破镜谋杀案4

时间：2025-10-20 07:48:16

（单词翻译:单击）

Two
With the feeling of Columbus setting out to discover a new world, Miss
Marple passed over the bridge, continued on to the path and within four
minutes was actually in Aubrey Close.
Of course Miss Marple had seen the Development from the Market
Basing Road, that is, had seen from afar its Closes and rows of neat well-
built houses, with their television masts and their blue and pink and yel-
low and green painted doors and windows. But until now it had only had
the reality of a map, as it were. She had not been in it and of it. But now
she was here, observing the brave new world that was springing up, the
world that by all accounts was foreign to all she had known. It was like a
neat model built with child’s bricks. It hardly seemed real to Miss Marple.
The people, too, looked unreal. The trousered young women, the rather
sinister-looking young men and boys, the exuberant1 bosoms2 of the fifteen-
year-old girls. Miss Marple couldn’t help thinking that it all looked terribly
depraved. Nobody noticed her much as she trudged3 along. She turned out
of Aubrey Close and was presently in Darlington Close. She went slowly
and as she went she listened avidly4 to the snippets of conversation
between mothers wheeling prams5, to the girls addressing young men, to
the sinister-looking Teds6 (she supposed they were Teds) exchanging dark
remarks with each other. Mothers came out on doorsteps calling to their
children who, as usual, were busy doing all the things they had been told
not to do. Children, Miss Marple reflected gratefully, never changed. And
presently she began to smile, and noted7 down in her mind her usual series
of recognitions.
That woman is just like Carry Edwards—and the dark one is just like
that Hooper girl — she’ll make a mess of her marriage just like Mary
Hooper did. Those boys—the dark one is just like Edward Leeke, a lot of
wild talk but no harm in him—a nice boy really—the fair one is Mrs. Bed-
well’s Josh all over again. Nice boys, both of them. The one like Gregory
Binns won’t do very well, I’m afraid. I expect he’s got the same sort of
mother….
She turned a corner into Walsingham Close and her spirits rose every
moment.
The new world was the same as the old. The houses were different, the
streets were called Closes, the clothes were different, the voices were dif-
ferent, but the human beings were the same as they always had been. And
though using slightly different phraseology, the subjects of conversation
were the same.
By dint8 of turning corners in her exploration, Miss Marple had rather
lost her sense of direction and had arrived at the edge of the housing es-
tate again. She was now in Carrisbrook Close, half of which was still “un-
der construction.” At the first floor window of a nearly finished house a
young couple were standing9. Their voices floated down as they discussed
the amenities10.
“You must admit it’s a nice position, Harry11.”
“Other one was just as good.”
“This one’s got two more rooms.”
“And you’ve got to pay for them.”
“Well, I like this one.”
“You would!”
“Ow, don’t be such a spoilsport. You know what Mum said.”
“Your Mum never stops saying.”
“Don’t you say nothing against Mum. Where’d I have been without her?
And she might have cut up nastier than she did. She could have taken you
to court.”
“Oh, come off it, Lily.”
“It’s a good view of the hills. You can almost see—” She leaned far out,
twisting her body to the left. “You can almost see the reservoir—”
She leant farther still, not realizing that she was resting her weight on
loose boards that had been laid across the sill. They slipped under the
pressure of her body, sliding outwards12, carrying her with them. She
screamed, trying to regain13 her balance.
“Harry—”
The young man stood motionless—a foot or two behind her. He took one
step backwards—
Desperately14, clawing at the wall, the girl righted herself. “Oo!” She let
out a frightened breath. “I near as nothing fell out. Why didn’t you get
hold of me?”
“It was all so quick. Anyway you’re all right.”
“That’s all you know about it. I nearly went, I tell you. And look at the
front of my jumper, it’s all mussed.”
Miss Marple went on a little way, then on impulse, she turned back.
Lily was outside in the road waiting for the young man to lock up the
house.
Miss Marple went up to her and spoke15 rapidly in a low voice.
“If I were you, my dear, I shouldn’t marry that young man. You want
someone whom you can rely upon if you’re in danger. You must excuse
me for saying this to you—but I feel you ought to be warned.”
She turned away and Lily stared after her.
“Well, of all the—”
Her young man approached.
“What was she saying to you, Lil?”
Lily opened her mouth—then shut it again.
“Giving me the gipsy’s warning if you want to know.”
She eyed him in a thoughtful manner.
