空幻之屋18

时间：2024-12-31 10:05:48

（单词翻译:单击）

II
The picture broke up, wavered, refocused itself. There were individual reactions now—trivial
happenings. Poirot was conscious of himself as a kind of magnified eyes and ears—recording1. Just
that, recording.
He was aware of Lady Angkatell’s hand relaxing its grip on her basket and Gudgeon springing
forward, quickly taking it from her.
“Allow me, my lady.”
Mechanically, quite naturally, Lady Angkatell murmured:
“Thank you, Gudgeon.”
And then, hesitantly, she said:
“Gerda—”
The woman holding the revolver stirred for the first time. She looked round at them all. When
she spoke2, her voice held what seemed to be pure bewilderment.
“John’s dead,” she said. “John’s dead.”
With a kind of swift authority, the tall young woman with the leaf-brown hair came swiftly to
her.
“Give that to me, Gerda,” she said.
And dexterously3, before Poirot could protest or intervene, she had taken the revolver out of
Gerda Christow’s hand.
Poirot took a quick step forward.
“You should not do that, Mademoiselle—”
The young woman started nervously4 at the sound of his voice. The revolver slipped through her
fingers. She was standing5 by the edge of the pool and the revolver fell with a splash into the water.
Her mouth opened and she uttered an “Oh” of consternation6, turning her head to look at Poirot
apologetically.
“What a fool I am,” she said. “I’m sorry.”
Poirot did not speak for a moment. He was staring into a pair of clear hazel eyes. They met his
quite steadily7 and he wondered if his momentary8 suspicion had been unjust.
He said quietly:
“Things should be handled as little as possible. Everything must be left exactly as it is for the
police to see.”
There was a little stir then—very faint, just a ripple9 of uneasiness.
Lady Angkatell murmured distastefully: “Of course. I suppose—yes, the police—”
In a quite, pleasant voice, tinged10 with fastidious repulsion, the man in the shooting coat said:
“I’m afraid, Lucy, it’s inevitable11.”
Into that moment of silence and realization12 there came the sound of footsteps and voices,
assured, brisk footsteps and cheerful, incongruous voices.
Along the path from the house came Sir Henry Angkatell and Midge Hardcastle, talking and
laughing together.
At the sight of the group round the pool, Sir Henry stopped short, and exclaimed in
astonishment13:
“What’s the matter? What’s happened?”
His wife answered: “Gerda has—” She broke off sharply. “I mean—John is—”
Gerda said in her flat, bewildered voice:
“John has been shot. He’s dead.”
They all looked away from her, embarrassed.
Then Lady Angkatell said quickly:
“My dear, I think you’d better go and—and lie down. Perhaps we had better all go back to the
house? Henry, you and M. Poirot can stay here and—and wait for the police.”
“That will be the best plan, I think,” said Sir Henry. He turned to Gudgeon. “Will you ring up
the police station, Gudgeon? Just state exactly what has occurred. When the police arrive, bring
them straight out here.”
Gudgeon bent14 his head a little and said: “Yes, Sir Henry.” He was looking a little white about
the gills, but he was still the perfect servant.
The tall young woman said: “Come, Gerda,” and putting her hand through the other woman’s
arm, she led her unresistingly away and along the path towards the house. Gerda walked as though
in a dream. Gudgeon stood back a little to let them pass, and then followed carrying the basket of
eggs.
Sir Henry turned sharply to his wife. “Now, Lucy, what is all this? What happened exactly?”
Lady Angkatell stretched out vague hands, a lovely helpless gesture. Hercule Poirot felt the
charm of it and the appeal.
“My dear, I hardly know. I was down by the hens. I heard a shot that seemed very near, but I
didn’t really think anything about it. After all,” she appealed to them all, “one doesn’t! And then I
came up the path to the pool and there was John lying there and Gerda standing over him with the
revolver. Henrietta and Edward arrived almost at the same moment—from over there.”
She nodded towards the farther side of the pool, where two paths ran into the woods.
Hercule Poirot cleared his throat.
“Who are they, this John and this Gerda? If I may know,” he added apologetically.
“Oh, of course.” Lady Angkatell turned to him in quick apology. “One forgets—but then one
doesn’t exactly introduce people — not when somebody has just been killed. John is John
Christow, Dr. Christow. Gerda Christow is his wife.”
“And the lady who went with Mrs. Christow to the house?”
“My cousin, Henrietta Savernake.”
