“It seems strange to you, mon ami, that a man should plan his own death? So strange, that you prefer to reject the truth as fantastic, and to revert¹ to a story that is in reality ten times more impossible. Yes, M. Renauld planned his own death, but there is one detail that perhaps escapes you—he did not intend to die.”

 

I shook my head, bewildered.

 

“But no, it is all most simple really,” said Poirot kindly². “For the crime that M. Renauld proposed a murderer was not necessary, as I told you, but a body was. Let us reconstruct, seeing events this time from a different angle.

 

“Georges Conneau flies from justice—to Canada. There, under an assumed name he marries, and finally acquires a vast fortune in South America. But there is a nostalgia³ upon him for his own country. Twenty years have elapsed, he is considerably⁴ changed in appearance, besides being a man of such eminence⁵ that no one is likely to connect him with a fugitive⁶ from justice many years ago. He deems it quite safe to return. He takes up his headquarters in England, but intends to spend the summers in France. And ill fortune, that obscure justice which shapes men’s ends, and will not allow them to evade⁷ the consequences of their acts, takes him to Merlinville. There, in the whole of France, is the one person who is capable of recognizing him. It is, of course, a gold mine to Madame Daubreuil, and a gold mine of which she is not slow to take advantage. He is helpless, absolutely in her power. And she bleeds him heavily.

 

“And then the inevitable⁸ happens. Jack

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1 revert
v.恢复，复归，回到
参考例句：
Let us revert to the earlier part of the chapter.让我们回到本章的前面部分。 Shall we revert to the matter we talked about yesterday?我们接着昨天谈过的问题谈，好吗？

2 kindly
adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地
参考例句：
Her neighbours spoke of her as kindly and hospitable.她的邻居都说她和蔼可亲、热情好客。 A shadow passed over the kindly face of the old woman.一道阴影掠过老太太慈祥的面孔。

3 nostalgia
n.怀乡病，留恋过去，怀旧
参考例句：
He might be influenced by nostalgia for his happy youth.也许是对年轻时幸福时光的怀恋影响了他。 I was filled with nostalgia by hearing my favourite old song.我听到这首喜爱的旧歌，心中充满了怀旧之情。

4 considerably
adv.极大地；相当大地；在很大程度上
参考例句：
The economic situation has changed considerably.经济形势已发生了相当大的变化。 The gap has narrowed considerably.分歧大大缩小了。

5 eminence
n.卓越，显赫；高地，高处；名家
参考例句：
He is a statesman of great eminence.他是个声名显赫的政治家。 Many of the pilots were to achieve eminence in the aeronautical world.这些飞行员中很多人将会在航空界声名显赫。

6 fugitive
adj.逃亡的，易逝的；n.逃犯，逃亡者
参考例句：
The police were able to deduce where the fugitive was hiding.警方成功地推断出那逃亡者躲藏的地方。 The fugitive is believed to be headed for the border.逃犯被认为在向国境线逃窜。

7 evade
vt.逃避，回避；避开，躲避
参考例句：
He tried to evade the embarrassing question.他企图回避这令人难堪的问题。 You are in charge of the job.How could you evade the issue?你是负责人，你怎么能对这个问题不置可否？

8 inevitable
adj.不可避免的，必然发生的
参考例句：
Mary was wearing her inevitable large hat.玛丽戴着她总是戴的那顶大帽子。 The defeat had inevitable consequences for British policy.战败对英国政策不可避免地产生了影响。

9 jack
n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克
参考例句：
I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。 He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。

10 passionately
ad.热烈地，激烈地
参考例句：
She could hate as passionately as she could love. 她能恨得咬牙切齿，也能爱得一往情深。 He was passionately addicted to pop music. 他酷爱流行音乐。

11 devoted
adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的
参考例句：
He devoted his life to the educational cause of the motherland.他为祖国的教育事业贡献了一生。 We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。

12 vouchsafed
v.给予，赐予( vouchsafe的过去式和过去分词 )；允诺
参考例句：
He vouchsafed to me certain family secrets. 他让我知道了某些家庭秘密。 The significance of the event does, indeed, seem vouchsafed. 这个事件看起来确实具有重大意义。 来自辞典例句

13 middle-aged
adj.中年的
参考例句：
I noticed two middle-aged passengers.我注意到两个中年乘客。 The new skin balm was welcome by middle-aged women.这种新护肤香膏受到了中年妇女的欢迎。

14 solely
adv.仅仅，唯一地
参考例句：
Success should not be measured solely by educational achievement.成功与否不应只用学业成绩来衡量。 The town depends almost solely on the tourist trade.这座城市几乎完全靠旅游业维持。

