尼罗河的惨案22
时间：2024-08-05 00:41:55
（单词翻译:单击）
Ten
On the Monday morning various expressions of delight and appreciation1 were heard on the deckof the Karnak. The steamer was moored2 to the bank and a few hundred yards away, the morningsun just striking it, was a great temple carved out of the face of the rock. Four colossal3 figures,hewn out of the cliff, look out eternally over the Nile and face the rising sun.
Cornelia Robson said incoherently: “Oh, Monsieur Poirot, isn’t it wonderful? I mean they’re sobig and peaceful—and looking at them makes one feel that one’s so small—and rather like aninsect—and that nothing matters very much really, does it?”
“Grand, isn’t it?” said Simon Doyle, strolling up.
He went on confidentially5 to Poirot: “You know, I’m not much of a fellow for temples andsightseeing and all that, but a place like this sort of gets you, if you know what I mean. Those oldPharaohs must have been wonderful fellows.”
The other had drifted away. Simon lowered his voice.
“I’m no end glad we came on this trip. It’s—well, it’s cleared things up. Amazing why it should—but there it is. Linnet’s got her nerve back. She say’s it’s because shes actually faced thebusiness at last.”
“I think that is very probable,” said Poirot.
“She says that when she actually saw Jackie on the boat she felt terrible—and then, suddenly, itdidn’t matter anymore. We’re both agreed that we won’t try to dodge6 her anymore. We’ll justmeet her on her own ground and show her that this ridiculous stunt7 of hers doesn’t worry us a bit.
It’s just damned bad form—that’s all. She thought she’d got us badly rattled8, but now, well, wejust aren’t rattled anymore. That ought to show her.”
“Yes,” said Poirot thoughtfully.
“So that’s splendid, isn’t it?”
“Oh, yes, yes.”
She greeted Poirot with no particular enthusiasm, just gave him a cool nod and then drew herhusband away.
Poirot realized with a momentary10 flicker11 of amusement that he had not made himself popular byhis critical attitude. Linnet was used to unqualified admiration12 of all she was or did. Hercule Poirothad sinned noticeably against this creed13.
Mrs. Allerton, joining him, murmured:
“What a difference in that girl! She looked worried and not very happy at Assuan. Today shelooks so happy that one might almost be afraid she was fey.”
Before Poirot could respond as he meant, the party was called to order. The official dragomantook charge and the party was led ashore14 to visit Abu Simbel.
Poirot himself fell into step with Andrew Pennington.
“It is your first visit to Egypt—yes?” he asked.
“Why, no, I was here in nineteen twenty-three. That is to say I was in Cairo. I’ve never beenthis trip up the Nile before.”
“You came over on the Carmanic, I believe—at least so Madame Doyle was telling me.”
Pennington shot a shrewd glance in his direction.
“Why, yes, that is so,” he admitted.
“I wondered if you had happened to come across some friends of mine who were aboard—theRushington Smiths.”
“I can’t recall anyone of that name. The boat was full and we had bad weather. A lot ofpassengers hardly appeared, and in any case the voyage is so short one doesn’t get to know who ison board and who isn’t.”
“Yes, that is very true. What a pleasant surprise your running into Madame Doyle and herhusband. You had no idea they were married?”
“No. Mrs. Doyle had written me, but the letter was forwarded on and I only received it somedays after our unexpected meeting in Cairo.”
“You have known her for many years, I understand?”
“Why, I should say I have, Monsieur Poirot. I’ve known Linnet Ridgeway since she was just acute little thing so high—” He made an illustrating15 gesture. “Her father and I were lifelong friends.
A very remarkable16 man, Melhuish Ridgeway—and a very successful one.”
“His daughter comes into a considerable fortune, I understand…Ah, pardon—perhaps it is notdelicate what I say there.”
Andrew Pennington seemed slightly amused.
“Oh, that’s pretty common knowledge. Yes, Linnet’s a wealthy woman.”
“I suppose, though, that the recent slump17 is bound to affect any stocks, however sound they maybe?”
Pennington took a moment or two to answer. He said at last: “That, of course, is true to a certainextent. The position is very difficult in these days.”
Poirot murmured: “I should imagine, however, that Madame Doyle has a keen business head.”
“That is so. Yes, that is so. Linnet is a clever practical girl.”
