空幻之屋36

时间：2024-12-31 10:12:07

（单词翻译:单击）

Twenty-six
Grange came in to Resthaven to drink a cup of tea with Hercule Poirot. The tea was exactly what
he had had apprehensions1 it might be—extremely weak and China tea at that.
“These foreigners,” thought Grange, “don’t know how to make tea. You can’t teach ’em.” But
he did not mind much. He was in a condition of pessimism2 when one more thing that was
unsatisfactory actually afforded him a kind of grim satisfaction.
He said: “The adjourned3 inquest’s the day after tomorrow and where have we got? Nowhere at
all. What the hell, that gun must be somewhere! It’s this damned country—miles of woods. It
would take an army to search them properly. Talk of a needle in a haystack. It may be anywhere.
The fact is, we’ve got to face up to it—we may never find that gun.”
“You will find it,” said Poirot confidently.
“Well, it won’t be for want of trying!”
“You will find it, sooner or later. And I should say sooner. Another cup of tea?”
“I don’t mind if I do—no, no hot water.”
“Is it not too strong?”
“Oh, no, it’s not too strong.” The inspector4 was conscious of understatement.
Gloomily he sipped5 at the pale, straw-coloured beverage6.
“This case is making a monkey of me, M. Poirot—a monkey of me! I can’t get the hang of these
people. They seem helpful—but everything they tell you seems to lead you away on a wild-goose
chase.”
“Away?” said Poirot. A startled look came into his eyes. “Yes, I see. Away….”
The inspector was now developing his grievance7.
“Take the gun now. Christow was shot—according to the medical evidence—only a minute or
two before your arrival. Lady Angkatell had that egg basket, Miss Savernake had a gardening
basket full of dead flower heads, and Edward Angkatell was wearing a loose shooting coat with
large pockets stuffed with cartridges8. Any one of them could have carried the revolver away with
them. It wasn’t hidden anywhere near the pool—my men have raked the place, so that’s definitely
out.”
Poirot nodded. Grange went on:
“Gerda Christow was framed—but who by? That’s where every clue I follow seems to vanish
into thin air.”
“Their stories of how they spent the morning are satisfactory?”
“The stories are all right. Miss Savernake was gardening. Lady Angkatell was collecting eggs.
Edward Angkatell and Sir Henry were shooting and separated at the end of the morning—Sir
Henry coming back to the house and Edward Angkatell coming down here through the woods.
The young fellow was up in his bedroom reading. (Funny place to read on a nice day, but he’s the
indoor, bookish kind.) Miss Hardcastle took a book down to the orchard9. All sounds very natural
and likely, and there’s no means of checking up on it. Gudgeon took a tray of glasses out to the
pavilion about twelve o’clock. He can’t say where any of the house party were or what they were
doing. In a way, you know, there’s something against almost all of them.”
“Really?”
“Of course the most obvious person is Veronica Cray. She had quarrelled with Christow, she
hated his guts10, she’s quite likely to have shot him—but I can’t find the least iota11 of proof that she
did shoot him. No evidence as to her having had any opportunity to pinch the revolvers from Sir
Henry’s collection. No one who saw her going to or from the pool that day. And the missing
revolver definitely isn’t in her possession now.”
“Ah, you have made sure of that?”
“What do you think? The evidence would have justified12 a search warrant but there was no need.
She was quite gracious about it. It’s not anywhere in that tin-pot bungalow13. After the inquest was
adjourned we made a show of letting up on Miss Cray and Miss Savernake, and we’ve had a tail
on them to see where they went and what they’d do. We’ve had a man on at the film studios
watching Veronica—no sign of her trying to ditch the gun there.”
“And Henrietta Savernake?”
“Nothing there either. She went straight back to Chelsea and we’ve kept an eye on her ever
since. The revolver isn’t in her studio or in her possession. She was quite pleasant about the search
—seemed amused. Some of her fancy stuff gave our man quite a turn. He said it beat him why
people wanted to do that kind of thing — statues all lumps and swellings, bits of brass14 and
aluminum15 twisted into fancy shapes, horses that you wouldn’t know were horses.”