15 chauffeur
n.(受雇于私人或公司的)司机；v.为…开车
参考例句：
The chauffeur handed the old lady from the car.这个司机搀扶这个老太太下汽车。 She went out herself and spoke to the chauffeur.她亲自走出去跟汽车司机说话。

16 credence
n.信用，祭器台，供桌，凭证
参考例句：
Don't give credence to all the gossip you hear.不要相信你听到的闲话。 Police attach credence to the report of an unnamed bystander.警方认为一位不知姓名的目击者的报告很有用。

17 decided
adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的
参考例句：
This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。 There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

18 magistrate
n.地方行政官，地方法官，治安官
参考例句：
The magistrate committed him to prison for a month.法官判处他一个月监禁。 John was fined 1000 dollars by the magistrate.约翰被地方法官罚款1000美元。

19 ragged
adj.衣衫褴褛的，粗糙的，刺耳的
参考例句：
A ragged shout went up from the small crowd.这一小群人发出了刺耳的喊叫。 Ragged clothing infers poverty.破衣烂衫意味着贫穷。

20 dagger
n.匕首，短剑，剑号
参考例句：
The bad news is a dagger to his heart.这条坏消息刺痛了他的心。 The murderer thrust a dagger into her heart.凶手将匕首刺进她的心脏。

21 bind
vt.捆，包扎；装订；约束；使凝固；vi.变硬
参考例句：
I will let the waiter bind up the parcel for you.我让服务生帮你把包裹包起来。 He wants a shirt that does not bind him.他要一件不使他觉得过紧的衬衫。

22 lessened
减少的，减弱的
参考例句：
Listening to the speech through an interpreter lessened its impact somewhat. 演讲辞通过翻译的嘴说出来，多少削弱了演讲的力量。 The flight to suburbia lessened the number of middle-class families living within the city. 随着迁往郊外的风行，住在城内的中产家庭减少了。

23 shuffle
n.拖著脚走，洗纸牌；v.拖曳，慢吞吞地走
参考例句：
I wish you'd remember to shuffle before you deal.我希望在你发牌前记得洗牌。 Don't shuffle your feet along.别拖着脚步走。

24 annoyance
n.恼怒，生气，烦恼
参考例句：
Why do you always take your annoyance out on me?为什么你不高兴时总是对我出气？ I felt annoyance at being teased.我恼恨别人取笑我。

25 binds
v.约束( bind的第三人称单数 )；装订；捆绑；（用长布条）缠绕
参考例句：
Frost binds the soil. 霜使土壤凝结。 来自《简明英汉词典》 Stones and cement binds strongly. 石头和水泥凝固得很牢。 来自《简明英汉词典》

26 accomplice
n.从犯，帮凶，同谋
参考例句：
She was her husband's accomplice in murdering a rich old man.她是她丈夫谋杀一个老富翁的帮凶。 He is suspected as an accomplice of the murder.他涉嫌为这次凶杀案的同谋。

27 essentially
adv.本质上，实质上，基本上
参考例句：
Really great men are essentially modest.真正的伟人大都很谦虚。 She is an essentially selfish person.她本质上是个自私自利的人。

28 recoil
vi.退却，退缩，畏缩
参考例句：
Most people would recoil at the sight of the snake.许多人看见蛇都会向后退缩。 Revenge may recoil upon the person who takes it.报复者常会受到报应。

29 originality
n.创造力，独创性；新颖
参考例句：
The name of the game in pop music is originality.流行音乐的本质是独创性。 He displayed an originality amounting almost to genius.他显示出近乎天才的创造性。

30 chilly
adj.凉快的，寒冷的
参考例句：
I feel chilly without a coat.我由于没有穿大衣而感到凉飕飕的。 I grew chilly when the fire went out.炉火熄灭后，寒气逼人。

31 thereby
adv.因此，从而
参考例句：
I have never been to that city,,ereby I don't know much about it.我从未去过那座城市，因此对它不怎么熟悉。 He became a British citizen,thereby gaining the right to vote.他成了英国公民，因而得到了投票权。

32 eluded
v.（尤指机敏地）避开( elude的过去式和过去分词 )；逃避；躲避；使达不到
参考例句：
The sly fox nimbly eluded the dogs. 那只狡猾的狐狸灵活地躲避开那群狗。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》 The criminal eluded the police. 那个罪犯甩掉了警察的追捕。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

33 arrogance
n.傲慢，自大
参考例句：
His arrogance comes out in every speech he makes.他每次讲话都表现得骄傲自大。 Arrogance arrested his progress.骄傲阻碍了他的进步。

34 riddle
n.谜，谜语，粗筛；vt.解谜，给…出谜，筛，检查，鉴定，非难，充满于；vi.出谜
参考例句：
The riddle couldn't be solved by the child.这个谜语孩子猜不出来。 Her disappearance is a complete riddle.她的失踪完全是一个谜。

