Sherlock Holmes, Expatiating on His Incomparable Charm夏洛克·福尔摩论其无与伦比的魅力

学号: 100816105毕 业 论 文题 目：Sherlock Holmes, Expatiating on His Incomparable Charm院 系：外国语学院专 业：英语（国际贸易方向）姓 名：杨浚纲指导教师：关丽君完成日期：2014 年4月10日AbstractSir Conan Doyle (1859-1930), honored as “the Father of British Detective Stories”, is still one of the most popular authors of detective stories. His debut novellas A Study in Scarlet, featuring an unofficial consulting detective Sherlock Holmes, finally managed to be published in 1887, representing the initiating of Conan Doyles writing career. He created a series of spectacular detective stories of Sherlock Holmes, The Sign of Four, A Scandal in Bohemia, The Final Problem, The Adventure of the Empty House, The Hound of Baskervilles etc. This thesis attaches importance to hero Sherlock Holmess characteristics and ratiocinations on the basis of the 60 detective stories written by Sir Conan Doyle, thus having a better understanding of the novels. This thesis elaborates upon the idea of this thesis by three aspects. First, this thesis analyzes Holmess legendary life in accordance with his ancestors, household, growing experience, detective career, mysterious great hiatus and his death. Second, this thesis expounds Holmess personality subjectively in the light of his traits, living habit, unknown psychological problem and his unique value of love. Third, this thesis states Holmess two major reasoning methods used when Holmes investigates the crime. Key words: Holmes; characteristic; ratiocination摘 要柯南道尔爵士（1859-1930）被誉为“英国侦探小说之父”，迄今为止仍是全世界最畅销侦探小说作家之一。首部中篇侦探小说血字研究以夏洛克.福尔摩斯这一私人咨询侦探为主角几经周折最终在一八八七年发表，就此开启了他的写作生涯，写出一系列精彩的福尔摩斯探案的故事，如四签名、波西米亚丑闻、最后一案、空屋、巴斯克维尔的猎犬等经典作品。本文通过对柯南道尔爵士写作的六十篇侦探故事着重分析主人公福尔摩斯的性格、与他相关的主要角色以及其推论演绎法，从而使读者加深对小说的理解。透过分析，本文从以下三个方面进行阐述。第一，通过对福尔摩斯的祖上身份、家庭成员，成长经历，侦探生涯，神秘的大空白时期以及福尔摩斯之死六方面来展示福尔摩斯传奇的一生；第二，探究分析福尔摩斯的性格与特性、生活习惯、不为人知的心理疾病和独特的爱情观；第三,通过对福尔摩斯探案时常用到的两种主要推论方法分析其推论演绎法。关键词: 福尔摩斯；性格；推理IICONTENTSIntroduction 1Chapter One “The Father” of Sherlock Holmes 2I. A Brief Introduction about Conan Doyle2II. The Birth of Sherlock Holmes 2III. Sherlock Holmess Creation Course3Chapter Two Incomparable Charm of Sherlock Holmes5I. A Case of Sherlock Holmess Identity5 1. Sherlock Holmess Ancestors5 2. Sherlock Holmess Household7 3. Sherlock Holmess Growth Experience8 4. Sherlock Holmess Detective Career10 5. Sherlock Holmess Great Hiatus14 6. Sherlock Holmess Death15II. Analysis on Sherlock Holmess Characteristics161. Sherlock Holmess Traits162. Sherlock Holmess Process of Unraveling Crimes183. Sherlock Holmess Appetites214. Sherlock Holmess Shortcomings and Psychological Problem215. Sherlock Holmess Value of Emotion23Chapter Three Sherlock Holmess Two Major Ratiocinations26I. Deductive Reasoning 261. Reasoning Forward272. Reasoning Backward28II. Inductive Reasoning29III. The Combination of Two Ratiocinations30Conclusion 33Bibliography 34Acknowledgements 35ii IntroductionSherlock Holmes, an imaginary talented detective, was created by Sir Author Conan Doyle, a British novelist of detective story. Sherlock Holmes has always been one of the most celebrated fictional characters ever created since first publicized in 1887. Holmes calls himself “an unofficial consulting detective”, which means the individuals or London polices will consult him when they are out of their depths. Most of the stories concentrate on some tough cases needing Holmes to investigate. Holmes is adept in solving crimes with observation and deduction. He has the feature of being coolheaded, observant and profound in knowledge. He is proficient in sword, boxing and violin. Frame and wealth are not the things arousing his attention. He has no wife or children. His dedication is only to his profession.This thesis elaborates Holmess incomparable charm, which is separated into three parts. The first part is mainly about the introduction of the author and the creational course of Sherlock Holmes. The second part is the body of this thesis analyzed from two aspects. The first one is to introduce the lifetime of Holmes in detail. The other is focused on the characteristics of Holmess from five aspects. The last part is about two ratiocinations and its relations used regularly when Holmes investigating the case. Chapter One“The Father” of Sherlock HolmesSince his first appearance in Beetons Christmas Annual for 1887, Sir Arthur Conan Doyles Sherlock Holmes