无人生还15

时间：2026-03-19 02:54:22

（单词翻译:单击）

V
Vera had followed Mrs Rogers upstairs. The woman had thrown open a
door at the end of a passage and Vera had walked into a delightful1 bed-
room with a big window that opened wide upon the sea and another look-
ing east. She uttered a quick exclamation2 of pleasure.
Mrs Rogers was saying:
‘I hope you’ve got everything you want, Miss?’
Vera looked round. Her luggage had been brought up and had been un-
packed. At one side of the room a door stood open into a pale blue-tiled
bathroom.
She said quickly:
‘Yes, everything, I think.’
‘You’ll ring the bell if you want anything, Miss?’
Mrs Rogers had a flat monotonous3 voice. Vera looked at her curiously4.
What a white bloodless ghost of a woman! Very respectable-looking, with
her hair dragged back from her face and her black dress. Queer light eyes
that shifted the whole time from place to place.
Vera thought:
‘She looks frightened of her own shadow.’
Yes, that was it—frightened!
She looked like a woman who walked in mortal fear…
A little shiver passed down Vera’s back. What on earth was the woman
afraid of?
She said pleasantly:
‘I’m Mrs Owen’s new secretary. I expect you know that.’
Mrs Rogers said:
‘No, Miss, I don’t know anything. Just a list of the ladies and gentlemen
and what rooms they were to have.’
Vera said:
‘Mrs Owen didn’t mention me?’
Mrs Rogers’ eyelashes flickered5.
‘I haven’t seen Mrs Owen—not yet. We only came here two days ago.’
Extraordinary people, these Owens, thought Vera. Aloud she said:
‘What staff is there here?’
‘Just me and Rogers, Miss.’
Vera frowned. Eight people in the house—ten with the host and hostess
—and only one married couple to do for them.
Mrs Rogers said:
‘I’m a good cook and Rogers is handy about the house. I didn’t know, of
course, that there was to be such a large party.’
Vera said:
‘But you can manage?’
‘Oh yes, Miss, I can manage. If there’s to be large parties often perhaps
Mrs Owen could get extra help in.’
Vera said, ‘I expect so.’
Mrs Rogers turned to go. Her feet moved noiselessly over the ground.
She drifted from the room like a shadow.
Vera went over to the window and sat down on the window seat. She
was faintly disturbed. Everything—somehow—was a little queer. The ab-
sence of the Owens, the pale ghostlike Mrs Rogers. And the guests! Yes, the
guests were queer, too. An oddly assorted6 party.
Vera thought:
‘I wish I’d seen the Owens…I wish I knew what they were like.’
She got up and walked restlessly about the room.
A perfect bedroom decorated throughout in the modern style. Off-white
rugs on the gleaming parquet7 floor—faintly tinted8 walls—a long mirror
surrounded by lights. A mantelpiece bare of ornaments9 save for an
enormous block of white marble shaped like a bear, a piece of modern
sculpture in which was inset a clock. Over it, in a gleaming chromium
frame, was a big square of parchment—a poem.
She stood in front of the fireplace and read it. It was the old nursery
rhyme that she remembered from her childhood days.
Ten little soldier boys went out to dine;
One choked his little self and then there were Nine.
Nine little soldier boys sat up very late;
One overslept himself and then there were Eight.
Eight little soldier boys travelling in Devon;
One said he’d stay there and then there were Seven.
Seven little soldier boys chopping up sticks;
One chopped himself in halves and then there were Six.
Six little soldier boys playing with a hive;
A bumble bee stung one and then there were Five.
Five little soldier boys going in for law;
One got in Chancery and then there were Four.
Four little soldier boys going out to sea;
A red herring swallowed one and then there were Three.
Three little soldier boys walking in the Zoo;
A big bear hugged one and then there were Two.
Two little soldier boys sitting in the sun;
One got frizzled up and then there was One.
One little soldier boy left all alone;
He went and hanged himself and then there were None.
Vera smiled. Of course! This was Soldier Island!
She went and sat again by the window looking out to sea.
How big the sea was! From here there was no land to be seen anywhere
—just a vast expanse of blue water rippling10 in the evening sun.
The sea…So peaceful today—sometimes so cruel…The sea that dragged
you down to its depths. Drowned… Found drowned… Drowned at sea…
Drowned—drowned—drowned…
No, she wouldn’t remember…She would not think of it!
All that was over…

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1 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。
2 exclamation onBxZ     
n.感叹号，惊呼，惊叹词
参考例句：
  • He could not restrain an exclamation of approval.他禁不住喝一声采。
  • The author used three exclamation marks at the end of the last sentence to wake up the readers.作者在文章的最后一句连用了三个惊叹号，以引起读者的注意。
3 monotonous FwQyJ     
adj.单调的，一成不变的，使人厌倦的
参考例句：
  • She thought life in the small town was monotonous.她觉得小镇上的生活单调而乏味。
  • His articles are fixed in form and monotonous in content.他的文章千篇一律，一个调调儿。
4 curiously 3v0zIc     
adv.有求知欲地；好问地；奇特地
参考例句：
  • He looked curiously at the people.他好奇地看着那些人。
  • He took long stealthy strides. His hands were curiously cold.他迈着悄没声息的大步。他的双手出奇地冷。
5 flickered 93ec527d68268e88777d6ca26683cc82     
（通常指灯光）闪烁，摇曳( flicker的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
  • The lights flickered and went out. 灯光闪了闪就熄了。
  • These lights flickered continuously like traffic lights which have gone mad. 这些灯象发狂的交通灯一样不停地闪动着。
6 assorted TyGzop     
adj.各种各样的，各色俱备的
参考例句：
  • There's a bag of assorted sweets on the table.桌子上有一袋什锦糖果。
  • He has always assorted with men of his age.他总是与和他年令相仿的人交往。
7 parquet wL9xr     
n.镶木地板
参考例句：
  • The parquet floors shone like mirrors.镶木地板亮得象镜子。
  • The snail left a trail of slime along the parquet floor.蜗牛在镶木地板上留下一道黏液。
8 tinted tinted     
adj. 带色彩的 动词tint的过去式和过去分词
参考例句：
  • a pair of glasses with tinted lenses 一副有色镜片眼镜
  • a rose-tinted vision of the world 对世界的理想化看法
9 ornaments 2bf24c2bab75a8ff45e650a1e4388dec     
n.装饰( ornament的名词复数 )；点缀；装饰品；首饰v.装饰，点缀，美化( ornament的第三人称单数 )
参考例句：
  • The shelves were chock-a-block with ornaments. 架子上堆满了装饰品。
  • Playing the piano sets up resonance in those glass ornaments. 一弹钢琴那些玻璃饰物就会产生共振。 来自《简明英汉词典》
10 rippling b84b2d05914b2749622963c1ef058ed5     
起涟漪的，潺潺流水般声音的
参考例句：
  • I could see the dawn breeze rippling the shining water. 我能看见黎明的微风在波光粼粼的水面上吹出道道涟漪。
  • The pool rippling was caused by the waving of the reeds. 池塘里的潺潺声是芦苇摇动时引起的。

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