IN WHICH FIX, THE DETECTIVE, BETRAYS A VERY NATURAL IMPATIENCE
在此情况下，侦探出卖了一种非常自然的不耐烦情绪。

The circumstances under which this telegraphic dispatch about Phileas Fogg was sent were as follows:
发送有关菲利亚斯·福格的这条电报的情况如下：

The steamer “Mongolia,” belonging to the Peninsular and Oriental Company, built of iron, of two thousand eight hundred tons burden, and five hundred horse-power, was due at eleven o’clock a. —
属于英国东方航运公司的铁质汽船“蒙古”，重二千八百吨，动力为五百马力，预计于10月9日星期三上午11点抵达苏伊士。蒙古号定期往返于布林迪西和孟买之间，途经苏伊士运河，是该公司中最快的一艘轮船，从布林迪西到苏伊士的航行速度始终超过十节，从苏伊士到孟买则为九节半。 —

m. on Wednesday, the 9th of October, at Suez. The “Mongolia” plied regularly between Brindisi and Bombay viâ the Suez Canal, and was one of the fastest steamers belonging to the company, always making more than ten knots an hour between Brindisi and Suez, and nine and a half between Suez and Bombay.
在这座曾经是个杂乱无章的小村庄——如今，多亏了莱赛普斯先生的企业精神，已经成为一个快速发展的城市——的码头上，有两个男人在人群中来回走动，人群中有当地居民和旅客。

Two men were promenading up and down the wharves, among the crowd of natives and strangers who were sojourning at this once straggling village—now, thanks to the enterprise of M. Lesseps, a fast-growing town. —
—

One was the British consul at Suez, who, despite the prophecies of the English Government, and the unfavourable predictions of Stephenson, was in the habit of seeing, from his office window, English ships daily passing to and fro on the great canal, by which the old roundabout route from England to India by the Cape of Good Hope was abridged by at least a half. —
其中一个是苏伊士的英国领事，尽管英国政府的预言和斯蒂芬森的不利预测，但他经常从办公室的窗户里看到英国船只每天在大运河上往返，这个运河至少将从英国到印度的旧绕道路线通过好望角缩短了一半。 —

The other was a small, slight-built personage, with a nervous, intelligent face, and bright eyes peering out from under eyebrows which he was incessantly twitching. —
另一个是一个身材瘦小，面容紧张而聪明的人，明亮的眼睛从不停止抽动的眉毛下面窥视出来。 —

He was just now manifesting unmistakable signs of impatience, nervously pacing up and down, and unable to stand still for a moment. —
他现在表现出明显的不耐烦的迹象，神经质地来回踱步，一刻也不能站立不动。 —

This was Fix, one of the detectives who had been dispatched from England in search of the bank robber; —
这就是菲克斯，他是从英国派遣出去追捕银行劫匪的侦探之一。 —

it was his task to narrowly watch every passenger who arrived at Suez, and to follow up all who seemed to be suspicious characters, or bore a resemblance to the description of the criminal, which he had received two days before from the police headquarters at London. —
他的任务是紧密监视每一个到达苏伊士的乘客，并追踪所有看起来可疑或与他两天前从伦敦警察总部收到的犯罪嫌疑人描述相似的人物。 —

The detective was evidently inspired by the hope of obtaining the splendid reward which would be the prize of success, and awaited with a feverish impatience, easy to understand, the arrival of the steamer “Mongolia.”
这位侦探显然受到了获得丰厚奖励的希望的鼓舞，并且以一种易于理解的发热不耐症等待着“蒙古”号轮船的到达。

“So you say, consul,” asked he for the twentieth time, “that this steamer is never behind time?”
“所以你说，领事，这艘轮船从来不会迟到？”他第二十次问道。

“No, Mr. Fix,” replied the consul. “She was bespoken yesterday at Port Said, and the rest of the way is of no account to such a craft. —
“是的，费克斯先生，”领事回答说。“她昨天在苏伊士港被预订，剩下的航程对这样一艘船来说无关紧要。” —

I repeat that the ‘Mongolia’ has been in advance of the time required by the company’s regulations, and gained the prize awarded for excess of speed.”
我重复一遍，“蒙古”号已经超过了公司规定的时间，获得了超速奖励。

