福尔摩斯探案故事情节曲折、引人入胜。《血字研究》、《四签名》、《巴斯克维尔庄园的猎犬》以及《恐怖谷》是《福尔摩斯全集》中最著名的四个故事。这四个故事短小精悍、难度适中，极适合中等程度的英语学习者使用。为方便读者学习，我们对书中出现的含义晦涩的英语单词及个别难句作了简要注释，力求使其成为既能引起读者阅读兴趣，又有助于读者英语学习的优秀读物。

詹姆斯·摩梯末医生带着一份古老的手稿拜访福尔摩斯。手稿里讲述了一个可怕的故事：巴斯克维尔家族的祖先雨果·巴斯克维尔因其劣行死在了一头狰狞猎犬的利齿之下。自此，这个耸人听闻的故事如鬼魅般纠缠着整个家族。不久之前，查尔斯·巴斯克维尔爵士离奇地死去。他的死难道真的印证了这个古老家族的宿命吗?庄园的继承人亨利·巴斯克维尔能否走出家族的梦魇?让我们随着福尔摩斯和他忠实的搭档华生医生一起穿越那片阴云密布的荒原，走进神秘的巴斯克维尔庄园……

Chapter 1 Mr. Sherlock Holmes

Chapter 2 The Curse of the Baskervilles

Chapter 3 The Problem

Chapter 4 Sir Henry BaskerviUe

Chapter 5 Three Broken Threads

Chapter 6 Baskerville Hall

Chapter 7 The Stapletons of Merripit House

Chapter 8 First Report of Dr. Watson

Chapter 9 Second Report of Dr. Watson

Chapter 10 Extract from the Diary of Dr.

      Watson

Chapter 11 The Man on the Tor

Chapter 12 Death on the Moor

Chapter 13 Fixing the Nets

Chapter 14 The Hound of the Baskervilles

Chapter 15 A Retrospection

"Yes. On the death of Sir Charles we inquired for this young gentleman and found that he had been farming in Canada. From the accounts which have reached us he is an excellent fellow in every way. I speak now not as a medical man but as a trustee and executor of Sir Charles's will. "

"There is no other claimant~, I presume?"

"None. The only other kinsman whom we have been able to trace was Rodger Baskerville, the youngest of three brothers of whom poor Sir Charles was the elder. The second brother, who died young, is the father of this lad Henry. The third, Rodger, was the black sheep of the family. He came of the old masterful Baskerville strain,and was the very image, they tell me, of the family picture of old Hugo. He made England too hot to hold him, fled to Central America, and died there in 1876 of yellow fever.Henry is the last of the Baskervilles. In one hour and five minutes I meet him at Waterloo Station. I have had a wire that he arrived at Southampton this morning. Now, Mr.Holmes，what would you advise me to do with him?"

"Why should he not go tO the home of his fathers?"

"It seems natural．does it not?And yet，consider that every Baskerville who goes there meets with an evil fate．I feel sure that if Sir Charles could have spoken with me before his death he would have warned me against bringing this．the last of the old race，and the heir to great wealth，to that deadly place．And yet it cannot be denied that the prosperity of the whole poor，bleak countryside depends upon his presence．Au the good work which has been done bv Sir Charles will crash to the ground if there is no tenant of the Hall.I fear lest I should be swayed too much by my Own obvious interest in the matter，and that is why I bring the case before you and ask for your advice．"

Holmes considered for a little time．

"Put into plain words.the matter is this，"said he．"In vour opinion there is a diabolical agency which makes Dartmoor an unsafe abode for a Baskerville--that is your opinion?"

"At least I might go the length of saying that there is some evidence that this may be so．"

"Exactly. But surely, if your supematural theory be correct, it could work the young man evil in London as easily as in Devonshire. A devil with merely local powers like a parish vestry would be too inconceivable a thing. "

P38-40

英语学习是一个积累的过程，在这个过程中，大量的阅读至关重要，而英语原著无疑是最好的阅读材料。通过阅读英语原著，英语学习者能够巩固和增加词汇量，积累足够的句式，吸收、内化语言规律，从而能够用英语自由流畅地进行表达，还可获取文化背景方面的知识。

阅读英语文学原著既有益又有趣。但很多人在阅读过程中都会遇到一个难题：原著中的生词、难词极大地影响了阅读速度，查词典要花大量时问，且影响阅读的连贯性，不查词典又无法读通、读懂。为了帮助广大英语爱好者阅读原汁原味的英语文学作品，我们选择福尔摩斯探案故事中四部精彩的中篇小说，对其中的阅读难点从语言上或文化背景知识上详加注释，以期帮助读者在享受阅读趣味的同时，提高语言能力，汲取一定的文化背景知识。

福尔摩斯探案故事的作者柯南·道尔爵士由于成功塑造了歇洛克·福尔摩斯这一侦探人物，成为侦探小说历史上最重要的作家之一。柯南·道尔于1859年5月22日出生于爱丁堡，1876年至1881年间在爱丁堡大学学习医学，毕业后作为一名随船医生前往西非海岸，1882年回国后在普利茅斯开业行医，在此期间道尔开始写作。柯南·道尔的第一部重要作品《血字研究》(A Study in Scarlet)发表在《1887年比顿圣诞年刊》(Beeton’s Christmas Annual for 1887)上，小说的主角歇洛克·福尔摩斯由此名声大噪，家喻户晓。柯南·道尔一生一共创作了五十六部短篇侦探小说和四部中篇侦探小说。他对人物的塑造独具匠心，心理刻画细致入微，场景描写和气氛营造都十分引人人胜，其作品具有较高的文学价值。

福尔摩斯探案故事布局严谨，伏笔巧妙，情节环环相扣，令人爱不释手，读者往往要到结局真相大白的时候，才能松一口气。《血字研究》、《四签名》、《巴斯克维尔庄园的猎犬》以及《恐怖谷》是福尔摩斯探案故事中最著名的四个故事。这四个故事不仅情节曲折、引人人胜，而且短小精悍、难度适中，极适合英语学习者使用。通过阅读这套丛书，英语学习者有望提高英语阅读、表达能力，并增加对英国文化的了解。

愿这套丛书能够带领广大英语爱好者走入一个多彩的英语世界。

               上海辞书出版社

                2007年7月