赫尔克里·波洛的丰功伟绩15

时间：2024-12-31 10:20:15

（单词翻译:单击）

VI
Dr. Alan Garcia, the Home Office Analyst1, rubbed his hands and twinkled at Hercule Poirot. He
said:
“Well, this suits you, M. Poirot, I suppose? The man who’s always right.”
Poirot said:
“You are too kind.”
“What put you on to it? Gossip?”
“As you say—Enter Rumour2, painted full of tongues.”
The following day Poirot once more took a train to Market Loughborough.
Market Loughborough was buzzing like a beehive. It had buzzed mildly ever since the
exhumation3 proceedings4.
Now that the findings of the autopsy5 had leaked out, excitement had reached fever heat.
Poirot had been at the inn for about an hour and had just finished a hearty6 lunch of steak and
kidney pudding washed down by beer when word was brought to him that a lady was waiting to
see him.
It was Nurse Harrison. Her face was white and haggard.
She came straight to Poirot.
“Is this true? Is this really true, M. Poirot?”
He put her gently into a chair.
“Yes. More than sufficient arsenic7 to cause death has been found.”
Nurse Harrison cried:
“I never thought—I never for one moment thought—” and burst into tears.
Poirot said gently:
“The truth had to come out, you know.”
She sobbed8.
“Will they hang him?”
Poirot said:
“A lot has to be proved still. Opportunity—access to poison—the vehicle in which it was
administered.”
“But supposing, M. Poirot, that he had nothing to do with it—nothing at all.”
“In that case,” Poirot shrugged9 his shoulders, “he will be acquitted10.”
Nurse Harrison said slowly:
“There is something—something that, I suppose, I ought to have told you before—but I
didn’t think that there was really anything in it. It was just queer.”
“I knew there was something,” said Poirot. “You had better tell it to me now.”
“It isn’t much. It’s just that one day when I went down to the dispensary for something, Jean
Moncrieffe was doing something rather—odd.”
“Yes?”
“It sounds so silly. It’s only that she was filling up her powder compact—a pink enamel11 one
—”
“Yes?”
“But she wasn’t filling it up with powder—with face powder, I mean. She was tipping
something into it from one of the bottles out of the poison cupboard. When she saw me she started
and shut up the compact and whipped it into her bag—and put back the bottle quickly into the
cupboard so that I couldn’t see what it was. I daresay it doesn’t mean anything—but now that I
know that Mrs. Oldfield really was poisoned—” She broke off.
Poirot said: “You will excuse me?”
He went out and telephoned to Detective Sergeant12 Grey of the Berkshire Police.
Hercule Poirot came back and he and Nurse Harrison sat in silence.
Poirot was seeing the face of a girl with red hair and hearing a clear hard voice say: “I don’t
agree.” Jean Moncrieffe had not wanted an autopsy. She had given a plausible13 enough excuse, but
the fact remained. A competent girl—efficient—resolute. In love with a man who was tied to a
complaining invalid14 wife, who might easily live for years since, according to Nurse Harrison, she
had very little the matter with her.
Hercule Poirot sighed.
Nurse Harrison said:
“What are you thinking of?”
Poirot answered:
“The pity of things. . . .”
Nurse Harrison said:
“I don’t believe for a minute he knew anything about it.”
Poirot said:
“No. I am sure he did not.”
The door opened and Detective Sergeant Grey came in. He had something in his hand,
wrapped in a silk handkerchief. He unwrapped it and set it carefully down. It was a bright rose
pink enamel compact.
Nurse Harrison said:
“That’s the one I saw.”
Grey said:
“Found it pushed right to the back of Miss Moncrieffe’s bureau drawer. Inside a handkerchief
sachet. As far as I can see there are no fingerprints15 on it, but I’ll be careful.”
With the handkerchief over his hand he pressed the spring. The case flew open. Grey said:
“This stuff isn’t face powder.”
He dipped a finger and tasted it gingerly on the tip of his tongue.
“No particular taste.”
Poirot said:
“White arsenic does not taste.”
Grey said:
“It will be analysed at once.” He looked at Nurse Harrison. “You can swear to this being the
same case?”
“Yes. I’m positive. That’s the case I saw Miss Moncrieffe with in the dispensary about a
week before Mrs. Oldfield’s death.”
Sergeant Grey sighed. He looked at Poirot and nodded. The latter rang the bell.
“Send my servant here, please.”
George, the perfect valet, discreet16, unobtrusive, entered and looked inquiringly at his master.
Hercule Poirot said:
“You have identified this powder compact, Miss Harrison, as one you saw in the possession
of Miss Moncrieffe over a year ago. Would you be surprised to learn that this particular case was
sold by Messrs Woolworth only a few weeks ago and that, moreover, it is of a pattern and colour
that has only been manufactured for the last three
months?”
Nurse Harrison gasped17. She stared at Poirot, her eyes round and dark. Poirot said:
“Have you seen this compact before, Georges?”
George stepped forward:
“Yes, sir. I observed this person, Nurse Harrison, purchase it at Woolworth’s on Friday the
18th. Pursuant to your instructions I followed this lady whenever she went out. She took a bus
over to Darnington on the day I have mentioned and purchased this compact. She took it home
with her. Later, the same day, she came to the house in which Miss Moncrieffe lodges18. Acting19 as
by your instructions, I was already in the house. I observed her go into Miss Moncrieffe’s bedroom
and hide this in the back of the bureau drawer. I had a good view through the crack of the door.
She then left the house believing herself unobserved. I may say that no one locks their front doors
down here and it was dusk.”
Poirot said to Nurse Harrison, and his voice was hard and venomous:
“Can you explain these facts, Nurse Harrison? I think not. There was no arsenic in that box
when it left Messrs Woolworth, but there was when it left Miss Bristow’s house.” He added softly,
“It was unwise of you to keep a supply of arsenic in your possession.”
Nurse Harrison buried her face in her hands. She said in a low dull voice:
“It’s true—it’s all true . . . I killed her. And all for nothing—
nothing . . . I was mad.”

