赫尔克里·波洛的丰功伟绩24

时间：2024-12-31 11:16:35

（单词翻译:单击）

III
Gustave the waiter brought Hercule Poirot his breakfast of coffee and rolls. He was apologetic
over the coffee.
“Monsieur comprehends, does he not, that at this altitude it is impossible to have the coffee
really hot? Lamentably1, it boils too soon.”
Poirot murmured:
“One must accept these vagaries2 of Nature’s with fortitude3.”
Gustave murmured:
“Monsieur is a philosopher.”
He went to the door, but instead of leaving the room, he took one quick look outside, then
shut the door again and returned to the bedside. He said:
“M. Hercule Poirot? I am Drouet, Inspector4 of Police.”
“Ah,” said Poirot, “I had already suspected as much.”
Drouet lowered his voice.
“M. Poirot, something very grave has occurred. There has been an accident to the funicular!”
“An accident?” Poirot sat up. “What kind of an accident?”
“Nobody has been injured. It happened in the night. It was occasioned, perhaps, by natural
causes—a small avalanche5 that swept down boulders6 and rocks. But it is possible that there was
human agency at work. One does not know. In any case the result is that it will take many days to
repair and that in the meantime we are cut off up here. So early in the season, when the snow is
still heavy, it is impossible to communicate with the valley below.”
Hercule Poirot sat up in bed. He said softly:
“That is very interesting.”
The Inspector nodded.
“Yes,” he said. “It shows that our commissaire’s information was correct. Marrascaud has a
rendezvous7 here, and he has made sure that that rendezvous shall not be interrupted.”
Hercule Poirot cried impatiently:
“But it is fantastic!”
“I agree.” Inspector Drouet threw up his hands. “It does not make the commonsense—but
there it is. This Marrascaud, you know, is a fantastic creature! Myself,” he nodded, “I think he is
mad.”
Poirot said:
“A madman and a murderer!”
Drouet said drily:
“It is not amusing. I agree.”
Poirot said slowly:
“But if he has a rendezvous here, on this ledge8 of snow high above the world, then it also
follows that Marrascaud himself is here already, since communications are now cut.”
Drouet said quietly:
“I know.”
Both men were silent for a minute or two. Then Poirot asked:
“Dr. Lutz? Can he be Marrascaud?”
Drouet shook his head.
“I do not think so. There is a real Dr. Lutz—I have seen his pictures in the papers—a
distinguished9 and well-known man. This man resembles these photographs closely.”
Poirot murmured:
“If Marrascaud is an artist in disguise, he might play the part successfully.”
“Yes, but is he? I never heard of him as an expert in disguise. He has not the guile10 and
cunning of a serpent. He is a wild boar, ferocious11, terrible, who charges in blind fury.”
Poirot said:
“All the same. . . .”
Drouet agreed quickly.
“Ah yes, he is a fugitive12 from justice. Therefore he is forced to dissemble. So he may—in fact
he must be—more or less disguised.”
“You have his description?”
The other shrugged13 his shoulders.
“Roughly only. The official Bertillon photograph and measurements were to have been sent
up to me today. I know only that he is a man of thirty odd, of a little over medium height and of
dark complexion14. No distinguishing marks.”
Poirot shrugged his shoulders.
“That could apply to anybody. What about the American, Schwartz?”
“I was going to ask you that. You have spoken with him, and you have lived, I think, much
with the English and the Americans. To a casual glance he appears to be the normal travelling
American. His passport is in order. It is perhaps strange that he should elect to come here—but
Americans when travelling are quite incalculable. What do you think yourself?”
Hercule Poirot shook his head in perplexity.
He said:
“On the surface, at any rate, he appears to be a harmless slightly over-friendly, man. He
might be a bore, but it seems difficult to regard him as a danger.” He went on: “But there are three
more visitors here.”