Poirot stirred a little.
“Horses, you say?”
“Well, a horse. If you’d call it a horse! If people want to model a horse, why don’t they go and
look at a horse!”
“A horse,” repeated Poirot.
Grange turned his head.
“What is there about that that interests you so, M. Poirot? I don’t get it.”
“Association—a point of the psychology16.”
“Word association? Horse and cart? Rocking horse? Clothes horse. No, I don’t get it. Anyway,
after a day or two, Miss Savernake packs up and comes down here again. You know that?”
“Yes, I have talked with her and I have seen her walking in the woods.”
“Restless, yes. Well, she was having an affair with the doctor all right, and his saying:
‘Henrietta’ as he died is pretty near to an accusation17. But it’s not quite near enough, M. Poirot.”
“No,” said Poirot thoughtfully, “it is not near enough.”
Grange said heavily:
“There’s something in the atmosphere here—it gets you all tangled19 up! It’s as though they all
knew something. Lady Angkatell now—she’s never been able to put out a decent reason why she
took out a gun with her that day. It’s a crazy thing to do—sometimes I think she is crazy.”
Poirot shook his head very gently.
“No,” he said, “she is not crazy.”
“Then there’s Edward Angkatell. I thought I was getting something on him. Lady Angkatell
said—no, hinted—that he’d been in love with Miss Savernake for years. Well, that gives him a
motive20. And now I find it’s the other girl—Miss Hardcastle—that he’s engaged to. So bang goes
the case against him.”
Poirot gave a sympathetic murmur21.
“Then there’s the young fellow,” pursued the inspector. “Lady Angkatell let slip something
about him. His mother, it seems, died in an asylum—persecution mania—thought everybody was
conspiring22 to kill her. Well, you can see what that might mean. If the boy had inherited that
particular strain of insanity23, he might have got ideas into his head about Dr. Christow—might have
fancied the doctor was planning to certify24 him. Not that Christow was that kind of doctor. Nervous
affections of the alimentary25 canal and diseases of the super — super something. That was
Christow’s line. But if the boy was a bit touched, he might imagine Christow was here to keep him
under observation. He’s got an extraordinary manner, that young fellow, nervous as a cat.”
Grange sat unhappily for a moment or two.
“You see what I mean? All vague suspicions, leading nowhere.”
Poirot stirred again. He murmured softly:
“Away—not towards. From, not to. Nowhere instead of somewhere… Yes, of course, that must
be it.”
Grange stared at him. He said:
“They’re queer, all these Angkatells. I’d swear, sometimes, that they know all about it.”
Poirot said quietly:
“They do.”
“You mean, they know, all of them, who did it?” the inspector asked incredulously.
Poirot nodded.
“Yes, they know. I have thought so for some time. I am quite sure now.”
“I see.” The inspector’s face was grim. “And they’re hiding it up between them? Well, I’ll beat
them yet. I’m going to find that gun.”
It was, Poirot reflected, quite the inspector’s theme song.
Grange went on with rancour:
“I’d give anything to get even with them.”
“With—”
“All of them! Muddling26 me up! Suggesting things! Hinting! Helping27 my men—helping them!
All gossamer28 and spiders’ webs, nothing tangible29. What I want is a good solid fact!”
Hercule Poirot had been staring out of the window for some moments. His eye had been
attracted by an irregularity in the symmetry of his domain30.
He said now:
“You want a solid fact? Eh bien, unless I am much mistaken, there is a solid fact in the hedge by
my gate.”
They went down the garden path. Grange went down on his knees, coaxed31 the twigs32 apart till he
disclosed more fully18 the thing that had been thrust between them. He drew a deep sigh as
something black and steel was revealed.
He said: “It’s a revolver all right.”
Just for a moment his eye rested doubtfully on Poirot.
“No, no, my friend,” said Poirot. “I did not shoot Dr. Christow and I did not put the revolver in
my own hedge.”
