顺水推舟38

时间：2025-01-30 17:30:46

（单词翻译:单击）

Nine
Armed with the necessary credentials1 from Jeremy Cloade, Poirot had got the answers to his
questions. They were very definite. The house was a total wreck2. The site had been cleared only
quite recently in preparation for rebuilding. There had been no survivors3 except for David Hunter
and Mrs. Cloade. There had been three servants in the house: Frederick Game, Elizabeth Game
and Eileen Corrigan. All three had been killed instantly. Gordon Cloade had been brought out
alive, but had died on the way to hospital without recovering consciousness. Poirot took the names
and addresses of the three servants’ next of kin4. “It is possible,” he said, “that they may have
spoken to their friends something in the way of gossip or comment that might give me a pointer to
some information I badly need.”
The official to whom he was speaking looked sceptical. The Games had come from Dorset,
Eileen Corrigan from County Cork5.
Poirot next bent6 his steps towards Major Porter’s rooms. He remembered Porter’s statement
that he himself was a Warden7 and he wondered whether he had happened to be on duty on that
particular night and whether he had seen anything of the incident in Sheffield Terrace.
He had, besides, other reasons for wanting a word with Major Porter.
As he turned the corner of Edgeway Street he was startled to see a policeman in uniform
standing8 outside the particular house for which he was making. There was a ring of small boys and
other people standing staring at the house. Poirot’s heart sank as he interpreted the signs.
The constable9 intercepted10 Poirot’s advance.
“Can’t go in here, sir,” he said.
“What has happened?”
“You don’t live in the house, do you, sir?” Poirot shook his head. “Who was it you were
wishing to see?”
“I wished to see a Major Porter.”
“You a friend of his, sir?”
“No, I should not describe myself as a friend. What has happened?”
“Gentleman has shot himself, I understand. Ah, here’s the Inspector11.”
The door had opened and two figures came out. One was the local Inspector, the other Poirot
recognized as Sergeant12 Graves from Warmsley Vale. The latter recognized him and promptly13
made himself known to the Inspector.
“Better come inside,” said the latter.
The three men reentered the house.
“They telephoned through to Warmsley Vale,” Graves explained. “And Superintendent14
Spence sent me up.”
“Suicide?”
The Inspector answered:
“Yes. Seems a clear case. Don’t know whether having to give evidence at the inquest preyed15
upon his mind. People are funny that way sometimes, but I gather he’s been depressed16 lately.
Financial difficulties and one thing and another. Shot himself with his own revolver.”
Poirot asked: “Is it permitted that I go up?”
“If you like, M. Poirot. Take M. Poirot up, Sergeant.”
“Yes, sir.”
Graves led the way up to the first-floor room. It was much as Poirot remembered it: the dim
colours of the old rugs, the books. Major Porter was in the big armchair. His attitude was almost
natural, just the head slumped17 forward. His right arm hung down at his side—below it, on the rug,
lay the revolver. There was still a very faint smell of acrid18 gunpowder19 in the air.
“About a couple of hours ago, they think,” said Graves. “Nobody heard the shot. The
woman of the house was out shopping.”
Poirot was frowning, looking down on the quiet figure with the small scorched20 wound in the
right temple.
“Any idea why he should do it, M. Poirot?” asked Graves.
He was respectful to Poirot because he had seen the Superintendent being respectful—though
his private opinion was that Poirot was one of these frightful21 old dugouts.
Poirot replied absently:
“Yes—yes, there was a very good reason. That is not the difficulty.”
His glance shifted to a small table at Major Porter’s left hand. There was a big solid glass
ashtray22 on it, with a pipe and a box of matches. Nothing there. His eye roamed round the room.
Then he crossed to an open rolltop desk.
It was very tidy. Papers neatly23 pigeon-holed. A small leather blotter in the centre, a pen tray
with a pen and two pencils, a box of paper clips and a book of stamps. All very neat and orderly.
An ordinary life and an orderly death—of course—that was it—that was what was missing!
He said to Graves:
“Didn’t he leave any note—any letter for the coroner?”
Graves shook his head.
“No, he didn’t—sort of thing one would have expected an ex-Army man to do.”
“Yes, that is very curious.”
Punctilious24 in life, Major Porter had not been punctilious in death. It was all wrong, Poirot
thought, that Porter had left no note.
“Bit of a blow for the Cloades this,” said Graves. “It will set them back. They’ll have to
hunt about for someone else who knew Underhay intimately.”
He fidgeted slightly. “Anything more you want to see, M. Poirot?”
Poirot shook his head and followed Graves from the room.
On the stairs they met the landlady25. She was clearly enjoying her own state of agitation26 and
started a voluble discourse27 at once. Graves adroitly28 detached himself and left Poirot to receive the
full spate29.
“Can’t seem to catch my breath properly. ’Eart, that’s what it is. Angina Pectoria, my
mother died of—fell down dead as she was crossing the Caledonian Market. Nearly dropped down
myself when I found him—oh, it did give me a turn! Never suspected anything of the kind, though
’e ’ad been low in ’is spirits for a long time. Worried over money, I think, and didn’t eat
enough to keep himself alive. Not that he’d ever accept a bite from us. And then yesterday he
’ad to go down to a place in Oastshire—Warmsley Vale—to give evidence in an inquest. Preyed
on his mind, that did. He come back looking awful. Tramped about all last night. Up and down—
up and down. A murdered gentleman it was and a friend of his, by all accounts. Poor dear, it did
upset him. Up and down—up and down. And when I was out doing my bit of shopping—and
’aving to queue ever so long for the fish, I went up to see if he’d like a nice cuppa tea—and
there he was, poor gentleman, the revolver dropped out of his hand, leaning back in his chair.
Gave me an awful turn it did. ’Ad to ’ave the police in and everything. What’s the world
coming to, that’s what I say?”
Poirot said slowly:
“The world is becoming a difficult place to live in—except for the strong.”