The Inspector nodded, his face suddenly eager.
“Yes, and they are the type we are looking for. I’ll take my oath, M. Poirot, that those three
men are at any rate members of Marrascaud’s gang. They’re racecourse toughs if I ever saw them!
and one of the three may be Marrascaud himself.”
Hercule Poirot reflected. He recalled the three faces.
One was a broad face with overhanging brows and a fat jowl—a hoggish15, bestial16 face. One
was lean and thin with a sharp narrow face and cold eyes. The third man was a pasty-faced fellow
with a slight dandiacal air.
Yes, one of the three might well be Marrascaud, but if so, the question came insistently17, why?
Why should Marrascaud, and two members of his gang journey together and ascend18 into a rattrap
on a mountain side? A meeting surely could be arranged in safer and less fantastic surroundings—
in a café—in a railway station—in a crowded cinema—in a public park—somewhere where there
were exits in plenty—not here far above the world in a wilderness19 of snow.
Something of this he tried to convey to Inspector Drouet and the latter agreed readily enough.
“But yes, it is fantastic, it does not make sense.”
“If it is a rendezvous, why do they travel together? No, indeed, it does not make sense.”
Drouet said, his face worried:
“In that case, we have to examine a second supposition. These three men are members of
Marrascaud’s gang and they have come here to meet Marrascaud himself. Who then is
Marrascaud?”
Poirot asked:
“What about the staff of the hotel?”
Drouet shrugged his shoulders.
“There is no staff to speak of. There is an old woman who cooks, there is her old husband
Jacques—they have been here for fifty years I should think. There is the waiter whose place I have
taken, that is all.”
Poirot said:
“The manager, he knows of course who you are?”
“Naturally. It needed his cooperation.”
“Has it struck you,” said Hercule Poirot, “that he looks worried?”
The remark seemed to strike Drouet. He said thoughtfully:
“Yes, that is true.”
“It may be that it is merely the anxiety of being involved in police proceedings20.”
“But you think it may be more than that? You think that he may—know something?”
“It occurred to me, that is all.”
Drouet said sombrely: “I wonder.”
He paused and then went on:
“Could one get it out of him, do you think?”
Poirot shook his head doubtfully. He said:
“It would be better, I think, not to let him know of our suspicions. Keep your eye on him, that
is all.”
Drouet nodded. He turned towards the door.
“You’ve no suggestions, M. Poirot? I—I know your reputation. We have heard of you in this
country of ours.”
Poirot said perplexedly:
“For the moment I can suggest nothing. It is the reason which escapes me—the reason for a
rendezvous in this place. In fact, the reason for a rendezvous at all?”
“Money,” said Drouet succinctly21.
“He was robbed, then, as well as murdered, this poor fellow Salley?”
“Yes, he had a very large sum of money on him which has disappeared.”
“And the rendezvous is for the purpose of sharing out, you think?”
“It is the most obvious idea.”
Poirot shook his head in a dissatisfied manner.
“Yes, but why here?” He went on slowly: “The worst place possible for a rendezvous of
criminals. But it is a place, this, where one might come to meet a woman. . . .”
Drouet took a step forward eagerly.
He said excitedly:
“You think—?”
“I think,” said Poirot, “that Madame Grandier is a very beautiful woman. I think that anyone
might well mount ten thousand feet for her sake—that is, if she had suggested such a thing.”
“You know,” said Drouet, “that’s interesting. I never thought of her in connection with the
case. After all, she’s been to this place several years running.”
Poirot said gently:
“Yes—and therefore her presence would not cause comment. It would be a reason, would it
not, why Rochers Neiges should have been the spot selected?”
Drouet said excitedly:
“You’ve had an idea, M. Poirot. I’ll look into that angle.”

