The Sign of the Four

Arthur Conan Doyle

ESL Easy Read

Reading Comprehension B1 • Original Text • Português Support

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Copyright

Fonte original — domínio público

Esta edição ESL Easy Read foi adaptada a partir de The Sign of the Four, de Arthur Conan Doyle, publicado originalmente em 1890.

A obra original encontra-se em domínio público e pode ser utilizada, reproduzida, distribuída e adaptada de acordo com a legislação aplicável.

Autor

Arthur Conan Doyle (1859–1930)

Estados Unidos

Esta obra foi publicada originalmente em 1890.

Nos Estados Unidos, obras publicadas antes de 1930 encontram-se normalmente em domínio público.

Com base no ano de publicação disponível, esta obra encontra-se em domínio público nos Estados Unidos desde 1º de janeiro de 1986.

Brasil

Autor: Arthur Conan Doyle (1859–1930)

De acordo com a Lei nº 9.610/1998, os direitos patrimoniais expiram 70 anos após a morte do autor, contados a partir de 1º de janeiro do ano seguinte ao falecimento.

Arthur Conan Doyle faleceu em 1930.

Situação no Brasil: DOMÍNIO PÚBLICO.

Portugal

Autor: Arthur Conan Doyle (1859–1930)

De acordo com o Código do Direito de Autor e dos Direitos Conexos, a proteção patrimonial dura 70 anos após a morte do autor.

Arthur Conan Doyle faleceu em 1930.

Situação em Portugal: DOMÍNIO PÚBLICO.

Dados da publicação original

Obra original: The Sign of the Four

Autor: Arthur Conan Doyle

Primeira publicação: 1890

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Introdução

Como ler este livro

Cada livro desta coleção é apresentado em um nível de leitura simplificada, de acordo com o CEFR — Quadro Europeu Comum de Referência para Línguas.

A2 — Básico: indicado para leitores que já compreendem frases simples, vocabulário frequente e textos curtos sobre situações do cotidiano.

B1 — Intermediário: indicado para leitores que conseguem compreender as ideias principais de textos claros e acompanhar uma narrativa com vocabulário e estruturas de dificuldade moderada.

B2 — Intermediário avançado: indicado para leitores que já conseguem compreender textos mais complexos, acompanhar descrições detalhadas e reconhecer uma variedade maior de vocabulário e estruturas gramaticais.

Este livro foi adaptado para o nível B1.

Assim, você pode começar a lê-lo mesmo sem dominar completamente o inglês. O texto foi simplificado para facilitar a compreensão, preservando a história, os personagens e os acontecimentos principais da obra original.

Como usar as notas

No texto de leitura simplificada, cada parágrafo possui um link Pt/En. Esse link abre uma nota com a tradução em português do texto simplificado e o trecho correspondente no texto original em inglês.

No texto original em inglês, o link PT leva diretamente ao parágrafo correspondente na versão em português. Na tradução portuguesa, o link En retorna ao parágrafo correspondente no texto original.

A tradução para o português é feita a partir do texto em inglês simplificado, e não diretamente do texto original. O objetivo é ajudar você a compreender com precisão a frase simplificada que está estudando naquele momento.

O texto original em inglês é apresentado separadamente para a etapa seguinte do aprendizado, quando você já estiver preparado para ler e comparar a obra em sua forma original.

Cada nota contém links que permitem retornar exatamente ao parágrafo que você estava lendo.

Como usar o glossário

Na última parte do livro, o Glossary: New Words reúne, em ordem alfabética, palavras mais complexas ou menos frequentes presentes no texto simplificado de nível B1. Essas palavras aparecem em itálico no texto.

Cada entrada apresenta pronúncia, tradução em português, explicação simples em inglês, frase de exemplo e até cinco frases reais do livro.

O link Back to B1 retorna exatamente à frase correspondente na versão simplificada.

Depois do texto simplificado, o livro apresenta também o texto original completo em inglês e a versão completa em português.

Sobre este livro

O Signo dos Quatro é o segundo romance de Sherlock Holmes escrito por Arthur Conan Doyle. A história começa com Holmes e o Dr. Watson em seus aposentos na Baker Street, onde uma jovem chamada Mary Morstan busca sua ajuda. Ela recebeu uma série de presentes misteriosos — uma pérola valiosa a cada ano por seis anos — e agora uma carta anônima convidando-a a encontrar um estranho. Holmes e Watson a acompanham ao encontro, onde encontram Thaddeus Sholto, que revela que o pai de Mary, um oficial britânico na Índia, desapareceu anos atrás. O próprio pai de Sholto, o Major Sholto, tinha um segredo envolvendo um tesouro da Índia, e sua morte foi ligada a uma figura misteriosa. O conflito central gira em torno do roubo do tesouro de Agra, um esconderijo de joias e ouro, e do assassinato do Major Sholto. Holmes investiga uma trilha de pistas envolvendo um homem de perna de pau, um dardo envenenado e um pacto secreto entre quatro condenados. O cenário muda da Londres nebulosa para uma perseguição às margens do Tâmisa. O tom é sombrio e cheio de suspense, com Holmes usando raciocínio dedutivo para desvendar a conspiração. Os personagens principais incluem Holmes, Watson, Mary Morstan, Thaddeus Sholto e o vilão Jonathan Small. A progressão segue a investigação de Holmes, levando a um confronto com os criminosos, mas o destino final do tesouro e a resolução do mistério não são totalmente revelados.

Nota editorial

A tradução para o português e a versão Reading Comprehension B1 foram geradas com apoio de inteligência artificial e submetidas a revisão editorial.

Em caso de dúvida ou observações, fale conosco.

MicMac from Las Vegas LLC
Contato: admin@micmacfromlasvegas.com

Outros livros e materiais

Materiais e outros livros da série ESL Easy Read:

Coleção Sherlock Holmes

A Study in Scarlet

His Last Bow

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes

The Hound of the Baskervilles

The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes

The Return of Sherlock Holmes

The Sign of the Four

The Valley of Fear

Outras coleções disponíveis

Doctor Dolittle

Anne of Green Gables / L. M. Montgomery

Gothic and Terror Classics

A Selva de Burroughs

Marte de Burroughs

The Land of Oz

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Reading Comprehension B1

1 - The Science of Deduction

2 - The Statement of the Case

3 - In Quest of a Solution

The Science of Deduction

Pt/En Sherlock Holmes took his bottle and his injection tool. With his long, thin fingers, he prepared the needle and rolled up his sleeve. He looked for a moment at his arm, which had many small marks from previous injections. Then he put the needle in, pushed the small part, and sat back in his comfortable chair, feeling happy.

Pt/En For many months, I had seen Holmes do this three times a day. But I did not get used to it. Instead, I became more annoyed each day. I felt guilty that I did not have the courage to tell him to stop. I often promised myself I would speak about it, but Holmes's calm and relaxed manner made him difficult to confront. His great skills, his confident way of acting, and my experience with his many unusual qualities made me shy and hesitant to disagree with him.

Pt/En But that afternoon, perhaps because of the wine I had with lunch, or because I was more upset by his very slow way of doing things, I suddenly felt I could not wait any longer.

Pt/En I asked Holmes which drug he was taking that day, morphine or cocaine.

Pt/En He looked up slowly from the old book he was reading. He said it was cocaine, a seven-percent mix. He then asked if I would like to try it.

Pt/En The speaker answered sharply that he had not yet recovered from the Afghan campaign. He explained that he could not handle any extra stress on his body.

Pt/En The other man smiled at his strong words. He agreed that it might be physically bad for Watson. However, he found it very helpful and clear for his mind, so the bad physical effects were not important to him.

Pt/En The speaker urged him to think about the cost. He said that while his brain might feel excited, it was an unhealthy process. This could cause lasting weakness. He also reminded him of the bad feelings that followed. He asked why he would risk his great abilities for a short pleasure. He added that he spoke as a friend and also as a doctor who was partly responsible for his health.

Pt/En He did not seem angry. Instead, he put his fingers together and leaned back, looking ready to talk.

Pt/En He said his mind did not like being inactive. He felt best when he had problems, work, difficult codes, or complex analysis. Then he did not need artificial help. But he hated the boring routine of life and wanted mental excitement. He explained this was why he chose his job, or rather, created it because he was the only one doing it.

Pt/En The narrator asked, with raised eyebrows, if he was the only detective who was not officially employed by the police.

Pt/En The man answered that he was the only unofficial consulting detective. He explained that he was the final authority when official detectives like Gregson or Lestrade could not solve a case, which he said happened often. He examined the facts like an expert and gave his professional opinion. He did not seek public recognition or credit, and his name was not in the newspapers. He found his greatest reward in the work itself and in using his special skills. He reminded the narrator that he had already seen his methods in the Jefferson Hope case.

Pt/En The narrator agreed enthusiastically, saying he had been very impressed. He mentioned that he had even written about it in a short book with the unusual title ‘A Study in Scarlet.’

Pt/En The man shook his head sadly. He said he had read the book but could not praise it. He believed that solving crimes should be an exact science, treated in a cold and logical way. He felt the narrator had tried to make it too romantic, which was like adding a love story to a difficult math problem.

Pt/En The narrator disagreed, saying that the romance was part of the real events and he could not change the facts.

Pt/En He explained that some information should not be shared, or at least should be presented carefully. He felt the most important part of the case was his clever thinking, which allowed him to solve it by looking at the results and understanding the causes.

Pt/En The narrator was unhappy with the criticism of his writing, which was made to please his companion. He also felt his friend was too focused on himself, wanting the writing to be only about his own actions. The narrator had noticed this self-importance in his friend before. He did not say anything, but sat holding his injured leg. He had been shot in the leg some time ago, and it often hurt when the weather changed.

Pt/En Holmes mentioned that his work had recently expanded to Europe. He had been asked for help by François Le Villard, a detective in France who was becoming well-known. Holmes said Le Villard was good at guessing things quickly but lacked the broad knowledge needed for his job. The case involved a will and had interesting aspects. Holmes had helped Le Villard find the solution by suggesting two similar past cases from other cities. Holmes then showed the narrator a letter from Le Villard, which was full of praise and admiration for Holmes's help.

Pt/En The narrator commented that Holmes's friend wrote to him like a student writing to his teacher.

Pt/En Sherlock Holmes replied that his friend praised his help too much. He said the French detective was talented and had two of the three important skills for a detective: observation and deduction. He only needed more knowledge, which he might gain over time. Holmes also mentioned that his friend was translating his writings into French.

Pt/En He asked about my works.

Pt/En He explained, laughing, that he had written several short books on technical subjects. He gave an example: a book about the ashes of different tobaccos. It showed 140 types of tobacco ash with pictures. He said this was important for police work because the ash could be a clue in criminal cases, like identifying what a murderer was smoking. He compared the difference in ash to the difference between a cabbage and a potato.

Pt/En I told him he had a special talent for small details.

Pt/En He said he understood the importance of these details. He mentioned another book he wrote about following footprints and using plaster to save them. He also wrote about how a person's job can change the shape of their hand, showing pictures of hands from different jobs. He thought this was very useful for detectives, especially when they found bodies without knowing who they were or when trying to find out about criminals. He thought he might be boring me with his interests.

Pt/En I replied that I was not bored at all and found it very interesting, especially because I had seen him use these skills. I asked if observation and deduction were related.

Pt/En He answered that it was not much. He sat back comfortably in his chair and smoked his pipe, making smoke rings. He explained that he saw the person had been to the post office that morning. He also knew, by thinking carefully, that the person had sent a telegram there.

Pt/En The narrator said he was correct about both things. He did not understand how the man knew. He explained that it was a sudden idea and he had not told anyone.

Pt/En The man said it was very simple and he laughed because the narrator was surprised. He explained that observation and deduction are different. He saw some reddish dirt on the narrator's shoe. He knew that the pavement was being repaired near the post office, and the dirt there was this special color. He said that was what he observed. The rest was deduction.

Pt/En The narrator asked how he knew about the telegram.

Pt/En The man explained that he knew the narrator had not written a letter because he had been sitting opposite him all morning. He also saw stamps and postcards on the narrator's desk. He asked why else the narrator would go to the post office if not to send a telegram. He concluded that when all other possibilities are removed, the remaining one must be true.

Pt/En After thinking for a moment, I agreed. I said that the matter was simple, as the other person had said. I then asked if he would mind if I tested his ideas more seriously.

Pt/En The other person answered that, on the contrary, it would stop him from taking more cocaine. He said he would be very happy to examine any problem that I gave him.

Pt/En I told him that I had heard him say it is hard for a person to use an object every day without leaving a sign of their personality on it. A trained person could read these signs. I explained that I had a watch that I recently got. I asked if he would be kind enough to give me his opinion about the character or habits of the person who owned it before.

Pt/En I gave him the watch. I felt a little amused because I thought the test was impossible and I wanted to teach him a lesson about his sometimes too confident way of speaking. He held the watch, looked closely at the front, opened the back, and checked the inside parts. He looked first with his eyes and then with a strong magnifying glass. I almost smiled when he closed the watch and gave it back, looking disappointed.

Pt/En He said that there were not many clues. He explained that the watch had been cleaned recently, which meant he had lost the most useful information.

Pt/En I agreed that the watch had been cleaned. But I secretly thought my companion's excuse for his failure was weak. I wondered what information he could get from a watch that was not cleaned.

Pt/En My companion said his work was not completely useless, even though it was not perfect. He looked at the ceiling and said he thought the watch belonged to my older brother, who got it from our father.

Pt/En I asked if he guessed this because of the initials "H. W." on the back.

Pt/En He confirmed this. He explained that "W." probably meant my last name. He said the watch was about fifty years old, and the initials were old too, meaning they were from the previous generation. He added that jewelry is usually passed to the oldest son, who often has the same name as his father. Since my father had died many years ago, he concluded the watch must have belonged to my older brother.

Pt/En I told him he was correct so far and asked if he had found anything else.

Pt/En A man was very messy and not careful. He had good chances in life but did not use them. He was poor for a while, then had some good times, but eventually he started drinking and died. This is all the information I could find.

Pt/En I quickly stood up from my chair and walked around the room, feeling very angry and unhappy.

Pt/En I told Holmes that I was disappointed in him. I said I could not believe he would do such a thing. I explained that he had investigated my brother's life and was now pretending to guess the information in a strange way. I did not believe he had learned all this from the old watch. I felt it was not kind and was like a trick.

Pt/En Holmes kindly apologized. He said he had forgotten that the matter was personal and upsetting for me, as he was looking at it like a puzzle. He promised that he had never known I had a brother until I gave him the watch.

Pt/En I asked Holmes how he had discovered these facts, as they were completely correct.

Pt/En He said that it was good luck and he had only been able to say what was likely. He had not expected to be so correct.

Pt/En The other person asked if it was not just guessing.

Pt/En He replied that he never guessed, as it was a bad habit that stopped clear thinking. He explained that what seemed strange was only because the other person did not understand his thinking or notice the small details that helped him understand big things. For example, he had said the brother was careless. He pointed out that the watch case was scratched from keeping other hard things in the same pocket. He thought it was easy to assume that a man who treated an expensive watch so carelessly must be a careless man. He also thought it was likely that a man who inherited something so valuable was well-off in other ways.

Pt/En I nodded to show that I understood his explanation.

Pt/En He explained that pawnbrokers in England often scratch a ticket number inside a watch case. He saw four such numbers on the inside of this case, which meant the brother often needed money. He also thought the brother had times when he had money, because he could get the watch back. Finally, he asked me to look at the scratches around the keyhole on the inside plate. He said that these marks showed the key had slipped many times. He suggested that only a drunk man's key would make such marks, as a sober man would not wind his watch so unsteadily. He asked what was mysterious about all this.

Pt/En The speaker said that the situation was very clear. He apologized for treating the other person unfairly and admitted he should have trusted their amazing ability more. He then asked if the other person had any current professional work.

Pt/En The other person replied that they had no work, which was why they were using cocaine. They explained that they needed to use their mind for work and asked what else there was to live for. Looking out the window, they described the street and houses as dull and uninteresting. They felt it was a boring and ordinary world. They wondered what the point was of having special skills if there was no opportunity to use them. They felt that crime, life, and the skills people have are all ordinary.

Pt/En As the speaker was about to answer this long speech, their landlady knocked sharply. She came in holding a card on a metal tray.

Pt/En The landlady told the speaker that a young lady was there to see him.

Pt/En The speaker read the name on the card: Miss Mary Morstan. He said he did not remember the name. He asked Mrs. Hudson, the landlady, to invite the young lady upstairs. He also asked the doctor not to leave, saying he preferred the doctor to stay.

The Statement of the Case

Pt/En Miss Morstan entered the room with a steady step and appeared calm. She was a small, elegant young blonde lady, dressed very nicely. However, her simple clothes suggested she did not have a lot of money. Her dress was a plain, dull color, and she wore a small hat of the same color with a small white feather. Her face was not perfectly beautiful, but she had a kind and pleasant expression. Her large blue eyes looked understanding and sympathetic. The narrator felt she had a gentle and sensitive nature. When she sat down, her lip trembled and her hand shook, showing she was very nervous inside.

Pt/En Miss Morstan told Mr. Holmes that she had come to him because he had helped her employer, Mrs. Cecil Forrester, with a small problem before. She said Mrs. Forrester was very impressed with his help and skill.

Pt/En Sherlock Holmes repeated the name Mrs. Cecil Forrester thoughtfully. He remembered helping her a little and thought that case had been very simple.

Pt/En Miss Morstan disagreed, saying Mrs. Forrester did not think the case was simple. She added that her own situation was very strange and difficult to understand.

Pt/En Holmes rubbed his hands together, and his eyes shone with interest. He leaned forward in his chair, looking very focused. He told her to explain her case in a direct, business-like way.

Pt/En The speaker felt that his situation was awkward. He said that he was sure they would excuse him and stood up from his chair.

Pt/En To his surprise, the young lady raised her hand, which was covered by a glove, to stop him. She said that if his friend would stop, he could help her a great deal.

Pt/En He sat back down in his chair.

Pt/En The young lady explained that her father was an army officer in India. He sent her to England when she was a child because her mother was dead and she had no other family there. She lived in a good boarding school in Edinburgh until she was seventeen. In 1878, her father came home for a year. He sent her a message from London saying he had arrived safely and asked her to come to the Langham Hotel. She went to the hotel, but the staff said her father had left the night before and had not returned. She waited all day without any news. That night, she contacted the police, and they put advertisements in the newspapers the next morning. However, they never found any information about her father. He had come home hoping for peace and comfort, but instead, he disappeared.

Pt/En Holmes asked for the date and opened his notebook.

Pt/En A man disappeared on December 3, 1878. This was almost ten years ago.

Pt/En The question was asked about his luggage.

Pt/En His luggage was left at the hotel. It contained clothes, books, and many interesting items from the Andaman Islands. He had worked as an officer guarding prisoners there.

Pt/En It was asked if he had any friends in town.

Pt/En They knew of only one friend, Major Sholto, from his old regiment. The major lived in Upper Norwood. They contacted him, but he did not know that his former colleague was in England.

Pt/En Holmes said that it was a very unusual situation.

Pt/En Miss Morstan explained that about six years ago, an advertisement in The Times newspaper asked for her address, saying it would be good for her to reply. She had recently started working as a governess for Mrs. Cecil Forrester. On Mrs. Forrester's advice, she put her address in the newspaper. The same day, she received a small box in the post with no name, containing a large, beautiful pearl. No note was inside. Since then, every year on the same date, she has received another box with a similar pearl, with no information about who sent them. An expert said the pearls were rare and valuable. She showed Holmes six very fine pearls.

Pt/En Sherlock Holmes told Miss Morstan that her story was very interesting and asked if anything else had happened.

Pt/En Miss Morstan replied that something had happened today, which was why she had come to see him. She gave him a letter she had received that morning.

Pt/En Holmes thanked her and examined the envelope and letter. He noted the postmark, the date, and the quality of the paper and envelope. The letter asked Miss Morstan to meet someone at seven o'clock that evening at the Lyceum Theatre, near the third pillar from the left. It warned her not to bring the police, or everything would be useless, and said she was a wronged woman who would get justice from an unknown friend. Holmes described it as a pretty mystery and asked Miss Morstan what she planned to do.

Pt/En He said that was exactly what he wanted to ask her.

Pt/En He agreed that they should go. He thought Dr. Watson would be a good person to join them, as the letter mentioned two friends, and he and Dr. Watson had worked together before.

Pt/En She asked if Dr. Watson would come, sounding hopeful.

Pt/En The speaker said he would be proud and happy if he could help.

Pt/En She replied that they were both very kind. She explained she lived a quiet life and had no friends to ask for help. She asked if arriving at six o'clock would be acceptable.

Pt/En Holmes told Miss Morstan that she must not be late. He also asked if the writing on some papers was the same as the writing on the addresses of the pearl boxes.

Pt/En Miss Morstan replied that she had the papers with her and showed him about six pieces of paper.

Pt/En Holmes said she was a very good client and had good ideas. He looked at the papers and said the writing was disguised, but it was from the same person. He showed her how to see this, like the letter 'e' and the final 's'. He asked Miss Morstan if the writing looked like her father's writing.

Pt/En Miss Morstan said that the writing was not at all similar.

Pt/En Holmes said he expected this answer. He asked her to come at six and said he would keep the papers to study the matter before then. He said goodbye until later.

Pt/En The visitor said goodbye. She gave them a kind look, put her pearl box away, and left quickly. The narrator watched her from the window as she walked fast down the street. Soon, her hat and feather were just a small dot in the large, dark crowd.

Pt/En The narrator turned to his friend and said that the woman was very beautiful.

Pt/En The friend had lit his pipe again. He leaned back with his eyes almost closed and said slowly that he had not noticed if she was attractive.

Pt/En The narrator called him an "automaton" and a "calculating-machine." He said that sometimes he seemed inhuman.

Pt/En The friend smiled softly. He explained that it was very important not to let personal feelings change your judgment. He saw clients as simple parts of a problem, and emotions made clear thinking difficult. He told the narrator that the most charming woman he ever met was put to death for poisoning children to get money. And the most unpleasant man he knew was a kind person who had given a lot of money to help poor people in London.

Pt/En However, in this situation...

Pt/En Holmes said he never made exceptions, as an exception proved the rule was not always true. He asked the narrator if he had ever studied handwriting and what he thought of a person's messy writing.

