Chapter 11 MURDER
Katherine wakened the next morning to brilliant sunshine. She went along to breakfast early, but met none of her acquaintances of the day before. When she returned to her
compartment1 it had just been restored to its daytime appearance by the conductor, a dark man with a
drooping2 moustache and
melancholy3 face.
"Madame is fortunate," he said, "the sun shines. It is always a great disappointment to passengers when they arrive on a grey morning."
"I should have been disappointed, certainly," said Katherine.
The man prepared to depart.
"We are rather late, Madame," he said. "I will let you know just before we get to Nice."
Katherine nodded. She sat by the window; entranced by the sunlit
panorama5. The palid trees, the deep blue of the sea, the bright yellow mimosa came with all the charm of novelty to the woman who for fourteen years had known only the drab winters of England.
When they arrived at Cannes, Katherine got out and walked up and down the platform. She was curious about the lady in the
mink6 coat, and looked up at the windows of her compartment. The blinds were still
drawn7 down - the only ones to be so on the whole train. Katherine wondered a little, and when she re-entered the train she passed along the corridor and noticed that these two
compartments8 were still shuttered and closed. The lady of the mink coat was clearly no early riser.
Presently the conductor came to her and told her that in a few minutes the train would arrive at Nice. Katherine handed him a tip; the man thanked her, but still lingered.
There was something odd about him. Katherine, who had at first wondered whether the tip had not been big enough, was now convinced that something far more serious was amiss. His face was of a sickly pallor, he was shaking all over, and looked as if he had been frightened out of his life. He was eyeing her in a curious manner. Presently he said
点击
收听单词发音
1
compartment
|
|
n.卧车包房,隔间;分隔的空间 |
参考例句: |
- We were glad to have the whole compartment to ourselves.真高兴,整个客车隔间由我们独享。
- The batteries are safely enclosed in a watertight compartment.电池被安全地置于一个防水的隔间里。
|
2
drooping
|
|
adj. 下垂的,无力的
动词droop的现在分词 |
参考例句: |
- The drooping willows are waving gently in the morning breeze. 晨风中垂柳袅袅。
- The branches of the drooping willows were swaying lightly. 垂柳轻飘飘地摆动。
|
3
melancholy
|
|
n.忧郁,愁思;adj.令人感伤(沮丧)的,忧郁的 |
参考例句: |
- All at once he fell into a state of profound melancholy.他立即陷入无尽的忧思之中。
- He felt melancholy after he failed the exam.这次考试没通过,他感到很郁闷。
|
4
pointed
|
|
adj.尖的,直截了当的 |
参考例句: |
- He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
- She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。
|
5
panorama
|
|
n.全景,全景画,全景摄影,全景照片[装置] |
参考例句: |
- A vast panorama of the valley lay before us.山谷的广阔全景展现在我们面前。
- A flourishing and prosperous panorama spread out before our eyes.一派欣欣向荣的景象展现在我们的眼前。
|
6
mink
|
|
n.貂,貂皮 |
参考例句: |
- She was wearing a blue dress and a mink coat.她穿着一身蓝色的套装和一件貂皮大衣。
- He started a mink ranch and made a fortune in five years. 他开了个水貂养殖场,五年之内就赚了不少钱。
|
7
drawn
|
|
v.拖,拉,拔出;adj.憔悴的,紧张的 |
参考例句: |
- All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
- Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。
|
8
compartments
|
|
n.间隔( compartment的名词复数 );(列车车厢的)隔间;(家具或设备等的)分隔间;隔层 |
参考例句: |
- Your pencil box has several compartments. 你的铅笔盒有好几个格。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- The first-class compartments are in front. 头等车室在前头。 来自《简明英汉词典》
|
9
abruptly
|
|
adv.突然地,出其不意地 |
参考例句: |
- He gestured abruptly for Virginia to get in the car.他粗鲁地示意弗吉尼亚上车。
- I was abruptly notified that a half-hour speech was expected of me.我突然被通知要讲半个小时的话。
|
10
belongings
|
|
n.私人物品,私人财物 |
参考例句: |
- I put a few personal belongings in a bag.我把几件私人物品装进包中。
- Your personal belongings are not dutiable.个人物品不用纳税。
|
11
ingenuous
|
|
adj.纯朴的,单纯的;天真的;坦率的 |
参考例句: |
- Only the most ingenuous person would believe such a weak excuse!只有最天真的人才会相信这么一个站不住脚的借口!
