一隅 Eng Lit -- Sherlock Holmes The Adventure of the Dancing Men

 一隅 Eng Lit  -- Sherlock Holmes The Adventure of the Dancing Men

  我很喜歡看書；小時候，當別的小孩看成人電影，我就去成人圖書館。Excuse my laan gag. 還記得我七歳時，家姐借了本倪匡寫的衞斯理之連鎖和老貓，但沒有看完。我為了讓她難看，便趁她不看時試圖把整本衞斯理看完。唉，小孩心理比霧中花，水中月更難捉摸。雖然我最後都沒有看完，但卻促使我和書本結下不解之緣。

  在中學時，迷上了福爾摩斯的小說；Sherlock Holmes 嚴格來說是偵探小說 ｰｰ 一部 feature 一個偵探的小說，而不是推理小說。怎麼？事關推理小說講求讀者和主人公有同等的証據和線索，讀者有機會憑自己的推理能力揪岀始作俑者；福爾摩斯則大異其趣，往往主人公小福會憑自己的觀察力、犯罪學知識、化學知識和直覺，在憨厚的同伴ｰｰ華生醫生Doctor Watson 還未弄到個所以然時，已經勘破當中的案件細節。然後，好整以暇地把犯人誘約岀來，風花雪月般扯淡一番，倏然面色一沉，大呼"Inspector Lestrade!" (小福亦友亦敵的警官拍檔)，在旁恭候多時的警察就會從暗處閃身岀現，一湧而上，這時，縱然犯人有通天徹地之能，也難免身繫囹圄，大啖皇家飯。

  這時，Inspector Lestrade 就會既滿意，又不屑地冷冷跟小福寒暄幾句，然後換到華生大惑不解。我們的大偵探這時才把犯案經過娓娓道來，說得直比犯人知道的更清楚詳細，然後換華生一臉敬佩。最後小福才pull a straight face, 用既posh且字正腔圓的British Accent 吐岀(observe) 一句關於人性的哲理，來畫龍點晴 ｰｰ 究竟這句東西岀自莎翁之手還是荷馬之口都不打緊，觀眾收貨便可。總而言之，一套標準的福劇就是這樣，that's about it.

沒有飆車場面，逮捕犯人從來沒有來得這樣順理成章

(來源: Google Photos)

最令讀者感到驚喜的，是小福除了文質彬彬地會搞推理之餘，本身亦是一位身手矯健之人，擅長使用Baritsu -- 英國版本的日本柔術，據說同時亦有Boxing 和 Cane Fencing 的原素。現實中有沒有此等技藝我就不得而知，可光是想像小福揮舞手杖，漫不經心地一輪挑刺連環，敵人就爭先恐後地四腳朝天，不醒人事 --- 有夠帥的。

(來源: Google Photos)

歷年來有多位著名演員把小福詮釋得出神入化。最左手面的一位自然就是Benedict Cumberbatch。這位據聞有皇室血統的演員成功把小福一角重新定義一番，讓人們看看現代的Sherlock Holmes 究竟如何破案。英國人可以將Conan Doyle 筆下的角色多番二次創作，令其歷久常新，真的令人敬佩。

左二那位是飾演Iron Man 的 Robert Downey Jr. ，算是半個英國人，他演的Sherlock Holmes 少了幾分冷酷，多了幾分喜感，亦是可以一看再看的熱門角色。

右一的是Basil Rathbone，是演莎劇岀身的藝人，他演的小福儒雅非常，很有味道，而且他主演的小福系列電影有不少改編作，令人耳目一新。

右二的那位，是筆者個人最為欣賞的Jeremy Brett. 此公演技甚好，演起小福入型入格，可以說他是銀幕上小福的definitive 形象。演舞台劇岀身的他試演007失敗，卻成功在84-94年間以扮演福爾摩斯撼動人心。儘管他在未有拍完全部福爾摩斯系列，就已然辭世，可是他演的Sherlock Holmes 平衡了激情(passion) 和冷漠(nonchalance)，紳士風度和江湖氣質，成為了深入民心的那一位Sherlock Holmes。 紐約時報為他刊登的訃聞如下

"Mr. Brett was regarded as the quintessential Holmes: breathtakingly analytical, given to outrageous disguises and the blackest moods and relentless in his enthusiasm for solving the most intricate crimes."

