借镜杀人19

时间：2025-10-10 07:08:38

（单词翻译:单击）

2
Two hours later Inspector1 Curry2 tilted3 back his chair, stretched himself,
and sighed.
“Well,” he said, “we’ve cleared a good deal of ground.”
Sergeant4 Lake agreed.
“The servants are out,” he said. “They were together all through the crit-
ical period—those that sleep here. The ones that don’t live in had gone
home.”
Curry nodded. He was suffering from mental fatigue5.
He had interviewed physiotherapists, members of the teaching staff,
and what he called to himself, the “two young lags” whose turn it had
been to dine with the family that night. All their stories dovetailed and
checked. He could write them off. Their activities and habits were com-
munal. There were no lonely souls among them. Which was useful for the
purposes of alibis6. Curry had kept Dr. Maverick7 who was, as far as he
could judge, the chief person in charge of the Institute, to the end.
“But we’ll have him in now, Lake.”
So the young doctor bustled8 in, neat and spruce and rather inhuman-
looking behind his pince-nez.
Maverick confirmed the statements of his staff, and agreed with Curry’s
findings. There had been no slackness, no loophole in the College impreg-
nability. Christian9 Gulbrandsen’s death could not be laid to the account of
the “young patients” as Curry almost called them—so hypnotized had he
become by the fervent10 medical atmosphere.
“But patients is exactly what they are, Inspector,” said Dr. Maverick with
a little smile.
It was a superior smile, and Inspector Curry would not have been hu-
man if he had not resented it just a little.
He said professionally:
“Now as regards your own movements, Dr. Maverick? Can you give me
an account of them?”
“Certainly. I have jotted11 them down for you with the approximate
times.”
Dr. Maverick had left the Great Hall at fifteen minutes after nine with
Mr. Lacy and Mr. Baumgarten. They had gone to Mr. Baumgarten’s rooms
where they had all three remained discussing certain courses of treatment
until Miss Bellever had come hurrying in and asked Dr. Maverick to go to
the Great Hall. That was at approximately half past nine. He had gone at
once to the Hall and had found Edgar Lawson in a state of collapse12.
Inspector Curry stirred a little.
“Just a minute, Dr. Maverick. Is this young man, in your opinion, defin-
itely a mental case?”
Dr. Maverick smiled the superior smile again.
“We are all mental cases, Inspector Curry.”
Tomfool answer, thought the Inspector. He knew quite well he wasn’t a
mental case, whatever Dr. Maverick might be!
“Is he responsible for his actions? He knows what he is doing, I sup-
pose?”
“Perfectly.”
“Then when he fired that revolver at Mr. Serrocold it was definitely at-
tempted13 murder.”
“No, no, Inspector Curry. Nothing of that kind.”
“Come now, Dr. Maverick. I’ve seen the two bullet holes in the wall.
They must have gone dangerously near to Mr. Serrocold’s head.”
“Perhaps. But Lawson had no intention of killing14 Mr. Serrocold or even
of wounding him. He is very fond of Mr. Serrocold.”
“It seems a curious way of showing it.”
Dr. Maverick smiled again. Inspector Curry found that smile very trying.
“Everything one does is intentional15. Every time you, Inspector, forget a
name or a face it is because, unconsciously, you wish to forget it.”
Inspector Curry looked unbelieving.
“Every time you make a slip of the tongue, that slip has a meaning.
Edgar Lawson was standing16 a few feet away from Mr. Serrocold. He could
easily have shot him dead. Instead, he missed him. Why did he miss him?
Because he wanted to miss him. It is as simple as that. Mr. Serrocold was
never in any danger—and Mr. Serrocold himself was quite aware of that
fact. He understood Edgar’s gesture for exactly what it was—a gesture of
defiance17 and resentment18 against a universe that has denied him the
simple necessities of a child’s life—security and affection.”
“I think I’d like to see this young man.”
“Certainly if you wish. His outburst last night has had a cathartic19 effect.
There is a great improvement today. Mr. Serrocold will be very pleased.”
Inspector Curry stared hard at him, but Dr. Maverick was serious as al-
ways.
Curry sighed.
“Do you have any arsenic20?” he asked.
“Arsenic?” The question took Dr. Maverick by surprise. It was clearly
unexpected. “What a very curious question. Why arsenic?”