They came to a halt. The guide proceeded to instruct them on the subject of the temple built bythe great Rameses. The four colossi of Rameses himself, one pair on each side of the entrance,hewn out of the living rock, looked down on the little straggling party of tourists.
Signor Richetti, disdaining18 the remarks of the dragoman, was busy examining the reliefs ofNegro and Syrian captives on the bases of the colossi on either side of the entrance.
When the party entered the temple, a sense of dimness and peace came over them. The stillvividly coloured reliefs on some of the inner walls were pointed19 out, but the party tended to breakup into groups.
Dr. Bessner read sonorously20 in German from a Baedeker, pausing every now and then totranslate for the benefit of Cornelia, who walked in a docile21 manner beside him. This was not tocontinue, however. Miss Van Schuyler, entering on the arm of the phlegmatic22 Miss Bowers23,uttered a commanding: “Cornelia, come here,” and the instruction had perforce to cease. Dr.
“A very nice maiden25, that,” he announced to Poirot. “She does not look so starved as some ofthese young women. No, she has the nice curves. She listens too very intelligently; it is a pleasureto instruct her.”
It fleeted across Poirot’s mind that it seemed to be Cornelia’s fate either to be bullied26 orinstructed. In any case she was always the listener, never the talker.
Miss Bowers, momentarily released by the peremptory27 summons of Cornelia, was standing inthe middle of the temple, looking about her with her cool, incurious gaze. Her reaction to thewonders of the past was succinct28.
“The guide says the name of one of these gods or goddesses was Mut. Can you beat it?”
There was an inner sanctuary29 where sat four figures eternally presiding, strangely dignified30 intheir dim aloofness31.
Before them stood Linnet and her husband. Her arm was in his, her face lifted—a typical face ofthe new civilization, intelligent, curious, untouched by the past.
Simon said suddenly: “Let’s get out of here. I don’t like these four fellows—especially the onein the high hat.”
“That’s Amon, I suppose. And that one is Rameses. Why don’t you like them? I think they’revery impressive.”
“They’re a damned sight too impressive; there’s something uncanny about them. Come out intothe sunlight.”
Linnet laughed but yielded.
They came out of the temple into the sunshine with the sand yellow and warm about their feet.
Linnet began to laugh. At their feet in a row, presenting a momentarily gruesome appearance asthough sawn from their bodies, were the heads of half a dozen Nubian boys. The eyes rolled, theheads moved rhythmically32 from side to side, the lips chanted a new invocation:
“How absurd! How do they do it? Are they really buried very deep?”
Simon produced some small change.
Linnet and Simon passed on. They had no wish to return to the boat, and they were weary ofsightseeing. They settled themselves with their backs to the cliff and let the warm sun bake themthrough.
“How lovely the sun is,” thought Linnet. “How warm—how safe…How lovely it is to behappy…How lovely to be me—me…me…Linnet….”
Her eyes closed. She was half asleep, half awake, drifting in the midst of thought that was likethe sand drifting and blowing.
Simon’s eyes were open. They too held contentment. What a fool he’d been to be rattled thatfirst night…There was nothing to be rattled about…Everything was all right…After all, one couldtrust Jackie—
There was a shout—people running towards him waving their arms—shouting….
Simon stared stupidly for a moment. Then he sprang to his feet and dragged Linnet with him.
Not a minute too soon. A big boulder36 hurtling down the cliff crashed past them. If Linnet hadremained where she was she would have been crushed to atoms.
White-faced they clung together. Hercule Poirot and Tim Allerton ran up to them.
“Ma foi, Madame, that was a near thing.”
All four instinctively37 looked up at the cliff. There was nothing to be seen. But there was a pathalong the top. Poirot remembered seeing some natives walking along there when they had firstcome ashore.
He looked at the husband and wife. Linnet looked dazed still—bewildered. Simon, however,was inarticulate with rage.
“God damn her!” he ejaculated.
He checked himself with a quick glance at Tim Allerton.
The latter said: “Phew, that was near! Did some fool bowl that thing over, or did it get detachedon its own?”
Linnet was very pale. She said with difficulty: “I think—some fool must have done it.”
“Might have crushed you like an eggshell. Sure you haven’t got an enemy, Linnet?”
Linnet swallowed twice and found a difficulty in answering the lighthearted raillery.
