赫尔克里·波洛的丰功伟绩18

时间：2024-12-31 11:14:29

（单词翻译:单击）

II
Hercule Poirot looked thoughtfully at the sheet of paper on which Ted1 Williamson had laboriously2
inscribed3 a name and address.
Miss Valetta, 17 Upper Renfrew Lane, N15.
He wondered if he would learn anything at that address. Somehow he fancied not. But it was
the only help Ted could give him.
No. 17 Upper Renfrew Lane was a dingy4 but respectable street. A stout5 woman with bleary
eyes opened the door to Poirot’s knock.
“Miss Valetta?”
“Gone away a long time ago, she has.”
Poirot advanced a step into the doorway6 just as the door was about to close.
“You can give me, perhaps, her address?”
“Couldn’t say, I’m sure. She didn’t leave one.”
“When did she go away?”
“Last summer it was.”
“Can you tell me exactly when?”
A gentle clicking noise came from Poirot’s right hand where two half crowns jostled each
other in friendly fashion.
The bleary-eyed woman softened7 in an almost magical manner. She became graciousness
itself.
“Well, I’m sure I’d like to help you, sir. Let me see now. August, no, before that—July—yes,
July it must have been. About the first week in July. Went off in a hurry, she did. Back to Italy, I
believe.”
“She was an Italian, then?”
“That’s right, sir.”
“And she was at one time lady’s maid to a Russian dancer, was she not?”
“That’s right. Madame Semoulina or some such name. Danced at the Thespian8 in this Bally
everyone’s so wild about. One of the stars, she was.”
Poirot said:
“Do you know why Miss Valetta left her post?”
The woman hesitated a moment before saying:
“I couldn’t say, I’m sure.”
“She was dismissed, was she not?”
“Well—I believe there was a bit of a dustup! But mind you, Miss Valetta didn’t let on much
about it. She wasn’t one to give things away. But she looked wild about it. Wicked temper she had
—real Eyetalian—her black eyes all snapping and looking as if she’d like to put a knife into you. I
wouldn’t have crossed her when she was in one of her moods!”
“And you are quite sure you do not know Miss Valetta’s present address?”
The half crowns clinked again encouragingly.
The answer rang true enough.
“I wish I did, sir. I’d be only too glad to tell you. But there—she went off in a hurry and there
it is!”
Poirot said to himself thoughtfully:
“Yes, there it is. . . .”

分享到：


点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 ted 9gazhs     
vt.翻晒，撒，撒开
参考例句：
  • The invaders gut ted the village.侵略者把村中财物洗劫一空。
  • She often teds the corn when it's sunny.天好的时候她就翻晒玉米。
2 laboriously xpjz8l     
adv.艰苦地；费力地；辛勤地；（文体等）佶屈聱牙地
参考例句：
  • She is tracing laboriously now. 她正在费力地写。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • She is laboriously copying out an old manuscript. 她正在费劲地抄出一份旧的手稿。 来自辞典例句
3 inscribed 65fb4f97174c35f702447e725cb615e7     
v.写，刻( inscribe的过去式和过去分词 )；内接
参考例句：
  • His name was inscribed on the trophy. 他的名字刻在奖杯上。
  • The names of the dead were inscribed on the wall. 死者的名字被刻在墙上。 来自《简明英汉词典》
4 dingy iu8xq     
adj.昏暗的，肮脏的
参考例句：
  • It was a street of dingy houses huddled together. 这是一条挤满了破旧房子的街巷。
  • The dingy cottage was converted into a neat tasteful residence.那间脏黑的小屋已变成一个整洁雅致的住宅。
5 stout PGuzF     
adj.强壮的，粗大的，结实的，勇猛的，矮胖的
参考例句：
  • He cut a stout stick to help him walk.他砍了一根结实的枝条用来拄着走路。
  • The stout old man waddled across the road.那肥胖的老人一跩一跩地穿过马路。
6 doorway 2s0xK     
n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径
参考例句：
  • They huddled in the shop doorway to shelter from the rain.他们挤在商店门口躲雨。
  • Mary suddenly appeared in the doorway.玛丽突然出现在门口。
7 softened 19151c4e3297eb1618bed6a05d92b4fe     
（使）变软( soften的过去式和过去分词 )； 缓解打击； 缓和； 安慰
参考例句：
  • His smile softened slightly. 他的微笑稍柔和了些。
  • The ice cream softened and began to melt. 冰淇淋开始变软并开始融化。
8 thespian fIXzO     
adj.戏曲的；n.演员；悲剧演员
参考例句：
  • If you enjoy acting in plays,join your school's thespian club.如果你喜欢戏剧表演，就加入你学校的戏剧社团。
  • The actress demonstrated thespian talents at her first audition.这位女演员第一次试镜就展现出戏剧天分。

©2005-2010英文阅读网