“Does she come directly from Brindisi?”
她是直接从布林迪西来的吗？

“Directly from Brindisi; she takes on the Indian mails there, and she left there Saturday at five p. —
“她直接从布林迪西出发；她在那里搭乘了印度邮轮，周六下午五点她离开那里。 —

m. Have patience, Mr. Fix; she will not be late. —
耐心点，费克斯先生；她不会迟到的。 —

But really, I don’t see how, from the description you have, you will be able to recognise your man, even if he is on board the ‘Mongolia.‘”
但是真的，看你现在所描述的情况，我不明白，即使你的人就在‘蒙古号’上，你也怎么能认出他来。”

“A man rather feels the presence of these fellows, consul, than recognises them. —
“先生，人们更多是感受到这些家伙的存在，而不是认出他们。 —

You must have a scent for them, and a scent is like a sixth sense which combines hearing, seeing, and smelling. —
你必须要对他们有敏感，而且敏感就像第六感，结合了听觉、视觉和嗅觉。 —

I’ve arrested more than one of these gentlemen in my time, and, if my thief is on board, I’ll answer for it; —
我在过去抓过不止一个这样的绅士，如果我的小偷在船上，我保证： —

he’ll not slip through my fingers.”
他不会从我手中溜走。”

“I hope so, Mr. Fix, for it was a heavy robbery.”
“我希望如此，费克斯先生，因为这是一笔巨大的抢劫案。”

“A magnificent robbery, consul; fifty-five thousand pounds! —
“一桩壮丽的抢劫案，领事；五万五千英镑！ —

We don’t often have such windfalls. —
我们很少有这样的财运。 —

Burglars are getting to be so contemptible nowadays! —
盗贼现在变得如此卑鄙！ —

A fellow gets hung for a handful of shillings!”
就为了一把子，一个家伙都会被吊死！”

“Mr. Fix,” said the consul, “I like your way of talking, and hope you’ll succeed; —
“费克斯先生，”领事说道，“我喜欢你说话的方式，希望你能成功； —

but I fear you will find it far from easy. —
但我担心你会发现这远非易事。 —

Don’t you see, the description which you have there has a singular resemblance to an honest man?”
你难道没有看出来，你手上的描述与一位诚实人有着奇特的相似之处吗？”

“Consul,” remarked the detective, dogmatically, “great robbers always resemble honest folks. —
“领事，”侦探断然地说道，“大盗们总是与普通人相似。 —

Fellows who have rascally faces have only one course to take, and that is to remain honest; —
那些面带恶相的家伙只有一条路可走，那就是保持诚实； —

otherwise they would be arrested off-hand. —
否则他们会被立刻逮捕。 —

The artistic thing is, to unmask honest countenances; —
艺术之处在于揭示真实的面孔； —

it’s no light task, I admit, but a real art.”
我承认这不是一项简单的任务，而是一门真正的艺术。”

Mr. Fix evidently was not wanting in a tinge of self-conceit.
费克斯先生显然有些自负。

Little by little the scene on the quay became more animated; —
码头上的场景逐渐变得更加热闹； —

sailors of various nations, merchants, ship-brokers, porters, fellahs, bustled to and fro as if the steamer were immediately expected. —
各国的水手、商人、船代理商、搬运工在那里忙碌来回，仿佛轮船即将到达。 —

The weather was clear, and slightly chilly. —
天气晴朗，微微有些寒冷。 —

The minarets of the town loomed above the houses in the pale rays of the sun. —
城镇的尖塔在阳光的微弱光芒中高耸在房屋之上。 —

A jetty pier, some two thousand yards along, extended into the roadstead. —
一座长达两千码的码头延伸进海湾。 —

A number of fishing-smacks and coasting boats, some retaining the fantastic fashion of ancient galleys, were discernible on the Red Sea.
红海上可见到一些渔船和沿海船只，其中一些保留着古代帆船的奇特风格。

As he passed among the busy crowd, Fix, according to habit, scrutinised the passers-by with a keen, rapid glance.
在人群中穿行时，菲克斯像往常一样，用犀利而快速的目光审视着路人。

It was now half-past ten.
现在已经是十点半了。

“The steamer doesn’t come!” he exclaimed, as the port clock struck.
“轮船还没到！”他喊道，当港口的钟敲响时。

“She can’t be far off now,” returned his companion.
“她离这里应该不远了，”他的同伴回答道。

“How long will she stop at Suez?”
“她在苏伊士停留多久？”

“Four hours; long enough to get in her coal. —
“四个小时，足够给她补充煤炭。” —

It is thirteen hundred and ten miles from Suez to Aden, at the other end of the Red Sea, and she has to take in a fresh coal supply.”
从苏伊士到红海另一端的亚丁有一千三百一十英里，她需要补充新的煤炭供应。”