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1 lamentably d2f1ae2229e3356deba891ab6ee219ca     
adv.哀伤地，拙劣地
参考例句：
  • Aviation was lamentably weak and primitive. 航空设施极其薄弱简陋。 来自辞典例句
  • Poor Tom lamentably disgraced himself at Sir Charles Mirable's table, by premature inebriation. 可怜的汤姆在查尔斯·米拉贝尔爵士的宴会上，终于入席不久就酩酊大醉，弄得出丑露乖，丢尽了脸皮。 来自辞典例句
2 vagaries 594130203d5d42a756196aa8975299ad     
n.奇想( vagary的名词复数 )；异想天开；异常行为；难以预测的情况
参考例句：
  • The vagaries of fortune are indeed curious.\" 命运的变化莫测真是不可思议。” 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
  • The vagaries of inclement weather conditions are avoided to a certain extent. 可以在一定程度上避免变化莫测的恶劣气候影响。 来自辞典例句
3 fortitude offzz     
n.坚忍不拔；刚毅
参考例句：
  • His dauntless fortitude makes him absolutely fearless.他不屈不挠的坚韧让他绝无恐惧。
  • He bore the pain with great fortitude.他以极大的毅力忍受了痛苦。
4 inspector q6kxH     
n.检查员，监察员，视察员
参考例句：
  • The inspector was interested in everything pertaining to the school.视察员对有关学校的一切都感兴趣。
  • The inspector was shining a flashlight onto the tickets.查票员打着手电筒查看车票。
5 avalanche 8ujzl     
n.雪崩，大量涌来
参考例句：
  • They were killed by an avalanche in the Swiss Alps.他们在瑞士阿尔卑斯山的一次雪崩中罹难。
  • Higher still the snow was ready to avalanche.在更高处积雪随时都会崩塌。
6 boulders 317f40e6f6d3dc0457562ca415269465     
n.卵石( boulder的名词复数 )；巨砾；（受水或天气侵蚀而成的）巨石；漂砾
参考例句：
  • Seals basked on boulders in a flat calm. 海面风平浪静，海豹在巨石上晒太阳。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The river takes a headlong plunge into a maelstrom of rocks and boulders. 河水急流而下，入一个漂砾的漩涡中。 来自《简明英汉词典》
7 rendezvous XBfzj     
n.约会，约会地点，汇合点；vi.汇合，集合；vt.使汇合，使在汇合地点相遇
参考例句：
  • She made the rendezvous with only minutes to spare.她还差几分钟时才来赴约。
  • I have a rendezvous with Peter at a restaurant on the harbour.我和彼得在海港的一个餐馆有个约会。
8 ledge o1Mxk     
n.壁架，架状突出物；岩架，岩礁
参考例句：
  • They paid out the line to lower him to the ledge.他们放出绳子使他降到那块岩石的突出部分。
  • Suddenly he struck his toe on a rocky ledge and fell.突然他的脚趾绊在一块突出的岩石上，摔倒了。
9 distinguished wu9z3v     
adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的
参考例句：
  • Elephants are distinguished from other animals by their long noses.大象以其长长的鼻子显示出与其他动物的不同。
  • A banquet was given in honor of the distinguished guests.宴会是为了向贵宾们致敬而举行的。
10 guile olNyJ     
n.诈术
参考例句：
  • He is full of guile.他非常狡诈。
  • A swindler uses guile;a robber uses force.骗子用诈术；强盗用武力。
11 ferocious ZkNxc     
adj.凶猛的，残暴的，极度的，十分强烈的
参考例句：
  • The ferocious winds seemed about to tear the ship to pieces.狂风仿佛要把船撕成碎片似的。
  • The ferocious panther is chasing a rabbit.那只凶猛的豹子正追赶一只兔子。
12 fugitive bhHxh     
adj.逃亡的，易逝的；n.逃犯，逃亡者
参考例句：
  • The police were able to deduce where the fugitive was hiding.警方成功地推断出那逃亡者躲藏的地方。
  • The fugitive is believed to be headed for the border.逃犯被认为在向国境线逃窜。
13 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》
14 complexion IOsz4     
n.肤色；情况，局面；气质，性格
参考例句：
  • Red does not suit with her complexion.红色与她的肤色不协调。
  • Her resignation puts a different complexion on things.她一辞职局面就全变了。
15 hoggish rrkzSq     
adj.贪婪的
参考例句：
  • His landlady was a hoggish woman. 她的房东是个自私贪婪的女人。 来自互联网
  • The person's nature is hoggish, lose supervisory power to bring about corruption necessarily. 人的本性是利己的，失去监督的权力必然导致腐败。 来自互联网
16 bestial btmzp     
adj.残忍的；野蛮的
参考例句：
  • The Roman gladiatorial contests were bestial amusements.罗马角斗是残忍的娱乐。
  • A statement on Amman Radio spoke of bestial aggression and a horrible massacre. 安曼广播电台播放的一则声明提到了野蛮的侵略和骇人的大屠杀。
17 insistently Iq4zCP     
ad.坚持地
参考例句：
  • Still Rhett did not look at her. His eyes were bent insistently on Melanie's white face. 瑞德还是看也不看她，他的眼睛死死地盯着媚兰苍白的脸。
  • These are the questions which we should think and explore insistently. 怎样实现这一主体性等问题仍要求我们不断思考、探索。
18 ascend avnzD     
vi.渐渐上升，升高；vt.攀登，登上
参考例句：
  • We watched the airplane ascend higher and higher.我们看着飞机逐渐升高。
  • We ascend in the order of time and of development.我们按时间和发展顺序向上溯。
19 wilderness SgrwS     
n.杳无人烟的一片陆地、水等，荒漠
参考例句：
  • She drove the herd of cattle through the wilderness.她赶着牛群穿过荒野。
  • Education in the wilderness is not a matter of monetary means.荒凉地区的教育不是钱财问题。
20 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
21 succinctly f66431c87ffb688abc727f5e0b3fd74c     
adv.简洁地；简洁地，简便地
参考例句：
  • He writes simply and succinctly, rarely adding too much adornment. 他的写作风格朴实简练，很少添加饰词。 来自互联网
  • No matter what question you are asked, answer it honestly and succinctly. 总之，不管你在面试中被问到什么问题，回答都要诚实而简明。 来自互联网

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