赫尔克里·波洛的丰功伟绩02

时间：2024-12-31 10:15:25

（单词翻译:单击）

One
THE NEMEAN LION
“Anything of interest this morning, Miss Lemon?” he asked as he entered the room the following
morning.
He trusted Miss Lemon. She was a woman without imagination, but she had an instinct.
Anything that she mentioned as worth consideration usually was worth consideration. She was a
born secretary.
“Nothing much, M. Poirot. There is just one letter that I thought might interest you. I have
put it on the top of the pile.”
“And what is that?” He took an interested step forward.
“It’s from a man who wants you to investigate the disappearance1 of his wife’s Pekinese dog.”
Poirot paused with his foot still in the air. He threw a glance of deep reproach at Miss Lemon.
She did not notice it. She had begun to type. She typed with the speed and precision of a quick-
firing tank.
Poirot was shaken; shaken and embittered2. Miss Lemon, the efficient Miss Lemon, had let
him down! A Pekinese dog. A Pekinese dog! And after the dream he had had last night. He had
been leaving Buckingham Palace after being personally thanked when his valet had come in with
his morning chocolate!
Words trembled on his lips—witty caustic3 words. He did not utter them because Miss Lemon,
owing to the speed and efficiency of her typing, would not have heard them.
With a grunt4 of disgust he picked up the topmost letter from the little pile on the side of his
desk.
Yes, it was exactly as Miss Lemon had said. A city address—a curt5 businesslike unrefined
demand. The subject—the kidnapping of a Pekinese dog. One of those bulging-eyed,
overpampered pets of a rich woman. Hercule Poirot’s lip curled as he read it.
Nothing unusual about this. Nothing out of the way or—But yes, yes, in one small detail,
Miss Lemon was right. In one small detail there was something unusual.
Hercule Poirot sat down. He read the letter slowly and carefully. It was not the kind of case
he wanted, it was not the kind of case he had promised himself. It was not in any sense an
important case, it was supremely6 unimportant. It was not—and here was the crux7 of his objection
—it was not a proper Labor8 of Hercules.
But unfortunately he was curious. . . .
Yes, he was curious. . . .
He raised his voice so as to be heard by Miss Lemon above the noise of her typing.
“Ring up this Sir Joseph Hoggin,” he ordered, “and make an appointment for me to see him
at his office as he suggests.”
As usual, Miss Lemon had been right.
•   •   •
“I’m a plain man, Mr. Poirot,” said Sir Joseph Hoggin.
Hercule Poirot made a noncommittal gesture with his right hand. It expressed (if you chose to
take it so) admiration9 for the solid worth of Sir Joseph’s career and an appreciation10 of his modesty11
in so describing himself. It could also have conveyed a graceful12 deprecation of the statement. In
any case it gave no clue to the thought then uppermost in Hercule Poirot’s mind, which was that
Sir Joseph certainly was (using the term in its more colloquial13 sense) a very plain man indeed.
Hercule Poirot’s eyes rested critically on the swelling14 jowl, the small pig eyes, the bulbous nose
and the close-lipped mouth. The whole general effect reminded him of someone or something—
but for the moment he could not recollect15 who or what it was. A memory stirred dimly. A long
time ago . . . in Belgium . . . something, surely, to do with soap. . . .
Sir Joseph was continuing.
“No frills about me. I don’t beat about the bush. Most people, Mr. Poirot, would let this
business go. Write it off as a bad debt and forget about it. But that’s not Joseph Hoggin’s way. I’m
a rich man—and in a manner of speaking two hundred pounds is neither here nor there to me—”
Poirot interpolated swiftly:
“I congratulate you.”
“Eh?”
Sir Joseph paused a minute. His small eyes narrowed themselves still more. He said sharply:
“That’s not to say that I’m in the habit of throwing my money about. What I want I pay for.
But I pay the market price—no more.”
Hercule Poirot said:
“You realize that my fees are high?”
“Yes, yes. But this,” Sir Joseph looked at him cunningly, “is a very small matter.”
Hercule Poirot shrugged16 his shoulders. He said:
“I do not bargain. I am an expert. For the services of an expert you have to pay.”