There was a movement, a very faint movement from the man on Poirot’s left.
“Henrietta Savernake,” thought Poirot, “and he does not like that she should say it—but it is,
after all, inevitable that I should know….”
(“Henrietta!” the dying man had said. He had said it in a very curious way. A way that
reminded Poirot of something—of some incident…now, what was it? No matter, it would come to
him.)
Lady Angkatell was going on, determined15 now on fulfilling her social duties.
“And this is another cousin of ours, Edward Angkatell. And Miss Hardcastle.”
Poirot acknowledged the introductions with polite bows. Midge felt suddenly that she wanted to
laugh hysterically16; she controlled herself with an effort.
“And now, my dear,” said Sir Henry, “I think that, as you suggested, you had better go back to
the house. I will have a word or two here with M. Poirot.”
Lady Angkatell looked thoughtfully at them.
“I do hope,” she said, “that Gerda is lying down. Was that the right thing to suggest? I really
couldn’t think what to say. I mean, one has no precedent17. What does one say to a woman who has
just killed her husband?”
She looked at them as though hoping that some authoritative18 answer might be given to her
question.
Then she went along the path towards the house. Midge followed her. Edward brought up the
rear.
Poirot was left with his host.
Sir Henry cleared his throat. He seemed a little uncertain what to say.
“Christow,” he observed at last, “was a very able fellow—a very able fellow.”
Poirot’s eyes rested once more on the dead man. He still had the curious impression that the
dead man was more alive than the living.
He wondered what gave him that impression.
He responded politely to Sir Henry.
“Such a tragedy as this is very unfortunate,” he said.
“This sort of thing is more your line than mine,” said Sir Henry. “I don’t think I have ever been
at close quarters with a murder before. I hope I’ve done the right thing so far?”
“The procedure has been quite correct,” said Poirot. “You have summoned the police, and until
they arrive and take charge there is nothing for us to do—except to make sure that nobody disturbs
the body or tampers19 with the evidence.”
As he said the last word he looked down into the pool where he could see the revolver lying on
the concrete bottom, slightly distorted by the blue water.
The evidence, he thought, had perhaps already been tampered20 with before he, Hercule Poirot,
had been able to prevent it.
But no—that had been an accident.
Sir Henry murmured distastefully:
“Think we’ve got to stand about? A bit chilly21. It would be all right, I should think, if we went
inside the pavilion?”
Poirot, who had been conscious of damp feet and a disposition22 to shiver, acquiesced23 gladly. The
pavilion was at the side of the pool farthest from the house, and through its open door they
commanded a view of the pool and the body and the path to the house along which the police
would come.
The pavilion was luxuriously24 furnished with comfortable settees and gay native rugs. On a
painted iron table a tray was set with glasses and a decanter of sherry.
“I’d offer you a drink,” said Sir Henry, “but I suppose I’d better not touch anything until the
police come—not, I should imagine, that there’s anything to interest them in here. Still, it is better
to be on the safe side. Gudgeon hadn’t brought out the cocktails25 yet, I see. He was waiting for you
to arrive.”
The two sat down rather gingerly in two wicker chairs near the door so that they could watch
the path from the house.
A constraint26 settled over them. It was an occasion on which it was difficult to make small talk.
Poirot glanced round the pavilion, noting anything that struck him as unusual. An expensive
cape27 of platinum28 fox had been flung carelessly across the back of one of the chairs. He wondered
whose it was. Its rather ostentatious magnificence did not harmonize with any of the people he had
seen up to now. He could not, for instance, imagine it round Lady Angkatell’s shoulders.
It worried him. It breathed a mixture of opulence29 and self- advertisement — and those
characteristics were lacking in anyone he had seen so far.
“I suppose we can smoke,” said Sir Henry, offering his case to Poirot.
Before taking the cigarette, Poirot sniffed30 the air.
French perfume—an expensive French perfume.
Only a trace of it lingered, but it was there, and again the scent31 was not the scent that associated
itself in his mind with any of the occupants of The Hollow.
As he leaned forward to light his cigarette at Sir Henry’s lighter32, Poirot’s glance fell on a little
pile of matchboxes—six of them—stacked on a small table near one of the settees.
It was a detail that struck him as definitely odd.

