赫尔克里·波洛的丰功伟绩11

时间：2024-12-31 10:18:48

（单词翻译:单击）


II
“We are going into the country, Georges,” said Hercule Poirot to his valet.
“Indeed, sir?” said the imperturbable1 George.
“And the purpose of our journey is to destroy a monster with nine heads.”
“Really, sir? Something after the style of the Loch Ness Monster?”
“Less tangible2 than that. I did not refer to a flesh and blood animal, Georges.”
“I misunderstood you, sir.”
“It would be easier if it were one. There is nothing so intangible, so difficult to pin down, as
the source of a rumour3.”
“Oh yes, indeed, sir. It’s difficult to know how a thing starts sometimes.”
“Exactly.”
Hercule Poirot did not put up at Dr. Oldfield’s house. He went instead to the local inn. The
morning after his arrival, he had his first interview with Jean Moncrieffe.
She was a tall girl with copper-coloured hair and steady blue eyes. She had about her a
watchful4 look, as of one who is upon her guard.
She said:
“So Doctor Oldfield did go to you . . . I knew he was thinking about it.”
There was a lack of enthusiasm in her tone.
Poirot said:
“And you did not approve?”
Her eyes met his. She said coldly:
“What can you do?”
Poirot said quietly:
“There might be a way of tackling the situation.”
“What way?” She threw the words at him scornfully. “Do you mean go round to all the
whispering old women and say ‘Really, please, you must stop talking like this. It’s so bad for poor
Doctor Oldfield.’ And they’d answer you and say: ‘Of course, I have never believed the story!’
That’s the worst of the whole thing—they don’t say: ‘My dear, has it ever occurred to you that
perhaps Mrs. Oldfield’s death wasn’t quite what it seemed?’ No, they say: ‘My dear, of course I
don’t believe that story about Doctor Oldfield and his wife. I’m sure he wouldn’t do such a thing,
though it’s true that he did neglect her just a little perhaps, and I don’t think, really, it’s quite wise
to have quite a young girl as his dispenser—of course, I’m not saying for a minute that there was
anything wrong between them. Oh no, I’m sure it was quite all right . . . ’ ” She stopped. Her face
was flushed and her breath came rather fast.
Hercule Poirot said:
“You seem to know very well just what is being said.”
Her mouth closed sharply. She said bitterly:
“I know all right!”
“And what is your own solution?”
Jean Moncrieffe said:
“The best thing for him to do is to sell his practice and start again somewhere else.”
“Don’t you think the story might follow him?”
She shrugged5 her shoulders.
“He must risk that.”
Poirot was silent for a minute or two. Then he said:
“Are you going to marry Doctor Oldfield, Miss Moncrieffe?”
She displayed no surprise at the question. She said shortly:
“He hasn’t asked me to marry him.”
“Why not?”
Her blue eyes met his and flickered6 for a second. Then she said:
“Because I’ve choked him off.”
“Ah, what a blessing7 to find someone who can be frank!”
“I will be as frank as you please. When I realized that people were saying that Charles had
got rid of his wife in order to marry me, it seemed to me that if we did marry it would just put the
lid on things. I hoped that if there appeared to be no question of marriage between us, the silly
scandal might die down.”
“But it hasn’t?”
“No it hasn’t.”
“Surely,” said Hercule Poirot, “that is a little odd?”
Jean said bitterly:
“They haven’t got much to amuse them down here.”
Poirot asked:
“Do you want to marry Charles Oldfield?”
The girl answered coolly enough.
“Yes, I do. I wanted to almost as soon as I met him.”
“Then his wife’s death was very convenient for you?”
Jean Moncrieffe said:
“Mrs. Oldfield was a singularly unpleasant woman. Frankly8, I was delighted when she died.”
“Yes,” said Poirot. “You are certainly frank!”
She gave the same scornful smile.
Poirot said:
“I have a suggestion to make.”
“Yes?”
“Drastic means are required here. I suggest that somebody—possibly yourself—might write
to the Home Office.”
“What on earth do you mean?”
“I mean that the best way of disposing of this story once and for all is to get the body
exhumed9 and an autopsy10 performed.”
She took a step back from him. Her lips opened, then shut again. Poirot watched her.
“Well, Mademoiselle?” he said at last.
Jean Moncrieffe said quietly:
“I don’t agree with you.”
“But why not? Surely a verdict of death from natural causes would silence all tongues?”
“If you got that verdict, yes.”
“Do you know what you are suggesting, Mademoiselle?”
Jean Moncrieffe said impatiently:
“I know what I’m talking about. You’re thinking of arsenic11 poisoning—you could prove that
she was not poisoned by arsenic. But there are other poisons—the vegetable alkaloids. After a
year, I doubt if you’d find any traces of them even if they had been used. And I know what these
official analyst12 people are like. They might return a noncommittal verdict saying that there was
nothing to show what caused death—and then the tongues would wag faster than ever!”
Hercule Poirot was silent for a minute or two. Then he said:
“Who in your opinion is the most inveterate13 talker in the village?”
The girl considered. She said at last:
“I really think old Miss Leatheran is the worst cat of the lot.”
“Ah! Would it be possible for you to introduce me to Miss Leatheran—in a casual manner if
possible?”
“Nothing could be easier. All the old tabbies are prowling about doing their shopping at this
time of the morning. We’ve only got to walk down the main street.”
As Jean had said, there was no difficulty about the procedure. Outside the post office, Jean
stopped and spoke14 to a tall, thin middle-aged15 woman with a long nose and sharp inquisitive16 eyes.
“Good morning, Miss Leatheran.”
“Good morning, Jean. Such a lovely day, is it not?”
The sharp eyes ranged inquisitively17 over Jean Moncrieffe’s companion. Jean said:
“Let me introduce M. Poirot, who is staying down here for a few days.”

