Author’s Note

Author’s Note
I had written this book because it was so difficult to do that the idea hadfascinated me. Ten people had to die without it becoming ridiculous or themurderer being obvious. I wrote the book after a tremendous amount ofplanning, and I was pleased with what I had made of it. It was clear,straightforward, baffling, and yet had a perfectly¹ reasonable explanation;in fact it had to have an epilogue in order to explain it. It was well re-ceived and reviewed, but the person who was really pleased with it wasmyself, for I knew better than any critic how difficult it had been.

Agatha Christie
from An Autobiography²

Ten Little Soldier Boys
Ten little soldier boys went out to dine;
One choked his little self and then there were Nine.
Nine little soldier boys sat up very late;
One overslept himself and then there were Eight.
Eight little soldier boys travelling in Devon;
One said he’d stay there and then there were Seven.
Seven little soldier boys chopping up sticks;
One chopped himself in halves and then there were Six.
Six little soldier boys playing with a hive;
A bumble bee stung one and then there were Five.
Five little soldier boys going in for law;
One got in Chancery and then there were Four.
Four little soldier boys going out to sea;
A red herring swallowed one and then there were Three.
Three little soldier boys walking in the Zoo;
A big bear hugged one and then there were Two.
Two little soldier boys sitting in the sun;
One got frizzled up and then there was One.
One little soldier boy left all alone;
He went and hanged himself And then there were None.
Frank Green, 1869
 

1 perfectly   

adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。
• Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。

2 autobiography   

n.自传

参考例句：

• He published his autobiography last autumn.他去年秋天出版了自己的自传。
• His life story is recounted in two fascinating volumes of autobiography.这两卷引人入胜的自传小说详述了他的生平。