赫尔克里·波洛的丰功伟绩47

时间：2024-12-31 11:24:29

（单词翻译:单击）

Nine
THE GIRDLE OF HYPPOLITA
One thing leads to another, as Hercule Poirot is fond of saying without much originality1.
He adds that this was never more clearly evidenced than in the case of the stolen Rubens.
He was never much interested in the Rubens. For one thing Rubens is not a painter he
admires, and then the circumstances of the theft were quite ordinary. He took it up to oblige
Alexander Simpson who was by way of being a friend of his and for a certain private reason of his
own not unconnected with the classics!
After the theft, Alexander Simpson sent for Poirot and poured out all his woes2. The Rubens
was a recent discovery, a hitherto unknown masterpiece, but there was no doubt of its authenticity3.
It had been placed on display at Simpson’s Galleries and it had been stolen in broad daylight. It
was at the time when the unemployed4 were pursuing their tactics of lying down on street crossings
and penetrating5 into the Ritz. A small body of them had entered Simpson’s Galleries and lain
down with the slogan displayed of “Art is a Luxury. Feed the Hungry.” The police had been sent
for, everyone had crowded round in eager curiosity, and it was not till the demonstrators had been
forcibly removed by the arm of the law that it was noticed that the new Rubens had been neatly6
cut out of its frame and removed also!
“It was quite a small picture, you see,” explained Mr. Simpson. “A man could put it under his
arm and walk out while everyone was looking at those miserable7 idiots of unemployed.”
The men in question, it was discovered, had been paid for their innocent part in the robbery.
They were to demonstrate at Simpson’s Galleries. But they had known nothing of the reason until
afterwards.
Hercule Poirot thought that it was an amusing trick but did not see what he could do about it.
The police, he pointed8 out, could be trusted to deal with a straightforward9 robbery.
Alexander Simpson said:
“Listen to me, Poirot. I know who stole the picture and where it is going.”
According to the owner of Simpson’s Galleries it had been stolen by a gang of international
crooks10 on behalf of a certain millionaire who was not above acquiring works of art at a
surprisingly low price—and no questions asked! The Rubens, said Simpson, would be smuggled11
over to France where it would pass into the millionaire’s possession. The English and French
police were on the alert, nevertheless Simpson was of the opinion that they would fail. “And once
it has passed into this dirty dog’s possession, it’s going to be more difficult. Rich men have to be
treated with respect. That’s where you come in. The situation’s going to be delicate. You’re the
man for that.”
Finally, without enthusiasm, Hercule Poirot was induced to accept the task. He agreed to
depart for France immediately. He was not very interested in his quest, but because of it, he was
introduced to the case of the Missing Schoolgirl which interested him very much indeed.
He first heard of it from Chief Inspector12 Japp who dropped in to see him just as Poirot was
expressing approval of his valet’s packing.
“Ha,” said Japp. “Going to France, aren’t you?”
Poirot said:
“Mon cher, you are incredibly well informed at Scotland Yard.”
Japp chuckled13. He said:
“We have our spies! Simpson’s got you on to this Rubens business. Doesn’t trust us, it
seems! Well, that’s neither here nor there, but what I want you to do is something quite different.
As you’re going to Paris anyway, I thought you might as well kill two birds with one stone.
Detective Inspector Hearn’s over there
cooperating with the Frenchies—you know Hearn? Good chap—but perhaps not very imaginative.
I’d like your opinion on the
business.”
“What is this matter of which you speak?”
“Child’s disappeared. It’ll be in the papers this evening. Looks as though she’s been
kidnapped. Daughter of a Canon down at Cranchester. King, her name is, Winnie King.”
He proceeded with the story.