has been one of the most beloved fictional characters ever created. The following is the presentation on these two eminent figures.I. A brief introduction about Conan DoyleSir Author Conan Doyle is one of the most outstanding writers of detective stories. He likewise produced numerous stories of adventure and historical romance, dramas and poetries in his lifetime. Conan Doyle was born on May 11th, 1859 in Edinburgh, Scotland. He lived a varied and adventurous life. He was a historian, whaler, athlete, war correspondent, and spiritualist. He personally championed two cases of injustice, using his own detective work to prove the men innocent of the crimes for which they were convicted. Conan Doyle was knighted in 1902 for his work in South African field hospital during the Boer War. He passed away on July 7th 1930.II. The birth of Sherlock Holmes Conan Doyle has created 60 detective novels, including 56 short novels and 4 novelettes. Mr. Sherlock Holmes is the protagonist of the entire detective novels. Conan Doyle got the idea for a detective story from the acknowledged creators of the genre. Edgar Allan Poe had written three short stories featuring Parisian sleuth C. Auguste Dupin: “Murders in the Rue Morgue,” “The Mystery of Marie Rogt,” and “The Purloined Letter.” Conan Doyle lifted so much detail from Poe that he seemed a plagiarist to some. He took several key components from Dupin. Holmes, like Dupin, is a prodigious pipe smoker. He also places ads in the newspaper to lure the perpetrator of the crime to his apartment. He goes to the scene of the crime to find clues the police had overlooked. Yet another component borrowed from Dupin was his trick of breaking in on his companions thought process by guessing the links in his train of thought. Ironically, Holmes complains in this first story A Study in Scarlet that this habit of Dupin annoys him, but apparently not as much as he claims, as he adopts it himself in two later stories. Most important, like Poe, Conan Doyle decided to give his detective a companion, Dr. Watson, to narrate the case.Conan Doyle also borrowed from the work of mile Gaboriau, a Frenchman who wrote the first police novels. His Inspector Lecoq uses scientific methods to build a solid case against the criminal piece by piece. Holmess scientific method owes the most to this source. Gaboriau also divides his novels into two equal parts, with flashbacks to prior action, a device Conan Doyle copied in the first two Holmes novels. Conan Doyle based Holmess deductive processlightning quick and seemingly intuitive, though informed by careful observation of detail and mountains of precise knowledgeon Conan Doyles teacher, Dr. Joseph Bell, whom Conan Doyle met at the Edinburgh Infirmary and whose observation powers amazed Conan Doyle.Once embarked on the process of stirring all these ingredients together, Conan Doyle had to choose a name for his detective. The first he chose was J. Sherrinford Holmes, then Sherrington Hope, and finally the one Sherlock Holmes we know today. We dont know where he got the name Sherlock, but we can be sure that the last name was a tribute to Oliver Wendell Holmes, the American physician and author, father of the great U.S. Supreme Court justice of the same name.Sherlock Holmes caused a huge impact the time he was created. He has been in vogue and become the most distinctive detective around Europe for his intelligence, sagacity, calmness and incomparable inference.III. Sherlock Holmess creation courseConan Doyle was brought up to be found of literature and served as an editor for the school magazine in his middle school age. He practiced medicine for decades after graduating from Edinburgh Medical School, which could hardly make a living. It was then that he began to write. His maiden work A Study in Scarlet was finally published on Beetons Christmas Annual for 1887 after being rejected for several times. The hero of this masterpiece is Sherlock Holmes. If Conan Doyle made his debut on A Study in Scarlet, The Sign of Four, published on Lippincotts Monthly Magazine in 1890, would be the initiation of success. He then published a serious of detective stories (Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, 1891-1892) on The Strand Magazine, making Sherlock Holmes a household name. Conan Doyle continued producing a great deal of brilliant detective stories (Memories of Sherlock Holmes, 1892-1893) until the death of Sherlock Holmes in the story The Final Problem published in 1893 on account of a fierce struggle with his antagonist professor Moriarty in Waterfall Reichenbach in Switzerland on May 4th 1891. This ending astonished every reader and they scarcely believed such a marvelous detective was finished like this. Therefore, as a response to these aficionados, Conan Doyle held the imagination again and restored Holmes ingeniously to life in the story The Adventure of the Empty House. He kept up creating a variety of splendid products whereafter, covering The Hound of Baskervilles, 1901, The Return of Sherlock Holmes, 1903-1904, The Valley of Fear, 1914, His Last Bow, 1893-1917 and The Case Book of Sherlock Holmes, 1921-1927. All of his 60 detective stories were boiled down to tales by 1929, almost all of which were narrated by Dr. Watson, Holmess intimate friend.Conan Doyle was praised as “the Ancestor of the Detective Stories” owing to his triumphant shaping of the figure Sherlock Holmes.Chapter TwoIncomparable Charm of Sherlock HolmesIn 2002, Sherlock Holmes was made a Special Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry in recognition of the performance of his combination of chemistry and detective work, making him the first fictional characteristic ever to be so honored. And such, not surprisingly, fanaticism of Holmes has tenacious durability for over 100 years, showing no sign of abating. Sherlock Holmes, a synonym for detective, is a myth, a faith and a legend. I. A Case of Sherlock Holmess identityIn general, Sherlock Holmess very appearance is such as to strike the attention of the most casual observer. In height he was rather over six feet, and so excessively lean that he seemed to be considerably taller. His eyes were sharp and piercing, save during those intervals of torpor to which I have alluded; and his thin, hawk like nose gave his whole expression an air of alertness and decision. His chin, too, had the prominence and squareness which mark the man of determination. (A Study in Scarlet, 1887) This is the most direct impression of Holmes as Dr.Watson conveyed after he lived with Holmes for a few months. Now, lets deduce the Holmess identity together from six aspects. 1. Sherlock Holmess ancestorsMy ancestors were country squires, who appear to have led much the same life as is natural to their class. My grandmother was the sister of Vernet, the French artist. Art in the blood is liable to take the strangest forms. (The Greek Interpreter, 1893)Sherlock Holmes scarcely referred to his relations and hardly ever to his own early life to Dr.Watson who had long and intimate acquaintance with him though, making him to believe that Holmes was an orphan with no relatives living. However, in the case The Greek Interpreter, Holmes for the first talked about his identity, as above.This is news indeed of Holmess identity. Holmes has Irish and British blood since his surname derived from the Irish nobility. However, the “country squires” Holmes refers to is not true nobility, merely a lording or squirearchy actually.Holmes also has French blood due to his grandmother is the sister of Vernet, who is a pivotal French landscapist of the 18th century. According to the great composer and pianist Mendelssohn, she was a methodical and disciplined person with talented perception and amazing memory. Her brain was just like a bureau in order, which could seek out what she needed whenever she opened the drawer, precisely the same as Holmess theory in the case The Five Orange Pips published in 1891,I say now, and I said then, that a man should keep his little brain-attic stocked with all the furniture that he is likely to use, and the rest he can put away in the lumber-room of his library, where he can get it if he wants it.According to William S. Baring-Goulds Sherlock Holmes of Baker Street, Holmess ancestors lived in North Riding, Yorkshire, England and Holmes himself was born in there as well. This view is in line with Holmess elder brothers name Mycroft Holmes. Eldest son was probably named after his family lands at that age. In Yorkshire, there were several estates called “croft”an old Saxon word which means “affiliated land”. Holmess ancestors called him “Mycroft”“my affiliated land” with the purpose of distinguishing his “affiliated land” from the others. Based