“Of course you didn’t, M. Poirot! Sorry! Well, we’ve got it. Looks like the one missing from Sir
Henry’s study. We can verify that as soon as we get the number. Then we’ll see if it was the gun
that shot Christow. Easy does it now.”
With infinite care and the use of a silk handkerchief he eased the gun out of the hedge.
“To give us a break, we want fingerprints33. I’ve a feeling, you know, that our luck’s changed at
last.”
“Let me know.”
“Of course I will, M. Poirot. I’ll ring you up.”
Poirot received two telephone calls. The first came through that same evening. The inspector
was jubilant.
“That you, M. Poirot? Well, here’s the dope. It’s the gun all right. The gun missing from Sir
Henry’s collection and the gun that shot John Christow! That’s definite. And there are a good set
of prints on it. Thumb, first finger, part of middle finger. Didn’t I tell you our luck had changed?”
“You have identified the fingerprints?”
“Not yet. They’re certainly not Mrs. Christow’s. We took hers. They look more like a man’s
than a woman’s for size. Tomorrow I’m going along to The Hollow to speak my little piece and
get a sample from everyone. And then, M. Poirot, we shall know where we are!”
“I hope so, I am sure,” said Poirot politely.
The second telephone call came through on the following day and the voice that spoke34 was no
longer jubilant. In tones of unmitigated gloom, Grange said:
“Want to hear the latest? Those fingerprints aren’t the prints of anybody connected with the
case! No, sir! They’re not Edward Angkatell’s, nor David’s, nor Sir Henry’s! They’re not Gerda
Christow’s, nor the Savernake’s, nor our Veronica’s, nor her ladyship’s, nor the little dark girl’s!
They’re not even the kitchen maid’s—let alone any of the other servants’!”
Poirot made consoling noises. The sad voice of Inspector Grange went on:
“So it looks as though, after all, it was an outside job. Someone, that is to say, who had a down
on Dr. Christow and who we don’t know anything about. Someone invisible and inaudible who
pinched the guns from the study, and who went away after the shooting by the path to the lane.
Someone who put the gun in your hedge and then vanished into thin air!”
“Would you like my fingerprints, my friend?”
“I don’t mind if I do! It strikes me, M. Poirot, that you were on the spot, and that taking it all
round you’re far and away the most suspicious character in the case!”

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点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 apprehensions 86177204327b157a6d884cdb536098d8     
疑惧
参考例句：
  • He stood in a mixture of desire and apprehensions. 他怀着渴望和恐惧交加的心情伫立着。
  • But subsequent cases have removed many of these apprehensions. 然而，随后的案例又消除了许多类似的忧虑。
2 pessimism r3XzM     
n.悲观者，悲观主义者，厌世者
参考例句：
  • He displayed his usual pessimism.他流露出惯有的悲观。
  • There is the note of pessimism in his writings.他的著作带有悲观色彩。
3 adjourned 1e5a5e61da11d317191a820abad1664d     
（使）休会， （使）休庭( adjourn的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
  • The court adjourned for lunch. 午餐时间法庭休庭。
  • The trial was adjourned following the presentation of new evidence to the court. 新证据呈到庭上后，审讯就宣告暂停。
