赫尔克里·波洛的丰功伟绩25

时间:2024-12-31 11:16:57

(单词翻译:单击)

IV
The day passed without incident. Fortunately the hotel was well provisioned. The manager
explained that there need be no anxiety. Supplies were assured.
Hercule Poirot endeavoured to get into conversation with Dr. Karl Lutz and was rebuffed.
The doctor intimated plainly that psychology1 was his professional preoccupation and that he was
not going to discuss it with amateurs. He sat in a corner reading a large German tome on the
subconscious2 and making copious3 notes and annotations4.
Hercule Poirot went outside and wandered aimlessly round to the kitchen premises5. There he
entered into conversation with the old man Jacques, who was surly and suspicious. His wife, the
cook, was more forthcoming. Fortunately, she explained to Poirot, there was a large reserve of
tinned food—but she herself thought little of food in tins. It was wickedly expensive and what
nourishment6 could there be in it? The good God had never intended people to live out of tins.
The conversation came round to the subject of the hotel staff. Early in July the chambermaids
and the extra waiters arrived. But for the next three weeks, there would be nobody or next to
nobody. Mostly people who came up and had lunch and then went back again. She and Jacques
and one waiter could manage that easily.
Poirot asked:
“There was already a waiter here before Gustave came, was there not?”
“But yes, indeed, a poor kind of a waiter. No skill, no experience. No class at all.”
“How long was he here before Gustave replaced him?”
“A few days only—the inside of a week. Naturally he was dismissed. We were not surprised.
It was bound to come.”
Poirot murmured:
“He did not complain unduly7?”
“Ah no, he went quietly enough. After all, what could he expect? This is a hotel of good
class. One must have proper service here.”
Poirot nodded. He asked:
“Where did he go?”
“That Robert, you mean?” She shrugged8 her shoulders. “Doubtless back to the obscure café
he came from.”
“He went down in the funicular?”
She looked at him curiously9.
“Naturally, Monsieur. What other way is there to go?”
Poirot asked:
“Did anyone see him go?”
They both stared at him.
“Ah! do you think it likely that one goes to see off an animal like that—that one gives him the
grand farewell? One has one’s own affairs to occupy one.”
“Precisely,” said Hercule Poirot.
He walked slowly away, staring up as he did so at the building above him. A large hotel—
with only one wing open at present. In the other wings were many rooms, closed and shuttered
where no one was likely to enter. . . .
He came round the corner of the hotel and nearly ran into one of the three card-playing men.
It was the one with the pasty face and pale eyes. The eyes looked at Poirot without expression.
Only the lips curled back a little showing the teeth like a vicious horse.
Poirot passed him and went on. There was a figure ahead of him—the tall graceful10 figure of
Madame Grandier.
He hastened his pace a little and caught her up. He said:
“This accident to the funicular, it is distressing11. I hope, Madame, that it has not
inconvenienced you?”
She said:
“It is a matter of indifference12 to me.”
Her voice was very deep—a full contralto. She did not look at Poirot. She swerved13 aside and
went into the hotel by a small side door.

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1 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。
2 subconscious Oqryw     
n./adj.潜意识(的),下意识(的)
参考例句:
  • Nail biting is often a subconscious reaction to tension.咬指甲通常是紧张时的下意识反映。
  • My answer seemed to come from the subconscious.我的回答似乎出自下意识。
3 copious koizs     
adj.丰富的,大量的
参考例句:
  • She supports her theory with copious evidences.她以大量的例证来充实自己的理论。
  • Every star is a copious source of neutrinos.每颗恒星都是丰富的中微子源。
4 annotations 4ab6864fc58ecd8b598ee10dfe2ac311     
n.注释( annotation的名词复数 );附注
参考例句:
  • I wrote annotations in the margin of the book. 我在书的边缘作注。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • My annotations appear in square brackets. 在方括号里有我给的注解。 来自辞典例句
5 premises 6l1zWN     
n.建筑物,房屋
参考例句:
  • According to the rules,no alcohol can be consumed on the premises.按照规定,场内不准饮酒。
  • All repairs are done on the premises and not put out.全部修缮都在家里进行,不用送到外面去做。
6 nourishment Ovvyi     
n.食物,营养品;营养情况
参考例句:
  • Lack of proper nourishment reduces their power to resist disease.营养不良降低了他们抵抗疾病的能力。
  • He ventured that plants draw part of their nourishment from the air.他大胆提出植物从空气中吸收部分养分的观点。
7 unduly Mp4ya     
adv.过度地,不适当地
参考例句:
  • He did not sound unduly worried at the prospect.他的口气听上去对前景并不十分担忧。
  • He argued that the law was unduly restrictive.他辩称法律的约束性有些过分了。
8 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》
9 curiously 3v0zIc     
adv.有求知欲地;好问地;奇特地
参考例句:
  • He looked curiously at the people.他好奇地看着那些人。
  • He took long stealthy strides. His hands were curiously cold.他迈着悄没声息的大步。他的双手出奇地冷。
10 graceful deHza     
adj.优美的,优雅的;得体的
参考例句:
  • His movements on the parallel bars were very graceful.他的双杠动作可帅了!
  • The ballet dancer is so graceful.芭蕾舞演员的姿态是如此的优美。
11 distressing cuTz30     
a.使人痛苦的
参考例句:
  • All who saw the distressing scene revolted against it. 所有看到这种悲惨景象的人都对此感到难过。
  • It is distressing to see food being wasted like this. 这样浪费粮食令人痛心。
12 indifference k8DxO     
n.不感兴趣,不关心,冷淡,不在乎
参考例句:
  • I was disappointed by his indifference more than somewhat.他的漠不关心使我很失望。
  • He feigned indifference to criticism of his work.他假装毫不在意别人批评他的作品。
13 swerved 9abd504bfde466e8c735698b5b8e73b4     
v.(使)改变方向,改变目的( swerve的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • She swerved sharply to avoid a cyclist. 她猛地急转弯,以躲开一个骑自行车的人。
  • The driver has swerved on a sudden to avoid a file of geese. 为了躲避一队鹅,司机突然来个急转弯。 来自《简明英汉词典》

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