Sir Joseph said frankly17:
“I know you’re a tip-top man at this sort of thing. I made inquiries18 and I was told that you
were the best man available. I mean to get to the bottom of this business and I don’t grudge19 the
expense. That’s why I got you to come here.”
“You were fortunate,” said Hercule Poirot.
Sir Joseph said “Eh?” again.
“Exceedingly fortunate,” said Hercule Poirot firmly. “I am, I may say so without undue20
modesty, at the apex21 of my career. Very shortly I intend to retire—to live in the country, to travel
occasionally to see the world—also, it may be, to cultivate my garden—with particular attention to
improving the strain of vegetable marrows22. Magnificent vegetables—but they lack flavour. That,
however, is not the point. I wished merely to explain that before retiring I had imposed upon
myself a certain task. I have decided24 to accept twelve cases—no more, no less. A self-imposed
‘Labors of Hercules’ if I may so describe it. Your case, Sir Joseph, is the first of the twelve. I was
attracted to it,” he sighed, “by its striking unimportance.”
“Importance?” said Sir Joseph.
“Unimportance was what I said. I have been called in for varying causes—to investigate
murders, unexplained deaths, robberies, thefts of jewellery. This is the first time that I have been
asked to turn my talents to elucidate25 the kidnapping of a Pekinese dog.”
Sir Joseph grunted26. He said:
“You surprise me! I should have said you’d have had no end of women pestering27 you about
their pet dogs.”
“That, certainly. But it is the first time that I am summoned by the husband in the case.”
Sir Joseph’s little eyes narrowed appreciatively.
He said:
“I begin to see why they recommended you to me. You’re a shrewd fellow, Mr. Poirot.”
Poirot murmured:
“If you will now tell me the facts of the case. The dog disappeared, when?”
“Exactly a week ago.”
“And your wife is by now quite frantic28, I presume?”
Sir Joseph stared. He said:
“You don’t understand. The dog has been returned.”
“Returned? Then, permit me to ask, where do I enter the matter?”
Sir Joseph went crimson29 in the face.
“Because I’m damned if I’ll be swindled! Now then, Mr. Poirot, I’m going to tell you the
whole thing. The dog was stolen a week ago—nipped in Kensington Gardens where he was out
with my wife’s companion. The next day my wife got a demand for two hundred pounds. I ask
you—two hundred pounds! For a damned yapping little brute30 that’s always getting under your feet
anyway!”
Poirot murmured:
“You did not approve of paying such a sum, naturally?”
“Of course I didn’t—or wouldn’t have if I’d known anything about it! Milly (my wife) knew
that well enough. She didn’t say anything to me. Just sent off the money—in one pound notes as
stipulated—to the address given.”
“And the dog was returned?”
“Yes. That evening the bell rang and there was the little brute sitting on the doorstep. And not
a soul to be seen.”
“Perfectly. Continue.”
“Then, of course, Milly confessed what she’d done and I lost my temper a bit. However, I
calmed down after a while—after all, the thing was done and you can’t expect a woman to behave
with any sense—and I daresay I should have let the whole thing go if it hadn’t been for meeting
old Samuelson at the Club.”
“Yes?”
“Damn it all, this thing must be a positive racket! Exactly the same thing had happened to
him. Three hundred pounds they’d rooked his wife of! Well, that was a bit too much. I decided the
thing had got to be stopped. I sent for you.”
“But surely, Sir Joseph, the proper thing (and a very much more inexpensive thing) would
have been to send for the police?”
Sir Joseph rubbed his nose.
He said:
“Are you married, Mr. Poirot?”
“Alas,” said Poirot, “I have not that felicity.”
“H’m,” said Sir Joseph. “Don’t know about felicity, but if you were, you’d know that women
are funny creatures. My wife went into hysterics at the mere23 mention of the police—she’d got it
into her head that something would happen to her precious Shan Tung if I went to them. She
wouldn’t hear of the idea—and I may say she doesn’t take very kindly31 to the idea of your being
called in. But I stood firm there and at last she gave way. But, mind you, she doesn’t like it.”
