赫尔克里·波洛的丰功伟绩36

时间：2024-12-31 11:20:52

（单词翻译:单击）

VI
Mrs. Rice was energy personified. First the manager was summoned. Harold remained in his
room, keeping out of it. He and Mrs. Rice had agreed that the story told had better be that of a
quarrel between husband and wife. Elsie’s youth and prettiness would command more sympathy.
On the following morning various police officials arrived and were shown up to Mrs. Rice’s
bedroom. They left at midday. Harold had wired for money but otherwise had taken no part in the
proceedings—indeed he would have been unable to do so since none of these official personages
spoke1 English.
At twelve o’clock Mrs. Rice came to his room. She looked white and tired, but the relief on
her face told its own story. She said simply:
“It’s worked!”
“Thank heaven! You’ve been really marvellous! It seems incredible!”
Mrs. Rice said thoughtfully:
“By the ease with which it went, you might almost think it was quite normal. They practically
held out their hands right away. It’s—it’s rather disgusting, really!”
Harold said dryly:
“This isn’t the moment to quarrel with the corruption2 of the public services. How much?”
“The tariff’s rather high.”
She read out a list of figures.
“The Chief of Police.
The Commissaire.
The Agent.
The Doctor.
The Hotel Manager.
The Night Porter.”
Harold’s comment was merely:
“The night porter doesn’t get much, does he? I suppose it’s mostly a question of gold lace.”
Mrs. Rice explained:
“The manager stipulated3 that the death should not have taken place in his hotel at all. The
official story will be that Philip had a heart attack in the train. He went along the corridor for air—
you know how they always leave those doors open—and he fell out on the line. It’s wonderful
what the police can do when they try!”
“Well,” said Harold. “Thank God our police force isn’t like that.”
And in a British and superior mood he went down to lunch.
VII
After lunch Harold usually joined Mrs. Rice and her daughter for coffee. He decided4 to make no
change in his usual behaviour.
This was the first time he had seen Elsie since the night before. She was very pale and was
obviously still suffering from shock, but she made a gallant5 endeavour to behave as usual, uttering
small commonplaces about the weather and the scenery.
They commented on a new guest who had just arrived, trying to guess his nationality. Harold
thought a moustache like that must be French—Elsie said German—and Mrs. Rice thought he
might be Spanish.
There was no one else but themselves on the terrace with the exception of the two Polish
ladies who were sitting at the extreme end, both doing fancywork.
As always when he saw them, Harold felt a queer shiver of apprehension6 pass over him.
Those still faces, those curved beaks7 of noses, those long clawlike hands. . . .
A page boy approached and told Mrs. Rice she was wanted. She rose and followed him. At
the entrance to the hotel they saw her encounter a police official in full uniform.
Elsie caught her breath.
“You don’t think—anything’s gone wrong?”
Harold reassured8 her quickly.
“Oh, no, no, nothing of that kind.”
But he himself knew a sudden pang9 of fear.
He said:
“Your mother’s been wonderful!”
“I know. Mother is a great fighter. She’ll never sit down under defeat.” Elsie shivered. “But it
is all horrible, isn’t it?”
“Now, don’t dwell on it. It’s all over and done with.”
Elsie said in a low voice:
“I can’t forget that—that it was I who killed him.”
Harold said urgently:
“Don’t think of it that way. It was an accident. You know that really.”
Her face grew a little happier. Harold added:
“And anyway it’s past. The past is the past. Try never to think of it again.”
Mrs. Rice came back. By the expression on her face they saw that all was well.
“It gave me quite a fright,” she said almost gaily10. “But it was only a formality about some
papers. Everything’s all right, my children. We’re out of the shadow. I think we might order
ourselves a liqueur on the strength of it.”
The liqueur was ordered and came. They raised their glasses.
Mrs. Rice said: “To the Future!”
Harold smiled at Elsie and said:
“To your happiness!”
She smiled back at him and said as she lifted her glass:
“And to you—to your success! I’m sure you’re going to be a very great man.”
With the reaction from fear they felt gay, almost light-headed. The shadow had lifted! All
was well. . . .
From the far end of the terrace the two birdlike women rose. They rolled up their work
carefully. They came across the stone flags.
With little bows they sat down by Mrs. Rice. One of them began to speak. The other one let
her eyes rest on Elsie and Harold. There was a little smile on her lips. It was not, Harold thought, a
nice smile. . . .
He looked over at Mrs. Rice. She was listening to the Polish woman and though he couldn’t
understand a word, the expression on Mrs. Rice’s face was clear enough. All the old anguish11 and
despair came back. She listened and occasionally spoke a brief word.
Presently the two sisters rose, and with stiff little bows went into the hotel.
Harold leaned forward. He said hoarsely12:
“What is it?”
Mrs. Rice answered him in the quiet hopeless tones of despair.
“Those women are going to blackmail13 us. They heard everything last night. And now we’ve
tried to hush14 it up, it makes the whole thing a thousand times worse . . .”

