山核桃大街谋杀案（24）

时间：2025-03-03 03:20:52

（单词翻译:单击）

Chapter Twenty-three
I
“I do not understand,” said Mr. Akibombo plaintively1.
He looked anxiously from one red head to the other.
Sally Finch2 and Len Bateson were conducting a conversation which Mr. Akibombo found hard
to follow.
“Do you think,” asked Sally, “that Nigel meant me to be suspected, or you?”
“Either, I should say,” replied Len. “I believe he actually took the hairs from my brush.”
“I do not understand, please,” said Mr. Akibombo. “Was it then Mr. Nigel who jumped the
balcony?”
“Nigel can jump like a cat. I couldn’t have jumped across that space. I’m far too heavy.”
“I want to apologise very deeply and humbly3 for wholly unjustifiable suspicions.”
“That’s all right,” said Len.
“Actually, you helped a lot,” said Sally. “All your thinking—about the boracic.”
Mr. Akibombo brightened up.
“One ought to have realised all along,” said Len, “that Nigel was a thoroughly4 maladjusted type
and—”
“Oh, for heaven’s sake—you sound just like Colin. Frankly5, Nigel always gave me the creeps—
and at last I see why. Do you realise, Len, that if poor Sir Arthur Stanley hadn’t been sentimental6
and had turned Nigel straight over to the police, three other people would be alive today? It’s a
solemn thought.”
“Still, one can understand what he felt about it—”
“Please, Miss Sally.”
“Yes, Akibombo?”
“If you meet my professor at University party tonight will you tell him, please, that I have done
some good thinking? My professor he says often that I have a muddled7 thought process.”
“I’ll tell him,” said Sally.
Len Bateson was looking the picture of gloom.
“In a week’s time you’ll be back in America,” he said.
There was a momentary8 silence.
“I shall come back,” said Sally. “Or you might come and do a course over there.”
“What’s the use?”
“Akibombo,” said Sally, “would you like, one day, to be best man at a wedding?”
“What is best man, please?”
“The bridegroom, Len here for instance, gives you a ring to keep for him, and he and you go to
church very smartly dressed and at the right moment he asks you for the ring and you give it to
him, and he puts it on my finger, and the organ plays the wedding march and everybody cries. And
there we are.”
“You mean that you and Mr. Len are to be married?”
“That’s the idea.”
“Sally!”
“Unles, of course, Len doesn’t care for the idea.”
“Sally! But you don’t know—about my father—”
“So what? Of course I know. So your father’s nuts. All right, so are lots of people’s fathers.”
“It isn’t a hereditary9 type of mania10. I can assure you of that, Sally. If you only knew how
desperately11 unhappy I’ve been about you.”
“I did just have a tiny suspicion.”
“In Africa,” said Mr. Akibombo, “in old days, before atomic age and scientific thought had
come, marriage customs very curious and interesting. I tell you—”
“You’d better not,” said Sally. “I have an idea they might make both Len and me blush, and
when you’ve got red hair it’s very noticeable when you blush.”
II
Hercule Poirot signed the last of the letters that Miss Lemon had laid before him.
“Très bien,” he said gravely. “Not a single mistake.”
Miss Lemon looked slightly affronted12.
“I don’t often make mistakes, I hope,” she said.
“Not often. But it has happened. How is your sister, by the way?”
“She is thinking of going on a cruise, M. Poirot. To the northern capitals.”
“Ah,” said Hercule Poirot.
He wondered if—possibly—on a cruise—?
Not that he himself would undertake a sea voyage—not for any inducement. . . .
The clock behind him struck one.
“The clock struck one,
The mouse ran down
Hickory, dickory, dock,”
declared Hercule Poirot.
“I beg your pardon, M. Poirot?”
“Nothing,” said Hercule Poirot.

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1 plaintively 46a8d419c0b5a38a2bee07501e57df53     
adv.悲哀地，哀怨地
参考例句：
  • The last note of the song rang out plaintively. 歌曲最后道出了离别的哀怨。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Birds cry plaintively before they die, men speak kindly in the presence of death. 鸟之将死，其鸣也哀；人之将死，其言也善。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
2 finch TkRxS     
n.雀科鸣禽(如燕雀，金丝雀等)
参考例句：
  • This behaviour is commonly observed among several species of finch.这种行为常常可以在几种雀科鸣禽中看到。
  • In Australia,it is predominantly called the Gouldian Finch.在澳大利亚，它主要还是被称之为胡锦雀。
3 humbly humbly     
adv. 恭顺地，谦卑地
参考例句：
  • We humbly beg Your Majesty to show mercy. 我们恳请陛下发发慈悲。
  • "You must be right, Sir,'said John humbly. “你一定是对的，先生，”约翰恭顺地说道。
4 thoroughly sgmz0J     
adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地
参考例句：
  • The soil must be thoroughly turned over before planting.一定要先把土地深翻一遍再下种。
  • The soldiers have been thoroughly instructed in the care of their weapons.士兵们都系统地接受过保护武器的训练。
5 frankly fsXzcf     
adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说
参考例句：
  • To speak frankly, I don't like the idea at all.老实说，我一点也不赞成这个主意。
  • Frankly speaking, I'm not opposed to reform.坦率地说，我不反对改革。
6 sentimental dDuzS     
adj.多愁善感的，感伤的
参考例句：
  • She's a sentimental woman who believes marriage comes by destiny.她是多愁善感的人，她相信姻缘命中注定。
  • We were deeply touched by the sentimental movie.我们深深被那感伤的电影所感动。
7 muddled cb3d0169d47a84e95c0dfa5c4d744221     
adj.混乱的；糊涂的；头脑昏昏然的v.弄乱，弄糟( muddle的过去式)；使糊涂；对付，混日子
参考例句：
  • He gets muddled when the teacher starts shouting. 老师一喊叫他就心烦意乱。
  • I got muddled up and took the wrong turning. 我稀里糊涂地拐错了弯。 来自《简明英汉词典》
8 momentary hj3ya     
adj.片刻的，瞬息的；短暂的
参考例句：
  • We are in momentary expectation of the arrival of you.我们无时无刻不在盼望你的到来。
  • I caught a momentary glimpse of them.我瞥了他们一眼。
9 hereditary fQJzF     
adj.遗传的，遗传性的，可继承的，世袭的
参考例句：
  • The Queen of England is a hereditary ruler.英国女王是世袭的统治者。
  • In men,hair loss is hereditary.男性脱发属于遗传。
10 mania 9BWxu     
n.疯狂；躁狂症，狂热，癖好
参考例句：
  • Football mania is sweeping the country.足球热正风靡全国。
  • Collecting small items can easily become a mania.收藏零星物品往往容易变成一种癖好。
11 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。
12 affronted affronted     
adj.被侮辱的，被冒犯的v.勇敢地面对( affront的过去式和过去分词 )；相遇
参考例句：
  • He hoped they would not feel affronted if they were not invited . 他希望如果他们没有获得邀请也不要感到受辱。
  • Affronted at his impertinence,she stared at him coldly and wordlessly. 被他的无礼而冒犯，她冷冷地、无言地盯着他。 来自《简明英汉词典》

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