Pt/En The narrator replied that the writing was clear and neat. He thought it belonged to a man who was organized, had good business habits, and was strong-willed.

Pt/En Holmes disagreed, pointing out the long letters were not very distinct. He explained that people with strong character usually made their long letters different, even if their writing was hard to read. He saw uncertainty in the man's 'k's and self-importance in his capital letters. Holmes announced he was leaving to do some research and recommended a book called "The Martyrdom of Man" by Winwood Reade, saying he would return in an hour.

Pt/En The narrator sat by the window with the book, but his mind was on their recent visitor. He thought about her smile, her voice, and the mystery of her life. He guessed she was now twenty-seven, an age when youth becomes more serious with experience. He found himself thinking dangerous thoughts, so he quickly went to his desk and focused on a book about diseases. He felt he was just an army surgeon with a bad leg and little money, not someone who should think about such things. He decided she was just a person, and if his own future was bad, it was better to face it bravely than to imagine false hopes.

In Quest of a Solution

Pt/En Holmes returned at 5:30. He was happy and excited, which was different from his usual moods where he could also be very sad.

Pt/En Holmes took the tea and said that the case was not very difficult. He believed the facts only had one possible explanation.

Pt/En The narrator asked if Holmes had already solved the mystery.

Pt/En Holmes explained that he had not solved it completely, but he had found a very important clue. He had checked old newspapers and learned that Major Sholto, who was from Upper Norwood and had served in the 34th Bombay Infantry, had died on April 28, 1882.

Pt/En The narrator told Holmes that he did not understand what this information suggested.

Pt/En Sherlock Holmes suggested looking at the case in a certain way. He explained that Captain Morstan disappeared, and the only person he might have visited in London was Major Sholto. However, Major Sholto said he had not heard Morstan was in London. Four years later, Sholto died. Within a week of his death, Captain Morstan's daughter started receiving valuable gifts every year. Now, she received a letter calling her a wronged woman. Holmes thought this wrong must be about her father's disappearance. He believed the gifts started after Sholto's death because Sholto's heir might know about the mystery and wanted to give compensation. Holmes asked if there was another explanation.

Pt/En The speaker thought the compensation was strange and the way it was given was also strange. They wondered why the letter was sent now and not six years earlier. The letter mentioned giving the daughter justice, but the speaker questioned what justice she could receive. They felt it was unlikely her father was still alive and could not think of any other injustice in her life.

Pt/En Sherlock Holmes admitted there were difficulties in the case, but he believed their planned trip that night would solve everything. He noticed a carriage arriving, and Miss Morstan was inside. Holmes asked if everyone was ready to go, as it was a little past the agreed time.

Pt/En I got my hat and a strong stick. I saw that Holmes took his gun from a drawer and put it in his pocket. It was clear to me that Holmes expected their work that night could be dangerous.

Pt/En Miss Morstan wore a dark coat, and her face looked serious but pale. She must have felt worried about the unusual journey they were starting. However, she remained calm and answered the few extra questions Sherlock Holmes asked her.

Pt/En Miss Morstan explained that Major Sholto was a close friend of her father. They were in charge of soldiers together on the Andaman Islands, so they spent a lot of time together. She also mentioned a strange paper that was found in her father's desk, which no one could understand. She thought it might be important and brought it for Holmes to see.

Pt/En Holmes carefully opened the paper and laid it flat on his knee. He then looked at it very carefully using his double magnifying glass.

Pt/En Holmes said the paper was made in India and had been attached to a board at some point. He described the drawing on it as a plan of a large building with many rooms and paths. There was a small red cross marked on it, with a note saying '3.37 from left' in faded pencil. In the corner, there was a strange symbol like four crosses joined together. Next to it, written in rough letters, were the names 'The sign of the four—Jonathan Small, Muhammad Singh, Abdullah Khan, Dost Akbar.' Holmes admitted he did not see how it was related to their case, but he thought it was an important paper because it was kept clean, like in a pocketbook.

Pt/En Miss Morstan confirmed that the paper was found in her father's pocketbook.

Pt/En Holmes told Miss Morstan to keep the paper safe, as it might be useful. He started to think that the case was more complicated than he first believed and needed to rethink his ideas. He sat back in the carriage, looking very thoughtful. Miss Morstan and Watson talked quietly about their journey and what might happen, but Holmes remained quiet and deep in thought until they arrived.

Pt/En It was a dark and rainy evening in September. The day had been unpleasant, and a thick fog covered the large city. The streets were wet and dirty. Lights from the shops shone weakly through the foggy air, making the wet ground look dim. The narrator saw many faces passing by in the dim light. Some faces looked sad, others happy. People moved from the dark into the light, and then back into the dark. The narrator felt nervous and sad because of the bad weather and the important task they had to do. Miss Morstan seemed to feel the same way. Only Holmes was calm and did not seem affected by the mood. He was writing notes in his book using his lantern.

Pt/En At the Lyceum Theatre, many people were already waiting. Carriages were bringing men in smart clothes and women with jewels. As they reached a meeting point, a short, quick man dressed as a coachman came up to them.

Pt/En The coachman asked if they were the people who were meeting Miss Morstan.

Pt/En Miss Morstan replied that she was Miss Morstan, and the two gentlemen with her were her friends.

Pt/En The coachman looked at them closely with his sharp eyes. He politely asked Miss Morstan to promise that neither of her companions was a police officer.

Pt/En She promised him that she would do that.

Pt/En He whistled loudly, and a boy brought a horse-drawn carriage. A man got onto the driver's seat, and they got inside. The driver quickly made the horse go fast, and they drove quickly through the foggy streets.

Original English Text

1 - The Science of Deduction

2 - The Statement of the Case

3 - In Quest of a Solution

The Science of Deduction

PT Sherlock Holmes took his bottle from the corner of the mantelpiece and his hypodermic syringe from its neat morocco case. With his long, white, nervous fingers he adjusted the delicate needle, and rolled back his left shirt-cuff. For some little time his eyes rested thoughtfully upon the sinewy forearm and wrist all dotted and scarred with innumerable puncture-marks. Finally he thrust the sharp point home, pressed down the tiny piston, and sank back into the velvet-lined armchair with a long sigh of satisfaction.

PT Three times a day for many months I had witnessed this performance, but custom had not reconciled my mind to it. On the contrary, from day to day I had become more irritable at the sight, and my conscience swelled nightly within me at the thought that I had lacked the courage to protest. Again and again I had registered a vow that I should deliver my soul upon the subject, but there was that in the cool, nonchalant air of my companion which made him the last man with whom one would care to take anything approaching to a liberty. His great powers, his masterly manner, and the experience which I had had of his many extraordinary qualities, all made me diffident and backward in crossing him.

PT Yet upon that afternoon, whether it was the Beaune which I had taken with my lunch, or the additional exasperation produced by the extreme deliberation of his manner, I suddenly felt that I could hold out no longer.

PT “Which is it today?” I asked—“morphine or cocaine?”

PT He raised his eyes languidly from the old black-letter volume which he had opened. “It is cocaine,” he said—“a seven-percent solution. Would you care to try it?”

PT “No, indeed,” I answered, brusquely. “My constitution has not got over the Afghan campaign yet. I cannot afford to throw any extra strain upon it.”

PT He smiled at my vehemence. “Perhaps you are right, Watson,” he said. “I suppose that its influence is physically a bad one. I find it, however, so transcendently stimulating and clarifying to the mind that its secondary action is a matter of small moment.”

PT “But consider!” I said, earnestly. “Count the cost! Your brain may, as you say, be roused and excited, but it is a pathological and morbid process, which involves increased tissue-change and may at last leave a permanent weakness. You know, too, what a black reaction comes upon you. Surely the game is hardly worth the candle. Why should you, for a mere passing pleasure, risk the loss of those great powers with which you have been endowed? Remember that I speak not only as one comrade to another, but as a medical man to one for whose constitution he is to some extent answerable.”

PT He did not seem offended. On the contrary, he put his fingertips together and leaned his elbows on the arms of his chair, like one who has a relish for conversation.

PT “My mind,” he said, “rebels at stagnation. Give me problems, give me work, give me the most abstruse cryptogram or the most intricate analysis, and I am in my own proper atmosphere. I can dispense then with artificial stimulants. But I abhor the dull routine of existence. I crave for mental exaltation. That is why I have chosen my own particular profession—or rather created it, for I am the only one in the world.”

PT “The only unofficial detective?” I said, raising my eyebrows.

PT “The only unofficial consulting detective,” he answered. “I am the last and highest court of appeal in detection. When Gregson or Lestrade or Athelney Jones are out of their depths—which, by the way, is their normal state—the matter is laid before me. I examine the data, as an expert, and pronounce a specialist’s opinion. I claim no credit in such cases. My name figures in no newspaper. The work itself, the pleasure of finding a field for my peculiar powers, is my highest reward. But you have yourself had some experience of my methods of work in the Jefferson Hope case.”

PT “Yes, indeed,” said I, cordially. “I was never so struck by anything in my life. I even embodied it in a small brochure with the somewhat fantastic title of ‘A Study in Scarlet.’ ”

PT He shook his head sadly. “I glanced over it,” said he. “Honestly, I cannot congratulate you upon it. Detection is, or ought to be, an exact science, and should be treated in the same cold and unemotional manner. You have attempted to tinge it with romanticism, which produces much the same effect as if you worked a love-story or an elopement into the fifth proposition of Euclid.”

PT “But the romance was there,” I remonstrated. “I could not tamper with the facts.”

PT “Some facts should be suppressed, or at least a just sense of proportion should be observed in treating them. The only point in the case which deserved mention was the curious analytical reasoning from effects to causes by which I succeeded in unraveling it.”

PT I was annoyed at this criticism of a work which had been specially designed to please him. I confess, too, that I was irritated by the egotism which seemed to demand that every line of my pamphlet should be devoted to his own special doings. More than once during the years that I had lived with him in Baker Street I had observed that a small vanity underlay my companion’s quiet and didactic manner. I made no remark, however, but sat nursing my wounded leg. I had a Jezail bullet through it some time before, and, though it did not prevent me from walking, it ached wearily at every change of the weather.

PT “My practice has extended recently to the Continent,” said Holmes, after a while, filling up his old brier-root pipe. “I was consulted last week by François Le Villard, who, as you probably know, has come rather to the front lately in the French detective service. He has all the Celtic power of quick intuition, but he is deficient in the wide range of exact knowledge which is essential to the higher developments of his art. The case was concerned with a will, and possessed some features of interest. I was able to refer him to two parallel cases, the one at Riga in 1857, and the other at St. Louis in 1871, which have suggested to him the true solution. Here is the letter which I had this morning acknowledging my assistance.” He tossed over, as he spoke, a crumpled sheet of foreign notepaper. I glanced my eyes down it, catching a profusion of notes of admiration, with stray magnifiques, coup-de-maîtres and tours-de-force, all testifying to the ardent admiration of the Frenchman.

PT “He speaks as a pupil to his master,” said I.

PT “Oh, he rates my assistance too highly,” said Sherlock Holmes, lightly. “He has considerable gifts himself. He possesses two out of the three qualities necessary for the ideal detective. He has the power of observation and that of deduction. He is only wanting in knowledge; and that may come in time. He is now translating my small works into French.”

PT “Your works?”

PT “Oh, didn’t you know?” he cried, laughing. “Yes, I have been guilty of several monographs. They are all upon technical subjects. Here, for example, is one ‘Upon the Distinction between the Ashes of the Various Tobaccoes.’ In it I enumerate a hundred and forty forms of cigar-, cigarette-, and pipe-tobacco, with colored plates illustrating the difference in the ash. It is a point which is continually turning up in criminal trials, and which is sometimes of supreme importance as a clue. If you can say definitely, for example, that some murder has been done by a man who was smoking an Indian lunkah, it obviously narrows your field of search. To the trained eye there is as much difference between the black ash of a Trichinopoly and the white fluff of bird’s-eye as there is between a cabbage and a potato.”

PT “You have an extraordinary genius for minutiae,” I remarked.

PT “I appreciate their importance. Here is my monograph upon the tracing of footsteps, with some remarks upon the uses of plaster of Paris as a preserver of impresses. Here, too, is a curious little work upon the influence of a trade upon the form of the hand, with lithotypes of the hands of slaters, sailors, corkcutters, compositors, weavers, and diamond-polishers. That is a matter of great practical interest to the scientific detective—especially in cases of unclaimed bodies, or in discovering the antecedents of criminals. But I weary you with my hobby.”

PT “Not at all,” I answered, earnestly. “It is of the greatest interest to me, especially since I have had the opportunity of observing your practical application of it. But you spoke just now of observation and deduction. Surely the one to some extent implies the other.”

PT “Why, hardly,” he answered, leaning back luxuriously in his armchair, and sending up thick blue wreaths from his pipe. “For example, observation shows me that you have been to the Wigmore Street Post-Office this morning, but deduction lets me know that when there you dispatched a telegram.”

PT “Right!” said I. “Right on both points! But I confess that I don’t see how you arrived at it. It was a sudden impulse upon my part, and I have mentioned it to no one.”

PT “It is simplicity itself,” he remarked, chuckling at my surprise—“so absurdly simple that an explanation is superfluous; and yet it may serve to define the limits of observation and of deduction. Observation tells me that you have a little reddish mould adhering to your instep. Just opposite the Seymour Street Office they have taken up the pavement and thrown up some earth which lies in such a way that it is difficult to avoid treading in it in entering. The earth is of this peculiar reddish tint which is found, as far as I know, nowhere else in the neighborhood. So much is observation. The rest is deduction.”

PT “How, then, did you deduce the telegram?”

PT “Why, of course I knew that you had not written a letter, since I sat opposite to you all morning. I see also in your open desk there that you have a sheet of stamps and a thick bundle of postcards. What could you go into the post-office for, then, but to send a wire? Eliminate all other factors, and the one which remains must be the truth.”

PT “In this case it certainly is so,” I replied, after a little thought. “The thing, however, is, as you say, of the simplest. Would you think me impertinent if I were to put your theories to a more severe test?”

PT “On the contrary,” he answered, “it would prevent me from taking a second dose of cocaine. I should be delighted to look into any problem which you might submit to me.”

PT “I have heard you say that it is difficult for a man to have any object in daily use without leaving the impress of his individuality upon it in such a way that a trained observer might read it. Now, I have here a watch which has recently come into my possession. Would you have the kindness to let me have an opinion upon the character or habits of the late owner?”

PT I handed him over the watch with some slight feeling of amusement in my heart, for the test was, as I thought, an impossible one, and I intended it as a lesson against the somewhat dogmatic tone which he occasionally assumed. He balanced the watch in his hand, gazed hard at the dial, opened the back, and examined the works, first with his naked eyes and then with a powerful convex lens. I could hardly keep from smiling at his crestfallen face when he finally snapped the case to and handed it back.

PT “There are hardly any data,” he remarked. “The watch has been recently cleaned, which robs me of my most suggestive facts.”

PT “You are right,” I answered. “It was cleaned before being sent to me.” In my heart I accused my companion of putting forward a most lame and impotent excuse to cover his failure. What data could he expect from an uncleaned watch?

PT “Though unsatisfactory, my research has not been entirely barren,” he observed, staring up at the ceiling with dreamy, lacklustre eyes. “Subject to your correction, I should judge that the watch belonged to your elder brother, who inherited it from your father.”

PT “That you gather, no doubt, from the H. W. upon the back?”

PT “Quite so. The W. suggests your own name. The date of the watch is nearly fifty years back, and the initials are as old as the watch: so it was made for the last generation. Jewelry usually descends to the eldest son, and he is most likely to have the same name as the father. Your father has, if I remember right, been dead many years. It has, therefore, been in the hands of your eldest brother.”

PT “Right, so far,” said I. “Anything else?”

PT “He was a man of untidy habits—very untidy and careless. He was left with good prospects, but he threw away his chances, lived for some time in poverty with occasional short intervals of prosperity, and finally, taking to drink, he died. That is all I can gather.”

PT I sprang from my chair and limped impatiently about the room with considerable bitterness in my heart.

PT “This is unworthy of you, Holmes,” I said. “I could not have believed that you would have descended to this. You have made inquires into the history of my unhappy brother, and you now pretend to deduce this knowledge in some fanciful way. You cannot expect me to believe that you have read all this from his old watch! It is unkind, and, to speak plainly, has a touch of charlatanism in it.”

PT “My dear doctor,” said he, kindly, “pray accept my apologies. Viewing the matter as an abstract problem, I had forgotten how personal and painful a thing it might be to you. I assure you, however, that I never even knew that you had a brother until you handed me the watch.”

PT “Then how in the name of all that is wonderful did you get these facts? They are absolutely correct in every particular.”

PT “Ah, that is good luck. I could only say what was the balance of probability. I did not at all expect to be so accurate.”

PT “But it was not mere guesswork?”

PT “No, no: I never guess. It is a shocking habit—destructive to the logical faculty. What seems strange to you is only so because you do not follow my train of thought or observe the small facts upon which large inferences may depend. For example, I began by stating that your brother was careless. When you observe the lower part of that watch-case you notice that it is not only dinted in two places, but it is cut and marked all over from the habit of keeping other hard objects, such as coins or keys, in the same pocket. Surely it is no great feat to assume that a man who treats a fifty-guinea watch so cavalierly must be a careless man. Neither is it a very far-fetched inference that a man who inherits one article of such value is pretty well provided for in other respects.”

PT I nodded, to show that I followed his reasoning.

PT “It is very customary for pawnbrokers in England, when they take a watch, to scratch the number of the ticket with a pinpoint upon the inside of the case. It is more handy than a label, as there is no risk of the number being lost or transposed. There are no less than four such numbers visible to my lens on the inside of this case. Inference—that your brother was often at low water. Secondary inference—that he had occasional bursts of prosperity, or he could not have redeemed the pledge. Finally, I ask you to look at the inner plate, which contains the keyhole. Look at the thousands of scratches all round the hole—marks where the key has slipped. What sober man’s key could have scored those grooves? But you will never see a drunkard’s watch without them. He winds it at night, and he leaves these traces of his unsteady hand. Where is the mystery in all this?”

PT “It is as clear as daylight,” I answered. “I regret the injustice which I did you. I should have had more faith in your marvellous faculty. May I ask whether you have any professional inquiry on foot at present?”

PT “None. Hence the cocaine. I cannot live without brain-work. What else is there to live for? Stand at the window here. Was ever such a dreary, dismal, unprofitable world? See how the yellow fog swirls down the street and drifts across the dun-colored houses. What could be more hopelessly prosaic and material? What is the use of having powers, doctor, when one has no field upon which to exert them? Crime is commonplace, existence is commonplace, and no qualities save those which are commonplace have any function upon earth.”

PT I had opened my mouth to reply to this tirade, when with a crisp knock our landlady entered, bearing a card upon the brass salver.

PT “A young lady for you, sir,” she said, addressing my companion.

PT “Miss Mary Morstan,” he read. “Hum! I have no recollection of the name. Ask the young lady to step up, Mrs. Hudson. Don’t go, doctor. I should prefer that you remain.”

The Statement of the Case

PT Miss Morstan entered the room with a firm step and an outward composure of manner. She was a blonde young lady, small, dainty, well gloved, and dressed in the most perfect taste. There was, however, a plainness and simplicity about her costume which bore with it a suggestion of limited means. The dress was a sombre grayish beige, untrimmed and unbraided, and she wore a small turban of the same dull hue, relieved only by a suspicion of white feather in the side. Her face had neither regularity of feature nor beauty of complexion, but her expression was sweet and amiable, and her large blue eyes were singularly spiritual and sympathetic. In an experience of women which extends over many nations and three separate continents, I have never looked upon a face which gave a clearer promise of a refined and sensitive nature. I could not but observe that as she took the seat which Sherlock Holmes placed for her, her lip trembled, her hand quivered, and she showed every sign of intense inward agitation.

PT “I have come to you, Mr. Holmes,” she said, “because you once enabled my employer, Mrs. Cecil Forrester, to unravel a little domestic complication. She was much impressed by your kindness and skill.”

PT “Mrs. Cecil Forrester,” he repeated thoughtfully. “I believe that I was of some slight service to her. The case, however, as I remember it, was a very simple one.”

PT “She did not think so. But at least you cannot say the same of mine. I can hardly imagine anything more strange, more utterly inexplicable, than the situation in which I find myself.”

PT Holmes rubbed his hands, and his eyes glistened. He leaned forward in his chair with an expression of extraordinary concentration upon his clear-cut, hawklike features. “State your case,” said he, in brisk, business tones.

PT I felt that my position was an embarrassing one. “You will, I am sure, excuse me,” I said, rising from my chair.

PT To my surprise, the young lady held up her gloved hand to detain me. “If your friend,” she said, “would be good enough to stop, he might be of inestimable service to me.”

PT I relapsed into my chair.

PT “Briefly,” she continued, “the facts are these. My father was an officer in an Indian regiment who sent me home when I was quite a child. My mother was dead, and I had no relative in England. I was placed, however, in a comfortable boarding establishment at Edinburgh, and there I remained until I was seventeen years of age. In the year 1878 my father, who was senior captain of his regiment, obtained twelve months’ leave and came home. He telegraphed to me from London that he had arrived all safe, and directed me to come down at once, giving the Langham Hotel as his address. His message, as I remember, was full of kindness and love. On reaching London I drove to the Langham, and was informed that Captain Morstan was staying there, but that he had gone out the night before and had not yet returned. I waited all day without news of him. That night, on the advice of the manager of the hotel, I communicated with the police, and next morning we advertised in all the papers. Our inquiries led to no result; and from that day to this no word has ever been heard of my unfortunate father. He came home with his heart full of hope, to find some peace, some comfort, and instead—” She put her hand to her throat, and a choking sob cut short the sentence.

PT “The date?” asked Holmes, opening his notebook.

PT “He disappeared upon the 3rd of December, 1878—nearly ten years ago.”

PT “His luggage?”

PT “Remained at the hotel. There was nothing in it to suggest a clue—some clothes, some books, and a considerable number of curiosities from the Andaman Islands. He had been one of the officers in charge of the convict-guard there.”

PT “Had he any friends in town?”

PT “Only one that we know of—Major Sholto, of his own regiment, the 34th Bombay Infantry. The major had retired some little time before, and lived at Upper Norwood. We communicated with him, of course, but he did not even know that his brother officer was in England.”