Miss Marple in her anxiety to get away quickly, turned a corner,
stumbled over some loose stones and fell.
A woman came running out of one of the houses.
“Oh dear, what a nasty spill! I hope you haven’t hurt yourself?”
With almost excessive goodwill16 she put her arms round Miss Marple
and tugged17 her to her feet.
“No bones broken, I hope? There we are. I expect you feel rather
shaken.”
Her voice was loud and friendly. She was a plump squarely built wo-
man of about forty, brown hair just turning grey, blue eyes, and a big gen-
erous mouth that seemed to Miss Marple’s rather shaken gaze to be far too
full of white shining teeth.
“You’d better come inside and sit down and rest a bit. I’ll make you a
cup of tea.”
Miss Marple thanked her. She allowed herself to be led through the
blue-painted door and into a small room full of bright cretonne-covered
chairs and sofas.
“There you are,” said her rescuer, establishing her on a cushioned arm-
chair. “You sit quiet and I’ll put the kettle on.”
She hurried out of the room which seemed rather restfully quiet after
her departure. Miss Marple took a deep breath. She was not really hurt,
but the fall had shaken her. Falls at her age were not to be encouraged.
With luck, however, she thought guiltily, Miss Knight18 need never know.
She moved her arms and legs gingerly. Nothing broken. If she could only
get home all right. Perhaps, after a cup of tea—
The cup of tea arrived almost as the thought came to her. Brought on a
tray with four sweet biscuits on a little plate.
“There you are.” It was placed on a small table in front of her. “Shall I
pour it out for you? Better have plenty of sugar.”
“No sugar, thank you.”
“You must have sugar. Shock, you know. I was abroad with ambulances
during the war. Sugar’s wonderful for shock.” She put four lumps in the
cup and stirred vigorously. “Now you get that down, and you’ll feel as
right as rain.”
Miss Marple accepted the dictum.
“A kind woman,” she thought. “She reminds me of someone—now who
is it?”
“You’ve been very kind to me,” she said, smiling.
“Oh, that’s nothing. The little ministering angel, that’s me. I love helping19
people.” She looked out of the window as the latch20 of the outer gate
clicked. “Here’s my husband home. Arthur—we’ve got a visitor.”
She went out into the hall and returned with Arthur who looked rather
bewildered. He was a thin pale man, rather slow in speech.
“This lady fell down—right outside our gate, so of course I brought her
in.”
“Your wife is very kind, Mr.—”
“Badcock’s the name.”
“Mr. Badcock, I’m afraid I’ve given her a lot of trouble.”
“Oh, no trouble to Heather. Heather enjoys doing things for people.” He
looked at her curiously21. “Were you on your way anywhere in particular?”
“No, I was just taking a walk. I live in St. Mary Mead22, the house beyond
the Vicarage. My name is Marple.”
“Well, I never!” exclaimed Heather. “So you’re Miss Marple. I’ve heard
about you. You’re the one who does all the murders.”
“Heather! What do you—”
“Oh, you know what I mean. Not actually do murders—find out about
them. That’s right, isn’t it?”
Miss Marple murmured modestly that she had been mixed- up in
murders once or twice.
“I heard there have been murders here, in this village. They were talk-
ing about it the other night at the Bingo Club. There was one at Gossington
Hall. I wouldn’t buy a place where there’d been a murder. I’d be sure it
was haunted.”
“The murder wasn’t committed in Gossington Hall. A dead body was
brought there.”
“Found in the library on the hearthrug, that’s what they said?”
Miss Marple nodded.
“Did you ever? Perhaps they’re going to make a film of it. Perhaps that’s
why Marina Gregg has bought Gossington Hall.”
“Marina Gregg?”
“Yes. She and her husband. I forget his name—he’s a producer, I think,
or a director—Jason something. But Marina Gregg, she’s lovely, isn’t she?
Of course she hasn’t been in so many pictures of late years—she was ill for
a long time. But I still think there’s never anybody like her. Did you see
her in Carmenella. And The Price of Love, and Mary of Scotland? She’s not so
young anymore, but she’ll always be a wonderful actress. I’ve always been
a terrific fan of hers. When I was a teenager I used to dream about her.
The big thrill of my life was when there was a big show in aid of the St.
John Ambulance in Bermuda, and Marina Gregg came to open it. I was
mad with excitement, and then on the very day I went down with a tem-
perature and the doctor said I couldn’t go. But I wasn’t going to be beaten.