4 inspector q6kxH     
n.检查员，监察员，视察员
参考例句：
  • The inspector was interested in everything pertaining to the school.视察员对有关学校的一切都感兴趣。
  • The inspector was shining a flashlight onto the tickets.查票员打着手电筒查看车票。
5 sipped 22d1585d494ccee63c7bff47191289f6     
v.小口喝，呷，抿( sip的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
  • He sipped his coffee pleasurably. 他怡然地品味着咖啡。
  • I sipped the hot chocolate she had made. 我小口喝着她调制的巧克力热饮。 来自辞典例句
6 beverage 0QgyN     
n.(水，酒等之外的)饮料
参考例句：
  • The beverage is often colored with caramel.这种饮料常用焦糖染色。
  • Beer is a beverage of the remotest time.啤酒是一种最古老的饮料。
7 grievance J6ayX     
n.怨愤，气恼，委屈
参考例句：
  • He will not easily forget his grievance.他不会轻易忘掉他的委屈。
  • He had been nursing a grievance against his boss for months.几个月来他对老板一直心怀不满。
8 cartridges 17207f2193d1e05c4c15f2938c82898d     
子弹( cartridge的名词复数 )； （打印机的）墨盒； 录音带盒； （唱机的）唱头
参考例句：
  • computer consumables such as disks and printer cartridges 如磁盘、打印机墨盒之类的电脑耗材
  • My new video game player came with three game cartridges included. 我的新电子游戏机附有三盘游戏带。
9 orchard UJzxu     
n.果园，果园里的全部果树，(美俚)棒球场
参考例句：
  • My orchard is bearing well this year.今年我的果园果实累累。
  • Each bamboo house was surrounded by a thriving orchard.每座竹楼周围都是茂密的果园。
10 guts Yraziv     
v.狼吞虎咽，贪婪地吃，飞碟游戏（比赛双方每组5人，相距15码，互相掷接飞碟）；毁坏（建筑物等）的内部( gut的第三人称单数 )；取出…的内脏n.勇气( gut的名词复数 )；内脏；消化道的下段；肠
参考例句：
  • I'll only cook fish if the guts have been removed. 鱼若已收拾干净，我只需烧一下即可。
  • Barbara hasn't got the guts to leave her mother. 巴巴拉没有勇气离开她妈妈。 来自《简明英汉词典》
11 iota Eauzq     
n.些微，一点儿
参考例句：
  • There is not an iota of truth in his story.他的故事没有一点是真的。
  • He's never shown an iota of interest in any kind of work.他从来没有对任何工作表现出一点儿兴趣。
12 justified 7pSzrk     
a.正当的，有理的
参考例句：
  • She felt fully justified in asking for her money back. 她认为有充分的理由要求退款。
  • The prisoner has certainly justified his claims by his actions. 那个囚犯确实已用自己的行动表明他的要求是正当的。
13 bungalow ccjys     
n.平房，周围有阳台的木造小平房
参考例句：
  • A bungalow does not have an upstairs.平房没有上层。
  • The old couple sold that large house and moved into a small bungalow.老两口卖掉了那幢大房子，搬进了小平房。
14 brass DWbzI     
n.黄铜；黄铜器，铜管乐器
参考例句：
  • Many of the workers play in the factory's brass band.许多工人都在工厂铜管乐队中演奏。
  • Brass is formed by the fusion of copper and zinc.黄铜是通过铜和锌的熔合而成的。
15 aluminum 9xhzP     
n.(aluminium)铝
参考例句：
  • The aluminum sheets cannot be too much thicker than 0.04 inches.铝板厚度不能超过0.04英寸。
  • During the launch phase,it would ride in a protective aluminum shell.在发射阶段，它盛在一只保护的铝壳里。
16 psychology U0Wze     
n.心理，心理学，心理状态
参考例句：
  • She has a background in child psychology.她受过儿童心理学的教育。
  • He studied philosophy and psychology at Cambridge.他在剑桥大学学习哲学和心理学。
17 accusation GJpyf     
n.控告，指责，谴责
参考例句：
  • I was furious at his making such an accusation.我对他的这种责备非常气愤。
  • She knew that no one would believe her accusation.她知道没人会相信她的指控。
18 fully Gfuzd     
adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地
参考例句：
  • The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
  • They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。
19 tangled e487ee1bc1477d6c2828d91e94c01c6e     
adj. 纠缠的，紊乱的 动词tangle的过去式和过去分词
参考例句：