- With ingenuous sincerity,he captivated his audience.他以自己的率真迷住了观众。
|
12
chubby
|
|
adj.丰满的,圆胖的 |
参考例句: |
- He is stocky though not chubby.他长得敦实,可并不发胖。
- The short and chubby gentleman over there is our new director.那个既矮又胖的绅士是我们的新主任。
|
13
insidious
|
|
adj.阴险的,隐匿的,暗中为害的,(疾病)不知不觉之间加剧 |
参考例句: |
- That insidious man bad-mouthed me to almost everyone else.那个阴险的家伙几乎见人便说我的坏话。
- Organized crime has an insidious influence on all who come into contact with it.所有和集团犯罪有关的人都会不知不觉地受坏影响。
|
14
behold
|
|
v.看,注视,看到 |
参考例句: |
- The industry of these little ants is wonderful to behold.这些小蚂蚁辛勤劳动的样子看上去真令人惊叹。
- The sunrise at the seaside was quite a sight to behold.海滨日出真是个奇景。
|
15
insignificance
|
|
n.不重要;无价值;无意义 |
参考例句: |
- Her insignificance in the presence of so much magnificence faintly affected her. "她想象着他所描绘的一切,心里不禁有些刺痛。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
- It was above the common mass, above idleness, above want, above insignificance. 这里没有平凡,没有懒散,没有贫困,也没有低微。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
|
16
stature
|
|
n.(高度)水平,(高度)境界,身高,身材 |
参考例句: |
- He is five feet five inches in stature.他身高5英尺5英寸。
- The dress models are tall of stature.时装模特儿的身材都较高。
|
17
patriotic
|
|
adj.爱国的,有爱国心的 |
参考例句: |
- His speech was full of patriotic sentiments.他的演说充满了爱国之情。
- The old man is a patriotic overseas Chinese.这位老人是一位爱国华侨。
|
18
dodge
|
|
v.闪开,躲开,避开;n.妙计,诡计 |
参考例句: |
- A dodge behind a tree kept her from being run over.她向树后一闪,才没被车从身上辗过。
- The dodge was coopered by the police.诡计被警察粉碎了。
|
19
sufficiently
|
|
adv.足够地,充分地 |
参考例句: |
- It turned out he had not insured the house sufficiently.原来他没有给房屋投足保险。
- The new policy was sufficiently elastic to accommodate both views.新政策充分灵活地适用两种观点。
|
20
grunt
|
|
v.嘟哝;作呼噜声;n.呼噜声,嘟哝 |
参考例句: |
- He lifted the heavy suitcase with a grunt.他咕噜着把沉重的提箱拎了起来。
- I ask him what he think,but he just grunt.我问他在想什麽,他只哼了一声。
|
21
gasped
|
|
v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 );喘息;倒抽气;很想要 |
参考例句: |
- She gasped at the wonderful view. 如此美景使她惊讶得屏住了呼吸。
- People gasped with admiration at the superb skill of the gymnasts. 体操运动员的高超技艺令人赞叹。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
|
22
peremptorily
|
|
adv.紧急地,不容分说地,专横地 |
参考例句: |
- She peremptorily rejected the request. 她断然拒绝了请求。
- Their propaganda was peremptorily switched to an anti-Western line. 他们的宣传断然地转而持反对西方的路线。 来自辞典例句
|
23
aperture
|
|
n.孔,隙,窄的缺口 |
参考例句: |
- The only light came through a narrow aperture.仅有的光亮来自一个小孔。
- We saw light through a small aperture in the wall.我们透过墙上的小孔看到了亮光。
|
24
stammered
|
|
v.结巴地说出( stammer的过去式和过去分词 ) |