“Come back to the boat, Madame,” Poirot said quickly. “You must have a restorative.”
They walked quickly, Simon still full of pent-up rage, Tim trying to talk cheerfully and distractLinnet’s mind from the danger she had run, Poirot with a grave face.
And then, just as they reached the gangplank, Simon stopped dead. A look of amazement38 spreadover his face.
Jacqueline de Bellefort was just coming ashore. Dressed in blue gingham, she looked childishthis morning.
“Good God!” said Simon under his breath. “So it was an accident, after all.”
The anger went out of his face. An overwhelming relief showed so plainly that Jacquelinenoticed something amiss.
“Good morning,” she said. “I’m afraid I’m a little on the late side.”
She gave them all a nod and stepped ashore and proceeded in the direction of the temple.
Simon clutched Poirot’s arm. The other two had gone on.
“My God, that’s a relief. I thought—I thought—”
Poirot nodded. “Yes, yes, I know what you thought.” But he himself still looked grave andpreoccupied. He turned his head and noted39 carefully what had become of the rest of the party fromthe ship.
Miss Van Schuyler was slowly returning on the arm of Miss Bowers.
A little farther away Mrs. Allerton was standing laughing at the little Nubian row of heads. Mrs.
Otterbourne was with her.
The others were nowhere in sight.
Poirot shook his head as he followed Simon slowly on to the boat.
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1
appreciation
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| n.评价；欣赏；感谢；领会，理解；价格上涨 | |
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2
moored
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| adj. 系泊的 动词moor的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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3
colossal
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| adj.异常的，庞大的 | |
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standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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5
confidentially
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| ad.秘密地，悄悄地 | |
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6
dodge
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| v.闪开，躲开，避开；n.妙计，诡计 | |
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7
stunt
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| n.惊人表演，绝技，特技；vt.阻碍...发育，妨碍...生长 | |
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8
rattled
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| 慌乱的，恼火的 | |
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9
linen
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| n.亚麻布，亚麻线，亚麻制品；adj.亚麻布制的，亚麻的 | |
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10
momentary
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| adj.片刻的，瞬息的；短暂的 | |
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11
flicker
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| vi./n.闪烁，摇曳，闪现 | |
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12
admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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13
creed
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| n.信条；信念，纲领 | |
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14
ashore
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| adv.在(向)岸上，上岸 | |
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15
illustrating
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| 给…加插图( illustrate的现在分词 )； 说明； 表明； （用示例、图画等）说明 | |
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16
remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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17
slump
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| n.暴跌，意气消沉，（土地）下沉；vi.猛然掉落，坍塌，大幅度下跌 | |
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18
disdaining
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| 鄙视( disdain的现在分词 )； 不屑于做，不愿意做 | |
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19
pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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sonorously
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| adv.圆润低沉地；感人地；堂皇地；朗朗地 | |
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21
docile
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| adj.驯服的，易控制的，容易教的 | |
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22
phlegmatic
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| adj.冷静的，冷淡的，冷漠的，无活力的 | |
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23
bowers
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| n.（女子的）卧室( bower的名词复数 )；船首锚；阴凉处；鞠躬的人 | |
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24
vaguely
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| adv.含糊地，暖昧地 | |
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25
maiden
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| n.少女，处女；adj.未婚的，纯洁的，无经验的 | |
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26
bullied
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| adj.被欺负了v.恐吓，威逼( bully的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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27
peremptory
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| adj.紧急的，专横的，断然的 | |
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28
succinct
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| adj.简明的，简洁的 | |
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29
sanctuary
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| n.圣所，圣堂，寺庙；禁猎区，保护区 | |
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30
dignified
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| a.可敬的，高贵的 | |
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31
aloofness
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| 超然态度 | |
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32
rhythmically
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| adv.有节奏地 | |
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33
hip
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| n.臀部，髋；屋脊 | |
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34
mimicked
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| v.（尤指为了逗乐而）模仿( mimic的过去式和过去分词 )；酷似 | |
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35
neatly
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| adv.整洁地，干净地，灵巧地，熟练地 | |
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36
boulder
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| n.巨砾；卵石，圆石 | |
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37
instinctively
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| adv.本能地 | |
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38
amazement
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| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
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39
noted
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| adj.著名的，知名的 | |
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