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1 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。
2 corruption TzCxn     
n.腐败，堕落，贪污
参考例句：
  • The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
  • The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。
3 stipulated 5203a115be4ee8baf068f04729d1e207     
vt.& vi.规定；约定adj.[法]合同规定的
参考例句：
  • A delivery date is stipulated in the contract. 合同中规定了交货日期。
  • Yes, I think that's what we stipulated. 对呀，我想那是我们所订定的。 来自辞典例句
4 decided lvqzZd     
adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的
参考例句：
  • This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
  • There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。
5 gallant 66Myb     
adj.英勇的，豪侠的；(向女人)献殷勤的
参考例句：
  • Huang Jiguang's gallant deed is known by all men. 黄继光的英勇事迹尽人皆知。
  • These gallant soldiers will protect our country.这些勇敢的士兵会保卫我们的国家的。
6 apprehension bNayw     
n.理解，领悟；逮捕，拘捕；忧虑
参考例句：
  • There were still areas of doubt and her apprehension grew.有些地方仍然存疑，于是她越来越担心。
  • She is a girl of weak apprehension.她是一个理解力很差的女孩。
7 beaks 66bf69cd5b0e1dfb0c97c1245fc4fbab     
n.鸟嘴( beak的名词复数 )；鹰钩嘴；尖鼻子；掌权者
参考例句：
  • Baby cockatoos will have black eyes and soft, almost flexible beaks. 雏鸟凤头鹦鹉黑色的眼睛是柔和的，嘴几乎是灵活的。 来自互联网
  • Squid beaks are often found in the stomachs of sperm whales. 经常能在抹香鲸的胃里发现鱿鱼的嘴。 来自互联网
8 reassured ff7466d942d18e727fb4d5473e62a235     
adj.使消除疑虑的；使放心的v.再保证，恢复信心( reassure的过去式和过去分词)
参考例句：
  • The captain's confidence during the storm reassured the passengers. 在风暴中船长的信念使旅客们恢复了信心。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
  • The doctor reassured the old lady. 医生叫那位老妇人放心。 来自《简明英汉词典》
9 pang OKixL     
n.剧痛，悲痛，苦闷
参考例句：
  • She experienced a sharp pang of disappointment.她经历了失望的巨大痛苦。
  • She was beginning to know the pang of disappointed love.她开始尝到了失恋的痛苦。
10 gaily lfPzC     
adv.欢乐地，高兴地
参考例句：
  • The children sing gaily.孩子们欢唱着。
  • She waved goodbye very gaily.她欢快地挥手告别。
11 anguish awZz0     
n.(尤指心灵上的)极度痛苦，烦恼
参考例句：
  • She cried out for anguish at parting.分手时，她由于痛苦而失声大哭。
  • The unspeakable anguish wrung his heart.难言的痛苦折磨着他的心。
12 hoarsely hoarsely     
adv.嘶哑地
参考例句：
  • "Excuse me," he said hoarsely. “对不起。”他用嘶哑的嗓子说。
  • Jerry hoarsely professed himself at Miss Pross's service. 杰瑞嘶声嘶气地表示愿为普洛丝小姐效劳。 来自英汉文学 - 双城记
13 blackmail rRXyl     
n.讹诈，敲诈，勒索，胁迫，恫吓
参考例句：
  • She demanded ＄1000 blackmail from him.她向他敲诈了1000美元。
  • The journalist used blackmail to make the lawyer give him the documents.记者讹诈那名律师交给他文件。
14 hush ecMzv     
int.嘘，别出声；n.沉默，静寂；v.使安静
参考例句：
  • A hush fell over the onlookers.旁观者们突然静了下来。
  • Do hush up the scandal!不要把这丑事声张出去！

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