Winnie had been on her way to Paris, to join that select and high-class establishment for
English and American girls—Miss Pope’s. Winnie had come up from Cranchester by the early
train—had been seen across London by a member of Elder Sisters Ltd who undertook such work
as seeing girls from one station to another, had been delivered at Victoria to Miss Burshaw,
Miss Pope’s second-in-command, and had then, in company with eighteen other girls, left Victoria
by the boat train. Nineteen girls had crossed the channel, had passed through the customs at
Calais, had got into the Paris train, had lunched in the restaurant car. But when, on the outskirts14 of
Paris, Miss Burshaw had counted heads, it was discovered that only eighteen girls could be found!
“Aha,” Poirot nodded. “Did the train stop anywhere?”
“It stopped at Amiens, but at that time the girls were in the restaurant car and they all say
positively15 that Winnie was with them then. They lost her, so to speak, on the return journey to
their compartments16. That is to say, she did not enter her own compartment17 with the other five girls
who were in it. They did not suspect anything was wrong, merely thought she was in one of the
two other reserved carriages.”
Poirot nodded.
“So she was last seen—when exactly?”
“About ten minutes after the train left Amiens.” Japp coughed modestly. “She was last seen
—er—entering the Toilette.”
Poirot murmured:
“Very natural.” He went on: “There is nothing else?”
“Yes, one thing.” Japp’s face was grim. “Her hat was found by the side of the line—at a spot
approximately fourteen miles from Amiens.”
“But no body?”
“No body.”
Poirot asked:
“What do you yourself think?”
“Difficult to know what to think! As there’s no sign of her body—she can’t have fallen off the
train.”
“Did the train stop at all after leaving Amiens?”
“No. It slowed up once—for a signal, but it didn’t stop, and I doubt if it slowed up enough for
anyone to have jumped off without injury. You’re thinking that the kid got a panic and tried to run
away? It was her first term and she might have been homesick, that’s true enough, but all the same
she was fifteen and a half—a sensible age, and she’d been in quite good spirits all the journey,
chattering18 away and all that.”
Poirot asked:
“Was the train searched?”
“Oh yes, they went right through it before it arrived at the Nord station. The girl wasn’t on
the train, that’s quite certain.”
Japp added in an exasperated19 manner:
“She just disappeared—into thin air! It doesn’t make sense, M. Poirot. It’s crazy!”
“What kind of a girl was she?”
“Ordinary, normal type as far as I can make out.”
“I mean—what did she look like?”
“I’ve got a snap of her here. She’s not exactly a budding
beauty.”
He proffered20 the snapshot to Poirot who studied it in silence.
It represented a lanky21 girl with her hair in two limp plaits. It was not a posed photograph, the
subject had clearly been caught unawares. She was in the act of eating an apple, her lips were
parted, showing slightly protruding23 teeth confined by a dentist’s plate. She wore spectacles.
Japp said:
“Plain-looking kid—but then they are plain at that age! Was at my dentist’s yesterday. Saw a
picture in the Sketch24 of Marcia Gaunt, this season’s beauty. I remember her at fifteen when I was
down at the Castle over their burglary business. Spotty, awkward, teeth sticking out, hair all lank22
and anyhow. They grow into beauties overnight—I don’t know how they do it! It’s like a
miracle.”
Poirot smiled.
“Women,” he said, “are a miraculous25 sex! What about the child’s family? Have they anything
helpful to say?”
Japp shook his head.
“Nothing that’s any help. Mother’s an invalid26. Poor old Canon King is absolutely bowled
over. He swears that the girl was frightfully keen to go to Paris—had been looking forward to it.
Wanted to study painting and music—that sort of thing. Miss Pope’s girls go in for Art with a
capital A. As you probably know, Miss Pope’s is a very well-known establishment. Lots of society
girls go there. She’s strict—quite a dragon—and very expensive—and extremely particular whom
she takes.”
Poirot sighed.
“I know the type. And Miss Burshaw who took the girls over from England?”
“Not exactly frantic27 with brains. Terrified that Miss Pope will say it’s her fault.”
Poirot said thoughtfully:
“There is no young man in the case?”
Japp gesticulated towards the snapshot.