PT “A singular case,” remarked Holmes.

PT “I have not yet described to you the most singular part. About six years ago—to be exact, upon the 4th of May, 1882—an advertisement appeared in the Times asking for the address of Miss Mary Morstan and stating that it would be to her advantage to come forward. There was no name or address appended. I had at that time just entered the family of Mrs. Cecil Forrester in the capacity of governess. By her advice I published my address in the advertisement column. The same day there arrived through the post a small cardboard box addressed to me, which I found to contain a very large and lustrous pearl. No word of writing was enclosed. Since then every year upon the same date there has always appeared a similar box, containing a similar pearl, without any clue as to the sender. They have been pronounced by an expert to be of a rare variety and of considerable value. You can see for yourselves that they are very handsome.” She opened a flat box as she spoke, and showed me six of the finest pearls that I had ever seen.

PT “Your statement is most interesting,” said Sherlock Holmes. “Has anything else occurred to you?”

PT “Yes, and no later than today. That is why I have come to you. This morning I received this letter, which you will perhaps read for yourself.”

PT “Thank you,” said Holmes. “The envelope too, please. Postmark, London, S.W. Date, July 7. Hum! Man’s thumbmark on corner—probably postman. Best quality paper. Envelopes at sixpence a packet. Particular man in his stationery. No address. ‘Be at the third pillar from the left outside the Lyceum Theatre tonight at seven o’clock. If you are distrustful, bring two friends. You are a wronged woman, and shall have justice. Do not bring police. If you do, all will be in vain. Your unknown friend.’ Well, really, this is a very pretty little mystery. What do you intend to do, Miss Morstan?”

PT “That is exactly what I want to ask you.”

PT “Then we shall most certainly go. You and I and—yes, why, Dr. Watson is the very man. Your correspondent says two friends. He and I have worked together before.”

PT “But would he come?” she asked, with something appealing in her voice and expression.

PT “I should be proud and happy,” said I, fervently, “if I can be of any service.”

PT “You are both very kind,” she answered. “I have led a retired life, and have no friends whom I could appeal to. If I am here at six it will do, I suppose?”

PT “You must not be later,” said Holmes. “There is one other point, however. Is this handwriting the same as that upon the pearl-box addresses?”

PT “I have them here,” she answered, producing half a dozen pieces of paper.

PT “You are certainly a model client. You have the correct intuition. Let us see, now.” He spread out the papers upon the table, and gave little darting glances from one to the other. “They are disguised hands, except the letter,” he said, presently, “but there can be no question as to the authorship. See how the irrepressible Greek e will break out, and see the twirl of the final s. They are undoubtedly by the same person. I should not like to suggest false hopes, Miss Morstan, but is there any resemblance between this hand and that of your father?”

PT “Nothing could be more unlike.”

PT “I expected to hear you say so. We shall look out for you, then, at six. Pray allow me to keep the papers. I may look into the matter before then. It is only half-past three. Au revoir, then.”

PT “Au revoir,” said our visitor, and, with a bright, kindly glance from one to the other of us, she replaced her pearl-box in her bosom and hurried away. Standing at the window, I watched her walking briskly down the street, until the gray turban and white feather were but a speck in the sombre crowd.

PT “What a very attractive woman!” I exclaimed, turning to my companion.

PT He had lit his pipe again, and was leaning back with drooping eyelids. “Is she?” he said, languidly. “I did not observe.”

PT “You really are an automaton—a calculating-machine!” I cried. “There is something positively inhuman in you at times.”

PT He smiled gently. “It is of the first importance,” he said, “not to allow your judgment to be biased by personal qualities. A client is to me a mere unit—a factor in a problem. The emotional qualities are antagonistic to clear reasoning. I assure you that the most winning woman I ever knew was hanged for poisoning three little children for their insurance-money, and the most repellant man of my acquaintance is a philanthropist who has spent nearly a quarter of a million upon the London poor.”

PT “In this case, however—”

PT “I never make exceptions. An exception disproves the rule. Have you ever had occasion to study character in handwriting? What do you make of this fellow’s scribble?”

PT “It is legible and regular,” I answered. “A man of business habits and some force of character.”

PT Holmes shook his head. “Look at his long letters,” he said. “They hardly rise above the common herd. That d might be an a, and that l an e. Men of character always differentiate their long letters, however illegibly they may write. There is vacillation in his k’s and self-esteem in his capitals. I am going out now. I have some few references to make. Let me recommend this book—one of the most remarkable ever penned. It is Winwood Reade’s Martyrdom of Man. I shall be back in an hour.”

PT I sat in the window with the volume in my hand, but my thoughts were far from the daring speculations of the writer. My mind ran upon our late visitor—her smiles, the deep rich tones of her voice, the strange mystery which overhung her life. If she were seventeen at the time of her father’s disappearance she must be seven-and-twenty now—a sweet age, when youth has lost its self-consciousness and become a little sobered by experience. So I sat and mused, until such dangerous thoughts came into my head that I hurried away to my desk and plunged furiously into the latest treatise upon pathology. What was I, an army surgeon with a weak leg and a weaker banking-account, that I should dare to think of such things? She was a unit, a factor—nothing more. If my future were black, it was better surely to face it like a man than to attempt to brighten it by mere will-o’-the-wisps of the imagination.

In Quest of a Solution

PT It was half-past five before Holmes returned. He was bright, eager, and in excellent spirits—a mood which in his case alternated with fits of the blackest depression.

PT “There is no great mystery in this matter,” he said, taking the cup of tea which I had poured out for him. “The facts appear to admit of only one explanation.”

PT “What! you have solved it already?”

PT “Well, that would be too much to say. I have discovered a suggestive fact, that is all. It is, however, very suggestive. The details are still to be added. I have just found, on consulting the back files of the Times, that Major Sholto, of Upper Norword, late of the 34th Bombay Infantry, died upon the 28th of April, 1882.”

PT “I may be very obtuse, Holmes, but I fail to see what this suggests.”

PT “No? You surprise me. Look at it in this way, then. Captain Morstan disappears. The only person in London whom he could have visited is Major Sholto. Major Sholto denies having heard that he was in London. Four years later Sholto dies. Within a week of his death Captain Morstan’s daughter receives a valuable present, which is repeated from year to year, and now culminates in a letter which describes her as a wronged woman. What wrong can it refer to except this deprivation of her father? And why should the presents begin immediately after Sholto’s death, unless it is that Sholto’s heir knows something of the mystery and desires to make compensation? Have you any alternative theory which will meet the facts?”

PT “But what a strange compensation! And how strangely made! Why, too, should he write a letter now, rather than six years ago? Again, the letter speaks of giving her justice. What justice can she have? It is too much to suppose that her father is still alive. There is no other injustice in her case that you know of.”

PT “There are difficulties; there are certainly difficulties,” said Sherlock Holmes, pensively. “But our expedition of tonight will solve them all. Ah, here is a four-wheeler, and Miss Morstan is inside. Are you all ready? Then we had better go down, for it is a little past the hour.”

PT I picked up my hat and my heaviest stick, but I observed that Holmes took his revolver from his drawer and slipped it into his pocket. It was clear that he thought that our night’s work might be a serious one.

PT Miss Morstan was muffled in a dark cloak, and her sensitive face was composed, but pale. She must have been more than woman if she did not feel some uneasiness at the strange enterprise upon which we were embarking, yet her self-control was perfect, and she readily answered the few additional questions which Sherlock Holmes put to her.

PT “Major Sholto was a very particular friend of papa’s,” she said. “His letters were full of allusions to the major. He and papa were in command of the troops at the Andaman Islands, so they were thrown a great deal together. By the way, a curious paper was found in papa’s desk which no one could understand. I don’t suppose that it is of the slightest importance, but I thought you might care to see it, so I brought it with me. It is here.”

PT Holmes unfolded the paper carefully and smoothed it out upon his knee. He then very methodically examined it all over with his double lens.

PT “It is paper of native Indian manufacture,” he remarked. “It has at some time been pinned to a board. The diagram upon it appears to be a plan of part of a large building with numerous halls, corridors, and passages. At one point is a small cross done in red ink, and above it is ‘3.37 from left,’ in faded pencil-writing. In the left-hand corner is a curious hieroglyphic like four crosses in a line with their arms touching. Beside it is written, in very rough and coarse characters, ‘The sign of the four—Jonathan Small, Muhammad Singh, Abdullah Khan, Dost Akbar.’ No, I confess that I do not see how this bears upon the matter. Yet it is evidently a document of importance. It has been kept carefully in a pocketbook; for the one side is as clean as the other.”

PT “It was in his pocketbook that we found it.”

PT “Preserve it carefully, then, Miss Morstan, for it may prove to be of use to us. I begin to suspect that this matter may turn out to be much deeper and more subtle than I at first supposed. I must reconsider my ideas.” He leaned back in the cab, and I could see by his drawn brow and his vacant eye that he was thinking intently. Miss Morstan and I chatted in an undertone about our present expedition and its possible outcome, but our companion maintained his impenetrable reserve until the end of our journey.

PT It was a September evening, and not yet seven o’clock, but the day had been a dreary one, and a dense drizzly fog lay low upon the great city. Mud-colored clouds drooped sadly over the muddy streets. Down the Strand the lamps were but misty splotches of diffused light which threw a feeble circular glimmer upon the slimy pavement. The yellow glare from the shopwindows streamed out into the steamy, vaporous air, and threw a murky, shifting radiance across the crowded thoroughfare. There was, to my mind, something eerie and ghostlike in the endless procession of faces which flitted across these narrow bars of light—sad faces and glad, haggard and merry. Like all human kind, they flitted from the gloom into the light, and so back into the gloom once more. I am not subject to impressions, but the dull, heavy evening, with the strange business upon which we were engaged, combined to make me nervous and depressed. I could see from Miss Morstan’s manner that she was suffering from the same feeling. Holmes alone could rise superior to petty influences. He held his open notebook upon his knee, and from time to time he jotted down figures and memoranda in the light of his pocket-lantern.

PT At the Lyceum Theatre the crowds were already thick at the side-entrances. In front a continuous stream of hansoms and four-wheelers were rattling up, discharging their cargoes of shirt-fronted men and beshawled, bediamonded women. We had hardly reached the third pillar, which was our rendezvous, before a small, dark, brisk man in the dress of a coachman accosted us.

PT “Are you the parties who come with Miss Morstan?” he asked.

PT “I am Miss Morstan, and these two gentlemen are my friends,” said she.

PT He bent a pair of wonderfully penetrating and questioning eyes upon us. “You will excuse me, miss,” he said with a certain dogged manner, “but I was to ask you to give me your word that neither of your companions is a police-officer.”

PT “I give you my word on that,” she answered.

PT He gave a shrill whistle, on which a street arab led across a four-wheeler and opened the door. The man who had addressed us mounted to the box, while we took our places inside. We had hardly done so before the driver whipped up his horse, and we plunged away at a furious pace through the foggy streets.

Versão em Português

1 - A Ciência da Dedução

2 - A Exposição do Caso

3 - Em Busca de uma Solução

A Ciência da Dedução

En Sherlock Holmes pegou seu frasco da lareira e sua seringa hipodérmica do estojo de couro. Com seus dedos longos, pálidos e trêmulos, ele ajustou a agulha delicada e arregaçou o punho da camisa, olhando pensativamente para seu braço cheio de cicatrizes antes de se injetar e recostar-se na poltrona com um suspiro de satisfação.

En Por muitos meses, eu observara esse ritual três vezes ao dia, mas nunca me acostumei com ele. Pelo contrário, eu ficava cada vez mais irritado a cada vez, e todas as noites me sentia culpado por não ter coragem de protestar. Eu repetidamente jurava falar o que pensava, mas a maneira fria e indiferente de Holmes fazia dele a última pessoa que alguém ousaria desafiar. Suas grandes habilidades, presença imponente e minha experiência com suas qualidades notáveis me deixavam hesitante e relutante em me opor a ele.

En No entanto, naquela tarde, seja por causa do vinho que tomei no almoço ou da irritação extra causada por seu jeito deliberado, de repente senti que não podia mais suportar.

En Perguntei a ele qual droga estava usando naquele dia, morfina ou cocaína.

En Ele ergueu os olhos lentamente do livro antigo que havia aberto e respondeu que era cocaína, uma solução a sete por cento. Então perguntou se eu gostaria de experimentar.

En O falante respondeu asperamente que ainda não havia se recuperado da campanha no Afeganistão, portanto não poderia lidar com nenhum esforço extra em seu corpo.

En Ele sorriu para as palavras fortes do falante e concordou que poderia ser fisicamente prejudicial. No entanto, ele achava aquilo tão estimulante e esclarecedor para sua mente que os efeitos secundários não importavam para ele.

En O falante instou-o seriamente a considerar o custo. Ele argumentou que, embora pudesse excitar seu cérebro, era um processo não saudável que poderia levar a uma fraqueza permanente. Lembrou-o da depressão subsequente e perguntou por que ele arriscaria seus grandes poderes por um prazer passageiro. Falou tanto como amigo quanto como médico responsável por sua saúde.

En Ele não pareceu ofendido, mas sim juntou as pontas dos dedos e recostou-se, parecendo pronto para apreciar uma conversa.

En Ele disse que sua mente odiava a inatividade. Ele queria problemas, trabalho, criptogramas complexos ou análises intrincadas para se sentir em seu elemento adequado. Então ele podia prescindir de estimulantes artificiais. Detestava a rotina monótona da vida e anseava por excitação mental. Foi por isso que escolheu, ou melhor, criou, sua profissão única.

En O narrador respondeu com surpresa, perguntando se o homem era o único detetive que não era oficialmente empregado pela polícia.

En Ele explicou que era de fato o único detetive consultor não oficial, servindo como a autoridade final em casos quando detetives oficiais como Gregson ou Lestrade se encontravam em dificuldades, o que ele observou ser sua condição habitual. Ele não reivindicava crédito e disse que seu nome nunca aparecia nos jornais; o prazer de usar suas habilidades especiais era sua recompensa. Ele lembrou o narrador de sua colaboração anterior no caso Jefferson Hope.

En O narrador concordou calorosamente, afirmando que nunca tinha ficado tão impressionado em sua vida. Ele até escreveu um pequeno livro sobre isso com o título incomum 'Um Estudo em Vermelho'.

En Ele balançou a cabeça decepcionado e disse que tinha lido o folheto, mas não podia elogiá-lo. Em sua opinião, a detecção era ou deveria ser uma ciência exata, tratada de maneira fria e sem emoção. Ele criticou a tentativa de adicionar romance, comparando-a a inserir uma história de amor em uma demonstração de geometria.

En O narrador protestou que o romance era inerente aos acontecimentos e ele não podia alterar os fatos.

En Ele comentou que alguns fatos deveriam ser suprimidos, ou pelo menos tratados com o devido senso de proporção. O único ponto digno de menção no caso foi seu curioso raciocínio analítico dos efeitos para as causas que lhe permitiu resolvê-lo.

En O narrador ficou irritado com a crítica ao seu trabalho, que havia sido especialmente escrito para agradar seu companheiro. Ele também ficou irritado com o egocentrismo que parecia exigir que o panfleto se concentrasse inteiramente nas ações de seu companheiro. Ele já havia notado antes um toque de vaidade sob a maneira calma e didática de Holmes. No entanto, não disse nada e sentou-se cuidando de sua perna ferida, que tinha uma bala Jezail e doía cansativamente a cada mudança de tempo.

En Holmes mencionou que sua prática agora se estendia ao Continente. Ele havia sido consultado recentemente por François Le Villard, um detetive francês em ascensão. Le Villard possuía intuição céltica rápida, mas carecia da ampla gama de conhecimento exato essencial para a investigação de alto nível. O caso envolvia um testamento e tinha algumas características interessantes. Holmes o havia remetido a dois casos paralelos — um em Riga em 1857 e outro em St. Louis em 1871 — que sugeriam a verdadeira solução. Ele então jogou uma folha amassada de papel de carta estrangeiro, uma carta agradecendo por sua ajuda, repleta de elogios e admiração.

En Observei que Le Villard escrevia como um aluno se dirigindo ao seu mestre.

En Sherlock Holmes respondeu levemente que Le Villard superestimava sua assistência. Ele disse que Le Villard tinha dons consideráveis, possuindo duas das três qualidades necessárias para um detetive ideal: observação e dedução. Ele carecia apenas de conhecimento, que poderia vir com o tempo. Holmes acrescentou que Le Villard estava atualmente traduzindo suas pequenas obras para o francês.

En Ele perguntou sobre minhas publicações.

En Ele riu e explicou que havia escrito várias monografias sobre assuntos técnicos. Como exemplo, mencionou uma sobre a distinção das cinzas de diferentes tabacos, que listava 140 tipos com pranchas coloridas. Ele considerava isso importante em julgamentos criminais porque a cinza poderia servir como pista; por exemplo, se um assassinato fosse cometido por alguém fumando um lunkah indiano, isso diminuiria o campo de busca. Ele comparou a diferença na cinza à diferença entre um repolho e uma batata.

En Observei que ele tinha um talento notável para detalhes.

En Ele reconheceu a importância de tais detalhes. Mencionou uma monografia sobre rastreamento de pegadas e uso de gesso para preservar impressões, bem como um estudo sobre como a profissão de uma pessoa influencia a forma da mão, com litotipos de vários trabalhadores. Ele acreditava que essas obras eram de grande valor prático para detetives, especialmente em casos de corpos não identificados ou para traçar antecedentes criminais. Ele temia estar me entediando com seu hobby.

En Respondi seriamente que não estava entediado; pelo contrário, achei muito interessante, especialmente porque observei sua aplicação prática dessas habilidades. Acrescentei que observação e dedução pareciam implicar uma à outra.

En Ele respondeu que não era nada demais, recostando-se em sua poltrona e soltando grossos anéis de fumaça de seu cachimbo. Ele explicou que a observação lhe mostrava que eu havia visitado a Agência dos Correios da Rua Wigmore naquela manhã, e a dedução lhe informava que eu havia enviado um telegrama para lá.

En Eu concordei que ele estava certo em ambos os pontos, mas admiti que não entendia como ele havia deduzido isso. Tinha sido um impulso repentino, e eu não havia mencionado a ninguém.

En Ele observou com uma risadinha que era a simplicidade em si, tão absurdamente simples que a explicação era quase desnecessária, mas ilustrava os limites da observação e da dedução. A observação lhe dizia que um pouco de terra avermelhada aderia ao meu peito do pé. Em frente à Agência da Rua Seymour, o calçamento havia sido removido, e a terra retirada era daquele tom avermelhado peculiar, não encontrado em nenhum outro lugar da vizinhança. Isso era observação; o resto era dedução.

En Então perguntei como ele havia deduzido o telegrama.

En Ele respondeu que sabia que eu não havia escrito uma carta porque ele havia se sentado em frente a mim a manhã toda. Ele também observou que eu tinha uma folha de selos e um grosso maço de cartões-postais em minha escrivaninha aberta. Portanto, a única razão para ir aos correios era enviar um telegrama. Eliminando todos os outros fatores, o que restava devia ser a verdade.

En Depois de pensar por um momento, concordei que realmente era assim. Disse que o assunto era tão simples quanto ele afirmava e então perguntei se ele consideraria impertinente se eu colocasse suas teorias a um teste mais difícil.

En Ele respondeu que, pelo contrário, isso o impediria de tomar uma segunda dose de cocaína e que ficaria encantado em examinar qualquer problema que eu pudesse lhe apresentar.

En Lembrei-me de que ele dissera que era difícil para uma pessoa usar qualquer objeto do cotidiano sem deixar uma marca de sua personalidade, que um observador treinado poderia ler. Então, entreguei a ele um relógio que havia adquirido recentemente e pedi que ele gentilmente me desse sua opinião sobre o caráter ou hábitos de seu antigo dono.

En Entreguei-lhe o relógio com certo divertimento, pois considerava o teste impossível e pretendia que fosse uma lição contra seu tom ocasionalmente dogmático. Ele equilibrou o relógio na mão, estudou o mostrador, abriu a parte de trás e inspecionou o mecanismo a olho nu e depois com uma lente forte. Mal pude conter o sorriso quando ele finalmente fechou a caixa e a devolveu, parecendo desapontado.

En Ele observou que quase não havia dados, porque o relógio havia sido limpo recentemente, o que o privava de seus fatos mais sugestivos.

En Eu concordei que o relógio havia sido limpo antes de ser enviado para mim, mas interiormente pensei que a desculpa do meu companheiro para seu fracasso era fraca e ineficaz. Perguntei-me que informação ele poderia obter de um relógio que não havia sido limpo.

En Ele comentou que sua investigação, embora não perfeita, não havia sido completamente infrutífera. Olhando para o teto com uma expressão sonhadora e monótona, ele afirmou que, sujeito à minha correção, acreditava que o relógio pertencia ao meu irmão mais velho, que o havia herdado de nosso pai.

En Perguntei se ele havia deduzido isso a partir das iniciais "H. W." no verso do relógio.

En Ele confirmou que estava correto. Explicou que a letra "W" indicava meu sobrenome e, como o relógio tinha quase cinquenta anos e as iniciais eram tão antigas quanto o próprio relógio, ele havia sido feito para a geração anterior. Ele observou que joias são tipicamente passadas para o filho mais velho, que muitas vezes compartilha o nome do pai. Como meu pai estava morto há muitos anos, ele deduziu que o relógio devia estar de posse do meu irmão mais velho.

En Reconheci que suas deduções estavam corretas até agora e perguntei se ele havia descoberto algo mais.

En Ele era um homem com hábitos desleixados, muito descuidado. Tinha boas perspectivas, mas as desperdiçou, viveu na pobreza com breves períodos de prosperidade e eventualmente se entregou à bebida e morreu. Isso foi tudo o que pôde ser apurado.

En Saltei da minha cadeira e andei mancando impacientemente pela sala, sentindo-me profundamente amargo.

En Disse a Holmes que seu comportamento era indigno dele e que não podia acreditar que ele tivesse descido tão baixo. Acusei-o de ter investigado a história do meu irmão e depois fingir deduzi-la de maneira fantasiosa. Não conseguia acreditar que ele tivesse lido tudo aquilo do velho relógio; parecia cruel e quase como charlatanismo.