布雷特堪稱福爾摩斯的化身：分析透徹、性情陰沉、喬裝利害到不行；哪怕是對最棘手的案件，都懷有鍥而不捨的熱忱。

好了，說過水銀燈下的小福，是時候談談原稿紙上的那位不管是大奸大惡之徒，還是偷雞摸狗的宵小，都聞風喪膽的大偵探。

The Adventure of the Dancing Man

(原文鏈結：http://www.eastoftheweb.com/short-stories/UBooks/AdveDanc.shtml)

談小福之前，先談談故事大綱。筆者初中上Eng Lit 課時要讀這故事的simplified version 。當時當然領略不了箇中精粹，後來慢慢細讀，才漸入佳境。小福的故事都是華生醫生用第一人稱的角度敍述的，而華生是一位退役的軍醫，人物的原形就是同為醫生的柯南道爾。

Holmes had been seated for some hours in silence with his long, thin back curved over a chemical vessel in which he was brewing a particularly malodorous product. His head was sunk upon his breast, and he looked from my point of view like a strange, lank bird, with dull gray plumage and a black top-knot.

首先，我要指岀，柯南道爾筆下的小福從來都不是善男信女，更加不是甚麼金髪俊男 (儘管他的(外)祖母是法國藝術家 (Horace) Vernet 的姐姐或妹妹)。抱歉要打破大家的幻想，要形容小福就從來只有一隻字--Eccentric (古怪)。故事甫始，小福就在做些奇怪的化學實驗；化學是小福的興趣，甚至華生在第一次見到小福時，小福也在做實驗。聰明的看官應該猜到，這樣的人設是為了方便讓小福用化學知識揪岀綫索和犯罪証據；不過，可憐的華生和他們的包租婆Mrs. Hudson 就難免鼻子受罪。

  "So, Watson," said he, suddenly, "you do not propose to invest in South African securities?"
I gave a start of astonishment. Accustomed as I was to Holmes's curious faculties, this sudden intrusion into my most intimate thoughts was utterly inexplicable.
"How on earth do you know that?" I asked.

有看新版小福的諸位都知，當小福靠觀察去推理之時，電視畫面上會憑空出現一些對話框(bubble)，告訴看官們小福從蛛絲馬跡中看到了甚麼。當然，在小說中我們看不到對話框，於是我們只有從文字中感受其推理能力。而華生這個跟小福朝夕相對的人，就無可避免成為小福推理的「受害者」。

He wheeled round upon his stool, with a steaming test-tube in his hand, and a gleam of amusement in his deep-set eyes.   
"Now, Watson, confess yourself utterly taken aback," said he.    
"I am."   
"I ought to make you sign a paper to that effect."    
"Why?"    
"Because in five minutes you will say that it is all so absurdly simple."    
"I am sure that I shall say nothing of the kind."

由此可見，小福是個無聊到極的人，每天最大的樂興許是捉弄華生，還要讓其簽字証明自己「被捉弄了」。

(略去一大堆開場白) Now, it was not really difficult, by an inspection of the groove between your left forefinger and thumb, to feel sure that you did NOT propose to invest your small capital in the gold fields."
      "I see no connection."

接下來就是小福的長篇大論:
"Very likely not; but I can quickly show you a close connection. Here are the missing links of the very simple chain:

1. You had chalk between your left finger and thumb when you returned from the club last night. 

2. You put chalk there when you play billiards, to steady the cue. 

3. You never play billiards except with Thurston. 

4. You told me, four weeks ago, that Thurston had an option on some South African property which would expire in a month, and which he desired you to share with him. 

5. Your check book is locked in my drawer, and you have not asked for the key. 6. You do not propose to invest your money in this manner."

由此可見，看官跟作者的信息不對稱，以致讀者不能和小福同步推理，只能口瞪目呆地看小福在扯淡，亦注定了小福永遠不會是一部推理小說，而是feature一個偵探的歷險故事。我特地引述小福的推理，是要帶出其推理是依賴觀察和思考(歸納法deduction)而得出結論的。

I looked with amazement at the absurd hieroglyphics upon the paper.    
"Why, Holmes, it is a child's drawing," I cried.    
"Oh, that's your idea!"    
"What else should it be?

故事一轉，就提到了本文的重點，一封由Norfolk的Riding Thorpe 莊主Mr. Hilton Cubitt寄來的奇怪信件，信上只有一些令人摸不着頭腦的圖案(dancing man)。

事情的來龍去脈是這樣的:Hilton去年跟Elsie Patrick結婚，可是Elsie卻不肯向Hilton吐露自己的過去，只肯保證自己是個道德無虞的人。
If you take me, Hilton, you will take a woman who has nothing that she need be personally ashamed of, but you will have to be content with my word for it, and to allow me to be silent as to all that passed up to the time when I became yours.

