赫尔克里·波洛的丰功伟绩10

时间：2024-12-31 10:18:18

（单词翻译:单击）

Two
THE LERNEAN HYDRA1
Hercule Poirot looked encouragingly at the man seated opposite him.
Dr. Charles Oldfield was a man of perhaps forty. He had fair hair slightly grey at the temples
and blue eyes that held a worried expression. He stooped a little and his manner was a trifle
hesitant. Moreover, he seemed to find difficulty in coming to the point.
He said, stammering2 slightly:
“I’ve come to you, M. Poirot, with rather an odd request. And now that I’m here, I’m inclined
to funk the whole thing. Because, as I see very well now, it’s the sort of thing that no one can
possibly do anything about.”
Hercule Poirot murmured:
“As to that, you must let me judge.”
Oldfield muttered:
“I don’t know why I thought that perhaps—”
He broke off.
Hercule Poirot finished the sentence.
“That perhaps I could help you? Eh bien, perhaps I can. Tell me your problem.”
Oldfield straightened himself. Poirot noted3 anew how haggard the man looked.
Oldfield said, and his voice had a note of hopelessness in it:
“You see, it isn’t any good going to the police . . . They can’t do anything. And yet—every
day it’s getting worse and worse. I—I don’t know what to do. . . .”
“What is getting worse?”
“The rumours5 . . . Oh, it’s quite simple, M. Poirot. Just a little over a year ago, my wife died.
She had been an invalid6 for some years. They are saying, everyone is saying, that I killed her—
that I poisoned her!”
“Aha,” said Poirot. “And did you poison her?”
“M. Poirot!” Dr. Oldfield sprang to his feet.
“Calm yourself,” said Hercule Poirot. “And sit down again. We will take it, then, that you did
not poison your wife. But your practice, I imagine, is situated7 in a country district—”
“Yes. Market Loughborough—in Berkshire. I have always realized that it was the kind of
place where people gossiped a good deal, but I never imagined that it could reach the lengths it has
done.” He drew his chair a little forward. “M. Poirot, you have no idea of what I have gone
through. At first I had no inkling of what was going on. I did notice that people seemed less
friendly, that there was a tendency to avoid me—but I put it down to—to the fact of my recent
bereavement8. Then it became more marked. In the street, even, people will cross the road to avoid
speaking to me. My practice is falling off. Wherever I go I am conscious of lowered voices, of
unfriendly eyes that watch me whilst malicious9 tongues whisper their deadly poison. I have had
one or two letters—vile10 things.”
He paused—and then went on:
“And—and I don’t know what to do about it. I don’t know how to fight this—this vile
network of lies and suspicion. How can one refute what is never said openly to your face? I am
powerless—trapped—and slowly and mercilessly being destroyed.”
Poirot nodded his head thoughtfully. He said:
“Yes. Rumour4 is indeed the nine-headed Hydra of Lernea which cannot be exterminated11
because as fast as one head is cropped off two grow in its place.”
Dr. Oldfield said: “That’s just it. There’s nothing I can do—nothing! I came to you as a last
resort—but I don’t suppose for a minute that there is anything you can do either.”
Hercule Poirot was silent for a minute or two. Then he said:
“I am not so sure. Your problem interests me, Doctor Oldfield. I should like to try my hand at
destroying the many-headed monster. First of all, tell me a little more about the circumstances
which gave rise to this malicious gossip. Your wife died, you say, just over a year ago. What was
the cause of death?”
“Gastric12 ulcer13.”
“Was there an autopsy14?”
“No. She had been suffering from gastric trouble over a considerable period.”
Poirot nodded.
“And the symptoms of gastric inflammation and of arsenical poisoning are closely alike—a
fact which everybody knows nowadays. Within the last ten years there have been at least four
sensational15 murder cases in each of which the victim has been buried without suspicion with a
certificate of gastric disorder16. Was your wife older or younger than yourself?”
“She was five years older.”
“How long had you been married?”
“Fifteen years.”
“Did she leave any property?”
“Yes. She was a fairly well-to-do woman. She left, roughly, about thirty thousand pounds.”
“A very useful sum. It was left to you?”
“Yes.”
“Were you and your wife on good terms?”
“Certainly.”
“No quarrels? No scenes?”
“Well—” Charles Oldfield hesitated. “My wife was what might be termed a difficult woman.
She was an invalid and very concerned over her health and inclined, therefore, to be fretful and
difficult to please. There were days when nothing I could do was right.”
