顺水推舟44

时间：2025-01-30 17:36:06

（单词翻译:单击）

Fifteen
Lynn came out of the house and glanced up at the sky.
The sun was getting low, there was no red in the sky but a rather unnatural1 glow of light. A still
evening with a breathless feel about it. There would be, she thought, a storm later.
Well, the time had come now. She couldn’t put things off any longer. She must go to Long
Willows2 and tell Rowley. She owed him that at least—to tell him herself. Not to choose the easy
way of the written word.
Her mind was made up—quite made up—she told herself and yet she felt a curious reluctance3.
She looked round her and thought: “It’s goodbye to all this—to my own world—my own way
of life.”
For she had no illusions. Life with David was a gamble—an adventure that was as likely to turn
out badly as to turn out well. He himself had warned her….
The night of the murder, over the telephone.
And now, a few hours ago, he had said:
“I meant to go out of your life. I was a fool—to think I could leave you behind me. We’ll go
to London and be married by special licence—oh, yes, I’m not going to give you the chance of
shilly-shallying about. You’ve got roots here, roots that hold you down. I’ve got to pull you up
by the roots.” He had added: “We’ll break it to Rowley when you’re actually Mrs. David
Hunter. Poor devil, it’s the best way to break it to him.”
But to that she did not agree, though she had not said so at the time. No, she must tell Rowley
herself.
It was to Rowley she was going now!
The storm was just starting as Lynn tapped at the door of Long Willows. Rowley opened it and
looked astonished to see her.
“Hallo, Lynn, why didn’t you ring up and say you were coming? I might have been out.”
“I want to talk to you, Rowley.”
He stood aside to let her pass and followed her into the big kitchen. The remains4 of his supper
were on the table.
“I’m planning to get an Aga or an Esse put in here,” he said. “Easier for you. And a new
sink—steel—”
She interrupted. “Don’t make plans, Rowley.”
“You mean because that poor kid isn’t buried yet? I suppose it does seem rather heartless.
But she never struck me as a particularly happy person. Sickly, I suppose. Never got over that
damned air raid. Anyway, there it is. She’s dead and in her grave and oh the difference to me—
or rather to us—”
Lynn caught her breath.
“No, Rowley. There isn’t any ‘us.’ That’s what I came to tell you.”
He stared at her. She said quietly, hating herself, but steadfast5 in her purpose:
“I’m going to marry David Hunter, Rowley.”
She did not know quite what she expected—protests, perhaps an angry outburst—but she
certainly did not expect Rowley to take it as he did.
He stared at her for a minute or two, then he went across and poked6 at the stove, turning at last
in an almost absentminded manner.
“Well,” he said, “let’s get it clear. You’re going to marry David Hunter. Why?”
“Because I love him.”
“You love me.”
“No. I did love you—when I went away. But it’s been four years and I’ve—I’ve changed.
We’ve both changed.”
“You’re wrong…” he said quietly. “I haven’t changed.”
“Well, perhaps you haven’t changed so much.”
“I haven’t changed at all. I haven’t had much chance to change. I’ve just gone plodding7
on here. I haven’t dropped from parachutes or swarmed8 up cliffs by night or wound an arm
round a man in the darkness and stabbed him—”
“Rowley—”
“I haven’t been to the war. I haven’t fought. I don’t know what war is! I’ve led a nice
safe life here, down on the farm. Lucky Rowley! But as a husband, you’d be ashamed of me!”
“No, Rowley—oh, no! It isn’t that at all.”
“But I tell you it is!” He came nearer to her. The blood was welling up in his neck, the veins9
of his forehead were starting out. That look in his eyes—she had seen it once as she passed a bull
in a field. Tossing its head, stamping its foot, slowly lowering its head with the great horns.
Goaded10 to a dull fury, a blind rage….
“Be quiet, Lynn, you’ll listen to me for a change. I’ve missed what I ought to have had.
I’ve missed my chance of fighting for my country. I’ve seen my best friend go and be killed.
I’ve seen my girl—my girl—dress up in uniform and go overseas. I’ve been Just the Man She
Left Behind Her. My life’s been hell—don’t you understand, Lynn? It’s been hell. And then
you came back—and since then it’s been worse hell. Ever since that night at Aunt Kathie’s
when I saw you looking at David Hunter across the table. But he’s not going to have you, do you
hear? If you’re not for me, then no one shall have you. What do you think I am?”
“Rowley—”
She had risen, was retreating a step at a time. She was terrified. This man was not a man any
longer, he was a brute11 beast.
“I’ve killed two people,” said Rowley Cloade. “Do you think I shall stick at killing12 a
third?”
“Rowley—”
He was upon her now, his hands round her throat….
“I can’t bear any more, Lynn—”
The hands tightened13 round her neck, the room whirled, blackness, spinning blackness,
suffocation—everything going dark….
And then, suddenly a cough. A prim14, slightly artificial cough.
Rowley paused, his hands relaxed, fell to his sides. Lynn, released, sank in a crumpled15 heap on
the floor.
Just inside the door, Hercule Poirot stood apologetically coughing.
“I hope,” he said, “that I do not intrude16? I knocked. Yes, indeed, I knocked, but no one
answered…I suppose you were busy?”
For a moment the air was tense, electric. Rowley stared. It looked for a moment as though he
might fling himself on Hercule Poirot, but finally he turned away. He said in a flat empty voice:
“You turned up—just in the nick of time.”