Hercule Poirot murmured:
“The position is, I perceive, a delicate one. It would be as well, perhaps, if I were to interview
Madame your wife and gain further particulars from her whilst at the same time reassuring32 her as
to the future safety of her dog?”
Sir Joseph nodded and rose to his feet. He said:
“I’ll take you along in the car right away.”

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1 disappearance ouEx5     
n.消失，消散，失踪
参考例句：
  • He was hard put to it to explain her disappearance.他难以说明她为什么不见了。
  • Her disappearance gave rise to the wildest rumours.她失踪一事引起了各种流言蜚语。
2 embittered b7cde2d2c1d30e5d74d84b950e34a8a0     
v.使怨恨，激怒( embitter的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
  • These injustices embittered her even more. 不公平使她更加受苦。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The artist was embittered by public neglect. 大众的忽视于那位艺术家更加难受。 来自《简明英汉词典》
3 caustic 9rGzb     
adj.刻薄的，腐蚀性的
参考例句：
  • He opened his mouth to make a caustic retort.他张嘴开始进行刻薄的反击。
  • He enjoys making caustic remarks about other people.他喜欢挖苦别人。
4 grunt eeazI     
v.嘟哝；作呼噜声；n.呼噜声，嘟哝
参考例句：
  • He lifted the heavy suitcase with a grunt.他咕噜着把沉重的提箱拎了起来。
  • I ask him what he think,but he just grunt.我问他在想什麽，他只哼了一声。
5 curt omjyx     
adj.简短的，草率的
参考例句：
  • He gave me an extremely curt answer.他对我作了极为草率的答复。
  • He rapped out a series of curt commands.他大声发出了一连串简短的命令。
6 supremely MhpzUo     
adv.无上地，崇高地
参考例句：
  • They managed it all supremely well. 这件事他们干得极其出色。
  • I consider a supremely beautiful gesture. 我觉得这是非常优雅的姿态。
7 crux 8ydxw     
adj.十字形；难事，关键，最重要点
参考例句：
  • The crux of the matter is how to comprehensively treat this trend.问题的关键是如何全面地看待这种趋势。
  • The crux of the matter is that attitudes have changed.问题的要害是人们的态度转变了。
8 labor P9Tzs     
n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦
参考例句：
  • We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
  • He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。
9 admiration afpyA     
n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕
参考例句：
  • He was lost in admiration of the beauty of the scene.他对风景之美赞不绝口。
  • We have a great admiration for the gold medalists.我们对金牌获得者极为敬佩。
10 appreciation Pv9zs     
n.评价；欣赏；感谢；领会，理解；价格上涨
参考例句：
  • I would like to express my appreciation and thanks to you all.我想对你们所有人表达我的感激和谢意。
  • I'll be sending them a donation in appreciation of their help.我将送给他们一笔捐款以感谢他们的帮助。
11 modesty REmxo     
n.谦逊，虚心，端庄，稳重，羞怯，朴素
参考例句：
  • Industry and modesty are the chief factors of his success.勤奋和谦虚是他成功的主要因素。
  • As conceit makes one lag behind,so modesty helps one make progress.骄傲使人落后，谦虚使人进步。
12 graceful deHza     
adj.优美的，优雅的；得体的
参考例句：
  • His movements on the parallel bars were very graceful.他的双杠动作可帅了!