I didn’t actually feel too bad. So I got up and put a lot of makeup23 on my
face and went along. I was introduced to her and she talked to me for
quite three minutes and gave me her autograph. It was wonderful. I’ve
never forgotten that day.”
Miss Marple stared at her. “I hope there were no—unfortunate afteref-
fects?” she said anxiously.
Heather Badcock laughed.
“None at all. Never felt better. What I say is, if you want a thing you’ve
got to take risks. I always do.”
She laughed again, a happy strident laugh.
Arthur Badcock said admiringly. “There’s never any holding Heather.
She always gets away with things.”
“Alison Wilde,” murmured Miss Marple, with a nod of satisfaction.
“Pardon?” said Mr. Badcock.
“Nothing. Just someone I used to know.”
Heather looked at her inquiringly.
“You reminded me of her, that is all.”
“Did I? I hope she was nice.”
“She was very nice indeed,” said Miss Marple slowly. “Kind, healthy, full
of life.”
“But she had her faults, I suppose?” laughed Heather. “I have.”
“Well, Alison always saw her own point of view so clearly that she didn’t
always see how things might appear to, or affect, other people.”
“Like the time you took in that evacuated24 family from a condemned25 cot-
tage and they went off with all our teaspoons,” Arthur said.
“But Arthur!—I couldn’t have turned them away. It wouldn’t have been
kind.”
“They were family spoons,” said Mr. Badcock sadly. “Georgian. Belonged
to my mother’s grandmother.”
“Oh, do forget those old spoons, Arthur. You do harp26 so.”
“I’m not very good at forgetting, I’m afraid.”
Miss Marple looked at him thoughtfully.
“What’s your friend doing now?” asked Heather of Miss Marple with
kindly27 interest.
Miss Marple paused a moment before answering.
“Alison Wilde? Oh—she died.”

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点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 exuberant shkzB     
adj.充满活力的；（植物）繁茂的
参考例句：
  • Hothouse plants do not possess exuberant vitality.在温室里培养出来的东西，不会有强大的生命力。
  • All those mother trees in the garden are exuberant.果园里的那些母树都长得十分茂盛。
2 bosoms 7e438b785810fff52fcb526f002dac21     
胸部( bosom的名词复数 )； 胸怀； 女衣胸部（或胸襟）； 和爱护自己的人在一起的情形
参考例句：
  • How beautifully gold brooches glitter on the bosoms of our patriotic women! 金光闪闪的别针佩在我国爱国妇女的胸前，多美呀！
  • Let us seek out some desolate shade, and there weep our sad bosoms empty. 我们寻个僻静的地方，去痛哭一场吧。
3 trudged e830eb9ac9fd5a70bf67387e070a9616     
vt.& vi.跋涉，吃力地走（trudge的过去式与过去分词形式）
参考例句：
  • He trudged the last two miles to the town. 他步履艰难地走完最后两英里到了城里。
  • He trudged wearily along the path. 他沿着小路疲惫地走去。 来自《简明英汉词典》
4 avidly 5d4ad001ea2cae78e80b3d088e2ca387     
adv.渴望地，热心地
参考例句：
  • She read avidly from an early age—books, magazines, anything. 她从小就酷爱阅读——书籍、杂志，无不涉猎。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Her melancholy eyes avidly scanned his smiling face. 她说话时两只忧郁的眼睛呆呆地望着他的带笑的脸。 来自汉英文学 - 家（1-26） - 家（1-26）
5 prams df32e83dafbd9ead50449dbb50352633     
n.（手推的）婴儿车( pram的名词复数 )
参考例句：
  • In order to offer guests convenience, our company hires out prams. 本公司出租小孩推车，为旅客提供便利。 来自互联网
  • Oh, no; girls, you know, are much too clever to fall out of their prams. 没有啊，你知道，女孩子太机灵，不会从儿童车里掉出来的。 来自互联网
6 teds 08ac3bfd9f56e4bf162005dd528be964     
vt.翻晒（ted的第三人称单数形式）
参考例句：
7 noted 5n4zXc     
adj.著名的，知名的
参考例句：
  • The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
  • Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。
8 dint plVza     
n.由于，靠；凹坑
参考例句：
  • He succeeded by dint of hard work.他靠苦干获得成功。
  • He reached the top by dint of great effort.他费了很大的劲终于爬到了顶。
