死亡约会 Part II Chapter 10（1）

 

Chapter 10

‘I wonder,’ said Hercule Poirot. He folded up the list, went to the door and ordered Mahmoud tobe brought to him. The stout¹ dragoman was voluble. Words dripped from him in a rising flood.

‘Always, always, I am blamed. When anything happens, say always, my fault. Always my fault.

When Lady Ellen Hunt sprain² her ankle coming down from Place of Sacrifice it my fault, thoughshe would go high-heeled shoes and she sixty at least—perhaps seventy. My life all one misery³!

Ah! what with miseries⁴ and iniquities⁵, Jews do to us—’

At last Poirot succeeded in stemming the flood and in getting in his question.

‘Half-past five o’clock, you say? No, I not think any of servants were about then. You see,lunch is late—two o’clock. And then to clear it away. After the lunch all afternoon sleep. Yes,Americans, they not take tea. We all settle sleep by half-past three. At five I who am soul ofefficiency—always—always I watch for the comfort of ladies and gentlemen I serving, I come outknowing that time all English ladies want tea. But no one there. They all gone walking. For me,that is very well—better than usual. I can go back sleep. At quarter to six trouble begin—largeEnglish lady—very grand lady—come back and want tea although boys are now laying dinner.

She makes quite fuss—says water must be boiling—I am to see myself. Ah, my good gentlemen!

What a life—what a life! I do all I can—always I blamed—I—’

Poirot asked about the recriminations.

‘There is another small matter. The dead lady was angry with one of the boys. Do you knowwhich one it was and what it was about?’

Mahmoud’s hands rose to heaven.

‘Should I know? But naturally not. Old lady did not complain to me.’

‘Could you find out?’

‘No, my good gentlemen, that would be impossible. None of the boys admit it for a moment.

Old lady angry, you say? Then naturally boys would not tell. Abdul say it Mohammed, andMohammed say it Aziz and Aziz say it Aissa, and so on. They are all very stupid Bedouin—understand nothing.’

He took a breath and continued: ‘Now I, I have advantage of Mission education. I recite to youKeats—Shelley—“Iadadoveandasweedovedied—”’

Poirot flinched⁶. Though English was not his native tongue, he knew it well enough to sufferfrom the strange enunciation⁷ of Mahmoud.

‘Superb!’ he said hastily. ‘Superb! Definitely I recommend you to all my friends.’

He contrived⁸ to escape from the dragoman’s eloquence⁹. Then he took his list to ColonelCarbury, whom he found in his office.

Carbury pushed his tie a little more askew¹⁰ and asked:

‘Got anything?’

Poirot said: ‘Shall I tell you a theory of mine?’

‘If you like,’ said Colonel Carbury and sighed. One way and another he heard a good manytheories in the course of his existence.

‘My theory is that criminology is the easiest science in the world! One has only to let thecriminal talk—sooner or later he will tell you everything.’

‘I remember you said something of the kind before. Who’s been telling you things?’

‘Everybody.’ 

 

1 stout   

adj.强壮的，粗大的，结实的，勇猛的，矮胖的

参考例句：

• He cut a stout stick to help him walk.他砍了一根结实的枝条用来拄着走路。
• The stout old man waddled across the road.那肥胖的老人一跩一跩地穿过马路。

2 sprain   

n.扭伤,扭筋

参考例句：

• He got a foot sprain in his ankle. 他脚踝受了严重的扭伤。
• The sprain made my ankle swell up. 我的脚踝扭伤肿了起来。

3 misery   

n.痛苦，苦恼，苦难；悲惨的境遇，贫苦

参考例句：

• Business depression usually causes misery among the working class.商业不景气常使工薪阶层受苦。
• He has rescued me from the mire of misery.他把我从苦海里救了出来。

4 miseries   

n.痛苦( misery的名词复数 )；痛苦的事；穷困；常发牢骚的人

参考例句：

• They forgot all their fears and all their miseries in an instant. 他们马上忘记了一切恐惧和痛苦。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• I'm suffering the miseries of unemployment. 我正为失业而痛苦。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 iniquities   

n.邪恶( iniquity的名词复数 )；极不公正

参考例句：

• The preacher asked God to forgive us our sins and wash away our iniquities. 牧师乞求上帝赦免我们的罪过，涤荡我们的罪孽。 来自辞典例句
• If thou, Lord shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? 3主―耶和华啊，你若究察罪孽，谁能站得住呢？ 来自互联网

6 flinched   

v.（因危险和痛苦）退缩，畏惧( flinch的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He flinched at the sight of the blood. 他一见到血就往后退。
• This tough Corsican never flinched or failed. 这个刚毅的科西嘉人从来没有任何畏缩或沮丧。 来自辞典例句

7 enunciation   

n.清晰的发音；表明，宣言；口齿

参考例句：

• He is always willing to enunciate his opinions on the subject of politics. 他总是愿意对政治问题发表意见。> enunciation / I9nQnsI5eIFn; I9nQnsI`eFEn/ n [C, U]。 来自辞典例句
• Be good at communicating,sense of responsibility,the work is careful,the enunciation is clear. 善于沟通，责任心强，工作细致，口齿清晰。 来自互联网

8 contrived   

adj.不自然的，做作的；虚构的

参考例句：

• There was nothing contrived or calculated about what he said.他说的话里没有任何蓄意捏造的成分。
• The plot seems contrived.情节看起来不真实。

9 eloquence   

n.雄辩；口才，修辞

参考例句：

• I am afraid my eloquence did not avail against the facts.恐怕我的雄辩也无补于事实了。
• The people were charmed by his eloquence.人们被他的口才迷住了。

10 askew   

adv.斜地；adj.歪斜的

参考例句：

• His glasses had been knocked askew by the blow.他的眼镜一下子被打歪了。
• Her hat was slightly askew.她的帽子戴得有点斜。