赫尔克里·波洛的丰功伟绩57

时间：2024-12-31 11:28:40

（单词翻译:单击）

VII
Atlas1 was turning over two new five pound notes.
He said hopefully:
“Maybe I’ll not remember in the morning the way I earned this. I’m after worrying that
Father O’Reilly will be after me.”
“Forget everything, my friend. Tomorrow the world is yours.”
Atlas murmured:
“And what’ll I put it on? There’s Working Lad, he’s a grand horse, a lovely horse he is! And
there’s Sheila Boyne. 7 to 1 I’d get on her.”
He paused:
“Was it my fancy now or did I hear you mention the name of a heathen god? Hercules, you
said, and glory be to God, there’s a Hercules running in the three-thirty tomorrow.”
“My friend,” said Hercule Poirot, “put your money on that horse. I tell you this, Hercules
cannot fail.”
And it is certainly true that on the following day Mr. Rosslyn’s Hercules very unexpectedly
won the Boynan Stakes, starting price 60 to 1.
VIII
Deftly2 Hercule Poirot unwrapped the neatly3 done-up parcel. First the brown paper, then the
wadding, lastly the tissue paper.
On the desk in front of Emery Power he placed a gleaming golden cup. Chased on it was a
tree bearing apples of green emeralds.
The financier drew a deep breath. He said:
“I congratulate you, M. Poirot.”
Hercule Poirot bowed.
Emery Power stretched out a hand. He touched the rim4 of the goblet5, drawing his finger
round it. He said in a deep voice:
“Mine!”
Hercule Poirot agreed.
“Yours!”
The other gave a sigh. He leaned back in his chair. He said in a businesslike voice:
“Where did you find it?”
Hercule Poirot said:
“I found it on an altar.”
Emery Power stared.
Poirot went on:
“Casey’s daughter was a nun6. She was about to take her final vows7 at the time of her father’s
death. She was an ignorant but devout8 girl. The cup was hidden in her father’s house in Liverpool.
She took it to the Convent wanting, I think, to atone9 for her father’s sins. She gave it to be used to
the glory of God. I do not think that the nuns10 themselves ever realized its value. They took it,
probably, for a family heirloom. In their eyes it was a chalice11 and they used it as such.”
Emery Power said:
“An extraordinary story!” He added: “What made you think of going there?”
Poirot shrugged12 his shoulders.
“Perhaps—a process of elimination13. And then there was the extraordinary fact that no one
had ever tried to dispose of the cup. That looked, you see, as though it were in a place where
ordinary material values did not apply. I remembered that Patrick Casey’s daughter was a nun.”
Power said heartily14:
“Well, as I said before, I congratulate you. Let me know your fee and I’ll write you a
cheque.”
Hercule Poirot said:
“There is no fee.”
The other stared at him.
“What do you mean?”
“Did you ever read fairy stories when you were a child? The King in them would say: ‘Ask
of me what you will?’ ”
“So you are asking something?”
“Yes, but not money. Merely a simple request.”
“Well, what is it? Do you want a tip for the markets?”
“That would be only money in another form. My request is much simpler than that.”
“What is it?”
Hercule Poirot laid his hands on the cup.
“Send this back to the Convent.”
There was a pause. Then Emery Power said:
“Are you quite mad?”
Hercule Poirot shook his head.
“No, I am not mad. See, I will show you something.”
He picked up the goblet. With his fingernail, he pressed hard into the open jaws15 of the snake
that was coiled round the tree. Inside the cup a tiny portion of the gold chased interior slid aside
leaving an aperture16 into the hollow handle.
Poirot said:
“You see? This was the drinking cup of the Borgia Pope. Through this little hole the poison
passed into the drink. You have said yourself that the history of this cup is evil. Violence and
blood and evil passions have accompanied its possession. Evil will perhaps come to you in your
turn.”
“Superstition!”
“Possibly. But why were you so anxious to possess this thing? Not for its beauty. Not for its
value. You have a hundred—a thousand perhaps—beautiful and rare things. You wanted it to
sustain your pride. You were determined17 not to be beaten. Eh bien, you are not beaten. You win!
The goblet is in your possession. But now, why not make a great—a supreme18 gesture? Send it
back to where it has dwelt in peace for nearly ten years. Let the evil of it be purified there. It
belonged to the Church once—let it return to the Church. Let it stand once more on the altar,
purified and absolved19 as we hope that the souls of men shall be also purified and absolved from
their sins.”
He leaned forward.
“Let me describe for you the place where I found it—the Garden of Peace, looking out over
the Western Sea towards a forgotten Paradise of Youth and Eternal Beauty.”
He spoke20 on, describing in simple words the remote charm of Inishgowlen.
Emery Power sat back, one hand over his eyes. He said at last:
“I was born on the west coast of Ireland. I left there as a boy to go to America.”
Poirot said gently:
“I heard that.”
The financier sat up. His eyes were shrewd again. He said, and there was a faint smile on his
lips:
“You are a strange man, M. Poirot. You shall have your way. Take the goblet to the Convent
as a gift in my name. A pretty costly21 gift. Thirty thousand pounds—and what shall I get in
exchange?”
Poirot said gravely:
“The nuns will say Masses for your soul.”
The rich man’s smile widened—a rapacious22, hungry smile. He said:
“So, after all, it may be an investment! Perhaps, the best one I ever made. . . .”
IX
In the little parlour of the Convent, Hercule Poirot told his story and restored the chalice to the
Mother Superior.
She murmured:
“Tell him we thank him and we will pray for him.”
Hercule Poirot said gently:
“He needs your prayers.”
“Is he then an unhappy man?”
Poirot said:
“So unhappy that he has forgotten what happiness means. So unhappy that he does not know
he is unhappy.”
The nun said softly:
“Ah, a rich man. . . .”
Hercule Poirot said nothing—for he knew there was nothing to say. . . .

