巴斯克维尔猎犬目录
'These papers were given to me by Sir Charles Baskerville，'said Dr Mortimer.'He asked me to take good care of them.You may remember that Sir Charles died suddenly three months ago.His death caused much excite ment in Devonshire，the county where Baskerville Hall is.Sir Charles was a sensible man，but he believed the story which is told in these papers.'
Dr Mortimer went on:'The story is about the Baskerville family.I have come to see you because I need your help.I think that something terrible is going to happen in the next twenty four hours.But you can't help me unless you know the story in these papers.May I read them to you?'
'Please continue，Dr Mortimer，'said Holmes，and sat back in his chair with his eyes shut.
Mortimer began to read in his high，rather strange，voice:
I，William Baskerville，write this for my sons in the year 1742.My father told me about the Hound of the Baskervilles.He told me when it was first seen，and I be lieve his story was true.I want you，my sons，to read this story carefully.I want you to know that God punishes those who do evil.But never forget that He will forgive those who are sorry for any evil they have done.
Over a hundred years ago，in 1640，the head of the Baskerville family was Sir Hugo Baskerville.He was a wild and evil man.He was cruel and enjoyed hurting peo ple.Sir Hugo fell in love with the daughter of a farmer who was a neighbour of his.The young woman was afraid of the evil Hugo，and avoided him.One day，Hugo heard that her father and brothers were away.He knew that she would be alone.So he rode to the farm with five or six of his evil friends.They made the girl go back to Baskerville Hall with them，and locked her in a room upstairs.Then they sat down in the great dining hall to drink.As usual，they drank bottle after bottle and soon they began to sing and laugh and shout evil words.
The girl upstairs，who was already very frightened，felt desperate when she heard the terrible things they were shouting.So she did a very brave thing.She opened the window，climbed out of the room and down the ivy on the wall.Then she started to run across the moor towards her home.
A little while later，Hugo left his friends and went up stairs to the room to take her some food and drink.When he found an open window and an empty room，he behaved like a man who was mad.He ran down the stairs.He screamed that he would give himself to the Devil if he caught the girl before she reached home.Some of Hugo's drunken friends told him to let the hounds chase her，and so he ran from the house and unlocked the dogs.Then he jumped onto his black horse，and rode off over the moor with the hounds running and crying around him.
Hugo's friends fetched their horses and followed him.There were thirteen of them.After a mile or two they passed an old farmer and asked him if he had seen Sir Hugo and the hounds.The man looked half mad with fear and spoke with difficulty.He said that he had seen the girl and the hounds running close behind her.Sir Hugo had been riding just behind the hounds.'But I have seen more than that，'the old man said.'Behind Sir Hugo I saw a huge and terrible hound running silently.May God keep me safe from that hound of hell.'
The thirteen men laughed at the old man and rode on.But their laughter soon stopped when they saw Sir Hugo's horse running wildly towards them without a rider.
The thirteen men moved closer together as they rode on.They were suddenly afraid.Over the moor they went until，at last，they caught up with the hounds.
Everyone in the county knew that the Baskerville hounds were brave and strong.But now they were stand ing at the head of a deep valley in the moor with their ears and tails down.They were very frightened.Hugo's friends stopped.Most of them would not go on，but three were brave enough to go down into the valley.
The valley had a wide flat floor.In the middle of the flat ground stood two great stones.They had stood there for thousands of years.The moon was shining brightly on the great stones，and between them，on the flat ground，lay the girl.She had fallen there，dead of fear and exhaus tion.Sir Hugo's body was lying near her.But it was not the sight of Sir Hugo or the girl that filled the men with fear.It was the sight of the huge animal that was standing over Sir Hugo.Its teeth were at his throat.It was a great black creature that looked like a hound.But it was larger than any hound they had ever seen.
As they watched，it tore out Hugo Baskerville's throat.Then it turned towards them.Its eyes were burning brightly.Its body shone with a strange light.Blood ran from its mouth.The men screamed and kicked their horses.They rode back up the valley as fast as they could go.Later that night one died from the horror he had seen.The other two were mad for the rest of their lives.
That was the first time the Hound appeared，my sons.It has been seen many times since then，and many of the Baskervilles have died in strange and terrible ways.Be cause of this I warn you not to cross the moors at night.The Devil finds it easy to do his work when the world is dark.
“这些手稿是查尔斯·巴斯克维尔爵士托付给我的，”摩梯末医生道。“他要我保管好这些手稿。您可能还记得，查尔斯爵士于三个月前突然逝去。他的去世在德文郡引起了很大的关注，德文郡就是巴斯克维尔庄园的所在地。查尔斯爵士是位明智人士，但是他相信这些手稿中所讲述的故事。”
摩梯末医生继续讲道：“这个故事与巴斯克维尔家族有关。因为我需要您的帮助，所以我便来见您。我认为在即将到来的24小时之内将会发生一桩可怕的事情。但是，如果您不了解手稿中所讲述的故事的话，那么您就不可能帮得了我。我可以将它读给您听吗？”
“请讲下去吧，摩梯末医生，”福尔摩斯说道，他还闭着眼睛向后坐了坐。
摩梯末开始以他那高亢、奇特的嗓音读道：本人，威廉·巴斯克维尔，于1742年为后代写下了这些。我的父亲告诉了我有关巴斯克维尔猎犬的事情。他告诉了我它第一次被人看见的经过，我认为他讲的故事是真实的。我希望你们，我的孩子们，认真看一看这个故事。我想让你们知道：上帝一贯惩罚那些为非作歹的人们。但是，永远不要忘记：上帝将宽恕那些悔过的人们。
一百多年前，在1640年，巴斯克维尔家族的头面人物是雨果·巴斯克维尔爵士。他既放荡又邪恶。他残忍，以伤害别人为乐。雨果爵士爱上了与他毗邻的一位农夫的女儿。这位少女害怕这个邪恶的人，而且还躲着他。一天，雨果听说她的父兄几人都出门去了。他知道她将独自一人在家了。因此，他与五六个下流的狐朋狗友策马去了这个农场。他们把她弄回了巴斯克维尔庄园，还把她关在楼上的一个房间里。然后他们便在楼下的大饭厅里坐下痛饮了起来。同往常一样，他们饮了一瓶又一瓶的酒，不久便开始狂歌乱笑并吐起脏话来。