on this, Sherlocks brother got his name “Mycroft”.2. Sherlock Holmess householdHolmes made nary a mention of his parents so that American former president Roosevelt speculated that Holmes was an orphan. However, he gave up his former point after attentive study. According to Roosevelt, Holmes was an American who was brought up by his father or adoptive father under the environment of gangdom and hence acquainted American crimes in every regard.William S. Baring-Gould inferred that the given name of Holmess mother is Violet because there were four women called this name in the canon, Miss Hunter in The Adventure of the Copper Beeches, Miss Smith in The Adventure of the Solitary Cyclist, Miss De Melville in The Adventure of the Illustrious Client and Miss Westbury in The Adventure of the Bruce-Partington Plans. Whats more, Holmes showed unexpected courtesy to them. As for Holmess father, William S. Baring-Gould deemed Siger would be his name for Holmes once used Sigerson as his alias. Sigerson can be explained as Sigers child. As far as we have known, Holmes has an elder brother, Mycroft Holmes, who is Holmess senior by seven years and who has an extraordinary faculty for figures, and audits the books in some of the government departments. Mycroft first appeared in the case The Greek Interpreter,Mycroft Holmes was a much larger and stouter man than Sherlock. His body was absolutely corpulent, but his face, though massive, had preserved something of sharpness of expression which was so remarkable in that of his brother. His eyes, which were of a peculiarly light, watery gray, seemed to always retain that far-away, introspective look which I had only observed in Sherlocks when he was exerting his full powers.Mycroft Holmes is Sherlocks superior in observation and deduction. However, he has no ambition and no energy. He will not go even go out of his way to verify his solutions, and would rather be considered wrong than take the trouble to prove himself right. Holmes personally admitted that he again and again took a problem to him, and received an explanation which has afterwards proved to be the correct one.According to William S. Baring-Goulds Sherlock Holmes of Baker Street, Sherlock Holmes was born on Jan 6th 1854. His father insisted on calling this new life William Sherlock for he was a deep admirer of William Sherlock, who was a celebrated theologian in the 17century. Nevertheless, his mother had a preference on calling him Walter Scott, a Scottish historical novelist. In the end, they managed to reach an agreement. The child was baptized William Sherlock Scott Holmes. “Sherlock” means “blond” or “twinkling” in the old Anglo-Saxon since the little boy rewhichley looked like his mother.3. Sherlock Holmess growth experienceAnyhow, Holmes remained tight-lipped about his childhood and middle school age. However, from Dr. Watsons statements, Holmes had never given any indication of being a student of a private boarding school. Whats more, the peculiar faculty of observation and deduction Holmes presented could not be learned from a group. Therefore, these indicate that Holmess parents educated him with private tutor. Some scholars, such as Trevor Haar, hold that this tutor was not other than professor James Moriarty. Haar pointed out that professor Moriarty had severed as Mycroft and Sherlocks tutor.William S. Baring-Gould pronounced an idea in his book that Holmes had put through the most uncertain time in rushing around the Europe for four years at his earlier age since his father could not endure the monotonous life of living in the same surrounding. During the trip, Holmes not only enriched his knowledge, but learned some skills which brought him uncountable benefits. His father taught him pugilism and sent him to a famed academy in Europe for the sake of strengthening his health. And the canon clued us to the above inference that Holmes had spent his time in the south of London (nowadays called Lambeth, Wandsworth and Camberwell) in his childhood. For instance, in the case The Sign of Four, when Holmes went across the streets in the south London, he could tell the name exactly besides two streets which their name had been changed after 1880-Stockwell Street and Robert Street. Likewise, in the case The Adventure of the Empty House, Dr. Watson narrated,Holmess knowledge of the byways of any parts of Lond