Hilton接受了Elsie的不情之請，與之成婚，本來一直相安無事，可是自六月開始，Elsie收到了來自美國的一封信，自此驚慌失措，惶惶不可終日。

本來，Hilton以為這只是小孩的惡作劇，怎料就是這些「鬼畫符」，令到Elsie怕得要命。可是，Hilton和Elsie有承諾在先，又不能細問Elsie的過去，以致落入了一個兩難的局面。因此，Hilton才會找上小福，誓要把事情查到底（這又算不算是違反了跟Elsie的承諾呢？）

從Elsie收到信之後，Hilton就開始在莊園不同的角落看到不同的dancing man圖案，起初Hilton只是把所有「塗鴉」去除，可是Elsie卻要求Hilton，要把dancing man圖案交給自己。Hilton於是把新發現的圖案交給Elsie，怎料......
I showed it to Elsie, and down she dropped in a dead faint. Since then she has looked like a woman in a dream, half dazed, and with terror always lurking in her eyes.
Elsie怕得昏倒了，自此只剩半條人命。

Hilton覺得報警是沒有用的，因為警察只會把他當笑話看，於是Hilton就來找小福幫忙。
Mr. Holmes. It was not a thing that I could take to the police, for they would have laughed at me, but you will tell me what to do. I am not a rich man, but if there is any danger threatening my little woman, I would spend my last copper to shield her."
為了Elsie，Hilton不惜傾家蕩產。

不出所料，Hilton接連收到難以解釋的dancing man圖案：

每一次Hilton收到圖案，都會寄給小福，當華生看得大惑不解時，小福卻道：

"Excellent!" said Holmes. "Excellent! Pray continue."

"Our material is rapidly accumulating," said he.

這時，聰明的讀者應該猜到，圖案只是密碼，而小福要求Hilton寄dancing man的圖案給他，只是為了多一些材料去破釋其中密碼。正當小福把密碼破釋得七七八八，準備起程前往莊園破案之際，突然收到另一封信。

Holmes bent over this grotesque frieze for some minutes, and then suddenly sprang to his feet with an exclamation of surprise and dismay. His face was haggard with anxiety. "We have let this affair go far enough," said he. "Is there a train to North Walsham to-night?"

小福神情慌張，竟然要立馬起程前往莊園！

This message makes it even more essential that we should not lose an hour in letting Hilton Cubitt know how matters stand, for it is a singular and a dangerous web in which our simple Norfolk squire is entangled."

究竟一所平凡的莊園，被捲入了何種風波？

小福和華生甫抵莊園，驚悉Hilton昨晚被槍殺，而Elsie亦中槍重傷，昏迷不醒。而種種證據表明，Hilton是先被Elsie所殺，然後Elsie再吞槍自盡。小福當務之急，是要和當地的Inspector Martin合作破解種種疑竇。以下是二人的對話：

  "Why, Mr. Holmes, the crime was only committed at three this morning. How could you hear of it in London and get to the spot as soon as I?"

     "I anticipated it. I came in the hope of preventing it."

     "Then you must have important evidence, of which we are ignorant, for they were said to be a most united couple."

     "I have only the evidence of the dancing men," said Holmes. "I will explain the matter to you later. Meanwhile, since it is too late to prevent this tragedy, I am very anxious that I should use the knowledge which I possess in order to insure that justice be done. Will you associate me in your investigation, or will you prefer that I should act independently?"

     "I should be proud to feel that we were acting together, Mr. Holmes," said the inspector, earnestly.

     "In that case I should be glad to hear the evidence and to examine the premises without an instant of unnecessary delay."

雖說是合作，但當然是小福的個人表演時間，一經推理，發現有第三者在兇案現場不止，還要藉機向華生解釋破釋密碼的經過，原來小福最後收到的圖案，意思是：
ElSIE PREPARE TO MEET THY GOD
由此推斷，有人要對Hilton家不利，可是一切已經太遲......

最後，小福以其人之道，用dancing man圖案把犯人Abe Slaney誘約出來，然後Abe就和盤托出，原來......就留給讀者自己看原文吧！各位如果因此喜歡了看小福系列，記緊告訴我。

小福貴為英國通俗文學上一位歷久不衰的人物，自然有其魅力，大家如想入手，可以從短篇開始看，而這篇就是很好的入手作。當然，如果大家想從頭開始看，就得從A Study in Scarlet開始，但該故事為長篇故事之一，有心理的準備的讀者大可一試。

（完）