9 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。
10 amenities Bz5zCt     
n.令人愉快的事物；礼仪；礼节；便利设施；礼仪( amenity的名词复数 )；便利设施；（环境等的）舒适；（性情等的）愉快
参考例句：
  • The campsite is close to all local amenities. 营地紧靠当地所有的便利设施。
  • Parks and a theatre are just some of the town's local amenities. 公园和戏院只是市镇娱乐设施的一部分。 来自《简明英汉词典》
11 harry heBxS     
vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼
参考例句：
  • Today,people feel more hurried and harried.今天，人们感到更加忙碌和苦恼。
  • Obama harried business by Healthcare Reform plan.奥巴马用医改掠夺了商界。
12 outwards NJuxN     
adj.外面的，公开的，向外的；adv.向外；n.外形
参考例句：
  • Does this door open inwards or outwards?这门朝里开还是朝外开？
  • In lapping up a fur,they always put the inner side outwards.卷毛皮时，他们总是让内层朝外。
13 regain YkYzPd     
vt.重新获得，收复，恢复
参考例句：
  • He is making a bid to regain his World No.1 ranking.他正为重登世界排名第一位而努力。
  • The government is desperate to regain credibility with the public.政府急于重新获取公众的信任。
14 desperately cu7znp     
adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地
参考例句：
  • He was desperately seeking a way to see her again.他正拼命想办法再见她一面。
  • He longed desperately to be back at home.他非常渴望回家。
15 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。
16 goodwill 4fuxm     
n.善意，亲善，信誉，声誉
参考例句：
  • His heart is full of goodwill to all men.他心里对所有人都充满着爱心。
  • We paid ￡10,000 for the shop,and ￡2000 for its goodwill.我们用一万英镑买下了这家商店，两千英镑买下了它的信誉。
17 tugged 8a37eb349f3c6615c56706726966d38e     
v.用力拉，使劲拉，猛扯( tug的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
  • She tugged at his sleeve to get his attention. 她拽了拽他的袖子引起他的注意。
  • A wry smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. 他的嘴角带一丝苦笑。 来自《简明英汉词典》
18 knight W2Hxk     
n.骑士，武士；爵士
参考例句：
  • He was made an honourary knight.他被授予荣誉爵士称号。
  • A knight rode on his richly caparisoned steed.一个骑士骑在装饰华丽的马上。
19 helping 2rGzDc     
n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的
参考例句：
  • The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
  • By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。
20 latch g2wxS     
n.门闩，窗闩；弹簧锁
参考例句：
  • She laid her hand on the latch of the door.她把手放在门闩上。
  • The repairman installed an iron latch on the door.修理工在门上安了铁门闩。
21 curiously 3v0zIc     
adv.有求知欲地；好问地；奇特地
参考例句：
  • He looked curiously at the people.他好奇地看着那些人。
  • He took long stealthy strides. His hands were curiously cold.他迈着悄没声息的大步。他的双手出奇地冷。
22 mead BotzAK     
n.蜂蜜酒
参考例句：
  • He gave me a cup of mead.他给我倒了杯蜂蜜酒。
  • He drank some mead at supper.晚饭时他喝了一些蜂蜜酒。
23 makeup 4AXxO     
n.组织；性格；化装品
参考例句：
  • Those who failed the exam take a makeup exam.这次考试不及格的人必须参加补考。
  • Do you think her beauty could makeup for her stupidity?你认为她的美丽能弥补她的愚蠢吗？
24 evacuated b2adcc11308c78e262805bbcd7da1669     
撤退者的
参考例句：
  • Police evacuated nearby buildings. 警方已将附近大楼的居民疏散。
  • The fireman evacuated the guests from the burning hotel. 消防队员把客人们从燃烧着的旅馆中撤出来。
25 condemned condemned     
adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词
参考例句：
  • He condemned the hypocrisy of those politicians who do one thing and say another. 他谴责了那些说一套做一套的政客的虚伪。
  • The policy has been condemned as a regressive step. 这项政策被认为是一种倒退而受到谴责。
26 harp UlEyQ     
n.竖琴；天琴座
参考例句：
  • She swept her fingers over the strings of the harp.她用手指划过竖琴的琴弦。
  • He played an Irish melody on the harp.他用竖琴演奏了一首爱尔兰曲调。
27 kindly tpUzhQ     
adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地
参考例句：
  • Her neighbours spoke of her as kindly and hospitable.她的邻居都说她和蔼可亲、热情好客。
  • A shadow passed over the kindly face of the old woman.一道阴影掠过老太太慈祥的面孔。

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