En Holmes pediu desculpas gentilmente e me pediu para aceitar suas desculpas. Explicou que, vendo o assunto como um problema abstrato, havia esquecido o quão pessoal e doloroso poderia ser para mim. Assegurou-me que não sabia que eu tinha um irmão até que eu lhe entreguei o relógio.

En Perguntei a ele, admirado, como ele havia obtido aqueles fatos, já que estavam inteiramente corretos em cada detalhe.

En Ele expressou que havia sido sorte, mas que só pudera afirmar o que parecia provável. Não esperava ser tão preciso.

En A outra pessoa perguntou se era simplesmente um palpite.

En Ele afirmou que nunca adivinhava, pois esse hábito prejudica o raciocínio lógico. Explicou que o que parecia estranho era apenas porque o ouvinte não acompanhava seu raciocínio ou não percebia pequenos fatos que sustentam grandes conclusões. Por exemplo, ele primeiro observou que o irmão era descuidado. Observando a caixa do relógio, ela não estava apenas amassada em dois lugares, mas também arranhada por carregar objetos duros como moedas ou chaves no mesmo bolso. Era razoável concluir que um homem que tratava um relógio caro tão descuidadamente devia ser descuidado. Além disso, deduzia-se que alguém que herdou um item tão valioso provavelmente era bem de vida em outros aspectos.

En Assenti com a cabeça para indicar que entendi seu raciocínio.

En Ele explicou que os penhoristas ingleses costumam riscar o número do bilhete dentro da caixa do relógio com um alfinete, o que é mais prático do que uma etiqueta. Com sua lente, viu quatro desses números, indicando que o irmão frequentemente precisava de dinheiro. Uma inferência secundária era que ele tinha períodos ocasionais de prosperidade, caso contrário não teria resgatado o relógio. Por fim, apontou para a placa interna ao redor do buraco da chave, coberta de arranhões onde a chave havia escorregado. Nenhuma chave de um homem sóbrio deixaria tais ranhuras, mas o relógio de um bêbado sempre as mostra, porque ele o dá corda com mão trêmula. Ele perguntou o que havia de misterioso nisso.

En Respondi que estava claro como o dia. Expressei arrependimento pela injustiça que havia cometido com a outra pessoa, dizendo que deveria ter confiado mais em sua notável habilidade. Então perguntei se eles tinham algum caso profissional atualmente sob investigação.

En Ele respondeu que não tinha trabalho, e era por isso que usava cocaína. Afirmou que não podia viver sem estímulo mental, perguntando o que mais havia para viver. Apontou para a janela, descrevendo a névoa amarela sombria e as casas monótonas. Lamentou que o mundo fosse irremediavelmente prosaico e material, e questionou a utilidade de ter talentos se não houvesse campo para aplicá-los. Concluiu que o crime, a existência e todas as qualidades eram comuns.

En Eu estava prestes a responder a esse desabafo quando a nossa senhoria bateu secamente e entrou, carregando um cartão em uma bandeja de latão.

En Ela se dirigiu ao meu companheiro, dizendo que uma jovem estava lá para vê-lo.

En Ele leu o nome em voz alta: Srta. Mary Morstan. Comentou que não se lembrava do nome. Pediu à Sra. Hudson que fizesse a jovem entrar e me pediu para não sair, pois preferia que eu ficasse.

A Exposição do Caso

En Miss Morstan entrou com passo firme, aparentando calma exteriormente. Era uma loira pequena e delicada, bem vestida e com luvas, embora seu traje simples, sem adornos, de um bege acinzentado sombrio, sugerisse recursos limitados. Um pequeno turbante da mesma cor opaca, aliviado apenas por um toque de pena branca, completava sua vestimenta. Seu rosto não era de feições regulares nem de tez clara, mas sua expressão era doce e amigável, e seus grandes olhos azuis pareciam notavelmente espirituais e compassivos. O narrador, que conhecera muitas mulheres em vários continentes, sentiu que seu rosto prometia uma natureza refinada e sensível. Ao sentar-se, seu lábio tremeu e sua mão estremeceu, revelando intensa agitação interior.

En Ela explicou que tinha vindo ao Sr. Holmes porque ele uma vez ajudara sua empregadora, a Sra. Cecil Forrester, a resolver um pequeno problema doméstico. A Sra. Forrester ficara muito impressionada com sua bondade e habilidade.

En Holmes repetiu o nome pensativamente, lembrando que, de fato, havia prestado algum pequeno serviço a ela, embora se recordasse do caso como sendo muito simples.

En Ela discordou, dizendo que a Sra. Forrester não o considerava simples. Depois acrescentou que sua própria situação era a mais estranha e inexplicável que podia imaginar.

En Holmes esfregou as mãos, os olhos brilhando de interesse. Inclinou-se para a frente na cadeira, seus traços afiados e de águia demonstrando concentração extraordinária. Em tom rápido e profissional, convidou-a a expor seu caso.

En O narrador sentiu que sua situação era embaraçosa. Ele disse que tinha certeza de que o perdoariam e se levantou de sua cadeira.

En Para seu espanto, a jovem levantou a mão enluvada para detê-lo. Ela observou que, se o amigo dele pudesse gentilmente ficar, ele poderia ser de grande ajuda para ela.

En Ele afundou de volta em sua cadeira.

En Ela continuou, dizendo que seu pai era um oficial em um regimento indiano. Ele a enviou para a Inglaterra quando ela era muito jovem porque sua mãe havia morrido e ela não tinha outros parentes. Ela foi colocada em um internato confortável em Edimburgo e lá ficou até os dezessete anos. Em 1878, seu pai, então capitão sênior, obteve uma licença de um ano e voltou para casa. Ele enviou um telegrama amoroso de Londres pedindo que ela se juntasse a ele no Hotel Langham. Quando ela chegou, soube que ele havia saído na noite anterior e não havia retornado. Ela esperou o dia todo, depois contatou a polícia, e eles anunciaram nos jornais. Não encontraram nada, e seu pai nunca mais foi ouvido. Ele havia voltado para casa com esperança de paz e conforto, mas em vez disso desapareceu.

En Holmes perguntou a data enquanto abria seu caderno.

En Ele havia desaparecido em 3 de dezembro de 1878, quase uma década antes.

En A investigação voltou-se para sua bagagem.

En Sua bagagem havia permanecido no hotel. Continha roupas, livros e uma coleção significativa de curiosidades das Ilhas Andaman, onde ele servira como oficial responsável pela guarda de condenados.

En Perguntaram-lhe se ele tinha algum amigo na cidade.

En Eles conheciam apenas um amigo: o Major Sholto, de seu próprio regimento, o 34º de Infantaria de Bombaim. O major havia se aposentado algum tempo antes e morava em Upper Norwood. Eles entraram em contato com ele, mas ele não sabia que seu colega oficial estava sequer na Inglaterra.

En Holmes comentou que era um caso singular.

En Ela explicou que, cerca de seis anos atrás, um anúncio havia aparecido no The Times pedindo seu endereço e afirmando que seria vantajoso para ela se apresentar. Naquela época, ela havia acabado de entrar na casa da Sra. Cecil Forrester como governanta. Seguindo o conselho da Sra. Forrester, ela publicou seu endereço. No mesmo dia, recebeu uma pequena caixa de papelão contendo uma pérola grande e lustrosa, sem nenhuma mensagem. Desde então, todos os anos, na mesma data, uma caixa semelhante com uma pérola parecida chegava, sem qualquer pista sobre o remetente. Um especialista as havia considerado raras e valiosas. Ela abriu uma caixa chata e mostrou a Holmes seis pérolas muito finas.

En Sherlock Holmes disse que sua declaração era muito interessante e perguntou se mais alguma coisa havia ocorrido a ela.

En Ela respondeu que algo havia acontecido naquele mesmo dia, e que por isso havia vindo até ele. Ela havia recebido uma carta naquela manhã, que entregou a ele para que lesse.

En Holmes agradeceu e pediu também o envelope. Observou o carimbo do correio, a data, e que o papel era de boa qualidade e o envelope caro. A carta a instruía a estar no terceiro pilar da esquerda, do lado de fora do Lyceum Theatre, às sete horas daquela noite, a trazer dois amigos se desconfiasse, e que ela era uma mulher injustiçada que receberia justiça. Alertava para não trazer a polícia, senão tudo seria em vão. Holmes chamou isso de um mistério muito bonito e perguntou a Miss Morstan o que ela pretendia fazer.

En Ele respondeu que desejava perguntar-lhe exatamente isso.

En Ele concordou que iriam. Ele propôs o Dr. Watson como o companheiro perfeito, observando que já haviam colaborado antes e que o correspondente havia solicitado dois amigos.

En Ela perguntou esperançosamente se ele concordaria em se juntar a eles.

En Eu declarei que ficaria honrado e encantado em poder ajudar.

En Ela agradeceu-lhes, explicando que vivia uma vida isolada, sem amigos a quem recorrer, e perguntou se as seis horas seriam adequadas.

En Holmes insistiu que ela não deveria se atrasar. Ele também perguntou se a caligrafia nos papéis correspondia aos endereços nas caixas de pérolas.

En Ela respondeu que tinha os papéis consigo e produziu meia dúzia de folhas de papel.

En Holmes a elogiou como uma cliente modelo com intuição correta. Ele espalhou os papéis sobre a mesa e os comparou com olhares rápidos. Observou que as letras estavam disfarçadas, exceto na carta, mas o autor era claramente o mesmo, apontando o característico 'e' grego e o giro do 's' final. Em seguida, perguntou cautelosamente se havia alguma semelhança com a caligrafia do pai dela.

En Miss Morstan respondeu que a caligrafia era completamente diferente.

En Holmes disse que esperava aquela resposta. Confirmou o compromisso às seis, pediu para ficar com os papéis para investigação, observando que eram apenas três e meia, e se despediu dela.

En A visitante se despediu deles, trocou um olhar brilhante e gentil com cada um, então guardou sua caixa de pérolas de volta no vestido e partiu rapidamente. O narrador observou da janela enquanto ela caminhava rapidamente pela rua até que seu turbante cinza e pena branca se tornaram apenas um ponto entre a multidão escura.

En Virando-se para seu companheiro, o narrador observou que a mulher era muito atraente.

En Ele havia reacendido seu cachimbo e estava recostado, com as pálpebras semicerradas. Languidamente, perguntou se ela era, acrescentando que não havia notado.

En O narrador exclamou que seu companheiro era verdadeiramente um autômato, uma máquina de calcular, e que havia algo quase desumano nele às vezes.

En Ele sorriu gentilmente e explicou que era de extrema importância não deixar que qualidades pessoais influenciassem o julgamento de alguém. Para ele, um cliente era meramente uma unidade, um fator em um problema. Emoções atrapalhavam o raciocínio claro. Ele lembrou que a mulher mais encantadora que já conhecera foi enforcada por envenenar três crianças pelo dinheiro do seguro, enquanto o homem mais repugnante que conhecia era um filantropo que havia dado quase um quarto de milhão aos pobres de Londres.

En Neste caso particular, no entanto...

En Holmes afirmou que nunca abria exceções, pois uma exceção invalida a regra. Ele perguntou se o ouvinte já havia estudado caligrafia e o que achava da escrita bagunçada daquela pessoa.

En O narrador respondeu que a escrita era clara e organizada, sugerindo um homem com hábitos comerciais e caráter forte.

En Holmes discordou, ressaltando que as letras longas não eram distintas o suficiente. Ele explicou que pessoas com caráter sempre diferenciam suas letras longas, mesmo que escrevam mal. Ele viu indecisão nos 'k's e autoimportância nas maiúsculas. Então disse que sairia para verificar algumas referências, recomendou 'O Martírio do Homem' de Winwood Reade como um livro notável e disse que voltaria em uma hora.

En O narrador sentou-se perto da janela com o livro, mas seus pensamentos estavam na visitante recente: seus sorrisos, sua voz e o mistério de sua vida. Ele calculou que, se ela tinha dezessete anos quando seu pai desapareceu, agora deveria ter vinte e sete, uma idade doce em que a juventude perde a autoconsciência e se torna temperada pela experiência. Ele caiu em pensamentos tão perigosos que se forçou a ir para sua mesa e mergulhar em um tratado de patologia. Lembrou a si mesmo que era apenas um cirurgião do exército com uma perna fraca e pouco dinheiro, não alguém que deveria entreter tais ideias. Ela era meramente uma unidade, um fator. Se seu futuro fosse sombrio, era melhor enfrentá-lo como um homem do que buscar falsas esperanças na imaginação.

Em Busca de uma Solução

En Holmes voltou às cinco e meia. Ele parecia alegre e cheio de energia, um estado que contrastava com sua tristeza profunda habitual.

En Ele pegou a xícara de chá que eu havia preparado e comentou que o caso não era particularmente misterioso; os fatos pareciam apontar para uma única explicação.

En Exclamei surpreso, perguntando se ele já havia resolvido.

En Ele respondeu que seria um exagero dizer que ele havia resolvido; ele apenas encontrara uma pista altamente sugestiva, embora os detalhes ainda precisassem ser acrescentados. Ele havia consultado edições antigas do Times e descoberto que o Major Sholto, anteriormente do 34º Batalhão de Infantaria de Bombaim e de Upper Norwood, havia morrido em 28 de abril de 1882.

En Admiti que poderia ser lento para entender, mas não conseguia ver o que essa informação sugeria.

En Holmes propôs uma forma diferente de analisar os fatos. O capitão Morstan havia desaparecido, e a única pessoa em Londres que ele poderia ter visitado era o major Sholto. Sholto negou saber que ele estava em Londres. Quatro anos depois, Sholto morreu. Dentro de uma semana de sua morte, a filha de Morstan começou a receber presentes valiosos a cada ano, e agora uma carta a chamava de mulher injustiçada. Holmes argumentou que a injustiça só poderia ser a perda de seu pai, e os presentes devem ter começado após a morte de Sholto porque seu herdeiro conhecia o segredo e queria fazer reparação. Ele perguntou se havia alguma outra explicação.

En O ouvinte achou a compensação estranha e seu momento, peculiar. A carta falava em fazer justiça a ela, mas que justiça ela poderia esperar? Era improvável que seu pai ainda estivesse vivo, e nenhuma outra injustiça era conhecida em seu caso.

En Holmes admitiu que havia dificuldades, mas acreditava que a expedição noturna as resolveria. Uma carruagem chegou com a Srta. Morstan dentro, e ele instou todos a descerem, pois já passava da hora.

En Peguei meu chapéu e a bengala mais pesada, mas notei que Holmes pegou seu revólver de uma gaveta e o colocou no bolso. Ficou claro que ele esperava que o trabalho da noite pudesse ser perigoso.

En A Srta. Morstan usava uma capa escura, e seu rosto sensível estava sereno, mas pálido. Ela deve ter sentido algum desconforto com a estranha jornada, mas permaneceu calma e respondeu prontamente às perguntas adicionais de Holmes.

En Ela explicou que o major Sholto tinha sido um amigo muito próximo de seu pai. As cartas dele estavam cheias de referências ao major. Eles serviram juntos no comando das tropas nas Ilhas Andaman, então estavam juntos com frequência. Ela também mencionou que um papel estranho foi encontrado na escrivaninha de seu pai, que ninguém conseguia entender. Ela achou que poderia não ter importância, mas o trouxe caso Holmes quisesse vê-lo.

En Holmes desdobrou cuidadosamente o papel e o alisou sobre o joelho. Em seguida, examinou-o metodicamente por inteiro com sua lente dupla.

En Ele observou que o papel era de fabricação indiana nativa e que em algum momento havia sido preso a uma tábua. O diagrama parecia ser a planta de parte de um grande edifício com muitos salões, corredores e passagens. Em um ponto havia uma pequena cruz em tinta vermelha, e acima dela, em lápis desbotado, estava escrito '3,37 a partir da esquerda'. No canto esquerdo havia um hieróglifo curioso como quatro cruzes em linha com os braços se tocando. Ao lado, em caracteres muito grosseiros, estava escrito 'O sinal dos quatro — Jonathan Small, Muhammad Singh, Abdullah Khan, Dost Akbar'. Ele confessou que não via como aquilo se relacionava com o assunto, mas evidentemente era um documento importante, guardado cuidadosamente em um porta-notas, pois um lado estava tão limpo quanto o outro.

En Miss Morstan confirmou que foi no porta-notas de seu pai que o encontraram.

En Holmes a aconselhou a preservá-lo cuidadosamente, pois poderia ser útil. Começou a suspeitar que o assunto era mais profundo e sutil do que ele havia suposto inicialmente, e que precisava reconsiderar suas ideias. Ele se recostou na carruagem, e Watson pôde ver, por sua testa franzida e olhar vago, que ele pensava intensamente. Miss Morstan e Watson conversaram em voz baixa sobre a expedição atual e seu possível resultado, mas Holmes manteve sua reserva impenetrável até o fim da viagem.

En Era uma noite de setembro, ainda não eram sete horas, mas o dia tinha sido monótono e um nevoeiro espesso e chuviscoso pairava baixo sobre a grande cidade. Nuvens cor de lama pendiam tristemente sobre as ruas molhadas. Ao longo do Strand, os lampiões apareciam apenas como manchas nebulosas de luz dispersa, lançando um tênue brilho circular sobre a calçada escorregadia. O clarão amarelo das vitrines fluía para o ar vaporoso, projetando uma luminosidade turva e mutante pela estrada movimentada. Para mim, havia algo estranho e fantasmagórico na procissão interminável de rostos que passavam por essas estreitas barras de luz — rostos tristes e alegres, cansados e contentes. Como toda a humanidade, eles passavam da escuridão para a luz, e depois de volta à escuridão. Normalmente não sou facilmente afetado, mas a noite pesada e monótona, combinada com o estranho negócio em que estávamos envolvidos, me deixou nervoso e deprimido. Podia perceber pela maneira de Miss Morstan que ela se sentia da mesma forma. Apenas Holmes parecia capaz de se elevar acima de tais influências mesquinhas. Ele segurava seu caderno aberto no joelho e, de vez em quando, anotava números e observações à luz de sua lanterna de bolso.

En No Teatro Lyceum, as multidões já eram densas nas entradas laterais. Na frente, um fluxo constante de hansom cabs e carruagens de quatro rodas chegava ruidosamente, deixando seus passageiros — homens com peitos de camisa engomados e mulheres envoltas em xales e cobertas de diamantes. Mal haviam alcançado o terceiro pilar, que era seu ponto de encontro, quando um homem pequeno, moreno e lépido, vestido de cocheiro, aproximou-se deles.

En Ele perguntou se eles eram os que tinham vindo com a Srta. Morstan.

En Ela respondeu que era a Srta. Morstan e que os dois cavalheiros eram seus amigos.

En Ele os fitou com um par de olhos maravilhosamente penetrantes e inquisitivos. De maneira bastante teimosa, disse que havia sido instruído a pedir que a Srta. Morstan desse sua palavra de que nenhum de seus acompanhantes era um policial.

En Ela deu a ele sua palavra sobre esse assunto.

En Ele soltou um assobio agudo, e um moleque de rua trouxe um cabriolé de quatro rodas. O homem que havia falado com eles subiu no assento do cocheiro, enquanto eles tomaram seus lugares dentro. Mal fizeram isso, o cocheiro chicoteou o cavalo, e eles partiram a uma velocidade tremenda pelas ruas enevoadas.

The Science of Deduction

Português

Sherlock Holmes pegou seu frasco da lareira e sua seringa hipodérmica do estojo de couro. Com seus dedos longos, pálidos e trêmulos, ele ajustou a agulha delicada e arregaçou o punho da camisa, olhando pensativamente para seu braço cheio de cicatrizes antes de se injetar e recostar-se na poltrona com um suspiro de satisfação.

Original English

Sherlock Holmes took his bottle from the corner of the mantelpiece and his hypodermic syringe from its neat morocco case. With his long, white, nervous fingers he adjusted the delicate needle, and rolled back his left shirt-cuff. For some little time his eyes rested thoughtfully upon the sinewy forearm and wrist all dotted and scarred with innumerable puncture-marks. Finally he thrust the sharp point home, pressed down the tiny piston, and sank back into the velvet-lined armchair with a long sigh of satisfaction.

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Português

Por muitos meses, eu observara esse ritual três vezes ao dia, mas nunca me acostumei com ele. Pelo contrário, eu ficava cada vez mais irritado a cada vez, e todas as noites me sentia culpado por não ter coragem de protestar. Eu repetidamente jurava falar o que pensava, mas a maneira fria e indiferente de Holmes fazia dele a última pessoa que alguém ousaria desafiar. Suas grandes habilidades, presença imponente e minha experiência com suas qualidades notáveis me deixavam hesitante e relutante em me opor a ele.

Original English

Three times a day for many months I had witnessed this performance, but custom had not reconciled my mind to it. On the contrary, from day to day I had become more irritable at the sight, and my conscience swelled nightly within me at the thought that I had lacked the courage to protest. Again and again I had registered a vow that I should deliver my soul upon the subject, but there was that in the cool, nonchalant air of my companion which made him the last man with whom one would care to take anything approaching to a liberty. His great powers, his masterly manner, and the experience which I had had of his many extraordinary qualities, all made me diffident and backward in crossing him.

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Português

No entanto, naquela tarde, seja por causa do vinho que tomei no almoço ou da irritação extra causada por seu jeito deliberado, de repente senti que não podia mais suportar.

Original English

Yet upon that afternoon, whether it was the Beaune which I had taken with my lunch, or the additional exasperation produced by the extreme deliberation of his manner, I suddenly felt that I could hold out no longer.

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Português

Perguntei a ele qual droga estava usando naquele dia, morfina ou cocaína.

Original English

“Which is it today?” I asked—“morphine or cocaine?”

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Português

Ele ergueu os olhos lentamente do livro antigo que havia aberto e respondeu que era cocaína, uma solução a sete por cento. Então perguntou se eu gostaria de experimentar.

Original English

He raised his eyes languidly from the old black-letter volume which he had opened. “It is cocaine,” he said—“a seven-percent solution. Would you care to try it?”

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Português

O falante respondeu asperamente que ainda não havia se recuperado da campanha no Afeganistão, portanto não poderia lidar com nenhum esforço extra em seu corpo.

Original English

“No, indeed,” I answered, brusquely. “My constitution has not got over the Afghan campaign yet. I cannot afford to throw any extra strain upon it.”

