a person: she’s a contralto singer and a general lady, after some kind of affair with the King of Bohemia, has retired to London. The King of Bohemia hires Holmes to try and recover an unfortunate photograph of the pair—he doesn’t want it to be reached by his soon-to-be-bride before he gets married. While the photograph remains safe, thanks to a promise from Ms. Adler, Holmes does fail to get the picture back from her. In fact, Adler manages to overcome him entirely, and to sail away from the country companied by her husband.
The King of Bohemia is so rough in his efforts to recover the photograph that, even though he’s technically the victim in the story, he seems to us to be the shabbier one by the end of it. Holmes’s respect for wrongdoer Irene Adler’s unconventional honor and grace shows Holmes’s highly personal sense of morality and fairness.
1. A Wise Woman
The best plans of Mr. Holmes are beaten by a woman’s wit. The temptation of Irene Adler which is wisdom rather than beauty, overwhelms Holmes. The delineation of Adler’s wisdom is indirect. Holmes serves as a foil for her.
Adler’s wisdom is expressed in three aspects: she sees through Holmes’s camouflage in time; she follows the tracks of Holmes to make sure his identity in time; she escapes from Europe in time.
One aware of the danger around, whose intelligence isn’t inferior to normal level would be nervously alert. So does Adler. Secondly, Holmes’s farce is too clumsy to deceive a normal person. Many vagrant children plugs up the door of carriage with stretched hands for money—the pastor enters on the stage to save the beauty—the pastor falls down and is likely to die—he begs the permission into the house—he prays her to open the window—fire alarm—the fireworks are found. Such a series of incidents, among which an independent one may be incidental, is obvious enough to alert a silly. Adler, at the position of a prey, is frightened. So I mean, there isn’t enough proof to support that Adler is in the group where people are tower above the rest in vigor and height of intellect.
Adler has already known that the King would hire no detective except Holmes. But she follows the tracks of Holmes to make sure her suspicion. Her action is unnecessary and meaningless.
She has been honored by the King by means of searching her house and luggage for five times. It is amusing that she still lives in London calmly. But she escapes from Europe as soon as possible before Holmes could do anything with her. The bird doesn’t prepare to fly away until the hunter levels a gun at it. She is not decisive or quick-witted at all.
2. Holmes’s Rash Behaviour in Presence of a King
At the end of the story, Holmes asks for the photograph of Adler from the King. It is an important proof that Holmes adores Adler.
“I am immensely indebted to you. Pray tell me in what way I can reward you. This ring—”He slipped an emerald snake ring from his finger and held it out upon the palm of his hand.
“Your Majesty has something which I should value even more highly.”
“You have but to name it.”
“This photograph.”
The King stared at him in amazement. (Doyle, 1891)
Trace the photograph back to its owner, Adler. Let us see the letter she leaves for Holmes: “MY DEAR MR SHERLOCK HOLMES – You really did it very well. You took me in completely. Until after the alarm of fire, I had not a suspicion…As to the photograph, your client may rest in peace. I love and am loved by a better man than he. The King may do what he will without hindrance from one whom he has cruelly wronged.” (Doyle, 1891)
In the letter which is left for Holmes, the part mentioning Holmes is polite and complimentary. The part mentioning the King is cutting and disdainful. Why does a woman look down on a man with sending a beautiful photograph of herself for him as a memento? Actually the photograph is left for Holmes. His innocent companion has misunderstood him. Holmes retains the photograph as a caution lest he will underestimate the opponent for another time.
However, there are details to prove that Holmes admired Adler.
“‘What a woman – oh, what a woman!’ cried the King of Bohemia. ‘Did I not tell you how quick and resolute she was? Would she not have made an admirable queen? Is it not a pity that she was not no my level?’
‘From what I have seen of the lady she seems indeed to be on a very different level to Your Majesty.’ said Holmes coldly. ‘I am sorry that I have not been able to bring Your Majesty’s business to a more successful conclusion.’
He bowed, and, turning away without observing the hand which the King had stretched out to him.” (Doyle, 1891)
Readers also have some rude and insulting behavior on Holmes’s part toward a client and a King. He’s very curt with him at their first meeting, insults him by agreeing that Irene is not on the same level as His Majesty, and ignores his preferred handshake at the end of the story.
Holmes is always polite with his clients otherwise, and it’s hard to picture a late Victorian gentleman like himself behaving like this toward a monarch. Even if the monarch is a bit of a goof, he’s still the King.
He mocks the King as a corrupted playboy; meanwhile he appreciate Adler’s calculation. His overbearing action is owing to his lost mood, which is so delicate, due to Adler.
The King has shown himself unworthy of respect, a nobleman but not a noble man. Holmes is, in some ways, out of society. He moves in and out of various social groups but is not really part of any. This most unconventional person makes it his mission to protect the conventional. It has always seemed to me that Holmes is being shown in the role of Knight Errant. He is prepared to travel the land and across the sea in order to battle evildoers. Holmes accepting Irene’s photo at the end, rather than the King’s ring, is the equivalent of a knight wearing a lady’s colours—her token.
[此贴被福尔摩斯于2012-6-10 20:54:02修改过]
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