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点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 recording UktzJj     
n.录音，记录
参考例句：
  • How long will the recording of the song take?录下这首歌得花多少时间？
  • I want to play you a recording of the rehearsal.我想给你放一下彩排的录像。
2 spoke XryyC     
n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说
参考例句：
  • They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
  • The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。
3 dexterously 5c204a62264a953add0b63ea7a6481d1     
adv.巧妙地，敏捷地
参考例句：
  • He operates the machine dexterously. 他操纵机器动作非常轻巧。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
  • How dexterously he handled the mite. 他伺候小家伙，有多么熟练。 来自辞典例句
4 nervously tn6zFp     
adv.神情激动地，不安地
参考例句：
  • He bit his lip nervously,trying not to cry.他紧张地咬着唇，努力忍着不哭出来。
  • He paced nervously up and down on the platform.他在站台上情绪不安地走来走去。
5 standing 2hCzgo     
n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的
参考例句：
  • After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
  • They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。
6 consternation 8OfzB     
n.大为吃惊，惊骇
参考例句：
  • He was filled with consternation to hear that his friend was so ill.他听说朋友病得那么厉害，感到非常震惊。
  • Sam stared at him in consternation.萨姆惊恐不安地注视着他。
7 steadily Qukw6     
adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地
参考例句：
  • The scope of man's use of natural resources will steadily grow.人类利用自然资源的广度将日益扩大。
  • Our educational reform was steadily led onto the correct path.我们的教学改革慢慢上轨道了。
8 momentary hj3ya     
adj.片刻的，瞬息的；短暂的
参考例句：
  • We are in momentary expectation of the arrival of you.我们无时无刻不在盼望你的到来。
  • I caught a momentary glimpse of them.我瞥了他们一眼。
9 ripple isLyh     
n.涟波，涟漪，波纹，粗钢梳；vt.使...起涟漪，使起波纹； vi.呈波浪状，起伏前进
参考例句：
  • The pebble made a ripple on the surface of the lake.石子在湖面上激起一个涟漪。
  • The small ripple split upon the beach.小小的涟漪卷来，碎在沙滩上。
10 tinged f86e33b7d6b6ca3dd39eda835027fc59     
v.（使）发丁丁声( ting的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
  • memories tinged with sadness 略带悲伤的往事
  • white petals tinged with blue 略带蓝色的白花瓣
11 inevitable 5xcyq     
adj.不可避免的，必然发生的
参考例句：
  • Mary was wearing her inevitable large hat.玛丽戴着她总是戴的那顶大帽子。
  • The defeat had inevitable consequences for British policy.战败对英国政策不可避免地产生了影响。
12 realization nTwxS     
n.实现；认识到，深刻了解
参考例句：
  • We shall gladly lend every effort in our power toward its realization.我们将乐意为它的实现而竭尽全力。
  • He came to the realization that he would never make a good teacher.他逐渐认识到自己永远不会成为好老师。
13 astonishment VvjzR     
n.惊奇，惊异
参考例句：
  • They heard him give a loud shout of astonishment.他们听见他惊奇地大叫一声。
  • I was filled with astonishment at her strange action.我对她的奇怪举动不胜惊异。
14 bent QQ8yD     
n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的
参考例句：
  • He was fully bent upon the project.他一心扑在这项计划上。
  • We bent over backward to help them.我们尽了最大努力帮助他们。
15 determined duszmP     
adj.坚定的；有决心的
参考例句：
  • I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
  • He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。
16 hysterically 5q7zmQ     
ad. 歇斯底里地
参考例句：
  • The children giggled hysterically. 孩子们歇斯底里地傻笑。
  • She sobbed hysterically, and her thin body was shaken. 她歇斯底里地抽泣着，她瘦弱的身体哭得直颤抖。
17 precedent sSlz6     
n.先例，前例；惯例；adj.在前的，在先的
参考例句：
  • Is there a precedent for what you want me to do?你要我做的事有前例可援吗？