“Does she look like it?”
“No, she does not. But notwithstanding her appearance, she may have a romantic heart.
Fifteen is not so young.”
“Well,” said Japp. “If a romantic heart spirited her off that train, I’ll take to reading lady
novelists.”
He looked hopefully at Poirot.
“Nothing strikes you—eh?”
Poirot shook his head slowly. He said:
“They did not, by any chance, find her shoes also by the side of the line?”
“Shoes? No. Why shoes?”
Poirot murmured:
“Just an idea. . . .”

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点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 originality JJJxm     
n.创造力，独创性；新颖
参考例句：
  • The name of the game in pop music is originality.流行音乐的本质是独创性。
  • He displayed an originality amounting almost to genius.他显示出近乎天才的创造性。
2 woes 887656d87afcd3df018215107a0daaab     
困境( woe的名词复数 )； 悲伤； 我好苦哇； 某人就要倒霉
参考例句：
  • Thanks for listening to my woes. 谢谢您听我诉说不幸的遭遇。
  • She has cried the blues about its financial woes. 对于经济的困难她叫苦不迭。
3 authenticity quyzq     
n.真实性
参考例句：
  • There has been some debate over the authenticity of his will. 对于他的遗嘱的真实性一直有争论。
  • The museum is seeking an expert opinion on the authenticity of the painting. 博物馆在请专家鉴定那幅画的真伪。
4 unemployed lfIz5Q     
adj.失业的，没有工作的；未动用的，闲置的
参考例句：
  • There are now over four million unemployed workers in this country.这个国家现有四百万失业人员。
  • The unemployed hunger for jobs.失业者渴望得到工作。
5 penetrating ImTzZS     
adj.（声音）响亮的，尖锐的adj.（气味）刺激的adj.（思想）敏锐的，有洞察力的
参考例句：
  • He had an extraordinarily penetrating gaze. 他的目光有股异乎寻常的洞察力。
  • He examined the man with a penetrating gaze. 他以锐利的目光仔细观察了那个人。
6 neatly ynZzBp     
adv.整洁地，干净地，灵巧地，熟练地
参考例句：
  • Sailors know how to wind up a long rope neatly.水手们知道怎样把一条大绳利落地缠好。
  • The child's dress is neatly gathered at the neck.那孩子的衣服在领口处打着整齐的皱褶。
7 miserable g18yk     
adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的
参考例句：
  • It was miserable of you to make fun of him.你取笑他，这是可耻的。
  • Her past life was miserable.她过去的生活很苦。
8 pointed Il8zB4     
adj.尖的，直截了当的
参考例句：
  • He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
  • She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。
9 straightforward fFfyA     
adj.正直的，坦率的；易懂的，简单的
参考例句：
  • A straightforward talk is better than a flowery speech.巧言不如直说。
  • I must insist on your giving me a straightforward answer.我一定要你给我一个直截了当的回答。
10 crooks 31060be9089be1fcdd3ac8530c248b55     
n.骗子( crook的名词复数 )；罪犯；弯曲部分；（牧羊人或主教用的）弯拐杖v.弯成钩形( crook的第三人称单数 )
参考例句：
  • The police are getting after the crooks in the city. 警察在城里追捕小偷。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The cops got the crooks. 警察捉到了那些罪犯。 来自《简明英汉词典》
11 smuggled 3cb7c6ce5d6ead3b1e56eeccdabf595b     
水货
参考例句：
  • The customs officer confiscated the smuggled goods. 海关官员没收了走私品。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
  • Those smuggled goods have been detained by the port office. 那些走私货物被港务局扣押了。 来自互联网
12 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。
13 chuckled 8ce1383c838073977a08258a1f3e30f8     