“Just answer the question, please.”
“No, I have no arsenic of any kind in my possession.”
“But you have some drugs?”
“Oh certainly. Sedatives21. Morphia—the barbiturates. The usual things.”
“Do you attend Mrs. Serrocold?”
“No. Dr. Gunter of Market Kimble is the family physician. I hold a med-
ical degree, of course, but I practice purely22 as a psychiatrist23.”
“I see. Well, thank you very much, Dr. Maverick.”
As Dr. Maverick went out, Inspector Curry murmured to Lake that psy-
chiatrists gave him a pain in the neck.
“We’ll get on to the family now,” he said. “I’ll see young Walter Hudd
first.”
Walter Hudd’s attitude was cautious. He seemed to be studying the po-
lice officer with a slightly wary24 expression. But he was quite cooperative.
There was a good deal of defective25 wiring in Stonygates—the whole elec-
tric system was very old-fashioned. They wouldn’t stand for a system like
that in the States.
“It was installed, I believe, by the late Mr. Gulbrandsen when electric
light was a novelty,” said Inspector Curry with a faint smile.
“I’ll say that’s so! Sweet old feudal26 English and never been brought up to
date.”
The fuse which controlled most of the lights in the Great Hall had gone,
and he had gone out to the fuse box to see about it. In due course he got it
repaired and came back.
“How long were you away?”
“Why, that I couldn’t say for sure. The fuse box is in an awkward place. I
had to get steps and a candle. I was maybe ten minutes — perhaps a
quarter of an hour.”
“Did you hear a shot?”
“Why no, I didn’t hear anything like that. There are double doors
through to the kitchen quarters, and one of them is lined with a kind of
felt.”
“I see. And when you came back into the Hall, what did you see?”
“They were all crowded round the door into Mr. Serrocold’s study. Mrs.
Strete said that Mr. Serrocold had been shot—but actually that wasn’t so.
Mr. Serrocold was quite all right. The boob had missed him.”
“You recognised the revolver?”
“Sure I recognised it! It was mine.”
“When did you see it last?”
“Two or three days ago.”
“Where did you keep it?”
“In the drawer in my room.”
“Who knew that you kept it there?”
“I wouldn’t know who knows what in this house.”
“What do you mean by that, Mr. Hudd?”
“Aw, they’re all nuts!”
“When you came into the Hall, was everybody else there?”
“What d’you mean by everybody?”
“The same people who were there when you went to repair the fuse.”
“Gina was there … and the old lady with white hair—and Miss Bellever
… I didn’t notice particularly—but I should say so.”
“Mr. Gulbrandsen arrived quite unexpectedly the day before yesterday,
did he not?”
“I guess so. It wasn’t his usual routine, I understand.”
“Did anyone seem upset by his arrival?”
Walter Hudd took a moment or two before he answered, “Why no, I
wouldn’t say so.”
Once more there was a touch of caution in his manner.
“Have you any idea why he came?”
“Their precious Gulbrandsen Trust I suppose. The whole setup here is
crazy.”
“You have these ‘setups’ as you call it, in the States.”
“It’s one thing to endow a scheme, and another to give it the personal
touch as they do here. I had enough of psychiatrists27 in the army. This
place is stiff with them. Teaching young thugs to make raffia baskets and
carve pipe racks. Kids’ games! It’s sissy!”
Inspector Curry did not comment on this criticism. Possibly he agreed
with it.
He said, eyeing Walter carefully:
“So you have no idea who could have killed Mr Gulbrandsen?”
“One of the bright boys from the College practising his technique, I’d
say.”
“No, Mr. Hudd, that’s out. The College, in spite of its carefully produced
atmosphere of freedom, is none the less a place of detention28 and is run on
those lines. Nobody can run in and out of it after dark and commit
murders.”
“I wouldn’t put it past them! Well—if you want to fix it nearer home, I’d
say your best bet was Alex Restarick.”
“Why do you say that?”
“He had the opportunity. He drove up through the grounds alone in his
car.”
“And why should he kill Christian Gulbrandsen?”
Walter shrugged29 his shoulders.
“I’m a stranger. I don’t know the family setups. Maybe the old boy had
heard something about Alex and was going to spill the beans to the Serro-
colds.”
