In 1901, the popular American actor and playwright, William Gillette, arrived in the United Kingdom to tour his new play, Sherlock Holmes. Born in Connecticut in 1853, Gillette was by this time a well-established actor and playwright in his native United States and not unknown to British audiences. Just a few years earlier, he had brought his play Secret Service to London, where his performance as an American Union spy had “created a sensation.” Despite his prior reputation and relative celebrity, there was a seeming belief at the time in a natural accord between Gillette and the character that would go on to define his career. A tale recounted by Harold J. Shepstone in the Strand magazine—already the fictional home of the world's most famous sleuth—underlines the belief in the symbiosis of William Gillette and Sherlock Holmes: When Mr. Gillette arrived on the Celtic in Liverpool, in August last, Mr. Pendleton of the London and North-Western Railway, had a letter to deliver to him. He went on board and asked one of the passengers if he knew Mr. Gillette. The man replied:—“Do you know Sherlock Holmes?”The visitor was rather taken back, and said: “I have read the stories in The Strand Magazine.”“That's all you need know,” said the passenger. “Just look around till you see a man who fits your idea of what Sherlock Holmes ought to be and that's he.”Mr. Pendleton went away, with a laugh. As he was going up the companion-way he collided with a gentleman, and as he looked up to apologize the passenger's advice occurred to him, and he said, “Are you Mr. Gillette?”“I was, before you ran into me,” was the reply.“Here's a letter for you.”

中文翻译：

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威廉·吉列的夏洛克·福尔摩斯，或者说“真正的”夏洛克·福尔摩斯：在物质性中寻求现实

1901年，美国著名演员兼剧作家威廉·吉列抵达英国巡演他的新剧，夏洛克·福尔摩斯。吉列 1853 年出生于康涅狄格州，此时在他的祖国美国已是一位颇有名气的演员和剧作家，英国观众也并不陌生。就在几年前，他还带来了他的戏剧私人服务到伦敦，他作为美国联邦间谍的表现“引起了轰动”。尽管他之前享有盛誉并相对有名气，但当时人们似乎相信吉列和这个角色之间的自然和谐将继续定义他的职业生涯。哈罗德·J·谢普斯通 (Harold J. Shepstone) 在《斯特兰德该杂志——已经是世界上最著名的侦探的虚构故乡——强调了对威廉·吉列和夏洛克·福尔摩斯共生的信念：当吉列先生到达时凯尔特人去年八月，在利物浦，伦敦和西北铁路公司的彭德尔顿先生有一封信要交给他。他登上飞机，询问其中一名乘客是否认识吉列先生。那人回答道：“你认识夏洛克·福尔摩斯吗？” 来访者颇为惊讶，说道：“我读过《福尔摩斯》里的故事。”他S特兰德中号杂志” “这就是你需要知道的全部，”乘客说。“环顾四周，直到你看到一个符合你心目中夏洛克·福尔摩斯应该是什么样子的人，那就是他。” 彭德尔顿笑着走开了。当他走上扶梯时，与一位绅士相撞，当他抬头道歉时，他想起了乘客的建议，他说：“你是吉列先生吗？”“在你撞到我之前，我是。” ，”回复是。“这是给你的一封信。”