Poirot nodded. He said:
“Ah yes, I know the type. She would complain, possibly, that she was neglected,
unappreciated—that her husband was tired of her and would be glad when she was dead.”
Oldfield’s face registered the truth of Poirot’s surmise17. He said with a wry18 smile:
“You’ve got it exactly!”
Poirot went on:
“Did she have a hospital nurse to attend on her? Or a companion? Or a devoted19 maid?”
“A nurse-companion. A very sensible and competent woman. I really don’t think she would
talk.”
“Even the sensible and the competent have been given tongues by le bon Dieu—and they do
not always employ their tongues wisely. I have no doubt that the nurse-companion talked, that the
servants talked, that everyone talked! You have all the materials there for the starting of a very
enjoyable village scandal. Now I will ask you one more thing. Who is the lady?”
“I don’t understand.” Dr. Oldfield flushed angrily.
Poirot said gently:
“I think you do. I am asking you who the lady is with whom your name has been coupled.”
Dr. Oldfield rose to his feet. His face was stiff and cold. He said:
“There is no ‘lady in the case.’ I’m sorry, M. Poirot, to have taken up so much of your time.”
He went towards the door.
Hercule Poirot said:
“I regret it also. Your case interests me. I would like to have helped you. But I cannot do
anything unless I am told the whole truth.”
“I have told you the truth.”
“No. . . .”
Dr. Oldfield stopped. He wheeled round.
“Why do you insist that there is a woman concerned in this?”
“Mon cher docteur! Do you not think I know the female mentality20? The village gossip, it is
based always, always on the relations of the sexes. If a man poisons his wife in order to travel to
the North Pole or to enjoy the peace of a bachelor existence—it would not interest his fellow
villagers for a minute! It is because they are convinced that the murder has been committed in
order that the man may marry another woman that the talk grows and spreads. That is elemental
psychology21.”
Oldfield said irritably22:
“I’m not responsible for what a pack of damned gossiping busybodies think!”
“Of course you are not.”
Poirot went on:
“So you might as well come back and sit down and give me the answer to the question I
asked you just now.”
Slowly, almost reluctantly, Oldfield came back and resumed his seat.
He said, colouring up to his eyebrows23:
“I suppose it’s possible that they’ve been saying things about Miss Moncrieffe. Jean
Moncrieffe is my dispenser, a very fine girl indeed.”
“How long has she worked for you?”
“For three years.”
“Did your wife like her?”
“Er—well, no, not exactly.”
“She was jealous?”
“It was absurd!”
Poirot smiled.
He said:
“The jealousy24 of wives is proverbial. But I will tell you something. In my experience
jealousy, however far-fetched and extravagant25 it may seem, is nearly always based on reality.
There is a saying, is there not, that the customer is always right? Well, the same is true of the
jealous husband or wife. However little concrete evidence there may be, fundamentally they are
always right.”
Dr. Oldfield said robustly26:
“Nonsense. I’ve never said anything to Jean Moncrieffe that my wife couldn’t have
overheard.”
“That, perhaps. But it does not alter the truth of what I said.” Hercule Poirot leaned forward.
His voice was urgent, compelling. “Doctor Oldfield, I am going to do my utmost in this case. But I
must have from you the most absolute frankness without regard to conventional appearances or to
your own feelings. It is true, is it not, that you had ceased to care for your wife for some time
before she died?”
Oldfield was silent for a minute or two. Then he said:
“This business is killing27 me. I must have hope. Somehow or other I feel that you will be able
to do something for me. I will be honest with you, M. Poirot. I did not care deeply for my wife. I
made her, I think, a good husband, but I was never really in love with her.”
“And this girl, Jean?”
The perspiration28 came out in a fine dew on the doctor’s forehead. He said:
“I—I should have asked her to marry me before now if it weren’t for all this scandal and
talk.”
Poirot sat back in his chair. He said:
“Now at last we have come to the true facts! Eh bien, Doctor Oldfield, I will take up your
case. But remember this—it is the truth that I shall seek out.”
Oldfield said bitterly:
“It isn’t the truth that’s going to hurt me!”
He hesitated and said:
“You know, I’ve contemplated29 the possibility of an action for slander30! If I could pin any one
down to a definite accusation—surely then I should be vindicated31? At least, sometimes I think so
. . . At other times I think it would only make things worse—give bigger publicity32 to the whole
thing and have people saying: ‘It mayn’t have been proved but there’s no smoke without fire.’ ”
He looked at Poirot.