“With what result?”
“They might cut off the dough30. He can use dough—uses a good deal of it
by all accounts.”
“You mean—in theatrical31 enterprises?”
“That’s what he calls it?”
“Do you suggest it was otherwise?”
Again Walter Hudd shrugged his shoulders.
“I wouldn’t know,” he said.

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点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 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。
2 curry xnozh     
n.咖哩粉，咖哩饭菜；v.用咖哩粉调味，用马栉梳，制革
参考例句：
  • Rice makes an excellent complement to a curry dish.有咖喱的菜配米饭最棒。
  • Add a teaspoonful of curry powder.加一茶匙咖喱粉。
3 tilted 3gtzE5     
v. 倾斜的
参考例句：
  • Suddenly the boat tilted to one side. 小船突然倾向一侧。
  • She tilted her chin at him defiantly. 她向他翘起下巴表示挑衅。
4 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？
5 fatigue PhVzV     
n.疲劳，劳累
参考例句：
  • The old lady can't bear the fatigue of a long journey.这位老妇人不能忍受长途旅行的疲劳。
  • I have got over my weakness and fatigue.我已从虚弱和疲劳中恢复过来了。
6 alibis 7300dfb05434d1648937baa6014921b7     
某人在别处的证据( alibi的名词复数 )； 不在犯罪现场的证人； 借口； 托辞
参考例句：
  • The suspects all had alibis for the day of the robbery. 嫌疑人均有证据证明抢劫当天不在犯罪现场。
  • I'm not trying to beat your alibis any more than I'm trying to prove 'em. 我并不是不让你辩护，我只是想把那个人找出来。
7 maverick 47Ozg     
adj.特立独行的；不遵守传统的；n.持异议者，自行其是者
参考例句：
  • He's a maverick.He has his own way of thinking about things.他是个特异独行的人。对事情有自己的看法。
  • You're a maverick and you'll try anything.你是个爱自行其是的人，样样事情都要尝试一下。
8 bustled 9467abd9ace0cff070d56f0196327c70     
闹哄哄地忙乱，奔忙( bustle的过去式和过去分词 )； 催促
参考例句：
  • She bustled around in the kitchen. 她在厨房里忙得团团转。
  • The hostress bustled about with an assumption of authority. 女主人摆出一副权威的样子忙来忙去。
9 Christian KVByl     
adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒
参考例句：
  • They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
  • His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。
10 fervent SlByg     
adj.热的，热烈的，热情的
参考例句：
  • It was a debate which aroused fervent ethical arguments.那是一场引发强烈的伦理道德争论的辩论。
  • Austria was among the most fervent supporters of adolf hitler.奥地利是阿道夫希特勒最狂热的支持者之一。
11 jotted 501a1ce22e59ebb1f3016af077784ebd     
v.匆忙记下( jot的过去式和过去分词 )；草草记下，匆匆记下
参考例句：
  • I jotted down her name. 我匆忙记下了她的名字。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The policeman jotted down my address. 警察匆匆地将我的地址记下。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
12 collapse aWvyE     
vi.累倒；昏倒；倒塌；塌陷
参考例句：
  • The country's economy is on the verge of collapse.国家的经济已到了崩溃的边缘。
  • The engineer made a complete diagnosis of the bridge's collapse.工程师对桥的倒塌做了一次彻底的调查分析。
13 tempted b0182e969d369add1b9ce2353d3c6ad6     
v.怂恿（某人）干不正当的事；冒…的险（tempt的过去分词）
参考例句：
  • I was sorely tempted to complain, but I didn't. 我极想发牢骚，但还是没开口。
  • I was tempted by the dessert menu. 甜食菜单馋得我垂涎欲滴。
14 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。
15 intentional 65Axb     
adj.故意的，有意（识）的
参考例句：
  • Let me assure you that it was not intentional.我向你保证那不是故意的。
  • His insult was intentional.他的侮辱是有意的。
16 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。
