无人生还10

时间：2026-03-19 02:54:09

（单词翻译:单击）

Chapter 2
I
Outside Oakbridge station a little group of people stood in momentary1 un-
certainty. Behind them stood porters with suitcases. One of these called,
‘Jim!’
The driver of one of the taxis stepped forward.
‘You’m for Soldier Island, maybe?’ he asked in a soft Devon voice. Four
voices gave assent—and then immediately afterwards gave quick surrepti-
tious glances at each other.
The driver said, addressing his remarks to Mr Justice Wargrave as the
senior member of the party:
‘There are two taxis here, sir. One of them must wait till the slow train
from Exeter gets in—a matter of five minutes—there’s one gentleman
coming by that. Perhaps one of you wouldn’t mind waiting? You’d be
more comfortable that way.’
Vera Claythorne, her own secretarial position clear in her mind, spoke2
at once.
‘I’ll wait,’ she said, ‘if you will go on?’ She looked at the other three, her
glance and voice had that slight suggestion of command in it that comes
from having occupied a position of authority. She might have been direct-
ing which tennis sets the girls were to play in.
Miss Brent said stiffly, ‘Thank you,’ bent3 her head and entered one of the
taxis, the door of which the driver was holding open.
Mr Justice Wargrave followed her.
Captain Lombard said:
‘I’ll wait with Miss—’
‘Claythorne,’ said Vera.
‘My name is Lombard, Philip Lombard.’
The porters were piling luggage on the taxi. Inside, Mr Justice Wargrave
said with due legal caution:
‘Beautiful weather we are having.’
Miss Brent said:
‘Yes, indeed.’
A very distinguished5 old gentleman, she thought to herself. Quite unlike
the usual type of man in seaside guest houses. Evidently Mrs or Miss
Oliver had good connections…
Mr Justice Wargrave inquired:
‘Do you know this part of the world well?’
‘I have been to Cornwall and to Torquay, but this is my first visit to this
part of Devon.’
The judge said:
‘I also am unacquainted with this part of the world.’
The taxi drove off.
The driver of the second taxi said:
‘Like to sit inside while you’re waiting?’
Vera said decisively:
‘Not at all.’
Captain Lombard smiled. He said:
‘That sunny wall looks more attractive. Unless you’d rather go inside the
station?’
‘No, indeed. It’s so delightful6 to get out of that stuffy7 train.’
He answered:
‘Yes, travelling by train is rather trying in this weather.’
Vera said conventionally:
‘I do hope it lasts—the weather, I mean. Our English summers are so
treacherous8.’
With a slight lack of originality9 Lombard asked:
‘Do you know this part of the world well?’
‘No, I’ve never been here before.’ She added quickly, conscientiously10 de-
termined to make her position clear at once, ‘I haven’t even seen my em-
ployer yet.’
‘Your employer?’
‘Yes, I’m Mrs Owen’s secretary.’
‘Oh, I see.’ Just imperceptibly his manner changed. It was slightly more
assured—easier in tone. He said: ‘Isn’t that rather unusual?’
Vera laughed.
‘Oh, no, I don’t think so. Her own secretary was suddenly taken ill and
she wired to an agency for a substitute and they sent me.’
‘So that was it. And suppose you don’t like the post when you’ve got
there?’
Vera laughed again.
‘Oh, it’s only temporary—a holiday post. I’ve got a permanent job at a
girls’ school. As a matter of fact, I’m frightfully thrilled at the prospect11 of
seeing Soldier Island. There’s been such a lot about it in the papers. Is it
really very fascinating?’
Lombard said:
‘I don’t know. I haven’t seen it.’
‘Oh, really? The Owens are frightfully keen on it, I suppose. What are
they like? Do tell me.’
Lombard thought: Awkward, this—am I supposed to have met them or
not? He said quickly:
‘There’s a wasp12 crawling up your arm. No—keep quite still.’ He made a
convincing pounce13. ‘There. It’s gone!’
‘Oh, thank you. There are a lot of wasps14 about this summer.’
‘Yes, I suppose it’s the heat. Who are we waiting for, do you know?’
‘I haven’t the least idea.’
The loud drawn-out scream of an approaching train was heard. Lom-
bard4 said:
‘That will be the train now.’
It was a tall soldierly old man who appeared at the exit from the plat-
form. His grey hair was clipped close and he had a neatly15 trimmed white
moustache.
His porter, staggering slightly under the weight of the solid leather suit-
case, indicated Vera and Lombard.
Vera came forward in a competent manner. She said:
‘I am Mrs Owen’s secretary. There is a car here waiting.’ She added,
‘This is Mr Lombard.’
The faded blue eyes, shrewd in spite of their age, sized up Lombard. For
a moment a judgment16 showed in them—had there been any one to read it.
‘Good-looking fellow. Something just a little wrong about him…’
The three of them got into the waiting taxi. They drove through the
sleepy streets of little Oakbridge and continued about a mile on the main
Plymouth road. Then they plunged17 into a maze18 of cross- country lanes,
steep, green and narrow.
General Macarthur said:
‘Don’t know this part of Devon at all. My little place is in East Devon—
just on the border-line of Dorset.’
Vera said:
‘It really is lovely here. The hills and the red earth and everything so
green and luscious-looking.’
Philip Lombard said critically:
‘It’s a bit shut in…I like open country myself. Where you can see what’s
coming…’
General Macarthur said to him:
‘You’ve seen a bit of the world, I fancy?’
Lombard shrugged19 his shoulders disparagingly20.
‘I’ve knocked about here and there, sir.’
He thought to himself: ‘He’ll ask me now if I was old enough to be in the
War. These old boys always do.’
But General Macarthur did not mention the War.