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Português

Ele sorriu para as palavras fortes do falante e concordou que poderia ser fisicamente prejudicial. No entanto, ele achava aquilo tão estimulante e esclarecedor para sua mente que os efeitos secundários não importavam para ele.

Original English

He smiled at my vehemence. “Perhaps you are right, Watson,” he said. “I suppose that its influence is physically a bad one. I find it, however, so transcendently stimulating and clarifying to the mind that its secondary action is a matter of small moment.”

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Português

O falante instou-o seriamente a considerar o custo. Ele argumentou que, embora pudesse excitar seu cérebro, era um processo não saudável que poderia levar a uma fraqueza permanente. Lembrou-o da depressão subsequente e perguntou por que ele arriscaria seus grandes poderes por um prazer passageiro. Falou tanto como amigo quanto como médico responsável por sua saúde.

Original English

“But consider!” I said, earnestly. “Count the cost! Your brain may, as you say, be roused and excited, but it is a pathological and morbid process, which involves increased tissue-change and may at last leave a permanent weakness. You know, too, what a black reaction comes upon you. Surely the game is hardly worth the candle. Why should you, for a mere passing pleasure, risk the loss of those great powers with which you have been endowed? Remember that I speak not only as one comrade to another, but as a medical man to one for whose constitution he is to some extent answerable.”

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Português

Ele não pareceu ofendido, mas sim juntou as pontas dos dedos e recostou-se, parecendo pronto para apreciar uma conversa.

Original English

He did not seem offended. On the contrary, he put his fingertips together and leaned his elbows on the arms of his chair, like one who has a relish for conversation.

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Português

Ele disse que sua mente odiava a inatividade. Ele queria problemas, trabalho, criptogramas complexos ou análises intrincadas para se sentir em seu elemento adequado. Então ele podia prescindir de estimulantes artificiais. Detestava a rotina monótona da vida e anseava por excitação mental. Foi por isso que escolheu, ou melhor, criou, sua profissão única.

Original English

“My mind,” he said, “rebels at stagnation. Give me problems, give me work, give me the most abstruse cryptogram or the most intricate analysis, and I am in my own proper atmosphere. I can dispense then with artificial stimulants. But I abhor the dull routine of existence. I crave for mental exaltation. That is why I have chosen my own particular profession—or rather created it, for I am the only one in the world.”

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Português

O narrador respondeu com surpresa, perguntando se o homem era o único detetive que não era oficialmente empregado pela polícia.

Original English

“The only unofficial detective?” I said, raising my eyebrows.

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Português

Ele explicou que era de fato o único detetive consultor não oficial, servindo como a autoridade final em casos quando detetives oficiais como Gregson ou Lestrade se encontravam em dificuldades, o que ele observou ser sua condição habitual. Ele não reivindicava crédito e disse que seu nome nunca aparecia nos jornais; o prazer de usar suas habilidades especiais era sua recompensa. Ele lembrou o narrador de sua colaboração anterior no caso Jefferson Hope.

Original English

“The only unofficial consulting detective,” he answered. “I am the last and highest court of appeal in detection. When Gregson or Lestrade or Athelney Jones are out of their depths—which, by the way, is their normal state—the matter is laid before me. I examine the data, as an expert, and pronounce a specialist’s opinion. I claim no credit in such cases. My name figures in no newspaper. The work itself, the pleasure of finding a field for my peculiar powers, is my highest reward. But you have yourself had some experience of my methods of work in the Jefferson Hope case.”

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Português

O narrador concordou calorosamente, afirmando que nunca tinha ficado tão impressionado em sua vida. Ele até escreveu um pequeno livro sobre isso com o título incomum 'Um Estudo em Vermelho'.

Original English

“Yes, indeed,” said I, cordially. “I was never so struck by anything in my life. I even embodied it in a small brochure with the somewhat fantastic title of ‘A Study in Scarlet.’ ”

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Português

Ele balançou a cabeça decepcionado e disse que tinha lido o folheto, mas não podia elogiá-lo. Em sua opinião, a detecção era ou deveria ser uma ciência exata, tratada de maneira fria e sem emoção. Ele criticou a tentativa de adicionar romance, comparando-a a inserir uma história de amor em uma demonstração de geometria.

Original English

He shook his head sadly. “I glanced over it,” said he. “Honestly, I cannot congratulate you upon it. Detection is, or ought to be, an exact science, and should be treated in the same cold and unemotional manner. You have attempted to tinge it with romanticism, which produces much the same effect as if you worked a love-story or an elopement into the fifth proposition of Euclid.”

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Português

O narrador protestou que o romance era inerente aos acontecimentos e ele não podia alterar os fatos.

Original English

“But the romance was there,” I remonstrated. “I could not tamper with the facts.”

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Português

Ele comentou que alguns fatos deveriam ser suprimidos, ou pelo menos tratados com o devido senso de proporção. O único ponto digno de menção no caso foi seu curioso raciocínio analítico dos efeitos para as causas que lhe permitiu resolvê-lo.

Original English

“Some facts should be suppressed, or at least a just sense of proportion should be observed in treating them. The only point in the case which deserved mention was the curious analytical reasoning from effects to causes by which I succeeded in unraveling it.”

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Português

O narrador ficou irritado com a crítica ao seu trabalho, que havia sido especialmente escrito para agradar seu companheiro. Ele também ficou irritado com o egocentrismo que parecia exigir que o panfleto se concentrasse inteiramente nas ações de seu companheiro. Ele já havia notado antes um toque de vaidade sob a maneira calma e didática de Holmes. No entanto, não disse nada e sentou-se cuidando de sua perna ferida, que tinha uma bala Jezail e doía cansativamente a cada mudança de tempo.

Original English

I was annoyed at this criticism of a work which had been specially designed to please him. I confess, too, that I was irritated by the egotism which seemed to demand that every line of my pamphlet should be devoted to his own special doings. More than once during the years that I had lived with him in Baker Street I had observed that a small vanity underlay my companion’s quiet and didactic manner. I made no remark, however, but sat nursing my wounded leg. I had a Jezail bullet through it some time before, and, though it did not prevent me from walking, it ached wearily at every change of the weather.

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Português

Holmes mencionou que sua prática agora se estendia ao Continente. Ele havia sido consultado recentemente por François Le Villard, um detetive francês em ascensão. Le Villard possuía intuição céltica rápida, mas carecia da ampla gama de conhecimento exato essencial para a investigação de alto nível. O caso envolvia um testamento e tinha algumas características interessantes. Holmes o havia remetido a dois casos paralelos — um em Riga em 1857 e outro em St. Louis em 1871 — que sugeriam a verdadeira solução. Ele então jogou uma folha amassada de papel de carta estrangeiro, uma carta agradecendo por sua ajuda, repleta de elogios e admiração.

Original English

“My practice has extended recently to the Continent,” said Holmes, after a while, filling up his old brier-root pipe. “I was consulted last week by François Le Villard, who, as you probably know, has come rather to the front lately in the French detective service. He has all the Celtic power of quick intuition, but he is deficient in the wide range of exact knowledge which is essential to the higher developments of his art. The case was concerned with a will, and possessed some features of interest. I was able to refer him to two parallel cases, the one at Riga in 1857, and the other at St. Louis in 1871, which have suggested to him the true solution. Here is the letter which I had this morning acknowledging my assistance.” He tossed over, as he spoke, a crumpled sheet of foreign notepaper. I glanced my eyes down it, catching a profusion of notes of admiration, with stray magnifiques, coup-de-maîtres and tours-de-force, all testifying to the ardent admiration of the Frenchman.

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Português

Observei que Le Villard escrevia como um aluno se dirigindo ao seu mestre.

Original English

“He speaks as a pupil to his master,” said I.

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Português

Sherlock Holmes respondeu levemente que Le Villard superestimava sua assistência. Ele disse que Le Villard tinha dons consideráveis, possuindo duas das três qualidades necessárias para um detetive ideal: observação e dedução. Ele carecia apenas de conhecimento, que poderia vir com o tempo. Holmes acrescentou que Le Villard estava atualmente traduzindo suas pequenas obras para o francês.

Original English

“Oh, he rates my assistance too highly,” said Sherlock Holmes, lightly. “He has considerable gifts himself. He possesses two out of the three qualities necessary for the ideal detective. He has the power of observation and that of deduction. He is only wanting in knowledge; and that may come in time. He is now translating my small works into French.”

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Português

Ele perguntou sobre minhas publicações.

Original English

“Your works?”

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Português

Ele riu e explicou que havia escrito várias monografias sobre assuntos técnicos. Como exemplo, mencionou uma sobre a distinção das cinzas de diferentes tabacos, que listava 140 tipos com pranchas coloridas. Ele considerava isso importante em julgamentos criminais porque a cinza poderia servir como pista; por exemplo, se um assassinato fosse cometido por alguém fumando um lunkah indiano, isso diminuiria o campo de busca. Ele comparou a diferença na cinza à diferença entre um repolho e uma batata.

Original English

“Oh, didn’t you know?” he cried, laughing. “Yes, I have been guilty of several monographs. They are all upon technical subjects. Here, for example, is one ‘Upon the Distinction between the Ashes of the Various Tobaccoes.’ In it I enumerate a hundred and forty forms of cigar-, cigarette-, and pipe-tobacco, with colored plates illustrating the difference in the ash. It is a point which is continually turning up in criminal trials, and which is sometimes of supreme importance as a clue. If you can say definitely, for example, that some murder has been done by a man who was smoking an Indian lunkah, it obviously narrows your field of search. To the trained eye there is as much difference between the black ash of a Trichinopoly and the white fluff of bird’s-eye as there is between a cabbage and a potato.”

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Português

Observei que ele tinha um talento notável para detalhes.

Original English

“You have an extraordinary genius for minutiae,” I remarked.

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Português

Ele reconheceu a importância de tais detalhes. Mencionou uma monografia sobre rastreamento de pegadas e uso de gesso para preservar impressões, bem como um estudo sobre como a profissão de uma pessoa influencia a forma da mão, com litotipos de vários trabalhadores. Ele acreditava que essas obras eram de grande valor prático para detetives, especialmente em casos de corpos não identificados ou para traçar antecedentes criminais. Ele temia estar me entediando com seu hobby.

Original English

“I appreciate their importance. Here is my monograph upon the tracing of footsteps, with some remarks upon the uses of plaster of Paris as a preserver of impresses. Here, too, is a curious little work upon the influence of a trade upon the form of the hand, with lithotypes of the hands of slaters, sailors, corkcutters, compositors, weavers, and diamond-polishers. That is a matter of great practical interest to the scientific detective—especially in cases of unclaimed bodies, or in discovering the antecedents of criminals. But I weary you with my hobby.”

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Português

Respondi seriamente que não estava entediado; pelo contrário, achei muito interessante, especialmente porque observei sua aplicação prática dessas habilidades. Acrescentei que observação e dedução pareciam implicar uma à outra.

Original English

“Not at all,” I answered, earnestly. “It is of the greatest interest to me, especially since I have had the opportunity of observing your practical application of it. But you spoke just now of observation and deduction. Surely the one to some extent implies the other.”

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Português

Ele respondeu que não era nada demais, recostando-se em sua poltrona e soltando grossos anéis de fumaça de seu cachimbo. Ele explicou que a observação lhe mostrava que eu havia visitado a Agência dos Correios da Rua Wigmore naquela manhã, e a dedução lhe informava que eu havia enviado um telegrama para lá.

Original English

“Why, hardly,” he answered, leaning back luxuriously in his armchair, and sending up thick blue wreaths from his pipe. “For example, observation shows me that you have been to the Wigmore Street Post-Office this morning, but deduction lets me know that when there you dispatched a telegram.”

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Português

Eu concordei que ele estava certo em ambos os pontos, mas admiti que não entendia como ele havia deduzido isso. Tinha sido um impulso repentino, e eu não havia mencionado a ninguém.

Original English

“Right!” said I. “Right on both points! But I confess that I don’t see how you arrived at it. It was a sudden impulse upon my part, and I have mentioned it to no one.”

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Português

Ele observou com uma risadinha que era a simplicidade em si, tão absurdamente simples que a explicação era quase desnecessária, mas ilustrava os limites da observação e da dedução. A observação lhe dizia que um pouco de terra avermelhada aderia ao meu peito do pé. Em frente à Agência da Rua Seymour, o calçamento havia sido removido, e a terra retirada era daquele tom avermelhado peculiar, não encontrado em nenhum outro lugar da vizinhança. Isso era observação; o resto era dedução.

Original English

“It is simplicity itself,” he remarked, chuckling at my surprise—“so absurdly simple that an explanation is superfluous; and yet it may serve to define the limits of observation and of deduction. Observation tells me that you have a little reddish mould adhering to your instep. Just opposite the Seymour Street Office they have taken up the pavement and thrown up some earth which lies in such a way that it is difficult to avoid treading in it in entering. The earth is of this peculiar reddish tint which is found, as far as I know, nowhere else in the neighborhood. So much is observation. The rest is deduction.”

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Português

Então perguntei como ele havia deduzido o telegrama.

Original English

“How, then, did you deduce the telegram?”

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Português

Ele respondeu que sabia que eu não havia escrito uma carta porque ele havia se sentado em frente a mim a manhã toda. Ele também observou que eu tinha uma folha de selos e um grosso maço de cartões-postais em minha escrivaninha aberta. Portanto, a única razão para ir aos correios era enviar um telegrama. Eliminando todos os outros fatores, o que restava devia ser a verdade.

Original English

“Why, of course I knew that you had not written a letter, since I sat opposite to you all morning. I see also in your open desk there that you have a sheet of stamps and a thick bundle of postcards. What could you go into the post-office for, then, but to send a wire? Eliminate all other factors, and the one which remains must be the truth.”

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Português

Depois de pensar por um momento, concordei que realmente era assim. Disse que o assunto era tão simples quanto ele afirmava e então perguntei se ele consideraria impertinente se eu colocasse suas teorias a um teste mais difícil.

Original English

“In this case it certainly is so,” I replied, after a little thought. “The thing, however, is, as you say, of the simplest. Would you think me impertinent if I were to put your theories to a more severe test?”

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Português

Ele respondeu que, pelo contrário, isso o impediria de tomar uma segunda dose de cocaína e que ficaria encantado em examinar qualquer problema que eu pudesse lhe apresentar.

Original English

“On the contrary,” he answered, “it would prevent me from taking a second dose of cocaine. I should be delighted to look into any problem which you might submit to me.”

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Português

Lembrei-me de que ele dissera que era difícil para uma pessoa usar qualquer objeto do cotidiano sem deixar uma marca de sua personalidade, que um observador treinado poderia ler. Então, entreguei a ele um relógio que havia adquirido recentemente e pedi que ele gentilmente me desse sua opinião sobre o caráter ou hábitos de seu antigo dono.

Original English

“I have heard you say that it is difficult for a man to have any object in daily use without leaving the impress of his individuality upon it in such a way that a trained observer might read it. Now, I have here a watch which has recently come into my possession. Would you have the kindness to let me have an opinion upon the character or habits of the late owner?”

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Português

Entreguei-lhe o relógio com certo divertimento, pois considerava o teste impossível e pretendia que fosse uma lição contra seu tom ocasionalmente dogmático. Ele equilibrou o relógio na mão, estudou o mostrador, abriu a parte de trás e inspecionou o mecanismo a olho nu e depois com uma lente forte. Mal pude conter o sorriso quando ele finalmente fechou a caixa e a devolveu, parecendo desapontado.

Original English

I handed him over the watch with some slight feeling of amusement in my heart, for the test was, as I thought, an impossible one, and I intended it as a lesson against the somewhat dogmatic tone which he occasionally assumed. He balanced the watch in his hand, gazed hard at the dial, opened the back, and examined the works, first with his naked eyes and then with a powerful convex lens. I could hardly keep from smiling at his crestfallen face when he finally snapped the case to and handed it back.

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Português

Ele observou que quase não havia dados, porque o relógio havia sido limpo recentemente, o que o privava de seus fatos mais sugestivos.

Original English

“There are hardly any data,” he remarked. “The watch has been recently cleaned, which robs me of my most suggestive facts.”

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Português

Eu concordei que o relógio havia sido limpo antes de ser enviado para mim, mas interiormente pensei que a desculpa do meu companheiro para seu fracasso era fraca e ineficaz. Perguntei-me que informação ele poderia obter de um relógio que não havia sido limpo.

Original English

“You are right,” I answered. “It was cleaned before being sent to me.” In my heart I accused my companion of putting forward a most lame and impotent excuse to cover his failure. What data could he expect from an uncleaned watch?

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Português

Ele comentou que sua investigação, embora não perfeita, não havia sido completamente infrutífera. Olhando para o teto com uma expressão sonhadora e monótona, ele afirmou que, sujeito à minha correção, acreditava que o relógio pertencia ao meu irmão mais velho, que o havia herdado de nosso pai.

Original English

“Though unsatisfactory, my research has not been entirely barren,” he observed, staring up at the ceiling with dreamy, lacklustre eyes. “Subject to your correction, I should judge that the watch belonged to your elder brother, who inherited it from your father.”

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Português

Perguntei se ele havia deduzido isso a partir das iniciais "H. W." no verso do relógio.

Original English

“That you gather, no doubt, from the H. W. upon the back?”

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Português

Ele confirmou que estava correto. Explicou que a letra "W" indicava meu sobrenome e, como o relógio tinha quase cinquenta anos e as iniciais eram tão antigas quanto o próprio relógio, ele havia sido feito para a geração anterior. Ele observou que joias são tipicamente passadas para o filho mais velho, que muitas vezes compartilha o nome do pai. Como meu pai estava morto há muitos anos, ele deduziu que o relógio devia estar de posse do meu irmão mais velho.

Original English

“Quite so. The W. suggests your own name. The date of the watch is nearly fifty years back, and the initials are as old as the watch: so it was made for the last generation. Jewelry usually descends to the eldest son, and he is most likely to have the same name as the father. Your father has, if I remember right, been dead many years. It has, therefore, been in the hands of your eldest brother.”

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Português

Reconheci que suas deduções estavam corretas até agora e perguntei se ele havia descoberto algo mais.

Original English

“Right, so far,” said I. “Anything else?”

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Português

Ele era um homem com hábitos desleixados, muito descuidado. Tinha boas perspectivas, mas as desperdiçou, viveu na pobreza com breves períodos de prosperidade e eventualmente se entregou à bebida e morreu. Isso foi tudo o que pôde ser apurado.

Original English

“He was a man of untidy habits—very untidy and careless. He was left with good prospects, but he threw away his chances, lived for some time in poverty with occasional short intervals of prosperity, and finally, taking to drink, he died. That is all I can gather.”

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Português

Saltei da minha cadeira e andei mancando impacientemente pela sala, sentindo-me profundamente amargo.

Original English

I sprang from my chair and limped impatiently about the room with considerable bitterness in my heart.

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Português

Disse a Holmes que seu comportamento era indigno dele e que não podia acreditar que ele tivesse descido tão baixo. Acusei-o de ter investigado a história do meu irmão e depois fingir deduzi-la de maneira fantasiosa. Não conseguia acreditar que ele tivesse lido tudo aquilo do velho relógio; parecia cruel e quase como charlatanismo.

Original English

“This is unworthy of you, Holmes,” I said. “I could not have believed that you would have descended to this. You have made inquires into the history of my unhappy brother, and you now pretend to deduce this knowledge in some fanciful way. You cannot expect me to believe that you have read all this from his old watch! It is unkind, and, to speak plainly, has a touch of charlatanism in it.”

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Português

Holmes pediu desculpas gentilmente e me pediu para aceitar suas desculpas. Explicou que, vendo o assunto como um problema abstrato, havia esquecido o quão pessoal e doloroso poderia ser para mim. Assegurou-me que não sabia que eu tinha um irmão até que eu lhe entreguei o relógio.

Original English

“My dear doctor,” said he, kindly, “pray accept my apologies. Viewing the matter as an abstract problem, I had forgotten how personal and painful a thing it might be to you. I assure you, however, that I never even knew that you had a brother until you handed me the watch.”

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Português

Perguntei a ele, admirado, como ele havia obtido aqueles fatos, já que estavam inteiramente corretos em cada detalhe.

Original English

“Then how in the name of all that is wonderful did you get these facts? They are absolutely correct in every particular.”

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Português

Ele expressou que havia sido sorte, mas que só pudera afirmar o que parecia provável. Não esperava ser tão preciso.

Original English

“Ah, that is good luck. I could only say what was the balance of probability. I did not at all expect to be so accurate.”

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Português

A outra pessoa perguntou se era simplesmente um palpite.

Original English

“But it was not mere guesswork?”

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Português

Ele afirmou que nunca adivinhava, pois esse hábito prejudica o raciocínio lógico. Explicou que o que parecia estranho era apenas porque o ouvinte não acompanhava seu raciocínio ou não percebia pequenos fatos que sustentam grandes conclusões. Por exemplo, ele primeiro observou que o irmão era descuidado. Observando a caixa do relógio, ela não estava apenas amassada em dois lugares, mas também arranhada por carregar objetos duros como moedas ou chaves no mesmo bolso. Era razoável concluir que um homem que tratava um relógio caro tão descuidadamente devia ser descuidado. Além disso, deduzia-se que alguém que herdou um item tão valioso provavelmente era bem de vida em outros aspectos.

Original English

“No, no: I never guess. It is a shocking habit—destructive to the logical faculty. What seems strange to you is only so because you do not follow my train of thought or observe the small facts upon which large inferences may depend. For example, I began by stating that your brother was careless. When you observe the lower part of that watch-case you notice that it is not only dinted in two places, but it is cut and marked all over from the habit of keeping other hard objects, such as coins or keys, in the same pocket. Surely it is no great feat to assume that a man who treats a fifty-guinea watch so cavalierly must be a careless man. Neither is it a very far-fetched inference that a man who inherits one article of such value is pretty well provided for in other respects.”

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Português

Assenti com a cabeça para indicar que entendi seu raciocínio.

Original English

I nodded, to show that I followed his reasoning.