  • Your hair's so tangled that I can't comb it. 你的头发太乱了，我梳不动。
  • A movement caught his eye in the tangled undergrowth. 乱灌木丛里的晃动引起了他的注意。
20 motive GFzxz     
n.动机，目的；adv.发动的，运动的
参考例句：
  • The police could not find a motive for the murder.警察不能找到谋杀的动机。
  • He had some motive in telling this fable.他讲这寓言故事是有用意的。
21 murmur EjtyD     
n.低语，低声的怨言；v.低语，低声而言
参考例句：
  • They paid the extra taxes without a murmur.他们毫无怨言地交了附加税。
  • There was a low murmur of conversation in the hall.大厅里有窃窃私语声。
22 conspiring 6ea0abd4b4aba2784a9aa29dd5b24fa0     
密谋( conspire的现在分词 )； 搞阴谋； （事件等）巧合； 共同导致
参考例句：
  • They were accused of conspiring against the king. 他们被指控阴谋反对国王。
  • John Brown and his associates were tried for conspiring to overthrow the slave states. 约翰·布朗和他的合伙者们由于密谋推翻实行奴隶制度的美国各州而被审讯。
23 insanity H6xxf     
n.疯狂，精神错乱；极端的愚蠢，荒唐
参考例句：
  • In his defense he alleged temporary insanity.他伪称一时精神错乱，为自己辩解。
  • He remained in his cell,and this visit only increased the belief in his insanity.他依旧还是住在他的地牢里，这次视察只是更加使人相信他是个疯子了。
24 certify tOozp     
vt.证明，证实；发证书(或执照)给
参考例句：
  • I can certify to his good character.我可以证明他品德好。
  • This swimming certificate is to certify that I can swim one hundred meters.这张游泳证是用以证明我可以游100米远。
25 alimentary BLWyz     
adj.饮食的，营养的
参考例句：
  • He had the disease of alimentary canal.他患了消化道疾病。
  • This system is mainly a long tube,called the alimentary canal.这一系统主要是一根长管，称作消化道。
26 muddling dd2b136faac80aa1350cb5129e920f34     
v.弄乱，弄糟( muddle的现在分词 )；使糊涂；对付，混日子
参考例句：
  • Don't do that—you're muddling my papers. 别动—你会弄乱我的文件的。
  • In our company you see nobody muddling along. 在咱们公司，看不到混日子的人。 来自《简明英汉词典》
27 helping 2rGzDc     
n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的
参考例句：
  • The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
  • By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。
28 gossamer ufQxj     
n.薄纱，游丝
参考例句：
  • The prince helped the princess,who was still in her delightful gossamer gown.王子搀扶着仍穿著那套美丽薄纱晚礼服的公主。
  • Gossamer is floating in calm air.空中飘浮着游丝。
29 tangible 4IHzo     
adj.有形的，可触摸的，确凿的，实际的
参考例句：
  • The policy has not yet brought any tangible benefits.这项政策还没有带来任何实质性的好处。
  • There is no tangible proof.没有确凿的证据。
30 domain ys8xC     
n.(活动等)领域，范围；领地，势力范围
参考例句：
  • This information should be in the public domain.这一消息应该为公众所知。
  • This question comes into the domain of philosophy.这一问题属于哲学范畴。
31 coaxed dc0a6eeb597861b0ed72e34e52490cd1     
v.哄，用好话劝说( coax的过去式和过去分词 )；巧言骗取；哄劝，劝诱
参考例句：
  • She coaxed the horse into coming a little closer. 她哄着那匹马让它再靠近了一点。
  • I coaxed my sister into taking me to the theatre. 我用好话哄姐姐带我去看戏。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
32 twigs 17ff1ed5da672aa443a4f6befce8e2cb     
细枝，嫩枝( twig的名词复数 )
参考例句：
  • Some birds build nests of twigs. 一些鸟用树枝筑巢。
  • Willow twigs are pliable. 柳条很软。
33 fingerprints 9b456c81cc868e5bdf3958245615450b     
n.指纹( fingerprint的名词复数 )v.指纹( fingerprint的第三人称单数 )
参考例句：
  • Everyone's fingerprints are unique. 每个人的指纹都是独一无二的。
  • They wore gloves so as not to leave any fingerprints behind (them). 他们戴着手套，以免留下指纹。 来自《简明英汉词典》
34 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。

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