Twenty-eight COLIN LAMB’S NARRATIVE I

Twenty-eight COLIN LAMB’S NARRATIVE¹ I

I arrived at Crowdean at eleven o’clock at night, five days later. I went to the Clarendon Hotel, gota room, and went to bed. I’d been tired the night before and I overslept. I woke up at a quarter toten.
I sent for coffee and toast and a daily paper. It came and with it a large square note addressed tome with the words BY HAND in the top left-hand corner.
I examined it with some surprise. It was unexpected. The paper was thick and expensive, thesuperscription neatly² printed.
After turning it over and playing with it, I finally opened it.
Inside was a sheet of paper. Printed on it in large letters were the words:
CURLEW HOTEL 11:30
ROOM 413
(Knock three times)
I stared at it, turned it over in my hand—what was all this?
I noted³ the room number—413—the same as the clocks. A coincidence? Or not a coincidence.
I had thoughts of ringing the Curlew Hotel. Then I thought of ringing Dick Hardcastle. I didn’tdo either.
My lethargy was gone. I got up, shaved, washed, dressed and walked along the front to theCurlew Hotel and got there at the appointed time.
The summer season was pretty well over now. There weren’t many people about inside thehotel.
I didn’t make any inquiries⁴ at the desk. I went up in the lift to the fourth floor and walked alongthe corridor to No. 413.
I stood there for a moment or two: then, feeling a complete fool, I knocked three times….
A voice said, “Come in.”
I turned the handle, the door wasn’t locked. I stepped inside and stopped dead.
I was looking at the last person on earth I would have expected to see.
Hercule Poirot sat facing me. He beamed at me.
“Une petite surprise, n’est-ce pas?” he said. “But a pleasant one, I hope.”
“Poirot, you old fox,” I shouted. “How did you get here?”
“I got here in a Daimler limousine—most comfortable.”
“But what are you doing here?”
“It was most vexing⁵. They insisted, positively⁶ insisted on the redecoration of my apartment.
Imagine my difficulty. What can I do? Where can I go?”
“Lots of places,” I said coldly.
“Possibly, but it is suggested to me by my doctor that the air of the sea will be good for me.”
“One of those obliging doctors who finds out where his patient wants to go, and advises him togo there! Was it you who sent me this?” I brandished⁷ the letter I had received.
“Naturally—who else?”
“Is it a coincidence that you have a room whose number is 413?”
“It is not a coincidence. I asked for it specially⁸.”
“Why?”
Poirot put his head on one side and twinkled at me.
“It seemed to be appropriate.”
“And knocking three times?”
“I could not resist it. If I could have enclosed a sprig of rosemary it would have been better still.
I thought of cutting my finger and putting a bloodstained fingerprint⁹ on the door. But enough isenough! I might have got an infection.”
“I suppose this is second childhood,” I remarked coldly. “I’ll buy you a balloon and a woollyrabbit this afternoon.”
“I do not think you enjoy my surprise. You express no joy, no delight at seeing me.”
“Did you expect me to?”
“Pourquoi pas? Come, let us be serious, now that I have had my little piece of foolery. I hope tobe of assistance. I have called up the chief constable¹⁰ who has been of the utmost amiability¹¹, and atthis moment I await your friend, Detective Inspector¹² Hardcastle.”
“And what are you going to say to him?”
“It was in my mind that we might all three engage in conversation.”
I looked at him and laughed. He might call it conversation—but I knew who was going to dothe talking.
Hercule Poirot!

1 narrative   

n.叙述，故事；adj.叙事的，故事体的

参考例句：

• He was a writer of great narrative power.他是一位颇有记述能力的作家。
• Neither author was very strong on narrative.两个作者都不是很善于讲故事。

2 neatly   

adv.整洁地，干净地，灵巧地，熟练地

参考例句：

• Sailors know how to wind up a long rope neatly.水手们知道怎样把一条大绳利落地缠好。
• The child's dress is neatly gathered at the neck.那孩子的衣服在领口处打着整齐的皱褶。

3 noted   

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。

4 inquiries   

n.调查( inquiry的名词复数 )；疑问；探究；打听

参考例句：

• He was released on bail pending further inquiries. 他获得保释，等候进一步调查。
• I have failed to reach them by postal inquiries. 我未能通过邮政查询与他们取得联系。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

5 vexing   

adj.使人烦恼的，使人恼火的v.使烦恼( vex的现在分词 )；使苦恼；使生气；详细讨论

参考例句：

• It is vexing to have to wait a long time for him. 长时间地等他真使人厌烦。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• Lately a vexing problem had grown infuriatingly worse. 最近发生了一个讨厌的问题，而且严重到令人发指的地步。 来自辞典例句

6 positively   

adv.明确地，断然，坚决地；实在，确实

参考例句：

• She was positively glowing with happiness.她满脸幸福。
• The weather was positively poisonous.这天气着实讨厌。

7 brandished   

v.挥舞( brandish的过去式和过去分词 )；炫耀

参考例句：

• "Bang!Bang!"the small boy brandished a phoney pistol and shouted. “砰！砰！”那小男孩挥舞着一支假手枪，口中嚷嚷着。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Swords brandished and banners waved. 刀剑挥舞，旌旗飘扬。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

8 specially   

adv.特定地；特殊地；明确地

参考例句：

• They are specially packaged so that they stack easily.它们经过特别包装以便于堆放。
• The machine was designed specially for demolishing old buildings.这种机器是专为拆毁旧楼房而设计的。

9 fingerprint   

n.指纹；vt.取...的指纹

参考例句：

• The fingerprint expert was asked to testify at the trial.指纹专家应邀出庭作证。
• The court heard evidence from a fingerprint expert.法院听取了指纹专家的证词。

10 constable   

n.(英国)警察，警官

参考例句：

• The constable conducted the suspect to the police station.警官把嫌疑犯带到派出所。
• The constable kept his temper,and would not be provoked.那警察压制着自己的怒气，不肯冒起火来。

11 amiability   

n.和蔼可亲的，亲切的，友善的

参考例句：

• His amiability condemns him to being a constant advisor to other people's troubles. 他那和蔼可亲的性格使他成为经常为他人排忧解难的开导者。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• I watched my master's face pass from amiability to sternness. 我瞧着老师的脸上从和蔼变成严峻。 来自辞典例句

12 inspector   

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。