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Português

Ele explicou que os penhoristas ingleses costumam riscar o número do bilhete dentro da caixa do relógio com um alfinete, o que é mais prático do que uma etiqueta. Com sua lente, viu quatro desses números, indicando que o irmão frequentemente precisava de dinheiro. Uma inferência secundária era que ele tinha períodos ocasionais de prosperidade, caso contrário não teria resgatado o relógio. Por fim, apontou para a placa interna ao redor do buraco da chave, coberta de arranhões onde a chave havia escorregado. Nenhuma chave de um homem sóbrio deixaria tais ranhuras, mas o relógio de um bêbado sempre as mostra, porque ele o dá corda com mão trêmula. Ele perguntou o que havia de misterioso nisso.

Original English

“It is very customary for pawnbrokers in England, when they take a watch, to scratch the number of the ticket with a pinpoint upon the inside of the case. It is more handy than a label, as there is no risk of the number being lost or transposed. There are no less than four such numbers visible to my lens on the inside of this case. Inference—that your brother was often at low water. Secondary inference—that he had occasional bursts of prosperity, or he could not have redeemed the pledge. Finally, I ask you to look at the inner plate, which contains the keyhole. Look at the thousands of scratches all round the hole—marks where the key has slipped. What sober man’s key could have scored those grooves? But you will never see a drunkard’s watch without them. He winds it at night, and he leaves these traces of his unsteady hand. Where is the mystery in all this?”

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Português

Respondi que estava claro como o dia. Expressei arrependimento pela injustiça que havia cometido com a outra pessoa, dizendo que deveria ter confiado mais em sua notável habilidade. Então perguntei se eles tinham algum caso profissional atualmente sob investigação.

Original English

“It is as clear as daylight,” I answered. “I regret the injustice which I did you. I should have had more faith in your marvellous faculty. May I ask whether you have any professional inquiry on foot at present?”

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Português

Ele respondeu que não tinha trabalho, e era por isso que usava cocaína. Afirmou que não podia viver sem estímulo mental, perguntando o que mais havia para viver. Apontou para a janela, descrevendo a névoa amarela sombria e as casas monótonas. Lamentou que o mundo fosse irremediavelmente prosaico e material, e questionou a utilidade de ter talentos se não houvesse campo para aplicá-los. Concluiu que o crime, a existência e todas as qualidades eram comuns.

Original English

“None. Hence the cocaine. I cannot live without brain-work. What else is there to live for? Stand at the window here. Was ever such a dreary, dismal, unprofitable world? See how the yellow fog swirls down the street and drifts across the dun-colored houses. What could be more hopelessly prosaic and material? What is the use of having powers, doctor, when one has no field upon which to exert them? Crime is commonplace, existence is commonplace, and no qualities save those which are commonplace have any function upon earth.”

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Português

Eu estava prestes a responder a esse desabafo quando a nossa senhoria bateu secamente e entrou, carregando um cartão em uma bandeja de latão.

Original English

I had opened my mouth to reply to this tirade, when with a crisp knock our landlady entered, bearing a card upon the brass salver.

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Português

Ela se dirigiu ao meu companheiro, dizendo que uma jovem estava lá para vê-lo.

Original English

“A young lady for you, sir,” she said, addressing my companion.

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Português

Ele leu o nome em voz alta: Srta. Mary Morstan. Comentou que não se lembrava do nome. Pediu à Sra. Hudson que fizesse a jovem entrar e me pediu para não sair, pois preferia que eu ficasse.

Original English

“Miss Mary Morstan,” he read. “Hum! I have no recollection of the name. Ask the young lady to step up, Mrs. Hudson. Don’t go, doctor. I should prefer that you remain.”

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The Statement of the Case

Português

Miss Morstan entrou com passo firme, aparentando calma exteriormente. Era uma loira pequena e delicada, bem vestida e com luvas, embora seu traje simples, sem adornos, de um bege acinzentado sombrio, sugerisse recursos limitados. Um pequeno turbante da mesma cor opaca, aliviado apenas por um toque de pena branca, completava sua vestimenta. Seu rosto não era de feições regulares nem de tez clara, mas sua expressão era doce e amigável, e seus grandes olhos azuis pareciam notavelmente espirituais e compassivos. O narrador, que conhecera muitas mulheres em vários continentes, sentiu que seu rosto prometia uma natureza refinada e sensível. Ao sentar-se, seu lábio tremeu e sua mão estremeceu, revelando intensa agitação interior.

Original English

Miss Morstan entered the room with a firm step and an outward composure of manner. She was a blonde young lady, small, dainty, well gloved, and dressed in the most perfect taste. There was, however, a plainness and simplicity about her costume which bore with it a suggestion of limited means. The dress was a sombre grayish beige, untrimmed and unbraided, and she wore a small turban of the same dull hue, relieved only by a suspicion of white feather in the side. Her face had neither regularity of feature nor beauty of complexion, but her expression was sweet and amiable, and her large blue eyes were singularly spiritual and sympathetic. In an experience of women which extends over many nations and three separate continents, I have never looked upon a face which gave a clearer promise of a refined and sensitive nature. I could not but observe that as she took the seat which Sherlock Holmes placed for her, her lip trembled, her hand quivered, and she showed every sign of intense inward agitation.

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Português

Ela explicou que tinha vindo ao Sr. Holmes porque ele uma vez ajudara sua empregadora, a Sra. Cecil Forrester, a resolver um pequeno problema doméstico. A Sra. Forrester ficara muito impressionada com sua bondade e habilidade.

Original English

“I have come to you, Mr. Holmes,” she said, “because you once enabled my employer, Mrs. Cecil Forrester, to unravel a little domestic complication. She was much impressed by your kindness and skill.”

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Português

Holmes repetiu o nome pensativamente, lembrando que, de fato, havia prestado algum pequeno serviço a ela, embora se recordasse do caso como sendo muito simples.

Original English

“Mrs. Cecil Forrester,” he repeated thoughtfully. “I believe that I was of some slight service to her. The case, however, as I remember it, was a very simple one.”

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Português

Ela discordou, dizendo que a Sra. Forrester não o considerava simples. Depois acrescentou que sua própria situação era a mais estranha e inexplicável que podia imaginar.

Original English

“She did not think so. But at least you cannot say the same of mine. I can hardly imagine anything more strange, more utterly inexplicable, than the situation in which I find myself.”

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Português

Holmes esfregou as mãos, os olhos brilhando de interesse. Inclinou-se para a frente na cadeira, seus traços afiados e de águia demonstrando concentração extraordinária. Em tom rápido e profissional, convidou-a a expor seu caso.

Original English

Holmes rubbed his hands, and his eyes glistened. He leaned forward in his chair with an expression of extraordinary concentration upon his clear-cut, hawklike features. “State your case,” said he, in brisk, business tones.

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Português

O narrador sentiu que sua situação era embaraçosa. Ele disse que tinha certeza de que o perdoariam e se levantou de sua cadeira.

Original English

I felt that my position was an embarrassing one. “You will, I am sure, excuse me,” I said, rising from my chair.

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Português

Para seu espanto, a jovem levantou a mão enluvada para detê-lo. Ela observou que, se o amigo dele pudesse gentilmente ficar, ele poderia ser de grande ajuda para ela.

Original English

To my surprise, the young lady held up her gloved hand to detain me. “If your friend,” she said, “would be good enough to stop, he might be of inestimable service to me.”

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Português

Ele afundou de volta em sua cadeira.

Original English

I relapsed into my chair.

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Português

Ela continuou, dizendo que seu pai era um oficial em um regimento indiano. Ele a enviou para a Inglaterra quando ela era muito jovem porque sua mãe havia morrido e ela não tinha outros parentes. Ela foi colocada em um internato confortável em Edimburgo e lá ficou até os dezessete anos. Em 1878, seu pai, então capitão sênior, obteve uma licença de um ano e voltou para casa. Ele enviou um telegrama amoroso de Londres pedindo que ela se juntasse a ele no Hotel Langham. Quando ela chegou, soube que ele havia saído na noite anterior e não havia retornado. Ela esperou o dia todo, depois contatou a polícia, e eles anunciaram nos jornais. Não encontraram nada, e seu pai nunca mais foi ouvido. Ele havia voltado para casa com esperança de paz e conforto, mas em vez disso desapareceu.

Original English

“Briefly,” she continued, “the facts are these. My father was an officer in an Indian regiment who sent me home when I was quite a child. My mother was dead, and I had no relative in England. I was placed, however, in a comfortable boarding establishment at Edinburgh, and there I remained until I was seventeen years of age. In the year 1878 my father, who was senior captain of his regiment, obtained twelve months’ leave and came home. He telegraphed to me from London that he had arrived all safe, and directed me to come down at once, giving the Langham Hotel as his address. His message, as I remember, was full of kindness and love. On reaching London I drove to the Langham, and was informed that Captain Morstan was staying there, but that he had gone out the night before and had not yet returned. I waited all day without news of him. That night, on the advice of the manager of the hotel, I communicated with the police, and next morning we advertised in all the papers. Our inquiries led to no result; and from that day to this no word has ever been heard of my unfortunate father. He came home with his heart full of hope, to find some peace, some comfort, and instead—” She put her hand to her throat, and a choking sob cut short the sentence.

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Português

Holmes perguntou a data enquanto abria seu caderno.

Original English

“The date?” asked Holmes, opening his notebook.

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Português

Ele havia desaparecido em 3 de dezembro de 1878, quase uma década antes.

Original English

“He disappeared upon the 3rd of December, 1878—nearly ten years ago.”

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Português

A investigação voltou-se para sua bagagem.

Original English

“His luggage?”

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Português

Sua bagagem havia permanecido no hotel. Continha roupas, livros e uma coleção significativa de curiosidades das Ilhas Andaman, onde ele servira como oficial responsável pela guarda de condenados.

Original English

“Remained at the hotel. There was nothing in it to suggest a clue—some clothes, some books, and a considerable number of curiosities from the Andaman Islands. He had been one of the officers in charge of the convict-guard there.”

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Português

Perguntaram-lhe se ele tinha algum amigo na cidade.

Original English

“Had he any friends in town?”

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Português

Eles conheciam apenas um amigo: o Major Sholto, de seu próprio regimento, o 34º de Infantaria de Bombaim. O major havia se aposentado algum tempo antes e morava em Upper Norwood. Eles entraram em contato com ele, mas ele não sabia que seu colega oficial estava sequer na Inglaterra.

Original English

“Only one that we know of—Major Sholto, of his own regiment, the 34th Bombay Infantry. The major had retired some little time before, and lived at Upper Norwood. We communicated with him, of course, but he did not even know that his brother officer was in England.”

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Português

Holmes comentou que era um caso singular.

Original English

“A singular case,” remarked Holmes.

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Português

Ela explicou que, cerca de seis anos atrás, um anúncio havia aparecido no The Times pedindo seu endereço e afirmando que seria vantajoso para ela se apresentar. Naquela época, ela havia acabado de entrar na casa da Sra. Cecil Forrester como governanta. Seguindo o conselho da Sra. Forrester, ela publicou seu endereço. No mesmo dia, recebeu uma pequena caixa de papelão contendo uma pérola grande e lustrosa, sem nenhuma mensagem. Desde então, todos os anos, na mesma data, uma caixa semelhante com uma pérola parecida chegava, sem qualquer pista sobre o remetente. Um especialista as havia considerado raras e valiosas. Ela abriu uma caixa chata e mostrou a Holmes seis pérolas muito finas.

Original English

“I have not yet described to you the most singular part. About six years ago—to be exact, upon the 4th of May, 1882—an advertisement appeared in the Times asking for the address of Miss Mary Morstan and stating that it would be to her advantage to come forward. There was no name or address appended. I had at that time just entered the family of Mrs. Cecil Forrester in the capacity of governess. By her advice I published my address in the advertisement column. The same day there arrived through the post a small cardboard box addressed to me, which I found to contain a very large and lustrous pearl. No word of writing was enclosed. Since then every year upon the same date there has always appeared a similar box, containing a similar pearl, without any clue as to the sender. They have been pronounced by an expert to be of a rare variety and of considerable value. You can see for yourselves that they are very handsome.” She opened a flat box as she spoke, and showed me six of the finest pearls that I had ever seen.

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Português

Sherlock Holmes disse que sua declaração era muito interessante e perguntou se mais alguma coisa havia ocorrido a ela.

Original English

“Your statement is most interesting,” said Sherlock Holmes. “Has anything else occurred to you?”

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Português

Ela respondeu que algo havia acontecido naquele mesmo dia, e que por isso havia vindo até ele. Ela havia recebido uma carta naquela manhã, que entregou a ele para que lesse.

Original English

“Yes, and no later than today. That is why I have come to you. This morning I received this letter, which you will perhaps read for yourself.”

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Português

Holmes agradeceu e pediu também o envelope. Observou o carimbo do correio, a data, e que o papel era de boa qualidade e o envelope caro. A carta a instruía a estar no terceiro pilar da esquerda, do lado de fora do Lyceum Theatre, às sete horas daquela noite, a trazer dois amigos se desconfiasse, e que ela era uma mulher injustiçada que receberia justiça. Alertava para não trazer a polícia, senão tudo seria em vão. Holmes chamou isso de um mistério muito bonito e perguntou a Miss Morstan o que ela pretendia fazer.

Original English

“Thank you,” said Holmes. “The envelope too, please. Postmark, London, S.W. Date, July 7. Hum! Man’s thumbmark on corner—probably postman. Best quality paper. Envelopes at sixpence a packet. Particular man in his stationery. No address. ‘Be at the third pillar from the left outside the Lyceum Theatre tonight at seven o’clock. If you are distrustful, bring two friends. You are a wronged woman, and shall have justice. Do not bring police. If you do, all will be in vain. Your unknown friend.’ Well, really, this is a very pretty little mystery. What do you intend to do, Miss Morstan?”

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Português

Ele respondeu que desejava perguntar-lhe exatamente isso.

Original English

“That is exactly what I want to ask you.”

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Português

Ele concordou que iriam. Ele propôs o Dr. Watson como o companheiro perfeito, observando que já haviam colaborado antes e que o correspondente havia solicitado dois amigos.

Original English

“Then we shall most certainly go. You and I and—yes, why, Dr. Watson is the very man. Your correspondent says two friends. He and I have worked together before.”

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Português

Ela perguntou esperançosamente se ele concordaria em se juntar a eles.

Original English

“But would he come?” she asked, with something appealing in her voice and expression.

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Português

Eu declarei que ficaria honrado e encantado em poder ajudar.

Original English

“I should be proud and happy,” said I, fervently, “if I can be of any service.”

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Português

Ela agradeceu-lhes, explicando que vivia uma vida isolada, sem amigos a quem recorrer, e perguntou se as seis horas seriam adequadas.

Original English

“You are both very kind,” she answered. “I have led a retired life, and have no friends whom I could appeal to. If I am here at six it will do, I suppose?”

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Português

Holmes insistiu que ela não deveria se atrasar. Ele também perguntou se a caligrafia nos papéis correspondia aos endereços nas caixas de pérolas.

Original English

“You must not be later,” said Holmes. “There is one other point, however. Is this handwriting the same as that upon the pearl-box addresses?”

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Português

Ela respondeu que tinha os papéis consigo e produziu meia dúzia de folhas de papel.

Original English

“I have them here,” she answered, producing half a dozen pieces of paper.

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Português

Holmes a elogiou como uma cliente modelo com intuição correta. Ele espalhou os papéis sobre a mesa e os comparou com olhares rápidos. Observou que as letras estavam disfarçadas, exceto na carta, mas o autor era claramente o mesmo, apontando o característico 'e' grego e o giro do 's' final. Em seguida, perguntou cautelosamente se havia alguma semelhança com a caligrafia do pai dela.

Original English

“You are certainly a model client. You have the correct intuition. Let us see, now.” He spread out the papers upon the table, and gave little darting glances from one to the other. “They are disguised hands, except the letter,” he said, presently, “but there can be no question as to the authorship. See how the irrepressible Greek e will break out, and see the twirl of the final s. They are undoubtedly by the same person. I should not like to suggest false hopes, Miss Morstan, but is there any resemblance between this hand and that of your father?”

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Português

Miss Morstan respondeu que a caligrafia era completamente diferente.

Original English

“Nothing could be more unlike.”

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Português

Holmes disse que esperava aquela resposta. Confirmou o compromisso às seis, pediu para ficar com os papéis para investigação, observando que eram apenas três e meia, e se despediu dela.

Original English

“I expected to hear you say so. We shall look out for you, then, at six. Pray allow me to keep the papers. I may look into the matter before then. It is only half-past three. Au revoir, then.”

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Português

A visitante se despediu deles, trocou um olhar brilhante e gentil com cada um, então guardou sua caixa de pérolas de volta no vestido e partiu rapidamente. O narrador observou da janela enquanto ela caminhava rapidamente pela rua até que seu turbante cinza e pena branca se tornaram apenas um ponto entre a multidão escura.

Original English

“Au revoir,” said our visitor, and, with a bright, kindly glance from one to the other of us, she replaced her pearl-box in her bosom and hurried away. Standing at the window, I watched her walking briskly down the street, until the gray turban and white feather were but a speck in the sombre crowd.

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Português

Virando-se para seu companheiro, o narrador observou que a mulher era muito atraente.

Original English

“What a very attractive woman!” I exclaimed, turning to my companion.

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Português

Ele havia reacendido seu cachimbo e estava recostado, com as pálpebras semicerradas. Languidamente, perguntou se ela era, acrescentando que não havia notado.

Original English

He had lit his pipe again, and was leaning back with drooping eyelids. “Is she?” he said, languidly. “I did not observe.”

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Português

O narrador exclamou que seu companheiro era verdadeiramente um autômato, uma máquina de calcular, e que havia algo quase desumano nele às vezes.

Original English

“You really are an automaton—a calculating-machine!” I cried. “There is something positively inhuman in you at times.”

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Português

Ele sorriu gentilmente e explicou que era de extrema importância não deixar que qualidades pessoais influenciassem o julgamento de alguém. Para ele, um cliente era meramente uma unidade, um fator em um problema. Emoções atrapalhavam o raciocínio claro. Ele lembrou que a mulher mais encantadora que já conhecera foi enforcada por envenenar três crianças pelo dinheiro do seguro, enquanto o homem mais repugnante que conhecia era um filantropo que havia dado quase um quarto de milhão aos pobres de Londres.

Original English

He smiled gently. “It is of the first importance,” he said, “not to allow your judgment to be biased by personal qualities. A client is to me a mere unit—a factor in a problem. The emotional qualities are antagonistic to clear reasoning. I assure you that the most winning woman I ever knew was hanged for poisoning three little children for their insurance-money, and the most repellant man of my acquaintance is a philanthropist who has spent nearly a quarter of a million upon the London poor.”

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Português

Neste caso particular, no entanto...

Original English

“In this case, however—”

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Português

Holmes afirmou que nunca abria exceções, pois uma exceção invalida a regra. Ele perguntou se o ouvinte já havia estudado caligrafia e o que achava da escrita bagunçada daquela pessoa.

Original English

“I never make exceptions. An exception disproves the rule. Have you ever had occasion to study character in handwriting? What do you make of this fellow’s scribble?”

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Português

O narrador respondeu que a escrita era clara e organizada, sugerindo um homem com hábitos comerciais e caráter forte.

Original English

“It is legible and regular,” I answered. “A man of business habits and some force of character.”

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Português

Holmes discordou, ressaltando que as letras longas não eram distintas o suficiente. Ele explicou que pessoas com caráter sempre diferenciam suas letras longas, mesmo que escrevam mal. Ele viu indecisão nos 'k's e autoimportância nas maiúsculas. Então disse que sairia para verificar algumas referências, recomendou 'O Martírio do Homem' de Winwood Reade como um livro notável e disse que voltaria em uma hora.

Original English

Holmes shook his head. “Look at his long letters,” he said. “They hardly rise above the common herd. That d might be an a, and that l an e. Men of character always differentiate their long letters, however illegibly they may write. There is vacillation in his k’s and self-esteem in his capitals. I am going out now. I have some few references to make. Let me recommend this book—one of the most remarkable ever penned. It is Winwood Reade’s Martyrdom of Man. I shall be back in an hour.”

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Português

O narrador sentou-se perto da janela com o livro, mas seus pensamentos estavam na visitante recente: seus sorrisos, sua voz e o mistério de sua vida. Ele calculou que, se ela tinha dezessete anos quando seu pai desapareceu, agora deveria ter vinte e sete, uma idade doce em que a juventude perde a autoconsciência e se torna temperada pela experiência. Ele caiu em pensamentos tão perigosos que se forçou a ir para sua mesa e mergulhar em um tratado de patologia. Lembrou a si mesmo que era apenas um cirurgião do exército com uma perna fraca e pouco dinheiro, não alguém que deveria entreter tais ideias. Ela era meramente uma unidade, um fator. Se seu futuro fosse sombrio, era melhor enfrentá-lo como um homem do que buscar falsas esperanças na imaginação.

Original English

I sat in the window with the volume in my hand, but my thoughts were far from the daring speculations of the writer. My mind ran upon our late visitor—her smiles, the deep rich tones of her voice, the strange mystery which overhung her life. If she were seventeen at the time of her father’s disappearance she must be seven-and-twenty now—a sweet age, when youth has lost its self-consciousness and become a little sobered by experience. So I sat and mused, until such dangerous thoughts came into my head that I hurried away to my desk and plunged furiously into the latest treatise upon pathology. What was I, an army surgeon with a weak leg and a weaker banking-account, that I should dare to think of such things? She was a unit, a factor—nothing more. If my future were black, it was better surely to face it like a man than to attempt to brighten it by mere will-o’-the-wisps of the imagination.

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In Quest of a Solution

Português

Holmes voltou às cinco e meia. Ele parecia alegre e cheio de energia, um estado que contrastava com sua tristeza profunda habitual.

Original English

It was half-past five before Holmes returned. He was bright, eager, and in excellent spirits—a mood which in his case alternated with fits of the blackest depression.

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Português

Ele pegou a xícara de chá que eu havia preparado e comentou que o caso não era particularmente misterioso; os fatos pareciam apontar para uma única explicação.

Original English

“There is no great mystery in this matter,” he said, taking the cup of tea which I had poured out for him. “The facts appear to admit of only one explanation.”

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Português

Exclamei surpreso, perguntando se ele já havia resolvido.

Original English

“What! you have solved it already?”

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Português

Ele respondeu que seria um exagero dizer que ele havia resolvido; ele apenas encontrara uma pista altamente sugestiva, embora os detalhes ainda precisassem ser acrescentados. Ele havia consultado edições antigas do Times e descoberto que o Major Sholto, anteriormente do 34º Batalhão de Infantaria de Bombaim e de Upper Norwood, havia morrido em 28 de abril de 1882.