  • The ballet dancer is so graceful.芭蕾舞演员的姿态是如此的优美。
13 colloquial ibryG     
adj.口语的，会话的
参考例句：
  • It's hard to understand the colloquial idioms of a foreign language.外语里的口头习语很难懂。
  • They have little acquaintance with colloquial English. 他们对英语会话几乎一窍不通。
14 swelling OUzzd     
n.肿胀
参考例句：
  • Use ice to reduce the swelling. 用冰敷消肿。
  • There is a marked swelling of the lymph nodes. 淋巴结处有明显的肿块。
15 recollect eUOxl     
v.回忆，想起，记起，忆起，记得
参考例句：
  • He tried to recollect things and drown himself in them.他极力回想过去的事情而沉浸于回忆之中。
  • She could not recollect being there.她回想不起曾经到过那儿。
16 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》
17 frankly fsXzcf     
adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说
参考例句：
  • To speak frankly, I don't like the idea at all.老实说，我一点也不赞成这个主意。
  • Frankly speaking, I'm not opposed to reform.坦率地说，我不反对改革。
18 inquiries 86a54c7f2b27c02acf9fcb16a31c4b57     
n.调查( inquiry的名词复数 )；疑问；探究；打听
参考例句：
  • He was released on bail pending further inquiries. 他获得保释，等候进一步调查。
  • I have failed to reach them by postal inquiries. 我未能通过邮政查询与他们取得联系。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
19 grudge hedzG     
n.不满，怨恨，妒嫉；vt.勉强给，不情愿做
参考例句：
  • I grudge paying so much for such inferior goods.我不愿花这么多钱买次品。
  • I do not grudge him his success.我不嫉妒他的成功。
20 undue Vf8z6V     
adj.过分的；不适当的；未到期的
参考例句：
  • Don't treat the matter with undue haste.不要过急地处理此事。
  • It would be wise not to give undue importance to his criticisms.最好不要过分看重他的批评。
21 apex mwrzX     
n.顶点，最高点
参考例句：
  • He reached the apex of power in the early 1930s.他在三十年代初达到了权力的顶峰。
  • His election to the presidency was the apex of his career.当选总统是他一生事业的顶峰。
22 marrows 1ab1440a0cb165bf37b83e0653da90d6     
n.骨髓（marrow的复数形式）
参考例句：
23 mere rC1xE     
adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过
参考例句：
  • That is a mere repetition of what you said before.那不过是重复了你以前讲的话。
  • It's a mere waste of time waiting any longer.再等下去纯粹是浪费时间。
24 decided lvqzZd     
adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的
参考例句：
  • This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
  • There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。
25 elucidate GjSzd     
v.阐明，说明
参考例句：
  • The note help to elucidate the most difficult parts of the text.这些注释有助于弄清文中最难懂的部分。
  • This guide will elucidate these differences and how to exploit them.这篇指导将会阐述这些不同点以及如何正确利用它们。
26 grunted f18a3a8ced1d857427f2252db2abbeaf     
（猪等）作呼噜声( grunt的过去式和过去分词 )； （指人）发出类似的哼声； 咕哝着说
参考例句：
  • She just grunted, not deigning to look up from the page. 她只咕哝了一声，继续看书，不屑抬起头来看一眼。
  • She grunted some incomprehensible reply. 她咕噜着回答了些令人费解的话。
27 pestering cbb7a3da2b778ce39088930a91d2c85b     
使烦恼，纠缠( pester的现在分词 )
参考例句：
  • He's always pestering me to help him with his homework. 他总是泡蘑菇要我帮他做作业。
  • I'm telling you once and for all, if you don't stop pestering me you'll be sorry. 我这是最后一次警告你。如果你不停止纠缠我，你将来会后悔的。
28 frantic Jfyzr     
adj.狂乱的，错乱的，激昂的
参考例句：
  • I've had a frantic rush to get my work done.我急急忙忙地赶完工作。
  • He made frantic dash for the departing train.他发疯似地冲向正开出的火车。
29 crimson AYwzH     
n./adj.深(绯)红色(的)；vi.脸变绯红色
参考例句：
  • She went crimson with embarrassment.她羞得满脸通红。
  • Maple leaves have turned crimson.枫叶已经红了。
30 brute GSjya     
n.野兽，兽性
参考例句：
  • The aggressor troops are not many degrees removed from the brute.侵略军简直象一群野兽。
  • That dog is a dangerous brute.It bites people.那条狗是危险的畜牲，它咬人。
31 kindly tpUzhQ     
adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地
参考例句：
  • Her neighbours spoke of her as kindly and hospitable.她的邻居都说她和蔼可亲、热情好客。
  • A shadow passed over the kindly face of the old woman.一道阴影掠过老太太慈祥的面孔。
32 reassuring vkbzHi     
a.使人消除恐惧和疑虑的，使人放心的
参考例句：
  • He gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder. 他轻拍了一下她的肩膀让她放心。
  • With a reassuring pat on her arm, he left. 他鼓励地拍了拍她的手臂就离开了。

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