参考例句: |
- He stammered most when he was nervous. 他一紧张往往口吃。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
- Barsad leaned back in his chair, and stammered, \"What do you mean?\" 巴萨往椅背上一靠,结结巴巴地说,“你是什么意思?” 来自英汉文学 - 双城记
|
25
heartily
|
|
adv.衷心地,诚恳地,十分,很 |
参考例句: |
- He ate heartily and went out to look for his horse.他痛快地吃了一顿,就出去找他的马。
- The host seized my hand and shook it heartily.主人抓住我的手,热情地和我握手。
|
26
promptly
|
|
adv.及时地,敏捷地 |
参考例句: |
- He paid the money back promptly.他立即还了钱。
- She promptly seized the opportunity his absence gave her.她立即抓住了因他不在场给她创造的机会。
|
27
alas
|
|
int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等) |
参考例句: |
- Alas!The window is broken!哎呀!窗子破了!
- Alas,the truth is less romantic.然而,真理很少带有浪漫色彩。
|
28
brutal
|
|
adj.残忍的,野蛮的,不讲理的 |
参考例句: |
- She has to face the brutal reality.她不得不去面对冷酷的现实。
- They're brutal people behind their civilised veneer.他们表面上温文有礼,骨子里却是野蛮残忍。
|
29
soothing
|
|
adj.慰藉的;使人宽心的;镇静的 |
参考例句: |
- Put on some nice soothing music.播放一些柔和舒缓的音乐。
- His casual, relaxed manner was very soothing.他随意而放松的举动让人很快便平静下来。
|
30
distressing
|
|
a.使人痛苦的 |
参考例句: |
- All who saw the distressing scene revolted against it. 所有看到这种悲惨景象的人都对此感到难过。
- It is distressing to see food being wasted like this. 这样浪费粮食令人痛心。
|
31
distress
|
|
n.苦恼,痛苦,不舒适;不幸;vt.使悲痛 |
参考例句: |
- Nothing could alleviate his distress.什么都不能减轻他的痛苦。
- Please don't distress yourself.请你不要忧愁了。
|
32
apprehensively
|
|
adv.担心地 |
参考例句: |
- He glanced a trifle apprehensively towards the crowded ballroom. 他敏捷地朝挤满了人的舞厅瞟了一眼。 来自辞典例句
- Then it passed, leaving everything in a state of suspense, even the willow branches waiting apprehensively. 一阵这样的风过去,一切都不知怎好似的,连柳树都惊疑不定的等着点什么。 来自汉英文学 - 骆驼祥子
|
33
enchanted
|
|
adj. 被施魔法的,陶醉的,入迷的
动词enchant的过去式和过去分词 |
参考例句: |
- She was enchanted by the flowers you sent her. 她非常喜欢你送给她的花。
- He was enchanted by the idea. 他为这个主意而欣喜若狂。
|
34
berth
|
|
n.卧铺,停泊地,锚位;v.使停泊 |
参考例句: |
- She booked a berth on the train from London to Aberdeen.她订了一张由伦敦开往阿伯丁的火车卧铺票。
- They took up a berth near the harbor.他们在港口附近找了个位置下锚。
|
35
posture
|
|
n.姿势,姿态,心态,态度;v.作出某种姿势 |
参考例句: |
- The government adopted an uncompromising posture on the issue of independence.政府在独立这一问题上采取了毫不妥协的态度。
- He tore off his coat and assumed a fighting posture.他脱掉上衣,摆出一副打架的架势。
|
36
flinched
|
|
v.(因危险和痛苦)退缩,畏惧( flinch的过去式和过去分词 ) |
参考例句: |
- He flinched at the sight of the blood. 他一见到血就往后退。
- This tough Corsican never flinched or failed. 这个刚毅的科西嘉人从来没有任何畏缩或沮丧。 来自辞典例句
|
37
exclamation
|
|
n.感叹号,惊呼,惊叹词 |
参考例句: |
- He could not restrain an exclamation of approval.他禁不住喝一声采。