Original English

“Well, that would be too much to say. I have discovered a suggestive fact, that is all. It is, however, very suggestive. The details are still to be added. I have just found, on consulting the back files of the Times, that Major Sholto, of Upper Norword, late of the 34th Bombay Infantry, died upon the 28th of April, 1882.”

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Português

Admiti que poderia ser lento para entender, mas não conseguia ver o que essa informação sugeria.

Original English

“I may be very obtuse, Holmes, but I fail to see what this suggests.”

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Português

Holmes propôs uma forma diferente de analisar os fatos. O capitão Morstan havia desaparecido, e a única pessoa em Londres que ele poderia ter visitado era o major Sholto. Sholto negou saber que ele estava em Londres. Quatro anos depois, Sholto morreu. Dentro de uma semana de sua morte, a filha de Morstan começou a receber presentes valiosos a cada ano, e agora uma carta a chamava de mulher injustiçada. Holmes argumentou que a injustiça só poderia ser a perda de seu pai, e os presentes devem ter começado após a morte de Sholto porque seu herdeiro conhecia o segredo e queria fazer reparação. Ele perguntou se havia alguma outra explicação.

Original English

“No? You surprise me. Look at it in this way, then. Captain Morstan disappears. The only person in London whom he could have visited is Major Sholto. Major Sholto denies having heard that he was in London. Four years later Sholto dies. Within a week of his death Captain Morstan’s daughter receives a valuable present, which is repeated from year to year, and now culminates in a letter which describes her as a wronged woman. What wrong can it refer to except this deprivation of her father? And why should the presents begin immediately after Sholto’s death, unless it is that Sholto’s heir knows something of the mystery and desires to make compensation? Have you any alternative theory which will meet the facts?”

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Português

O ouvinte achou a compensação estranha e seu momento, peculiar. A carta falava em fazer justiça a ela, mas que justiça ela poderia esperar? Era improvável que seu pai ainda estivesse vivo, e nenhuma outra injustiça era conhecida em seu caso.

Original English

“But what a strange compensation! And how strangely made! Why, too, should he write a letter now, rather than six years ago? Again, the letter speaks of giving her justice. What justice can she have? It is too much to suppose that her father is still alive. There is no other injustice in her case that you know of.”

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Português

Holmes admitiu que havia dificuldades, mas acreditava que a expedição noturna as resolveria. Uma carruagem chegou com a Srta. Morstan dentro, e ele instou todos a descerem, pois já passava da hora.

Original English

“There are difficulties; there are certainly difficulties,” said Sherlock Holmes, pensively. “But our expedition of tonight will solve them all. Ah, here is a four-wheeler, and Miss Morstan is inside. Are you all ready? Then we had better go down, for it is a little past the hour.”

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Português

Peguei meu chapéu e a bengala mais pesada, mas notei que Holmes pegou seu revólver de uma gaveta e o colocou no bolso. Ficou claro que ele esperava que o trabalho da noite pudesse ser perigoso.

Original English

I picked up my hat and my heaviest stick, but I observed that Holmes took his revolver from his drawer and slipped it into his pocket. It was clear that he thought that our night’s work might be a serious one.

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Português

A Srta. Morstan usava uma capa escura, e seu rosto sensível estava sereno, mas pálido. Ela deve ter sentido algum desconforto com a estranha jornada, mas permaneceu calma e respondeu prontamente às perguntas adicionais de Holmes.

Original English

Miss Morstan was muffled in a dark cloak, and her sensitive face was composed, but pale. She must have been more than woman if she did not feel some uneasiness at the strange enterprise upon which we were embarking, yet her self-control was perfect, and she readily answered the few additional questions which Sherlock Holmes put to her.

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Português

Ela explicou que o major Sholto tinha sido um amigo muito próximo de seu pai. As cartas dele estavam cheias de referências ao major. Eles serviram juntos no comando das tropas nas Ilhas Andaman, então estavam juntos com frequência. Ela também mencionou que um papel estranho foi encontrado na escrivaninha de seu pai, que ninguém conseguia entender. Ela achou que poderia não ter importância, mas o trouxe caso Holmes quisesse vê-lo.

Original English

“Major Sholto was a very particular friend of papa’s,” she said. “His letters were full of allusions to the major. He and papa were in command of the troops at the Andaman Islands, so they were thrown a great deal together. By the way, a curious paper was found in papa’s desk which no one could understand. I don’t suppose that it is of the slightest importance, but I thought you might care to see it, so I brought it with me. It is here.”

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Português

Holmes desdobrou cuidadosamente o papel e o alisou sobre o joelho. Em seguida, examinou-o metodicamente por inteiro com sua lente dupla.

Original English

Holmes unfolded the paper carefully and smoothed it out upon his knee. He then very methodically examined it all over with his double lens.

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Português

Ele observou que o papel era de fabricação indiana nativa e que em algum momento havia sido preso a uma tábua. O diagrama parecia ser a planta de parte de um grande edifício com muitos salões, corredores e passagens. Em um ponto havia uma pequena cruz em tinta vermelha, e acima dela, em lápis desbotado, estava escrito '3,37 a partir da esquerda'. No canto esquerdo havia um hieróglifo curioso como quatro cruzes em linha com os braços se tocando. Ao lado, em caracteres muito grosseiros, estava escrito 'O sinal dos quatro — Jonathan Small, Muhammad Singh, Abdullah Khan, Dost Akbar'. Ele confessou que não via como aquilo se relacionava com o assunto, mas evidentemente era um documento importante, guardado cuidadosamente em um porta-notas, pois um lado estava tão limpo quanto o outro.

Original English

“It is paper of native Indian manufacture,” he remarked. “It has at some time been pinned to a board. The diagram upon it appears to be a plan of part of a large building with numerous halls, corridors, and passages. At one point is a small cross done in red ink, and above it is ‘3.37 from left,’ in faded pencil-writing. In the left-hand corner is a curious hieroglyphic like four crosses in a line with their arms touching. Beside it is written, in very rough and coarse characters, ‘The sign of the four—Jonathan Small, Muhammad Singh, Abdullah Khan, Dost Akbar.’ No, I confess that I do not see how this bears upon the matter. Yet it is evidently a document of importance. It has been kept carefully in a pocketbook; for the one side is as clean as the other.”

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Português

Miss Morstan confirmou que foi no porta-notas de seu pai que o encontraram.

Original English

“It was in his pocketbook that we found it.”

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Português

Holmes a aconselhou a preservá-lo cuidadosamente, pois poderia ser útil. Começou a suspeitar que o assunto era mais profundo e sutil do que ele havia suposto inicialmente, e que precisava reconsiderar suas ideias. Ele se recostou na carruagem, e Watson pôde ver, por sua testa franzida e olhar vago, que ele pensava intensamente. Miss Morstan e Watson conversaram em voz baixa sobre a expedição atual e seu possível resultado, mas Holmes manteve sua reserva impenetrável até o fim da viagem.

Original English

“Preserve it carefully, then, Miss Morstan, for it may prove to be of use to us. I begin to suspect that this matter may turn out to be much deeper and more subtle than I at first supposed. I must reconsider my ideas.” He leaned back in the cab, and I could see by his drawn brow and his vacant eye that he was thinking intently. Miss Morstan and I chatted in an undertone about our present expedition and its possible outcome, but our companion maintained his impenetrable reserve until the end of our journey.

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Português

Era uma noite de setembro, ainda não eram sete horas, mas o dia tinha sido monótono e um nevoeiro espesso e chuviscoso pairava baixo sobre a grande cidade. Nuvens cor de lama pendiam tristemente sobre as ruas molhadas. Ao longo do Strand, os lampiões apareciam apenas como manchas nebulosas de luz dispersa, lançando um tênue brilho circular sobre a calçada escorregadia. O clarão amarelo das vitrines fluía para o ar vaporoso, projetando uma luminosidade turva e mutante pela estrada movimentada. Para mim, havia algo estranho e fantasmagórico na procissão interminável de rostos que passavam por essas estreitas barras de luz — rostos tristes e alegres, cansados e contentes. Como toda a humanidade, eles passavam da escuridão para a luz, e depois de volta à escuridão. Normalmente não sou facilmente afetado, mas a noite pesada e monótona, combinada com o estranho negócio em que estávamos envolvidos, me deixou nervoso e deprimido. Podia perceber pela maneira de Miss Morstan que ela se sentia da mesma forma. Apenas Holmes parecia capaz de se elevar acima de tais influências mesquinhas. Ele segurava seu caderno aberto no joelho e, de vez em quando, anotava números e observações à luz de sua lanterna de bolso.

Original English

It was a September evening, and not yet seven o’clock, but the day had been a dreary one, and a dense drizzly fog lay low upon the great city. Mud-colored clouds drooped sadly over the muddy streets. Down the Strand the lamps were but misty splotches of diffused light which threw a feeble circular glimmer upon the slimy pavement. The yellow glare from the shopwindows streamed out into the steamy, vaporous air, and threw a murky, shifting radiance across the crowded thoroughfare. There was, to my mind, something eerie and ghostlike in the endless procession of faces which flitted across these narrow bars of light—sad faces and glad, haggard and merry. Like all human kind, they flitted from the gloom into the light, and so back into the gloom once more. I am not subject to impressions, but the dull, heavy evening, with the strange business upon which we were engaged, combined to make me nervous and depressed. I could see from Miss Morstan’s manner that she was suffering from the same feeling. Holmes alone could rise superior to petty influences. He held his open notebook upon his knee, and from time to time he jotted down figures and memoranda in the light of his pocket-lantern.

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Português

No Teatro Lyceum, as multidões já eram densas nas entradas laterais. Na frente, um fluxo constante de hansom cabs e carruagens de quatro rodas chegava ruidosamente, deixando seus passageiros — homens com peitos de camisa engomados e mulheres envoltas em xales e cobertas de diamantes. Mal haviam alcançado o terceiro pilar, que era seu ponto de encontro, quando um homem pequeno, moreno e lépido, vestido de cocheiro, aproximou-se deles.

Original English

At the Lyceum Theatre the crowds were already thick at the side-entrances. In front a continuous stream of hansoms and four-wheelers were rattling up, discharging their cargoes of shirt-fronted men and beshawled, bediamonded women. We had hardly reached the third pillar, which was our rendezvous, before a small, dark, brisk man in the dress of a coachman accosted us.

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Português

Ele perguntou se eles eram os que tinham vindo com a Srta. Morstan.

Original English

“Are you the parties who come with Miss Morstan?” he asked.

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Português

Ela respondeu que era a Srta. Morstan e que os dois cavalheiros eram seus amigos.

Original English

“I am Miss Morstan, and these two gentlemen are my friends,” said she.

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Português

Ele os fitou com um par de olhos maravilhosamente penetrantes e inquisitivos. De maneira bastante teimosa, disse que havia sido instruído a pedir que a Srta. Morstan desse sua palavra de que nenhum de seus acompanhantes era um policial.

Original English

He bent a pair of wonderfully penetrating and questioning eyes upon us. “You will excuse me, miss,” he said with a certain dogged manner, “but I was to ask you to give me your word that neither of your companions is a police-officer.”

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Português

Ela deu a ele sua palavra sobre esse assunto.

Original English

“I give you my word on that,” she answered.

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Português

Ele soltou um assobio agudo, e um moleque de rua trouxe um cabriolé de quatro rodas. O homem que havia falado com eles subiu no assento do cocheiro, enquanto eles tomaram seus lugares dentro. Mal fizeram isso, o cocheiro chicoteou o cavalo, e eles partiram a uma velocidade tremenda pelas ruas enevoadas.

Original English

He gave a shrill whistle, on which a street arab led across a four-wheeler and opened the door. The man who had addressed us mounted to the box, while we took our places inside. We had hardly done so before the driver whipped up his horse, and we plunged away at a furious pace through the foggy streets.

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Glossary: New Words

Words introduced by the simplified reading. Each entry shows up to five real sentences from this book; every Back to B1 link opens the exact sentence in the simplified version.

abilities əˈbɪlɪtiz (1)

Português: habilidades

Simple English: Skills or talents to do things.

Example: She has many abilities in music and art.

Uses in this book:

1. He asked why he would risk his great abilities for a short pleasure. Back to B1

ability əˈbɪlɪti (2)

Português: habilidade

Simple English: The skill or power to do something.

Example: She has the ability to speak three languages.

Uses in this book:

1. He apologized for treating the other person unfairly and admitted he should have trusted their amazing ability more. Back to B1

2. This shows a good ability to compare and appreciate things, which is a sign of being noble.

acceptable /əkˈsɛptəbl/ (1)

Português: aceitável; admissível

Simple English: Agreed upon by most people in a society.

Example: Wearing casual clothes is acceptable in many modern workplaces today.

Uses in this book:

1. She asked if arriving at six o'clock would be acceptable. Back to B1

affected əˈfɛktɪd (1)

Português: influenciado

Simple English: influenced or changed by something

Example: The romantic place might have affected a more civilized man.

Uses in this book:

1. Only Holmes was calm and did not seem affected by the mood. Back to B1

announced əˈnaʊnst (2)

Português: anunciou

Simple English: said something clearly to many people

Example: Tarzan announced who he was.

Uses in this book:

1. Holmes announced he was leaving to do some research and recommended a book called "The Martyrdom of Man" by Winwood Reade, saying he would return in an hour. Back to B1

2. McMurdo announced himself and said that they should know his knock by now.

apologized əˈpɒləˌdʒaɪzd (6)

Português: pediu desculpas

Simple English: Said sorry for a mistake.

Example: He apologized for being late.

Uses in this book:

1. Holmes kindly apologized. Back to B1

2. He apologized for treating the other person unfairly and admitted he should have trusted their amazing ability more. Back to B1

3. He apologized for these careful steps, saying he was a private person with refined tastes and disliked policemen.

4. Mr. Sherman apologized for being a little short at first, saying that children often bothered him and people came to his lane to disturb him.

5. The speaker apologized to Mrs. Smith because they wanted a steam launch and had heard good things about one, but could not remember its name.

aspects ˈæspekts (1)

Português: aspectos

Simple English: different parts or features of something

Example: The case had many interesting aspects.

Uses in this book:

1. The case involved a will and had interesting aspects. Back to B1

attached əˈtætʃt (1)

Português: preso

Simple English: Fastened or connected to something.

Example: The quiver was attached to his belt.

Uses in this book:

1. Holmes said the paper was made in India and had been attached to a board at some point. Back to B1

awkward ˈɔːkwərd (1)

Português: desconfortável

Simple English: uneasy or embarrassed in a situation

Example: Emily felt awkward trying to keep the talk going.

Uses in this book:

1. The speaker felt that his situation was awkward. Back to B1

beautiful ˈbjuːtɪfl (4)

Português: bonito

Simple English: very nice to look at or feel

Example: She smiled a beautiful smile.

Uses in this book:

1. Her face was not perfectly beautiful, but she had a kind and pleasant expression. Back to B1

2. The same day, she received a small box in the post with no name, containing a large, beautiful pearl. Back to B1

3. The narrator turned to his friend and said that the woman was very beautiful. Back to B1

4. Inside, they found many beautiful gems.

capital ˈkæpɪtəl (1)

Português: maiúscula

Simple English: A letter in uppercase form.

Example: Nan always imagined GLOOMY HOUSE with capital letters.

Uses in this book:

1. He saw uncertainty in the man's 'k's and self-importance in his capital letters. Back to B1

coat koʊt (3)

Português: casaco

Simple English: A piece of clothing worn to keep warm.

Example: She did not have any coat.

Uses in this book:

1. Miss Morstan wore a dark coat, and her face looked serious but pale. Back to B1

2. He then took a long coat with fur from behind a curtain and put it on, even though the night was very warm.

3. The small man wore a dark coat, showing only his face, which looked very cruel and evil.

codes koʊdz (1)

Português: códigos

Simple English: Symbols or signs used to send secret messages.

Example: They used secret codes to talk without others understanding.

Uses in this book:

1. He felt best when he had problems, work, difficult codes, or complex analysis. Back to B1

colleague ˈkɒliːɡ (1)

Português: colega

Simple English: a person you work with

Example: She is my colleague at the office.

Uses in this book:

1. They contacted him, but he did not know that his former colleague was in England. Back to B1

comfortably ˈkʌmfərtəbli (2)

Português: confortavelmente

Simple English: In a way that feels good and relaxed.

Example: He sat comfortably in the big chair.

Uses in this book:

1. He sat back comfortably in his chair and smoked his pipe, making smoke rings. Back to B1

2. He bought a house and lived very comfortably.

commented ˈkɒmentɪd (3)

Português: comentou

Simple English: To say or write something about a topic.

Example: He commented on the beautiful painting.

Uses in this book:

1. The narrator commented that Holmes's friend wrote to him like a student writing to his teacher. Back to B1

2. He then commented on how nice the morning air was and described a small cloud.

3. He commented that it looked like a family gathering.

confident ˈkɒnfɪdənt (3)

Português: confiante

Simple English: feeling sure about your abilities

Example: He said they must be very confident to handle the situation.

Uses in this book:

1. His great skills, his confident way of acting, and my experience with his many unusual qualities made me shy and hesitant to disagree with him. Back to B1

2. I felt a little amused because I thought the test was impossible and I wanted to teach him a lesson about his sometimes too confident way of speaking. Back to B1

3. He looked very different from the confident and bossy police officer who had taken charge of the case earlier.

confront kənˈfrʌnt (2)

Português: enfrentar

Simple English: to face someone and challenge them

Example: They were ready to confront Terkoz when he came back.

Uses in this book:

1. I often promised myself I would speak about it, but Holmes's calm and relaxed manner made him difficult to confront. Back to B1

2. His only thought was to escape, find Sholto, and confront him.

dim dɪm (4)

Português: fraco, pouco claro

Simple English: not bright or clear

Example: The lights made the ground look dim.

Uses in this book:

1. Lights from the shops shone weakly through the foggy air, making the wet ground look dim. Back to B1

2. The narrator saw many faces passing by in the dim light. Back to B1

3. In the dim light, he saw eyes looking from dark places.

4. The sky in the east was getting lighter, and they could see in the dim, gray morning light.

direct /dəˈrɛkt/ (1)

Português: direto; direcionar; dirigir

Simple English: To instruct actors and organize scenes in a movie, play, or show.

Example: He was hired to direct the next big theater production this season.

Uses in this book:

1. He told her to explain her case in a direct, business-like way. Back to B1

disagree ˌdɪsəˈgriː (1)

Português: discordar

Simple English: to have a different opinion

Example: We sometimes disagree about plans.

Uses in this book:

1. His great skills, his confident way of acting, and my experience with his many unusual qualities made me shy and hesitant to disagree with him. Back to B1

disagreed ˌdɪsəˈɡriːd (9)

Português: discordou

Simple English: to have a different opinion

Example: Professor Porter disagreed.

Uses in this book:

1. The narrator disagreed, saying that the romance was part of the real events and he could not change the facts. Back to B1

2. Miss Morstan disagreed, saying Mrs. Forrester did not think the case was simple. Back to B1

3. Holmes disagreed, pointing out the long letters were not very distinct. Back to B1

4. He and Morstan disagreed about how to divide the treasure, and they argued loudly.

5. Someone disagreed, but admitted Holmes was sometimes correct.

diseases dɪˈziːzɪz (1)

Português: doenças

Simple English: illnesses that hurt the body

Example: He discovered diseases.

Uses in this book:

1. He found himself thinking dangerous thoughts, so he quickly went to his desk and focused on a book about diseases. Back to B1

distinct dɪˈstɪŋkt (1)

Português: claro, distinto

Simple English: clearly different or easy to notice

Example: The letters were not very distinct.

Uses in this book:

1. Holmes disagreed, pointing out the long letters were not very distinct. Back to B1

dot dɒt (1)

Português: ponto

Simple English: A very small round mark.

Example: The plane looked like a small dot in the sky.

Uses in this book:

1. Soon, her hat and feather were just a small dot in the large, dark crowd. Back to B1

drug drʌɡ (1)

Português: droga

Simple English: A substance used as medicine or to affect someone’s mind or body.

Example: The medicine is a strong drug to help you sleep.

Uses in this book:

1. I asked Holmes which drug he was taking that day, morphine or cocaine. Back to B1

earlier ˈɜrliər (4)

Português: mais cedo

Simple English: before now or before another time

Example: I arrived earlier than expected.

Uses in this book:

1. They wondered why the letter was sent now and not six years earlier. Back to B1

2. She had been brave earlier, but in the cab, she became upset and cried.

3. He looked very different from the confident and bossy police officer who had taken charge of the case earlier.

4. His good mood was a change from his earlier sadness.

elegant ˈɛlɪɡənt (2)

Português: elegante

Simple English: Beautiful and graceful in appearance or style.

Example: He watched Jane Porter's kind face and elegant body.

Uses in this book:

1. She was a small, elegant young blonde lady, dressed very nicely. Back to B1

2. He preferred to avoid rough people and lived in an elegant environment, considering himself a supporter of the arts.

enthusiastically ɪnˌθjuːziˈæstɪkli (1)

Português: entusiasticamente

Simple English: In a very excited and interested way.

Example: He enthusiastically agreed to help us.

Uses in this book:

1. The narrator agreed enthusiastically, saying he had been very impressed. Back to B1

Europe ˈjʊərəp (1)

Português: Europa

Simple English: a continent in the northern hemisphere

Example: She traveled to Europe last summer.

Uses in this book:

1. Holmes mentioned that his work had recently expanded to Europe. Back to B1

eventually /ɪˈvɛnʧuəli/ (1)

Português: eventualmente; acabou; conseqüentemente

Simple English: After a series of events or extended period.

Example: We eventually found the solution after many trials and errors.

Uses in this book:

1. He was poor for a while, then had some good times, but eventually he started drinking and died. Back to B1

expanded ɪkˈspændɪd (1)

Português: expandido

Simple English: Made bigger or larger.

Example: The company expanded its business to new countries.

Uses in this book:

1. Holmes mentioned that his work had recently expanded to Europe. Back to B1

expensive ɪkˈspɛnsɪv (1)

Português: caro

Simple English: Costing a lot of money.

Example: That is an expensive suit.