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点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 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。
2 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。
3 exhumation 3e3356144992dae3dedaa826df161f8e     
n.掘尸，发掘；剥璐
参考例句：
  • The German allowed a forensic commission including prominent neutral experts to supervise part of the exhumation. 德国人让一个包括杰出的中立专家在内的法庭委员会对部分掘墓工作进行监督。 来自辞典例句
  • At any rate, the exhumation was repeated once and again. 无论如何，他曾经把尸体挖出来又埋进去，埋进去又挖出来。 来自互联网
4 proceedings Wk2zvX     
n.进程，过程，议程；诉讼(程序)；公报
参考例句：
  • He was released on bail pending committal proceedings. 他交保获释正在候审。
  • to initiate legal proceedings against sb 对某人提起诉讼
5 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。
6 hearty Od1zn     
adj.热情友好的；衷心的；尽情的，纵情的
参考例句：
  • After work they made a hearty meal in the worker's canteen.工作完了，他们在工人食堂饱餐了一顿。
  • We accorded him a hearty welcome.我们给他热忱的欢迎。
7 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。
8 sobbed 4a153e2bbe39eef90bf6a4beb2dba759     
哭泣，啜泣( sob的过去式和过去分词 )； 哭诉，呜咽地说
参考例句：
  • She sobbed out the story of her son's death. 她哭诉着她儿子的死。
  • She sobbed out the sad story of her son's death. 她哽咽着诉说她儿子死去的悲惨经过。
9 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》
10 acquitted c33644484a0fb8e16df9d1c2cd057cb0     
宣判…无罪( acquit的过去式和过去分词 )； 使（自己）作出某种表现
参考例句：
  • The jury acquitted him of murder. 陪审团裁决他谋杀罪不成立。
  • Five months ago she was acquitted on a shoplifting charge. 五个月前她被宣判未犯入店行窃罪。
11 enamel jZ4zF     
n.珐琅，搪瓷，瓷釉；(牙齿的)珐琅质
参考例句：
  • I chipped the enamel on my front tooth when I fell over.我跌倒时门牙的珐琅质碰碎了。
  • He collected coloured enamel bowls from Yugoslavia.他藏有来自南斯拉夫的彩色搪瓷碗。
12 sergeant REQzz     
n.警官，中士
参考例句：
  • His elder brother is a sergeant.他哥哥是个警官。
  • How many stripes are there on the sleeve of a sergeant?陆军中士的袖子上有多少条纹？
13 plausible hBCyy     
adj.似真实的，似乎有理的，似乎可信的
参考例句：
  • His story sounded plausible.他说的那番话似乎是真实的。
  • Her story sounded perfectly plausible.她的说辞听起来言之有理。
14 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。
15 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》
16 discreet xZezn     
adj.(言行)谨慎的；慎重的；有判断力的
参考例句：
  • He is very discreet in giving his opinions.发表意见他十分慎重。
  • It wasn't discreet of you to ring me up at the office.你打电话到我办公室真是太鲁莽了。
17 gasped e6af294d8a7477229d6749fa9e8f5b80     
v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要
参考例句：
  • She gasped at the wonderful view. 如此美景使她惊讶得屏住了呼吸。
  • People gasped with admiration at the superb skill of the gymnasts. 体操运动员的高超技艺令人赞叹。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
18 lodges bd168a2958ee8e59c77a5e7173c84132     
v.存放( lodge的第三人称单数 )；暂住；埋入；（权利、权威等）归属
参考例句：
  • But I forget, if I ever heard, where he lodges in Liverpool. 可是我记不得有没有听他说过他在利物浦的住址。 来自辞典例句
  • My friend lodges in my uncle's house. 我朋友寄居在我叔叔家。 来自辞典例句
19 acting czRzoc     
n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的
参考例句：
  • Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
  • During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

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