35 psychology
n.心理，心理学，心理状态
参考例句：
She has a background in child psychology.她受过儿童心理学的教育。 He studied philosophy and psychology at Cambridge.他在剑桥大学学习哲学和心理学。

36 admiration
n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕
参考例句：
He was lost in admiration of the beauty of the scene.他对风景之美赞不绝口。 We have a great admiration for the gold medalists.我们对金牌获得者极为敬佩。

37 reconstruction
n.重建，再现，复原
参考例句：
The country faces a huge task of national reconstruction following the war.战后，该国面临着重建家园的艰巨任务。 In the period of reconstruction,technique decides everything.在重建时期，技术决定一切。

38 pricks
刺痛( prick的名词复数 )； 刺孔； 刺痕； 植物的刺
参考例句：
My skin pricks sometimes. 我的皮肤有时感到刺痛。 You must obey the rule. It is useless for you to kick against the pricks. 你必须遵守规定，对抗对你是无益的。

39 expressive
adj.表现的，表达…的，富于表情的
参考例句：
Black English can be more expressive than standard English.黑人所使用的英语可能比正式英语更有表现力。 He had a mobile,expressive,animated face.他有一张多变的，富于表情的，生动活泼的脸。

40 resolutely
adj.坚决地，果断地
参考例句：
He resolutely adhered to what he had said at the meeting. 他坚持他在会上所说的话。 He grumbles at his lot instead of resolutely facing his difficulties. 他不是果敢地去面对困难，而是抱怨自己运气不佳。

41 anguish
n.(尤指心灵上的)极度痛苦，烦恼
参考例句：
She cried out for anguish at parting.分手时，她由于痛苦而失声大哭。 The unspeakable anguish wrung his heart.难言的痛苦折磨着他的心。

42 wring
n.扭绞；v.拧，绞出，扭
参考例句：
My socks were so wet that I had to wring them.我的袜子很湿，我不得不拧干它们。 I'll wring your neck if you don't behave!你要是不规矩，我就拧断你的脖子。

43 blackmail
n.讹诈，敲诈，勒索，胁迫，恫吓
参考例句：
She demanded ＄1000 blackmail from him.她向他敲诈了1000美元。 The journalist used blackmail to make the lawyer give him the documents.记者讹诈那名律师交给他文件。

44 swarming
密集( swarm的现在分词 )； 云集； 成群地移动； 蜜蜂或其他飞行昆虫成群地飞来飞去
参考例句：
The sacks of rice were swarming with bugs. 一袋袋的米里长满了虫子。 The beach is swarming with bathers. 海滩满是海水浴的人。

45 villa
n.别墅，城郊小屋
参考例句：
We rented a villa in France for the summer holidays.我们在法国租了一幢别墅消夏。 We are quartered in a beautiful villa.我们住在一栋漂亮的别墅里。

46 indictment
n.起诉；诉状
参考例句：
He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。 They issued an indictment against them.他们起诉了他们。

47 peculiar
adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的
参考例句：
He walks in a peculiar fashion.他走路的样子很奇特。 He looked at me with a very peculiar expression.他用一种很奇怪的表情看着我。

48 tallies
n.账( tally的名词复数 )；符合；（计数的）签；标签v.计算，清点( tally的第三人称单数 )；加标签（或标记）于；（使）符合；（使）吻合
参考例句：
Cash on hand tallies with the figure in the accounts. 现款跟账上的数目没有出入。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》 He tallies his own marks. 他把自己的得分记了下来。 来自《简明英汉词典》

49 placate
v.抚慰，平息(愤怒)
参考例句：
He never attempts to placate his enemy.他从不企图与敌人和解。 Even a written apology failed to placate the indignant hostess.甚至一纸书面道歉都没能安抚这个怒气冲冲的女主人。

50 scrawled
乱涂，潦草地写( scrawl的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
I tried to read his directions, scrawled on a piece of paper. 我尽量弄明白他草草写在一片纸上的指示。 Tom scrawled on his slate, "Please take it -- I got more." 汤姆在他的写字板上写了几个字：“请你收下吧，我多得是哩。”

51 likeness
n.相像，相似（之处）
参考例句：
I think the painter has produced a very true likeness.我认为这位画家画得非常逼真。 She treasured the painted likeness of her son.她珍藏她儿子的画像。

52 calamity
n.灾害，祸患，不幸事件
参考例句：
Even a greater natural calamity cannot daunt us. 再大的自然灾害也压不垮我们。 The attack on Pearl Harbor was a crushing calamity.偷袭珍珠港(对美军来说)是一场毁灭性的灾难。