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1 imperturbable dcQzG     
adj.镇静的
参考例句：
  • Thomas,of course,was cool and aloof and imperturbable.当然，托马斯沉着、冷漠，不易激动。
  • Edward was a model of good temper and his equanimity imperturbable.爱德华是个典型的好性子，他总是沉着镇定。
2 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。
3 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。
4 watchful tH9yX     
adj.注意的，警惕的
参考例句：
  • The children played under the watchful eye of their father.孩子们在父亲的小心照看下玩耍。
  • It is important that health organizations remain watchful.卫生组织保持警惕是极为重要的。
5 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》
6 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。
7 blessing UxDztJ     
n.祈神赐福；祷告；祝福，祝愿
参考例句：
  • The blessing was said in Hebrew.祷告用了希伯来语。
  • A double blessing has descended upon the house.双喜临门。
8 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。
9 exhumed 9d00013cea0c5916a17f400c6124ccf3     
v.挖出，发掘出( exhume的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
  • Marie Curie's remains were exhumed and interred in the Pantheon. 玛丽·居里的遗体被移出葬在先贤祠中。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • His remains have been exhumed from a cemetery in Queens, New York City. 他的遗体被从纽约市皇后区的墓地里挖了出来。 来自辞典例句
10 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。
11 arsenic 2vSz4     
n.砒霜，砷；adj.砷的
参考例句：
  • His wife poisoned him with arsenic.他的妻子用砒霜把他毒死了。
  • Arsenic is a poison.砒霜是毒药。
12 analyst gw7zn     
n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家
参考例句：
  • What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
  • The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。
13 inveterate q4ox5     
adj.积习已深的，根深蒂固的
参考例句：
  • Hitler was not only an avid reader but also an inveterate underliner.希特勒不仅酷爱读书，还有写写划划的习惯。
  • It is hard for an inveterate smoker to give up tobacco.要一位有多年烟瘾的烟民戒烟是困难的。
14 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。
15 middle-aged UopzSS     
adj.中年的
参考例句：
  • I noticed two middle-aged passengers.我注意到两个中年乘客。
  • The new skin balm was welcome by middle-aged women.这种新护肤香膏受到了中年妇女的欢迎。
16 inquisitive s64xi     
adj.求知欲强的，好奇的，好寻根究底的
参考例句：
  • Children are usually inquisitive.小孩通常很好问。
  • A pat answer is not going to satisfy an inquisitive audience.陈腔烂调的答案不能满足好奇的听众。
17 inquisitively d803d87bf3e11b0f2e68073d10c7b5b7     
过分好奇地； 好问地
参考例句：
  • The Mouse looked at her rather inquisitively, and seemed to her to wink with one of its little eyes, but It'said nothing. 这老鼠狐疑地看着她，好像还把一只小眼睛向她眨了眨，但没说话。
  • The mouse looked at her rather inquisitively. 那只耗子用疑问的眼光看看她。

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