顺水推舟30

时间：2025-01-30 17:30:34

（单词翻译:单击）

III
Major Porter had the first floor of a small shabby house. They were admitted by a cheerful blowsy-
looking woman who took them up. It was a square room with bookshelves round it and some
rather bad sporting prints. There were two rugs on the floor—good rugs with lovely dim colour but
very worn. Poirot noticed that the centre of the floor was covered with a new heavy varnish1
whereas the varnish round the edge was old and rubbed. He realized then that there had been other
better rugs until recently—rugs that were worth good money in these days. He looked up at the
man standing2 erect3 by the fireplace in his well-cut shabby suit. Poirot guessed that for Major
Porter, retired4 Army officer, life was lived very near the bone. Taxation5 and increased cost of
living struck hardest at the old war-horses. Some things, he guessed, Major Porter would cling to
until the end. His club subscription6, for instance.
Major Porter was speaking jerkily.
“’Fraid I don’t remember meeting you, M. Poirot. At the club, you say? Couple of years
ago? Know your name of course.”
“This,” said Poirot, “is Mr. Rowland Cloade.”
Major Porter jerked his head in honour of the introduction.
“How d’ye do?” he said. “’Fraid I can’t ask you to have a glass of sherry. Matter of
fact my wine merchant has lost his stock in the Blitz. Got some gin. Filthy7 stuff, I always think. Or
what about some beer?”
They accepted beer. Major Porter produced a cigarette case. “Smoke?” Poirot accepted a
cigarette. The Major struck a match and lighted Poirot’s cigarette.
“You don’t, I know,” said the Major to Rowley: “Mind if I light my pipe?” He did so
with a good deal of sucking and blowing.
“Now then,” he said when all these preliminaries had been accomplished8. “What’s all this
about?”
He looked from one to the other of them.
Poirot said: “You may have read in the paper of the death of a man at Warmsley Vale?”
Porter shook his head.
“May have. Don’t think so.”
“His name was Arden. Enoch Arden?”
Porter still shook his head.
“He was found at the Stag Inn with the back of his head smashed in.”
Porter frowned.
“Let me see—yes, did see something about it, I believe—some days ago.”
“Yes. I have here a photograph—it is a press photograph and not very clear, I’m afraid!
What we should like to know, Major Porter, is whether you have ever seen this man before?”
He handed over the best reproduction of the dead man’s face he had been able to find.
Major Porter took it and frowned at it.
“Wait a sec.” The Major took out his spectacles, adjusted them on his nose and studied the
photograph more closely—then he gave a sudden start.
“God bless my soul!” he said. “Well, I’m damned!”
“You know the man, Major?”
“Of course I know him. It’s Underhay—Robert Underhay.”
“You’re sure of that?” There was triumph in Rowley’s voice.
“Of course I’m sure. Robert Underhay! I’d swear to it anywhere.”

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1 varnish ni3w7     
n.清漆；v.上清漆；粉饰
参考例句：
  • He tried to varnish over the facts,but it was useless.他想粉饰事实，但那是徒劳的。
  • He applied varnish to the table.他给那张桌子涂上清漆。
2 standing 2hCzgo     
n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的
参考例句：
  • After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
  • They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。
3 erect 4iLzm     
n./v.树立，建立，使竖立；adj.直立的，垂直的
参考例句：
  • She held her head erect and her back straight.她昂着头，把背挺得笔直。
  • Soldiers are trained to stand erect.士兵们训练站得笔直。
4 retired Njhzyv     
adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的
参考例句：
  • The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
  • Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。
5 taxation tqVwP     
n.征税，税收，税金
参考例句：
  • He made a number of simplifications in the taxation system.他在税制上作了一些简化。
  • The increase of taxation is an important fiscal policy.增税是一项重要的财政政策。
6 subscription qH8zt     
n.预订，预订费，亲笔签名，调配法，下标（处方）
参考例句：
  • We paid a subscription of 5 pounds yearly.我们按年度缴纳5英镑的订阅费。
  • Subscription selling bloomed splendidly.订阅销售量激增。
7 filthy ZgOzj     
adj.卑劣的；恶劣的，肮脏的
参考例句：
  • The whole river has been fouled up with filthy waste from factories.整条河都被工厂的污秽废物污染了。
  • You really should throw out that filthy old sofa and get a new one.你真的应该扔掉那张肮脏的旧沙发，然后再去买张新的。
8 accomplished UzwztZ     
adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的
参考例句：
  • Thanks to your help,we accomplished the task ahead of schedule.亏得你们帮忙,我们才提前完成了任务。
  • Removal of excess heat is accomplished by means of a radiator.通过散热器完成多余热量的排出。

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