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点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 atlas vOCy5     
n.地图册，图表集
参考例句：
  • He reached down the atlas from the top shelf.他从书架顶层取下地图集。
  • The atlas contains forty maps,including three of Great Britain.这本地图集有40幅地图，其中包括3幅英国地图。
2 deftly deftly     
adv.灵巧地，熟练地，敏捷地
参考例句：
  • He deftly folded the typed sheets and replaced them in the envelope. 他灵巧地将打有字的纸折好重新放回信封。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • At last he had a clew to her interest, and followed it deftly. 这一下终于让他发现了她的兴趣所在，于是他熟练地继续谈这个话题。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
3 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。
4 rim RXSxl     
n.(圆物的)边，轮缘；边界
参考例句：
  • The water was even with the rim of the basin.盆里的水与盆边平齐了。
  • She looked at him over the rim of her glass.她的目光越过玻璃杯的边沿看着他。
5 goblet S66yI     
n.高脚酒杯
参考例句：
  • He poured some wine into the goblet.他向高脚酒杯里倒了一些葡萄酒。
  • He swirled the brandy around in the huge goblet.他摇晃着高脚大玻璃杯使里面的白兰地酒旋动起来。
6 nun THhxK     
n.修女，尼姑
参考例句：
  • I can't believe that the famous singer has become a nun.我无法相信那个著名的歌星已做了修女。
  • She shaved her head and became a nun.她削发为尼。
7 vows c151b5e18ba22514580d36a5dcb013e5     
誓言( vow的名词复数 )； 郑重宣布，许愿
参考例句：
  • Matrimonial vows are to show the faithfulness of the new couple. 婚誓体现了新婚夫妇对婚姻的忠诚。
  • The nun took strait vows. 那位修女立下严格的誓愿。
8 devout Qlozt     
adj.虔诚的，虔敬的，衷心的 (n.devoutness)
参考例句：
  • His devout Catholicism appeals to ordinary people.他对天主教的虔诚信仰感染了普通民众。
  • The devout man prayed daily.那位虔诚的男士每天都祈祷。
9 atone EeKyT     
v.赎罪，补偿
参考例句：
  • He promised to atone for his crime.他承诺要赎自己的罪。
  • Blood must atone for blood.血债要用血来还。
10 nuns ce03d5da0bb9bc79f7cd2b229ef14d4a     
n.（通常指基督教的）修女， （佛教的）尼姑( nun的名词复数 )
参考例句：
  • Ah Q had always had the greatest contempt for such people as little nuns. 小尼姑之流是阿Q本来视如草芥的。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
  • Nuns are under vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. 修女须立誓保持清贫、贞洁、顺从。 来自辞典例句
11 chalice KX4zj     
n.圣餐杯；金杯毒酒
参考例句：
  • He inherited a poisoned chalice when he took over the job as union leader.他接手工会领导职务，看似风光，实则会给他带来很多麻烦。
  • She was essentially feminine,in other words,a parasite and a chalice.她在本质上是个女人，换句话说，是一个食客和一只酒杯。
12 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》
13 elimination 3qexM     
n.排除，消除，消灭
参考例句：
  • Their elimination from the competition was a great surprise.他们在比赛中遭到淘汰是个很大的意外。
  • I was eliminated from the 400 metres in the semi-finals.我在400米半决赛中被淘汰。
14 heartily Ld3xp     
adv.衷心地，诚恳地，十分，很
参考例句：
  • He ate heartily and went out to look for his horse.他痛快地吃了一顿，就出去找他的马。
  • The host seized my hand and shook it heartily.主人抓住我的手，热情地和我握手。
15 jaws cq9zZq     
n.口部；嘴
参考例句：
  • The antelope could not escape the crocodile's gaping jaws. 那只羚羊无法从鱷鱼张开的大口中逃脱。
  • The scored jaws of a vise help it bite the work. 台钳上有刻痕的虎钳牙帮助它紧咬住工件。
16 aperture IwFzW     
n.孔，隙，窄的缺口
参考例句：
  • The only light came through a narrow aperture.仅有的光亮来自一个小孔。
  • We saw light through a small aperture in the wall.我们透过墙上的小孔看到了亮光。
17 determined duszmP     
adj.坚定的；有决心的
参考例句：
  • I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
  • He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。
18 supreme PHqzc     
adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的
参考例句：
  • It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
  • He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。
19 absolved 815f996821e021de405963c6074dce81     
宣告…无罪，赦免…的罪行，宽恕…的罪行( absolve的过去式和过去分词 )； 不受责难，免除责任 [义务] ,开脱（罪责）
参考例句：
  • The court absolved him of all responsibility for the accident. 法院宣告他对该事故不负任何责任。
  • The court absolved him of guilt in her death. 法庭赦免了他在她的死亡中所犯的罪。
20 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。
21 costly 7zXxh     
adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的
参考例句：
  • It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
  • This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用，左不过贵了些。
22 rapacious hAzzh     
adj.贪婪的，强夺的
参考例句：
  • He had a rapacious appetite for bird's nest soup.他吃燕窝汤吃个没够。
  • Rapacious soldiers looted the houses in the defeated city.贪婪的士兵洗劫了被打败的城市。

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