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1 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。
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 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。
4 bard QPCyM     
n.吟游诗人
参考例句：
  • I'll use my bard song to help you concentrate!我会用我的吟游诗人歌曲帮你集中精神！
  • I find him,the wandering grey bard.我发现了正在徘徊的衰老游唱诗人。
5 distinguished wu9z3v     
adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的
参考例句：
  • Elephants are distinguished from other animals by their long noses.大象以其长长的鼻子显示出与其他动物的不同。
  • A banquet was given in honor of the distinguished guests.宴会是为了向贵宾们致敬而举行的。
6 delightful 6xzxT     
adj.令人高兴的，使人快乐的
参考例句：
  • We had a delightful time by the seashore last Sunday.上星期天我们在海滨玩得真痛快。
  • Peter played a delightful melody on his flute.彼得用笛子吹奏了一支欢快的曲子。
7 stuffy BtZw0     
adj.不透气的，闷热的
参考例句：
  • It's really hot and stuffy in here.这里实在太热太闷了。
  • It was so stuffy in the tent that we could sense the air was heavy with moisture.帐篷里很闷热，我们感到空气都是潮的。
8 treacherous eg7y5     
adj.不可靠的，有暗藏的危险的；adj.背叛的，背信弃义的
参考例句：
  • The surface water made the road treacherous for drivers.路面的积水对驾车者构成危险。
  • The frozen snow was treacherous to walk on.在冻雪上行走有潜在危险。
9 originality JJJxm     
n.创造力，独创性；新颖
参考例句：
  • The name of the game in pop music is originality.流行音乐的本质是独创性。
  • He displayed an originality amounting almost to genius.他显示出近乎天才的创造性。
10 conscientiously 3vBzrQ     
adv.凭良心地；认真地，负责尽职地；老老实实
参考例句：
  • He kept silent,eating just as conscientiously but as though everything tasted alike. 他一声不吭，闷头吃着，仿佛桌上的饭菜都一个味儿。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • She discharged all the responsibilities of a minister conscientiously. 她自觉地履行部长的一切职责。 来自《简明英汉词典》
11 prospect P01zn     
n.前景，前途；景色，视野
参考例句：
  • This state of things holds out a cheerful prospect.事态呈现出可喜的前景。
  • The prospect became more evident.前景变得更加明朗了。
12 wasp sMczj     
n.黄蜂，蚂蜂
参考例句：
  • A wasp stung me on the arm.黄蜂蜇了我的手臂。
  • Through the glass we can see the wasp.透过玻璃我们可以看到黄蜂。
13 pounce 4uAyU     
n.猛扑；v.猛扑，突然袭击，欣然同意
参考例句：
  • Why do you pounce on every single thing I say?干吗我说的每句话你都要找麻烦？
  • We saw the tiger about to pounce on the goat.我们看见老虎要向那只山羊扑过去。
14 wasps fb5b4ba79c574cee74f48a72a48c03ef     
黄蜂( wasp的名词复数 )； 胡蜂； 易动怒的人； 刻毒的人
参考例句：
  • There's a wasps' nest in that old tree. 那棵老树上有一个黄蜂巢。
  • We live in dread not only of unpleasant insects like spiders or wasps, but of quite harmless ones like moths. 我们不仅生活在对象蜘蛛或黄蜂这样的小虫的惧怕中，而且生活在对诸如飞蛾这样无害昆虫的惧怕中
15 neatly ynZzBp     
adv.整洁地，干净地，灵巧地，熟练地
参考例句：
  • Sailors know how to wind up a long rope neatly.水手们知道怎样把一条大绳利落地缠好。
  • The child's dress is neatly gathered at the neck.那孩子的衣服在领口处打着整齐的皱褶。
16 judgment e3xxC     
n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见
参考例句：
  • The chairman flatters himself on his judgment of people.主席自认为他审视人比别人高明。
  • He's a man of excellent judgment.他眼力过人。
17 plunged 06a599a54b33c9d941718dccc7739582     
v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降
参考例句：
  • The train derailed and plunged into the river. 火车脱轨栽进了河里。
  • She lost her balance and plunged 100 feet to her death. 她没有站稳，从100英尺的高处跌下摔死了。
18 maze F76ze     
n.迷宫，八阵图，混乱，迷惑
参考例句：
  • He found his way through the complex maze of corridors.他穿过了迷宮一样的走廊。
  • She was lost in the maze for several hours.一连几小时，她的头脑处于一片糊涂状态。
19 shrugged 497904474a48f991a3d1961b0476ebce     
vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式）
参考例句：
  • Sam shrugged and said nothing. 萨姆耸耸肩膀，什么也没说。
  • She shrugged, feigning nonchalance. 她耸耸肩，装出一副无所谓的样子。 来自《简明英汉词典》
20 disparagingly b42f6539a4881e0982d0f4b448940378     
adv.以贬抑的口吻，以轻视的态度
参考例句：
  • These mythological figures are described disparagingly as belonging only to a story. 这些神话人物被轻蔑地描述为“仅在传说中出现”的人物。 来自互联网
  • In his memoirs he often speaks disparagingly about the private sector. 在他的回忆录里面他经常轻蔑的谈及私营（商业）部门。 来自互联网

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