- The author used three exclamation marks at the end of the last sentence to wake up the readers.作者在文章的最后一句连用了三个惊叹号,以引起读者的注意。
|
38
bent
|
|
n.爱好,癖好;adj.弯的;决心的,一心的 |
参考例句: |
- He was fully bent upon the project.他一心扑在这项计划上。
- We bent over backward to help them.我们尽了最大努力帮助他们。
|
39
mole
|
|
n.胎块;痣;克分子 |
参考例句: |
- She had a tiny mole on her cheek.她的面颊上有一颗小黑痣。
- The young girl felt very self- conscious about the large mole on her chin.那位年轻姑娘对自己下巴上的一颗大痣感到很不自在。
|
40
shrugged
|
|
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》
|
41
mused
|
|
v.沉思,冥想( muse的过去式和过去分词 );沉思自语说(某事) |
参考例句: |
- \"I wonder if I shall ever see them again, \"he mused. “我不知道是否还可以再见到他们,”他沉思自问。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- \"Where are we going from here?\" mused one of Rutherford's guests. 卢瑟福的一位客人忍不住说道:‘我们这是在干什么?” 来自英汉非文学 - 科学史
|
42
shuddered
|
|
v.战栗( shudder的过去式和过去分词 );发抖;(机器、车辆等)突然震动;颤动 |
参考例句: |
- He slammed on the brakes and the car shuddered to a halt. 他猛踩刹车,车颤抖着停住了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- I shuddered at the sight of the dead body. 我一看见那尸体就战栗。 来自《简明英汉词典》
|
43
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。
|
44
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。
|
45
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。
|
46
scarlet
|
|
n.深红色,绯红色,红衣;adj.绯红色的 |
参考例句: |
- The scarlet leaves of the maples contrast well with the dark green of the pines.深红的枫叶和暗绿的松树形成了明显的对比。
- The glowing clouds are growing slowly pale,scarlet,bright red,and then light red.天空的霞光渐渐地淡下去了,深红的颜色变成了绯红,绯红又变为浅红。
|
47
confidentially
|
|
ad.秘密地,悄悄地 |
参考例句: |
- She was leaning confidentially across the table. 她神神秘秘地从桌子上靠过来。
- Kao Sung-nien and Wang Ch'u-hou talked confidentially in low tones. 高松年汪处厚两人低声密谈。
|
48
conceal
|
|
v.隐藏,隐瞒,隐蔽 |
参考例句: |
- He had to conceal his identity to escape the police.为了躲避警方,他只好隐瞒身份。
- He could hardly conceal his joy at his departure.他几乎掩饰不住临行时的喜悦。
|
49
concealed
|
|
a.隐藏的,隐蔽的 |
参考例句: |
- The paintings were concealed beneath a thick layer of plaster. 那些画被隐藏在厚厚的灰泥层下面。
- I think he had a gun concealed about his person. 我认为他当时身上藏有一支枪。
|
50
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。
|
51
negligence
|
|
n.疏忽,玩忽,粗心大意 |
参考例句: |
- They charged him with negligence of duty.他们指责他玩忽职守。
- The traffic accident was allegedly due to negligence.这次车祸据说是由于疏忽造成的。
|
52
spoke
|
|
n.(车轮的)辐条;轮辐;破坏某人的计划;阻挠某人的行动 v.讲,谈(speak的过去式);说;演说;从某种观点来说 |
参考例句: |
- They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
- The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。
|
53
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。
|