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1 credentials credentials     
n.证明，资格，证明书，证件
参考例句：
  • He has long credentials of diplomatic service.他的外交工作资历很深。
  • Both candidates for the job have excellent credentials.此项工作的两个求职者都非常符合资格。
2 wreck QMjzE     
n.失事，遇难；沉船；vt.(船等)失事，遇难
参考例句：
  • Weather may have been a factor in the wreck.天气可能是造成这次失事的原因之一。
  • No one can wreck the friendship between us.没有人能够破坏我们之间的友谊。
3 survivors 02ddbdca4c6dba0b46d9d823ed2b4b62     
幸存者，残存者，生还者( survivor的名词复数 )
参考例句：
  • The survivors were adrift in a lifeboat for six days. 幸存者在救生艇上漂流了六天。
  • survivors clinging to a raft 紧紧抓住救生筏的幸存者
4 kin 22Zxv     
n.家族，亲属，血缘关系；adj.亲属关系的，同类的
参考例句：
  • He comes of good kin.他出身好。
  • She has gone to live with her husband's kin.她住到丈夫的亲戚家里去了。
5 cork VoPzp     
n.软木，软木塞
参考例句：
  • We heard the pop of a cork.我们听见瓶塞砰的一声打开。
  • Cork is a very buoyant material.软木是极易浮起的材料。
6 bent QQ8yD     
n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的
参考例句：
  • He was fully bent upon the project.他一心扑在这项计划上。
  • We bent over backward to help them.我们尽了最大努力帮助他们。
7 warden jMszo     
n.监察员，监狱长，看守人，监护人
参考例句：
  • He is the warden of an old people's home.他是一家养老院的管理员。
  • The warden of the prison signed the release.监狱长签发释放令。
8 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。
9 constable wppzG     
n.(英国)警察，警官
参考例句：
  • The constable conducted the suspect to the police station.警官把嫌疑犯带到派出所。
  • The constable kept his temper,and would not be provoked.那警察压制着自己的怒气，不肯冒起火来。
10 intercepted 970326ac9f606b6dc4c2550a417e081e     
拦截( intercept的过去式和过去分词 )； 截住； 截击； 拦阻
参考例句：
  • Reporters intercepted him as he tried to leave the hotel. 他正要离开旅馆，记者们把他拦截住了。
  • Reporters intercepted him as he tried to leave by the rear entrance. 他想从后门溜走，记者把他截住了。
11 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。
12 sergeant REQzz     
n.警官，中士
参考例句：
  • His elder brother is a sergeant.他哥哥是个警官。
  • How many stripes are there on the sleeve of a sergeant?陆军中士的袖子上有多少条纹？
13 promptly LRMxm     
adv.及时地，敏捷地
参考例句：
  • He paid the money back promptly.他立即还了钱。
  • She promptly seized the opportunity his absence gave her.她立即抓住了因他不在场给她创造的机会。
14 superintendent vsTwV     
n.监督人，主管，总监；(英国)警务长
参考例句：
  • He was soon promoted to the post of superintendent of Foreign Trade.他很快就被擢升为对外贸易总监。
  • He decided to call the superintendent of the building.他决定给楼房管理员打电话。
15 preyed 30b08738b4df0c75cb8e123ab0b15c0f     
v.掠食( prey的过去式和过去分词 )；掠食；折磨；（人）靠欺诈为生
参考例句：
  • Remorse preyed upon his mind. 悔恨使他内心痛苦。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
  • He had been unwise and it preyed on his conscience. 他做得不太明智，这一直让他良心不安。 来自辞典例句
16 depressed xu8zp9     