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1 unnatural 5f2zAc     
adj.不自然的；反常的
参考例句：
  • Did her behaviour seem unnatural in any way?她有任何反常表现吗？
  • She has an unnatural smile on her face.她脸上挂着做作的微笑。
2 willows 79355ee67d20ddbc021d3e9cb3acd236     
n.柳树( willow的名词复数 )；柳木
参考例句：
  • The willows along the river bank look very beautiful. 河岸边的柳树很美。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Willows are planted on both sides of the streets. 街道两侧种着柳树。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
3 reluctance 8VRx8     
n.厌恶，讨厌，勉强，不情愿
参考例句：
  • The police released Andrew with reluctance.警方勉强把安德鲁放走了。
  • He showed the greatest reluctance to make a reply.他表示很不愿意答复。
4 remains 1kMzTy     
n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹
参考例句：
  • He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
  • The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。
5 steadfast 2utw7     
adj.固定的，不变的，不动摇的；忠实的；坚贞不移的
参考例句：
  • Her steadfast belief never left her for one moment.她坚定的信仰从未动摇过。
  • He succeeded in his studies by dint of steadfast application.由于坚持不懈的努力他获得了学业上的成功。
6 poked 87f534f05a838d18eb50660766da4122     
v.伸出( poke的过去式和过去分词 )；戳出；拨弄；与（某人）性交
参考例句：
  • She poked him in the ribs with her elbow. 她用胳膊肘顶他的肋部。
  • His elbow poked out through his torn shirt sleeve. 他的胳膊从衬衫的破袖子中露了出来。 来自《简明英汉词典》
7 plodding 5lMz16     
a.proceeding in a slow or dull way
参考例句：
  • They're still plodding along with their investigation. 他们仍然在不厌其烦地进行调查。
  • He is plodding on with negotiations. 他正缓慢艰难地进行着谈判。
8 swarmed 3f3ff8c8e0f4188f5aa0b8df54637368     
密集( swarm的过去式和过去分词 )； 云集； 成群地移动； 蜜蜂或其他飞行昆虫成群地飞来飞去
参考例句：
  • When the bell rang, the children swarmed out of the school. 铃声一响，孩子们蜂拥而出离开了学校。
  • When the rain started the crowd swarmed back into the hotel. 雨一开始下，人群就蜂拥回了旅社。
9 veins 65827206226d9e2d78ea2bfe697c6329     
n.纹理；矿脉( vein的名词复数 )；静脉；叶脉；纹理
参考例句：
  • The blood flows from the capillaries back into the veins. 血从毛细血管流回静脉。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • I felt a pleasant glow in all my veins from the wine. 喝过酒后我浑身的血都热烘烘的，感到很舒服。 来自《简明英汉词典》
10 goaded 57b32819f8f3c0114069ed3397e6596e     
v.刺激( goad的过去式和过去分词 )；激励；（用尖棒）驱赶；驱使（或怂恿、刺激）某人
参考例句：
  • Goaded beyond endurance, she turned on him and hit out. 她被气得忍无可忍，于是转身向他猛击。
  • The boxers were goaded on by the shrieking crowd. 拳击运动员听见观众的喊叫就来劲儿了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
11 brute GSjya     
n.野兽，兽性
参考例句：
  • The aggressor troops are not many degrees removed from the brute.侵略军简直象一群野兽。
  • That dog is a dangerous brute.It bites people.那条狗是危险的畜牲，它咬人。
12 killing kpBziQ     
n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财
参考例句：
  • Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
  • Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。
13 tightened bd3d8363419d9ff838bae0ba51722ee9     
收紧( tighten的过去式和过去分词 )； （使）变紧； （使）绷紧； 加紧
参考例句：
  • The rope holding the boat suddenly tightened and broke. 系船的绳子突然绷断了。
  • His index finger tightened on the trigger but then relaxed again. 他的食指扣住扳机，然后又松开了。
14 prim SSIz3     
adj.拘泥形式的，一本正经的；n.循规蹈矩，整洁；adv.循规蹈矩地，整洁地
参考例句：
  • She's too prim to enjoy rude jokes!她太古板，不喜欢听粗野的笑话！
  • He is prim and precise in manner.他的态度一本正经而严谨
15 crumpled crumpled     
adj. 弯扭的, 变皱的 动词crumple的过去式和过去分词形式
参考例句：
  • She crumpled the letter up into a ball and threw it on the fire. 她把那封信揉成一团扔进了火里。
  • She flattened out the crumpled letter on the desk. 她在写字台上把皱巴巴的信展平。
16 intrude Lakzv     
vi.闯入；侵入；打扰，侵扰
参考例句：
  • I do not want to intrude if you are busy.如果你忙我就不打扰你了。
  • I don't want to intrude on your meeting.我不想打扰你们的会议。

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