“Tell me, honestly, is there any way out of this nightmare?”
“There is always a way,” said Hercule Poirot.

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点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 hydra Fcvzu     
n.水螅；难于根除的祸患
参考例句：
  • Let's knock down those hydras and drive them to the sea!让我们铲除祸根，把他们赶到大海去！
  • We may be facing a hydra that defies any easy solution.我们也许正面临一个无法轻易解决的难题。
2 stammering 232ca7f6dbf756abab168ca65627c748     
v.结巴地说出( stammer的现在分词 )
参考例句：
  • He betrayed nervousness by stammering. 他说话结结巴巴说明他胆子小。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • \"Why,\" he said, actually stammering, \"how do you do?\" “哎呀，\"他说，真的有些结结巴巴，\"你好啊？” 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
3 noted 5n4zXc     
adj.著名的，知名的
参考例句：
  • The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
  • Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。
4 rumour 1SYzZ     
n.谣言，谣传，传闻
参考例句：
  • I should like to know who put that rumour about.我想知道是谁散布了那谣言。
  • There has been a rumour mill on him for years.几年来，一直有谣言产生，对他进行中伤。
5 rumours ba6e2decd2e28dec9a80f28cb99e131d     
n.传闻( rumour的名词复数 )；风闻；谣言；谣传
参考例句：
  • The rumours were completely baseless. 那些谣传毫无根据。
  • Rumours of job losses were later confirmed. 裁员的传言后来得到了证实。
6 invalid V4Oxh     
n.病人，伤残人；adj.有病的，伤残的；无效的
参考例句：
  • He will visit an invalid.他将要去看望一个病人。
  • A passport that is out of date is invalid.护照过期是无效的。
7 situated JiYzBH     
adj.坐落在...的，处于某种境地的
参考例句：
  • The village is situated at the margin of a forest.村子位于森林的边缘。
  • She is awkwardly situated.她的处境困难。
8 bereavement BQSyE     
n.亲人丧亡，丧失亲人，丧亲之痛
参考例句：
  • the pain of an emotional crisis such as divorce or bereavement 诸如离婚或痛失亲人等情感危机的痛苦
  • I sympathize with you in your bereavement. 我对你痛失亲人表示同情。 来自《简明英汉词典》
9 malicious e8UzX     
adj.有恶意的，心怀恶意的
参考例句：
  • You ought to kick back at such malicious slander. 你应当反击这种恶毒的污蔑。
  • Their talk was slightly malicious.他们的谈话有点儿心怀不轨。
10 vile YLWz0     
adj.卑鄙的，可耻的，邪恶的；坏透的
参考例句：
  • Who could have carried out such a vile attack?会是谁发起这么卑鄙的攻击呢？
  • Her talk was full of vile curses.她的话里充满着恶毒的咒骂。
11 exterminated 26d6c11b25ea1007021683e86730eb44     
v.消灭，根绝( exterminate的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
  • It was exterminated root and branch. 它被彻底剪除了。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
  • The insects can be exterminated by spraying DDT. 可以用喷撒滴滴涕的方法大量杀死这种昆虫。 来自《用法词典》
12 gastric MhnxW     
adj.胃的
参考例句：
  • Miners are a high risk group for certain types of gastric cancer.矿工是极易患某几种胃癌的高风险人群。
  • That was how I got my gastric trouble.我的胃病就是这么得的。
13 ulcer AHmyp     
n.溃疡，腐坏物
参考例句：
  • She had an ulcer in her mouth.她口腔出现溃疡。
  • A bacterium is identified as the cause for his duodenal ulcer.一种细菌被断定为造成他十二指肠溃疡的根源。
14 autopsy xuVzm     
n.尸体解剖；尸检
参考例句：
  • They're carrying out an autopsy on the victim.他们正在给受害者验尸。
  • A hemorrhagic gut was the predominant lesion at autopsy.尸检的主要发现是肠出血。
15 sensational Szrwi     
adj.使人感动的，非常好的，轰动的，耸人听闻的
参考例句：
  • Papers of this kind are full of sensational news reports.这类报纸满是耸人听闻的新闻报道。
  • Their performance was sensational.他们的演出妙极了。
16 disorder Et1x4     
n.紊乱，混乱；骚动，骚乱；疾病，失调
参考例句：
  • When returning back,he discovered the room to be in disorder.回家后，他发现屋子里乱七八糟。
  • It contained a vast number of letters in great disorder.里面七零八落地装着许多信件。
17 surmise jHiz8     