  • This is a wonderful achievement without precedent in Chinese history.这是中国历史上亘古未有的奇绩。
18 authoritative 6O3yU     
adj.有权威的，可相信的；命令式的；官方的
参考例句：
  • David speaks in an authoritative tone.大卫以命令的口吻说话。
  • Her smile was warm but authoritative.她的笑容很和蔼，同时又透着威严。
19 tampers 3f9b662037e98e362f880382ae2cdcd1     
n.捣棒( tamper的名词复数 )；打夯机；夯具；填塞者v.窜改( tamper的第三人称单数 )；篡改；（用不正当手段）影响；瞎摆弄
参考例句：
  • If anyone tampers with this door it trips the alarm. 要是有人撬这扇门，就会触响警报器。 来自辞典例句
  • I do not approve of anything which tampers with natural ignorance. 我不赞成损害与生俱来的愚昧的任何事物。 来自互联网
20 tampered 07b218b924120d49a725c36b06556000     
v.窜改( tamper的过去式 )；篡改；（用不正当手段）影响；瞎摆弄
参考例句：
  • The records of the meeting had been tampered with. 会议记录已被人擅自改动。 来自辞典例句
  • The old man's will has been tampered with. 老人的遗嘱已被窜改。 来自辞典例句
21 chilly pOfzl     
adj.凉快的，寒冷的
参考例句：
  • I feel chilly without a coat.我由于没有穿大衣而感到凉飕飕的。
  • I grew chilly when the fire went out.炉火熄灭后，寒气逼人。
22 disposition GljzO     
n.性情，性格；意向，倾向；排列，部署
参考例句：
  • He has made a good disposition of his property.他已对财产作了妥善处理。
  • He has a cheerful disposition.他性情开朗。
23 acquiesced 03acb9bc789f7d2955424223e0a45f1b     
v.默认，默许( acquiesce的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
  • Senior government figures must have acquiesced in the cover-up. 政府高级官员必然已经默许掩盖真相。
  • After a lot of persuasion,he finally acquiesced. 经过多次劝说，他最终默许了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
24 luxuriously 547f4ef96080582212df7e47e01d0eaf     
adv.奢侈地，豪华地
参考例句：
  • She put her nose luxuriously buried in heliotrope and tea roses. 她把自己的鼻子惬意地埋在天芥菜和庚申蔷薇花簇中。 来自辞典例句
  • To be well dressed doesn't mean to be luxuriously dressed. 穿得好不一定衣着豪华。 来自辞典例句
25 cocktails a8cac8f94e713cc85d516a6e94112418     
n.鸡尾酒( cocktail的名词复数 )；餐前开胃菜；混合物
参考例句：
  • Come about 4 o'clock. We'll have cocktails and grill steaks. 请四点钟左右来，我们喝鸡尾酒，吃烤牛排。 来自辞典例句
  • Cocktails were a nasty American habit. 喝鸡尾酒是讨厌的美国习惯。 来自辞典例句
26 constraint rYnzo     
n.(on)约束，限制；限制(或约束)性的事物
参考例句：
  • The boy felt constraint in her presence.那男孩在她面前感到局促不安。
  • The lack of capital is major constraint on activities in the informal sector.资本短缺也是影响非正规部门生产经营的一个重要制约因素。
27 cape ITEy6     
n.海角，岬；披肩，短披风
参考例句：
  • I long for a trip to the Cape of Good Hope.我渴望到好望角去旅行。
  • She was wearing a cape over her dress.她在外套上披着一件披肩。
28 platinum CuOyC     
n.白金
参考例句：
  • I'll give her a platinum ring.我打算送给她一枚白金戒指。
  • Platinum exceeds gold in value.白金的价值高于黄金。
29 opulence N0TyJ     
n.财富，富裕
参考例句：
  • His eyes had never beheld such opulence.他从未见过这样的财富。
  • He owes his opulence to work hard.他的财富乃辛勤工作得来。
30 sniffed ccb6bd83c4e9592715e6230a90f76b72     
v.以鼻吸气，嗅，闻( sniff的过去式和过去分词 )；抽鼻子（尤指哭泣、患感冒等时出声地用鼻子吸气）；抱怨，不以为然地说
参考例句：
  • When Jenney had stopped crying she sniffed and dried her eyes. 珍妮停止了哭泣，吸了吸鼻子，擦干了眼泪。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The dog sniffed suspiciously at the stranger. 狗疑惑地嗅着那个陌生人。 来自《简明英汉词典》
31 scent WThzs     
n.气味，香味，香水，线索，嗅觉；v.嗅，发觉
参考例句：
  • The air was filled with the scent of lilac.空气中弥漫着丁香花的芬芳。
  • The flowers give off a heady scent at night.这些花晚上散发出醉人的芳香。
32 lighter 5pPzPR     
n.打火机，点火器；驳船；v.用驳船运送；light的比较级
参考例句：
  • The portrait was touched up so as to make it lighter.这张画经过润色，色调明朗了一些。
  • The lighter works off the car battery.引燃器利用汽车蓄电池打火。

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