“And does she go from Suez directly to Bombay?”
“那她会直接从苏伊士前往孟买吗？”

“Without putting in anywhere.”
“不会在任何地方停靠。”

“Good!” said Fix. “If the robber is on board he will no doubt get off at Suez, so as to reach the Dutch or French colonies in Asia by some other route. —
“很好！”菲克斯说道，“如果强盗在船上，他无疑会在苏伊士下船，以便通过其他路线到达亚洲的荷兰或法国殖民地。” —

He ought to know that he would not be safe an hour in India, which is English soil.”
他应该知道在英属地的印度，他在那里一个小时也不会安全。

“Unless,” objected the consul, “he is exceptionally shrewd. —
“除非，”领事提出反对，“他非常精明。” —

An English criminal, you know, is always better concealed in London than anywhere else.”
你知道的，一个英国罪犯在伦敦总是比其他地方更容易藏匿。

This observation furnished the detective food for thought, and meanwhile the consul went away to his office. —
这个观察给了侦探思考的食粮，与此同时，领事离开去办公室了。 —

Fix, left alone, was more impatient than ever, having a presentiment that the robber was on board the “Mongolia. —
单独留下来的Fix比以往更不耐烦了，他预感到强盗就在“蒙古号”上。 —

” If he had indeed left London intending to reach the New World, he would naturally take the route viâ India, which was less watched and more difficult to watch than that of the Atlantic. —
如果他确实离开了伦敦打算去新世界，他自然会选择经过印度的路线，那里受监视较少，也更难监视，比大西洋的路线更加合适。 —

But Fix’s reflections were soon interrupted by a succession of sharp whistles, which announced the arrival of the “Mongolia. —
但是Fix的思考很快被一连串尖锐的汽笛声打断，宣布了“蒙古号”的到达。 —

” The porters and fellahs rushed down the quay, and a dozen boats pushed off from the shore to go and meet the steamer. —
搬运工和农民工们冲下码头，十几艘小船离岸前往迎接那艘轮船。 —

Soon her gigantic hull appeared passing along between the banks, and eleven o’clock struck as she anchored in the road. —
不久之后，她巨大的船身出现在两岸之间，当她在海域停下来时已经是十一点钟了。 —

She brought an unusual number of passengers, some of whom remained on deck to scan the picturesque panorama of the town, while the greater part disembarked in the boats, and landed on the quay.
她带来了不寻常的乘客数量，其中一些留在甲板上欣赏着风景如画的城镇全景，而大部分乘客则在船上下船，登上了码头。

Fix took up a position, and carefully examined each face and figure which made its appearance. —
菲克斯找了个位置，仔细检查着每一个出现的面孔和身影。 —

Presently one of the passengers, after vigorously pushing his way through the importunate crowd of porters, came up to him and politely asked if he could point out the English consulate, at the same time showing a passport which he wished to have visaed. —
不久后，一名乘客在穿过围攻的搬运工人群后，勇敢地走到他面前，礼貌地询问他能否指出英国领事馆，同时展示一本他想要办理签证的护照。 —

Fix instinctively took the passport, and with a rapid glance read the description of its bearer. —
菲克斯本能地接过护照，并迅速地扫了一眼护照上关于持有人的描述。 —

An involuntary motion of surprise nearly escaped him, for the description in the passport was identical with that of the bank robber which he had received from Scotland Yard.
他几乎忍不住发出惊讶的动作，因为护照上的描述与他从苏格兰场接到的银行抢劫犯的描述完全相同。

“Is this your passport?” asked he.
“这是你的护照吗？”他问道。

“No, it’s my master’s.”
“不，这是我的主人的。”

“And your master is—”
“你的主人是谁—”

“He stayed on board.”
“他留在船上。”

“But he must go to the consul’s in person, so as to establish his identity.”
“但他必须亲自去领事馆以确认身份。”

“Oh, is that necessary?”
“哦，那是必须的吗？”

“Quite indispensable.”
“非常必要。”

“And where is the consulate?”
“领事馆在哪里？”

“There, on the corner of the square,” said Fix, pointing to a house two hundred steps off.
“就在那边，离这个广场的角落有两百步远的那座房子。” Fix指着那个房子说道。

“I’ll go and fetch my master, who won’t be much pleased, however, to be disturbed.”
“我去找我的主人，不过他不会很高兴被打扰。”

The passenger bowed to Fix, and returned to the steamer.
旅客向Fix鞠躬行礼，然后回到了船上。