Uses in this book:

1. He thought it was easy to assume that a man who treated an expensive watch so carelessly must be a careless man. Back to B1

explain ɪkˈspleɪn (3)

Português: explicar

Simple English: To make something clear or easy to understand.

Example: He explained the rules to the new players.

Uses in this book:

1. He told her to explain her case in a direct, business-like way. Back to B1

2. He said they might be able to help explain some things that were still unclear.

3. The narrator told his story to the gentlemen not to entertain them, but because he wanted to explain how badly he had been treated by Major Sholto and that he was not guilty of killing Major Sholto's son.

focused ˈfoʊkəst (4)

Português: concentrados

Simple English: giving full attention to something

Example: She was focused on her homework.

Uses in this book:

1. He also felt his friend was too focused on himself, wanting the writing to be only about his own actions. Back to B1

2. He leaned forward in his chair, looking very focused. Back to B1

3. He found himself thinking dangerous thoughts, so he quickly went to his desk and focused on a book about diseases. Back to B1

4. I thought he might be too focused on complicated answers when a simple one was available.

France fræns (1)

Português: França

Simple English: A country in Europe.

Example: He might be from France.

Uses in this book:

1. He had been asked for help by François Le Villard, a detective in France who was becoming well-known. Back to B1

glove ɡlʌv (1)

Português: luva

Simple English: A piece of clothing for the hand.

Example: He gave Gobred a glove.

Uses in this book:

1. To his surprise, the young lady raised her hand, which was covered by a glove, to stop him. Back to B1

goodbye ɡʊdˈbaɪ (2)

Português: adeus

Simple English: Words said when leaving.

Example: He said goodbye before leaving.

Uses in this book:

1. He said goodbye until later. Back to B1

2. The visitor said goodbye. Back to B1

gun ɡʌn (9)

Português: arma de fogo

Simple English: a weapon that shoots bullets

Example: He fired his gun while escaping.

Uses in this book:

1. I saw that Holmes took his gun from a drawer and put it in his pocket. Back to B1

2. He then took out his gun, loaded two bullets, and put it back in his pocket.

3. Holmes took out his gun, and the narrator also took out his gun when he saw this frightening man.

4. He was told to fire his gun if there was trouble, and help would come from the central guard.

5. Since his companions would not talk, the narrator took out his pipe to light it, putting his gun down.

helpful ˈhɛlpfəl (3)

Português: útil

Simple English: Showing help or assistance.

Example: He said he would not be helpful to the tribe.

Uses in this book:

1. However, he found it very helpful and clear for his mind, so the bad physical effects were not important to him. Back to B1

2. The other person answered that his presence would be very helpful.

3. He thought Miss Morstan was a very charming young lady and could have been very helpful in their work.

hesitant ˈhɛzɪtənt (1)

Português: hesitante

Simple English: slow to act or speak because of doubt

Example: He seemed hesitant to talk about it.

Uses in this book:

1. His great skills, his confident way of acting, and my experience with his many unusual qualities made me shy and hesitant to disagree with him. Back to B1

hopeful ˈhoʊpfəl (1)

Português: esperançoso

Simple English: feeling that something good will happen

Example: Gemnon felt hopeful again.

Uses in this book:

1. She asked if Dr. Watson would come, sounding hopeful. Back to B1

inactive ɪnˈæktɪv (1)

Português: inativo

Simple English: Not moving or working.

Example: The machine was inactive for many days.

Uses in this book:

1. He said his mind did not like being inactive. Back to B1

injection ɪnˈdʒɛkʃən (1)

Português: injeção

Simple English: A shot of medicine with a needle.

Example: The nurse gave me an injection.

Uses in this book:

1. Sherlock Holmes took his bottle and his injection tool. Back to B1

injections ɪnˈdʒɛkʃənz (1)

Português: injeções

Simple English: Shots of medicine with a needle.

Example: The doctor gave me two injections yesterday.

Uses in this book:

1. He looked for a moment at his arm, which had many small marks from previous injections. Back to B1

invite ɪnˈvaɪt (1)

Português: convidar

Simple English: To ask someone to come or join.

Example: Anne invited Diana for tea.

Uses in this book:

1. He asked Mrs. Hudson, the landlady, to invite the young lady upstairs. Back to B1

items ˈaɪtəmz (4)

Português: objetos

Simple English: Things or objects, especially small ones.

Example: Clayton said he wished they had left those items.

Uses in this book:

1. It contained clothes, books, and many interesting items from the Andaman Islands. Back to B1

2. It was strong and well-made, like a chest for valuable items.

3. If he could not have the valuable items, he would make sure no one else could have them either.

4. The merchant answered that the bundle contained an iron box with personal items that were not valuable to others but important to him.

magnifying ˈmægnɪfaɪɪŋ (3)

Português: ampliando

Simple English: making something look bigger

Example: She used a magnifying glass to see the details.

Uses in this book:

1. He looked first with his eyes and then with a strong magnifying glass. Back to B1

2. He then looked at it very carefully using his double magnifying glass. Back to B1

3. He quickly took out his magnifying glass and tape measure.

math mæθ (2)

Português: matemática

Simple English: The study of numbers and calculations.

Example: He was good at math.

Uses in this book:

1. He felt the narrator had tried to make it too romantic, which was like adding a love story to a difficult math problem. Back to B1

2. He thought a dog could follow the strong smell a very long way, like a math problem.

messy ˈmes.i (5)

Português: bagunçado

Simple English: Not clean or tidy.

Example: Her desk is always messy.

Uses in this book:

1. A man was very messy and not careful. Back to B1

2. He asked the narrator if he had ever studied handwriting and what he thought of a person's messy writing. Back to B1

3. They never found out what the letter said, but the speaker saw it was short and written in messy handwriting.

4. He acted like he was better than them, which looked funny because he was dressed in old, messy clothes.

5. He had a large, misshapen head and messy hair.

mix mɪks (2)

Português: mistura

Simple English: A combination of different things.

Example: The cake is made from a mix of ingredients.

Uses in this book:

1. He said it was cocaine, a seven-percent mix. Back to B1

2. It looked like a mix of a spaniel and a lurcher, with brown and white fur.

narrator ˈnærətər (203)

Português: narrador

Simple English: The person who tells a story.

Example: The narrator was busy looking for strange things.

Uses in this book:

1. The narrator asked, with raised eyebrows, if he was the only detective who was not officially employed by the police. Back to B1

2. He reminded the narrator that he had already seen his methods in the Jefferson Hope case. Back to B1

3. The narrator agreed enthusiastically, saying he had been very impressed. Back to B1

4. He felt the narrator had tried to make it too romantic, which was like adding a love story to a difficult math problem. Back to B1

5. The narrator disagreed, saying that the romance was part of the real events and he could not change the facts. Back to B1

onto ˈɑntu (5)

Português: em cima de

Simple English: moving to a higher position on something

Example: The cat jumped onto the table.

Uses in this book:

1. A man got onto the driver's seat, and they got inside. Back to B1

2. Sherlock Holmes said they were passing Rochester Row, then Vincent Square, and then coming out onto Vauxhall Bridge Road.

3. It threatened to drop something from a bag onto his head if he did not leave.

4. Then, the person jumped lightly onto a barrel, and from there to the ground.

5. Finally, it jumped onto a large barrel on a trolley with a happy bark.

personality ˌpɜːrsəˈnælɪti (1)

Português: personalidade

Simple English: The way someone thinks, feels, and behaves.

Example: They reacted based on their personality.

Uses in this book:

1. I told him that I had heard him say it is hard for a person to use an object every day without leaving a sign of their personality on it. Back to B1

physical ˈfɪzɪkəl (1)

Português: físico

Simple English: Related to the body or things you can touch.

Example: Physical exercise is good for health.

Uses in this book:

1. However, he found it very helpful and clear for his mind, so the bad physical effects were not important to him. Back to B1

plain /pleɪn/ (3)

Português: planície; liso; simples

Simple English: Simple in design, without pattern or decoration.

Example: He prefers plain shirts over those with bright patterns or designs.

Uses in this book:

1. Her dress was a plain, dull color, and she wore a small hat of the same color with a small white feather. Back to B1

2. We saw many plain brick houses and new buildings.

3. Inside, a path led through empty land to a very large, plain house.

pleasant ˈplɛzənt (3)

Português: agradável

Simple English: nice and enjoyable

Example: They lived in a pleasant valley with bright windows.

Uses in this book:

1. Her face was not perfectly beautiful, but she had a kind and pleasant expression. Back to B1

2. The area was not pleasant or safe.

3. They had left the foggy city and the night was pleasant.

politely pəˈlaɪtli (1)

Português: educadamente

Simple English: in a kind and respectful way

Example: He asked politely for help.

Uses in this book:

1. He politely asked Miss Morstan to promise that neither of her companions was a police officer. Back to B1

praise /preɪz/ (2)

Português: louvor; louvar; elogios

Simple English: To express admiration or approval toward someone or something.

Example: The teacher will praise students who submit their projects on time.

Uses in this book:

1. He said he had read the book but could not praise it. Back to B1

2. Holmes then showed the narrator a letter from Le Villard, which was full of praise and admiration for Holmes's help. Back to B1

praised preɪzd (3)

Português: elogiou

Simple English: said good things about someone

Example: Torndali praised Gefasto for doing a great job.

Uses in this book:

1. Sherlock Holmes replied that his friend praised his help too much. Back to B1

2. He praised the dog.

3. The article praised the police's quick work and the effectiveness of a strong leader.

previous /ˈpriːvɪəs/ (7)

Português: anterior; precedente; prévia

Simple English: Happening or existing before the present or mentioned time.

Example: I attended a previous meeting where we discussed the project details.

Uses in this book:

1. He looked for a moment at his arm, which had many small marks from previous injections. Back to B1

2. He said the watch was about fifty years old, and the initials were old too, meaning they were from the previous generation. Back to B1

3. He mentioned they had a loud argument the previous night and described his brother as a very frightening person when angry.

4. He explained that he was the last person to see the man, leaving him the previous night and hearing the door lock as he went downstairs.

5. Holmes told Mr. Jones that he would not only clear Mr. Sholto but also give him the name and description of one of the two people in the room the previous night.

rainy ˈreɪni (2)

Português: chuvoso

Simple English: When there is a lot of rain.

Example: It was a rainy Sunday.

Uses in this book:

1. It was a dark and rainy evening in September. Back to B1

2. The third night of his watch was dark, rainy, and unpleasant.

receive rɪˈsiːv (8)

Português: receber

Simple English: To get something.

Example: She will receive a gift.

Uses in this book:

1. The letter mentioned giving the daughter justice, but the speaker questioned what justice she could receive. Back to B1

2. Holmes told them the usual payment would be given, and the boy who found the boat would receive an extra guinea.

3. He was supposed to receive more money if they reached their ship, the Esmeralda, which was ready to sail to Brazil from Gravesend.

4. He said they would each receive about two hundred thousand pounds, which meant an income of ten thousand pounds a year.

5. He would receive a quarter of the treasure, and they said they could not offer anything fairer.

recent ˈriː.sənt (2)

Português: recente

Simple English: Happened a short time ago.

Example: The recent attack was very bad.

Uses in this book:

1. The narrator sat by the window with the book, but his mind was on their recent visitor. Back to B1

2. Watson briefly told her about recent events: Holmes's new search method, finding the Aurora, Athelney Jones's arrival, their evening trip, and a fast chase on the Thames.

recognition ˌrɛkəɡˈnɪʃən (1)

Português: reconhecimento

Simple English: Knowing or accepting someone or something.

Example: She received recognition for her hard work.

Uses in this book:

1. He did not seek public recognition or credit, and his name was not in the newspapers. Back to B1

related /rɪˈleɪtɪd/ (3)

Português: relacionados; relacionadas; conexos

Simple English: Connected through family or marriage.

Example: She is related to him by marriage; they are cousins.

Uses in this book:

1. I asked if observation and deduction were related. Back to B1

2. Next to it, written in rough letters, were the names 'The sign of the four—Jonathan Small, Muhammad Singh, Abdullah Khan, Dost Akbar.' Holmes admitted he did not see how it was related to their case, but he thought it was an important paper because it was kept clean, like in a pocketbook. Back to B1

3. The narrator and his brother thought it was related to their father's fears, but it remained a mystery to them.

relaxed /rɪˈlækst/ (1)

Português: relaxado; descontraído; relaxei

Simple English: Feeling calm, at ease, and free from stress or tension.

Example: After the yoga class, I felt completely relaxed and happy.

Uses in this book:

1. I often promised myself I would speak about it, but Holmes's calm and relaxed manner made him difficult to confront. Back to B1

repaired rɪˈpɛərd (1)

Português: reparou

Simple English: Fixed something that was broken.

Example: He repaired the broken chair.

Uses in this book:

1. He knew that the pavement was being repaired near the post office, and the dirt there was this special color. Back to B1

responsible /rɪˈspɒnsəbəl/ (1)

Português: responsável; se responsabiliza; encarregado

Simple English: Able to be trusted to perform duties or act appropriately.

Example: He is responsible for managing the team and ensuring tasks are completed.

Uses in this book:

1. He added that he spoke as a friend and also as a doctor who was partly responsible for his health. Back to B1

rethink ˌriːˈθɪŋk (1)

Português: repensar

Simple English: To think again about something.

Example: She had to rethink her plan after the problem.

Uses in this book:

1. He started to think that the case was more complicated than he first believed and needed to rethink his ideas. Back to B1

Romantic /roʊˈmæntɪk/ (1)

Português: romântico; amorosa

Simple English: Pertaining to love or affectionate relationships between partners.

Example: They had a romantic dinner by candlelight on the beach.

Uses in this book:

1. He felt the narrator had tried to make it too romantic, which was like adding a love story to a difficult math problem. Back to B1

shoe ʃuː (1)

Português: sapato

Simple English: Something you wear on your foot to protect it.

Example: He saw some reddish dirt on the narrator's shoe.

Uses in this book:

1. He saw some reddish dirt on the narrator's shoe. Back to B1

shops ʃɒps (2)

Português: lojas

Simple English: Places where you buy things.

Example: I go to shops to buy clothes.

Uses in this book:

1. Lights from the shops shone weakly through the foggy air, making the wet ground look dim. Back to B1

2. Workers and women were opening shops.

shy ʃaɪ (1)

Português: tímido

Simple English: nervous or uncomfortable around people

Example: She is shy when she meets new friends.

Uses in this book:

1. His great skills, his confident way of acting, and my experience with his many unusual qualities made me shy and hesitant to disagree with him. Back to B1

sleeve sliːv (1)

Português: manga

Simple English: The part of a shirt or coat that covers your arm.

Example: I rolled up my sleeve to wash my hands.

Uses in this book:

1. With his long, thin fingers, he prepared the needle and rolled up his sleeve. Back to B1

smart smɑːrt (4)

Português: inteligente

Simple English: clever and able to solve problems

Example: The smart boy quickly answered the question.

Uses in this book:

1. Carriages were bringing men in smart clothes and women with jewels. Back to B1

2. He said that Bartholomew was smart.

3. He suggested that the detective, who was smart enough to find him, would also be smart enough to get an iron box from the bottom of the river.

stress strɛs (2)

Português: estresse

Simple English: feeling worried or tired because of pressure

Example: Lafayette felt shaky from the stress.

Uses in this book:

1. He explained that he could not handle any extra stress on his body. Back to B1

2. He then said that if Miss Morstan's father had not put too much stress on his heart, he might still be alive.

student ˈstudənt (1)

Português: estudante

Simple English: a person who learns at school or university

Example: She is a good student in the class.

Uses in this book:

1. The narrator commented that Holmes's friend wrote to him like a student writing to his teacher. Back to B1

symbol ˈsɪmbəl (2)

Português: símbolo

Simple English: something that represents an idea or group

Example: The dove is a symbol of peace.

Uses in this book:

1. In the corner, there was a strange symbol like four crosses joined together. Back to B1

2. Before leaving, he drew the symbol of the four on the dead man's chest to show his hate.

talent ˈtælənt (1)

Português: talento

Simple English: a natural ability to do something well

Example: If they showed talent, they could become skilled workers.

Uses in this book:

1. I told him he had a special talent for small details. Back to B1

talented /ˈtæləntɪd/ (2)

Português: talentoso

Simple English: Possessing a natural skill or ability for something.

Example: He is a talented musician who plays the guitar beautifully.

Uses in this book:

1. He said the French detective was talented and had two of the three important skills for a detective: observation and deduction. Back to B1

2. After thinking for a moment, the talented boy replied that he would like two shillings more.

thoughtful ˈθɔːtfəl (3)

Português: pensativo

Simple English: Thinking carefully or showing care for others.

Example: He looked thoughtful while reading the letter.

Uses in this book:

1. He sat back in the carriage, looking very thoughtful. Back to B1

2. Sherlock Holmes leaned back, looking thoughtful, his eyes half-closed.

3. Their companion said kindly that it was a very good and thoughtful idea.

tool tuːl (3)

Português: ferramenta

Simple English: An object used to do a job or task.

Example: He used a tool to fix the broken chair.

Uses in this book:

1. Sherlock Holmes took his bottle and his injection tool. Back to B1

2. Next to him on the table was a tool that looked like a stick with a stone hammer head.

3. He also showed him a card with writing on it, which was on the table, and a stone-headed tool next to it.

tray treɪ (1)

Português: bandeja

Simple English: A flat object used to carry food or objects.

Example: She came in holding a card on a metal tray.

Uses in this book:

1. She came in holding a card on a metal tray. Back to B1

trick /trɪk/ (1)

Português: truque; enganar; engane

Simple English: Act performed to amuse or seem magical for spectators.

Example: He did a magic trick that amazed the children at the party.

Uses in this book:

1. I felt it was not kind and was like a trick. Back to B1

trip /trɪp/ (6)

Português: viagem; desengate; tropeçar

Simple English: A journey.

Example: We took a trip to Rome.

Uses in this book:

1. Sherlock Holmes admitted there were difficulties in the case, but he believed their planned trip that night would solve everything. Back to B1

2. As they continued their trip, he asked who the recipient of the telegram was.

3. He suggested a toast to the success of their trip.

4. He suggested it was more probable that Small had prepared his things before he started his trip.

5. Watson briefly told her about recent events: Holmes's new search method, finding the Aurora, Athelney Jones's arrival, their evening trip, and a fast chase on the Thames.

types taɪps (1)

Português: tipos

Simple English: Different kinds or groups of something.

Example: There are many types of people in the camp.

Uses in this book:

1. It showed 140 types of tobacco ash with pictures. Back to B1

uncertainty ʌnˈsɜːrtnti (1)

Português: incerteza

Simple English: state of not knowing what will happen

Example: They felt uncertainty about the exam results.

Uses in this book:

1. He saw uncertainty in the man's 'k's and self-importance in his capital letters. Back to B1

unhealthy ʌnˈhɛlθi (3)

Português: doentio

Simple English: Not in good health.

Example: The man had unhealthy skin and dirty fingernails.

Uses in this book:

1. He said that while his brain might feel excited, it was an unhealthy process. Back to B1

2. The whole area, with piles of dirt and small, unhealthy plants, looked damaged and unlucky, which matched the sad events that had happened there.

3. The place was unhealthy and dangerous, with wild, cannibal people nearby who might attack them.

uninteresting ˌʌnˈɪntrəstɪŋ (1)

Português: sem interesse

Simple English: Not interesting or exciting.

Example: The movie was uninteresting, so I left early.

Uses in this book:

1. Looking out the window, they described the street and houses as dull and uninteresting. Back to B1

unsteadily ʌnˈstɛdɪli (1)

Português: instavelmente

Simple English: In a way that is not steady or balanced

Example: He walked unsteadily after feeling dizzy.

Uses in this book:

1. He suggested that only a drunk man's key would make such marks, as a sober man would not wind his watch so unsteadily. Back to B1

unusual ʌnˈjuʒuəl (13)

Português: incomum

Simple English: Not common or normal.

Example: He saw many unusual things that night.

Uses in this book:

1. His great skills, his confident way of acting, and my experience with his many unusual qualities made me shy and hesitant to disagree with him. Back to B1

2. He mentioned that he had even written about it in a short book with the unusual title ‘A Study in Scarlet.’ Back to B1

3. Holmes said that it was a very unusual situation. Back to B1

4. She must have felt worried about the unusual journey they were starting. Back to B1

5. Everyone had been listening closely to his unusual story.

upset /ʌpˈsɛt/ (9)

Português: chateado; aborrecido; transtornado

Simple English: To make someone feel unhappy or disturbed emotionally.

Example: He was upset when he lost his favorite toy during the game.

Uses in this book:

1. But that afternoon, perhaps because of the wine I had with lunch, or because I was more upset by his very slow way of doing things, I suddenly felt I could not wait any longer. Back to B1

2. He felt that any public attention would greatly upset Brother Bartholomew.

3. In early 1882, the speaker's father got a letter from India that greatly upset him.

4. Holmes seemed more upset than Watson had ever seen him.

5. He became very upset, moving his arms and stamping his feet.

upsetting ʌpˈsɛtɪŋ (1)

Português: chateador

Simple English: making you feel sad or worried

Example: The bad news was upsetting to everyone.

Uses in this book:

1. He said he had forgotten that the matter was personal and upsetting for me, as he was looking at it like a puzzle. Back to B1

using ˈjuːzɪŋ (8)

Português: usando

Simple English: Doing something with an object.

Example: She is using a rope to climb.

Uses in this book:

1. He found his greatest reward in the work itself and in using his special skills. Back to B1

2. He mentioned another book he wrote about following footprints and using plaster to save them. Back to B1

3. The other person replied that they had no work, which was why they were using cocaine. Back to B1

4. He then looked at it very carefully using his double magnifying glass. Back to B1

5. He was writing notes in his book using his lantern. Back to B1

wine waɪn (5)

Português: vinho

Simple English: an alcoholic drink made from grapes

Example: She drank a glass of red wine with dinner.

Uses in this book:

1. But that afternoon, perhaps because of the wine I had with lunch, or because I was more upset by his very slow way of doing things, I suddenly felt I could not wait any longer. Back to B1

2. He asked Miss Morstan if she would like a glass of wine, either Chianti or Tokay, but she said no.

3. The dog stood with its legs apart and tilted its head, like someone tasting good wine.

4. He mentioned having oysters and grouse, and a good white wine.

5. After the meal, Holmes looked at his watch and poured port wine.