v./n.猜想，推测
参考例句：
  • It turned out that my surmise was correct.结果表明我的推测没有错。
  • I surmise that he will take the job.我推测他会接受这份工作。
18 wry hMQzK     
adj.讽刺的；扭曲的
参考例句：
  • He made a wry face and attempted to wash the taste away with coffee.他做了个鬼脸，打算用咖啡把那怪味地冲下去。
  • Bethune released Tung's horse and made a wry mouth.白求恩放开了董的马，噘了噘嘴。
19 devoted xu9zka     
adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的
参考例句：
  • He devoted his life to the educational cause of the motherland.他为祖国的教育事业贡献了一生。
  • We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。
20 mentality PoIzHP     
n.心理，思想，脑力
参考例句：
  • He has many years'experience of the criminal mentality.他研究犯罪心理有多年经验。
  • Running a business requires a very different mentality from being a salaried employee.经营企业所要求具备的心态和上班族的心态截然不同。
21 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。
22 irritably e3uxw     
ad.易生气地
参考例句：
  • He lost his temper and snapped irritably at the children. 他发火了，暴躁地斥责孩子们。
  • On this account the silence was irritably broken by a reproof. 为了这件事，他妻子大声斥责，令人恼火地打破了宁静。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
23 eyebrows a0e6fb1330e9cfecfd1c7a4d00030ed5     
眉毛( eyebrow的名词复数 )
参考例句：
  • Eyebrows stop sweat from coming down into the eyes. 眉毛挡住汗水使其不能流进眼睛。
  • His eyebrows project noticeably. 他的眉毛特别突出。
24 jealousy WaRz6     
n.妒忌，嫉妒，猜忌
参考例句：
  • Some women have a disposition to jealousy.有些女人生性爱妒忌。
  • I can't support your jealousy any longer.我再也无法忍受你的嫉妒了。
25 extravagant M7zya     
adj.奢侈的；过分的；(言行等)放肆的
参考例句：
  • They tried to please him with fulsome compliments and extravagant gifts.他们想用溢美之词和奢华的礼品来取悦他。
  • He is extravagant in behaviour.他行为放肆。
26 robustly 507ac3bec7e7c48e608da00e709f9006     
adv.要用体力地，粗鲁地
参考例句：
  • These three hormones also robustly stimulated thymidine incorporation and inhibited drug-induced apoptosis. 并且这三种激素有利于胸（腺嘧啶脱氧核）苷掺入和抑制药物诱导的细胞凋亡。 来自互联网
  • The economy is still growing robustly, but inflation, It'seems, is back. 经济依然强劲增长，但是通胀似乎有所抬头。 来自互联网
27 killing kpBziQ     
n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财
参考例句：
  • Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
  • Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。
28 perspiration c3UzD     
n.汗水；出汗
参考例句：
  • It is so hot that my clothes are wet with perspiration.天太热了，我的衣服被汗水湿透了。
  • The perspiration was running down my back.汗从我背上淌下来。
29 contemplated d22c67116b8d5696b30f6705862b0688     
adj. 预期的 动词contemplate的过去分词形式
参考例句：
  • The doctor contemplated the difficult operation he had to perform. 医生仔细地考虑他所要做的棘手的手术。
  • The government has contemplated reforming the entire tax system. 政府打算改革整个税收体制。
30 slander 7ESzF     
n./v.诽谤，污蔑
参考例句：
  • The article is a slander on ordinary working people.那篇文章是对普通劳动大众的诋毁。
  • He threatened to go public with the slander.他威胁要把丑闻宣扬出去。
31 vindicated e1cc348063d17c5a30190771ac141bed     
v.澄清（某人/某事物）受到的责难或嫌疑( vindicate的过去式和过去分词 )；表明或证明（所争辩的事物）属实、正当、有效等；维护
参考例句：
  • I have every confidence that this decision will be fully vindicated. 我完全相信这一决定的正确性将得到充分证明。
  • Subsequent events vindicated the policy. 后来的事实证明那政策是对的。 来自《简明英汉词典》
32 publicity ASmxx     
n.众所周知，闻名；宣传，广告
参考例句：
  • The singer star's marriage got a lot of publicity.这位歌星的婚事引起了公众的关注。
  • He dismissed the event as just a publicity gimmick.他不理会这件事，只当它是一种宣传手法。

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