adj.沮丧的，抑郁的，不景气的，萧条的
参考例句：
  • When he was depressed,he felt utterly divorced from reality.他心情沮丧时就感到完全脱离了现实。
  • His mother was depressed by the sad news.这个坏消息使他的母亲意志消沉。
17 slumped b010f9799fb8ebd413389b9083180d8d     
大幅度下降，暴跌( slump的过去式和过去分词 )； 沉重或突然地落下[倒下]
参考例句：
  • Sales have slumped this year. 今年销售量锐减。
  • The driver was slumped exhausted over the wheel. 司机伏在方向盘上，疲惫得睡着了。
18 acrid TJEy4     
adj.辛辣的，尖刻的，刻薄的
参考例句：
  • There is an acrid tone to your remarks.你说这些话的口气带有讥刺意味。
  • The room was filled with acrid smoke.房里充满刺鼻的烟。
19 gunpowder oerxm     
n.火药
参考例句：
  • Gunpowder was introduced into Europe during the first half of the 14th century.在14世纪上半叶，火药传入欧洲。
  • This statement has a strong smell of gunpowder.这是一篇充满火药味的声明。
20 scorched a5fdd52977662c80951e2b41c31587a0     
烧焦，烤焦( scorch的过去式和过去分词 )； 使（植物）枯萎，把…晒枯； 高速行驶； 枯焦
参考例句：
  • I scorched my dress when I was ironing it. 我把自己的连衣裙熨焦了。
  • The hot iron scorched the tablecloth. 热熨斗把桌布烫焦了。
21 frightful Ghmxw     
adj.可怕的；讨厌的
参考例句：
  • How frightful to have a husband who snores!有一个发鼾声的丈夫多讨厌啊！
  • We're having frightful weather these days.这几天天气坏极了。
22 ashtray 6eoyI     
n.烟灰缸
参考例句：
  • He knocked out his pipe in the big glass ashtray.他在大玻璃烟灰缸里磕净烟斗。
  • She threw the cigarette butt into the ashtray.她把烟头扔进烟灰缸。
23 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。
24 punctilious gSYxl     
adj.谨慎的，谨小慎微的
参考例句：
  • He was a punctilious young man.他是个非常拘礼的年轻人。
  • Billy is punctilious in the performance of his duties.毕利执行任务总是一丝不苟的。
25 landlady t2ZxE     
n.女房东，女地主
参考例句：
  • I heard my landlady creeping stealthily up to my door.我听到我的女房东偷偷地来到我的门前。
  • The landlady came over to serve me.女店主过来接待我。
26 agitation TN0zi     
n.搅动；搅拌；鼓动，煽动
参考例句：
  • Small shopkeepers carried on a long agitation against the big department stores.小店主们长期以来一直在煽动人们反对大型百货商店。
  • These materials require constant agitation to keep them in suspension.这些药剂要经常搅动以保持悬浮状态。
27 discourse 2lGz0     
n.论文，演说；谈话；话语；vi.讲述，著述
参考例句：
  • We'll discourse on the subject tonight.我们今晚要谈论这个问题。
  • He fell into discourse with the customers who were drinking at the counter.他和站在柜台旁的酒客谈了起来。
28 adroitly adroitly     
adv.熟练地，敏捷地
参考例句：
  • He displayed the cigarette holder grandly on every occasion and had learned to manipulate it adroitly. 他学会了一套用手灵巧地摆弄烟嘴的动作，一有机会就要拿它炫耀一番。 来自辞典例句
  • The waitress passes a fine menu to Molly who orders dishes adroitly. 女服务生捧来菜单递给茉莉，后者轻车熟路地点菜。 来自互联网
29 spate BF7zJ     
n.泛滥，洪水，突然的一阵
参考例句：
  • Police are investigating a spate of burglaries in the area.警察正在调查这一地区发生的大量盗窃案。
  • Refugees crossed the border in full spate.难民大量地越过了边境。

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