17 defiance RmSzx     
n.挑战，挑衅，蔑视，违抗
参考例句：
  • He climbed the ladder in defiance of the warning.他无视警告爬上了那架梯子。
  • He slammed the door in a spirit of defiance.他以挑衅性的态度把门砰地一下关上。
18 resentment 4sgyv     
n.怨愤，忿恨
参考例句：
  • All her feelings of resentment just came pouring out.她一股脑儿倾吐出所有的怨恨。
  • She cherished a deep resentment under the rose towards her employer.她暗中对她的雇主怀恨在心。
19 cathartic sOmzt     
adj.宣泄情绪的；n.泻剂
参考例句：
  • His laughter was cathartic,an animal yelp that brought tears to his eyes.他哈哈大笑以宣泄情绪，声音如野兽般尖厉，眼泪都笑出来了。
  • The drug had a cathartic effect.这药有导泻的作用。
20 arsenic 2vSz4     
n.砒霜，砷；adj.砷的
参考例句：
  • His wife poisoned him with arsenic.他的妻子用砒霜把他毒死了。
  • Arsenic is a poison.砒霜是毒药。
21 sedatives 31afb8efa62df469c2feb85f0402561b     
n.镇静药，镇静剂( sedative的名词复数 )
参考例句：
  • A wide variety of mild sedatives and tranquilizers have become available. 现在有许多种镇静剂和安定剂。 来自辞典例句
  • Since July 1967 there has been a restriction on the prescribing of sedatives in Australia. 自从1967年7月起，澳大利亚的镇静药处方受到限制。 来自辞典例句
22 purely 8Sqxf     
adv.纯粹地，完全地
参考例句：
  • I helped him purely and simply out of friendship.我帮他纯粹是出于友情。
  • This disproves the theory that children are purely imitative.这证明认为儿童只会单纯地模仿的理论是站不住脚的。
23 psychiatrist F0qzf     
n.精神病专家；精神病医师
参考例句：
  • He went to a psychiatrist about his compulsive gambling.他去看精神科医生治疗不能自拔的赌瘾。
  • The psychiatrist corrected him gently.精神病医师彬彬有礼地纠正他。
24 wary JMEzk     
adj.谨慎的，机警的，小心的
参考例句：
  • He is wary of telling secrets to others.他谨防向他人泄露秘密。
  • Paula frowned,suddenly wary.宝拉皱了皱眉头，突然警惕起来。
25 defective qnLzZ     
adj.有毛病的，有问题的，有瑕疵的
参考例句：
  • The firm had received bad publicity over a defective product. 该公司因为一件次品而受到媒体攻击。
  • If the goods prove defective, the customer has the right to compensation. 如果货品证明有缺陷， 顾客有权索赔。
26 feudal cg1zq     
adj.封建的，封地的，领地的
参考例句：
  • Feudal rulers ruled over the country several thousand years.封建统治者统治这个国家几千年。
  • The feudal system lasted for two thousand years in China.封建制度在中国延续了两千年之久。
27 psychiatrists 45b6a81e510da4f31f5b0fecd7b77261     
n.精神病专家，精神病医生( psychiatrist的名词复数 )
参考例句：
  • They are psychiatrists in good standing. 他们是合格的精神病医生。 来自辞典例句
  • Some psychiatrists have patients who grow almost alarmed at how congenial they suddenly feel. 有些精神分析学家发现，他们的某些病人在突然感到惬意的时候几乎会兴奋起来。 来自名作英译部分
28 detention 1vhxk     
n.滞留，停留；拘留，扣留；(教育)留下
参考例句：
  • He was kept in detention by the police.他被警察扣留了。
  • He was in detention in connection with the bribery affair.他因与贿赂事件有牵连而被拘留了。
29 shrugged 497904474a48f991a3d1961b0476ebce     
vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式）
参考例句：
  • Sam shrugged and said nothing. 萨姆耸耸肩膀，什么也没说。
  • She shrugged, feigning nonchalance. 她耸耸肩，装出一副无所谓的样子。 来自《简明英汉词典》
30 dough hkbzg     
n.生面团；钱，现款
参考例句：
  • She formed the dough into squares.她把生面团捏成四方块。
  • The baker is kneading dough.那位面包师在揉面。
31 theatrical pIRzF     
adj.剧场的，演戏的；做戏似的，做作的
参考例句：
  • The final scene was dismayingly lacking in theatrical effect.最后一场缺乏戏剧效果，叫人失望。
  • She always makes some theatrical gesture.她老在做些夸张的手势。

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