轻声地笑( chuckle的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
  • She chuckled at the memory. 想起这件事她就暗自发笑。
  • She chuckled softly to herself as she remembered his astonished look. 想起他那惊讶的表情，她就轻轻地暗自发笑。
14 outskirts gmDz7W     
n.郊外，郊区
参考例句：
  • Our car broke down on the outskirts of the city.我们的汽车在市郊出了故障。
  • They mostly live on the outskirts of a town.他们大多住在近郊。
15 positively vPTxw     
adv.明确地，断然，坚决地；实在，确实
参考例句：
  • She was positively glowing with happiness.她满脸幸福。
  • The weather was positively poisonous.这天气着实讨厌。
16 compartments 4e9d78104c402c263f5154f3360372c7     
n.间隔( compartment的名词复数 )；（列车车厢的）隔间；（家具或设备等的）分隔间；隔层
参考例句：
  • Your pencil box has several compartments. 你的铅笔盒有好几个格。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The first-class compartments are in front. 头等车室在前头。 来自《简明英汉词典》
17 compartment dOFz6     
n.卧车包房，隔间；分隔的空间
参考例句：
  • We were glad to have the whole compartment to ourselves.真高兴，整个客车隔间由我们独享。
  • The batteries are safely enclosed in a watertight compartment.电池被安全地置于一个防水的隔间里。
18 chattering chattering     
n. （机器振动发出的）咔嗒声，(鸟等)鸣，啁啾 adj. 喋喋不休的，啾啾声的 动词chatter的现在分词形式
参考例句：
  • The teacher told the children to stop chattering in class. 老师叫孩子们在课堂上不要叽叽喳喳讲话。
  • I was so cold that my teeth were chattering. 我冷得牙齿直打战。
19 exasperated ltAz6H     
adj.恼怒的
参考例句：
  • We were exasperated at his ill behaviour. 我们对他的恶劣行为感到非常恼怒。
  • Constant interruption of his work exasperated him. 对他工作不断的干扰使他恼怒。
20 proffered 30a424e11e8c2d520c7372bd6415ad07     
v.提供，贡献，提出( proffer的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
  • She proffered her cheek to kiss. 她伸过自己的面颊让人亲吻。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • He rose and proffered a silver box full of cigarettes. 他站起身，伸手递过一个装满香烟的银盒子。 来自辞典例句
21 lanky N9vzd     
adj.瘦长的
参考例句：
  • He was six feet four,all lanky and leggy.他身高6英尺4英寸，瘦高个儿，大长腿。
  • Tom was a lanky boy with long skinny legs.汤姆是一个腿很细的瘦高个儿。
22 lank f9hzd     
adj.瘦削的；稀疏的
参考例句：
  • He rose to lank height and grasped Billy McMahan's hand.他瘦削的身躯站了起来，紧紧地握住比利·麦默恩的手。
  • The old man has lank hair.那位老人头发稀疏
23 protruding e7480908ef1e5355b3418870e3d0812f     
v.（使某物）伸出，（使某物）突出( protrude的现在分词 )；凸
参考例句：
  • He hung his coat on a nail protruding from the wall. 他把上衣挂在凸出墙面的一根钉子上。
  • There is a protruding shelf over a fireplace. 壁炉上方有个突出的架子。 来自辞典例句
24 sketch UEyyG     
n.草图；梗概；素描；v.素描；概述
参考例句：
  • My sister often goes into the country to sketch. 我姐姐常到乡间去写生。
  • I will send you a slight sketch of the house.我将给你寄去房屋的草图。
25 miraculous DDdxA     
adj.像奇迹一样的，不可思议的
参考例句：
  • The wounded man made a miraculous recovery.伤员奇迹般地痊愈了。
  • They won a miraculous victory over much stronger enemy.他们战胜了远比自己强大的敌人，赢得了非凡的胜利。
26 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。
27 frantic Jfyzr     
adj.狂乱的，错乱的，激昂的
参考例句：
  • I've had a frantic rush to get my work done.我急急忙忙地赶完工作。
  • He made frantic dash for the departing train.他发疯似地冲向正开出的火车。

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