Chapter 22 Strange Behaviour of Hercule Poirot
We were in our rooms.
‘What on earth –’ I began.
Poirot stopped me with a gesture more extravagant¹ than any gesture I had ever seen him make. Both arms whirled in the air.
‘I implore² you, Hastings! Not now. Not now.’
And upon that he seized his hat, clapped it on his head as though he had never heard of order and method, and rushed headlong from the room. He had not returned when, about an hour later, Japp appeared.
‘Little man gone out?’ he inquired.
I nodded.
Japp sank into a seat. He dabbed³ his forehead with a handkerchief. The day was warm.
‘What the devil took him?’ he inquired. ‘I can tell you, Captain Hastings, you could have knocked me down with a feather when he stepped up to the man and said: “I believe you.” For all the world as though he were acting⁴ in a romantic melodrama⁵. It beats me.’
It beat me also, and I said so.
‘And then he marches out of the house,’ said Japp.
‘What did he say about it to you?’
‘Nothing,’ I replied.
‘Nothing at all?’
‘Absolutely nothing. When I was going to speak to him he waved me aside. I thought it best to leave him alone. When we got back here I started to question him. He waved his arms, seized his hat and rushed out again.’
We looked at each other. Japp tapped his forehead significantly.
‘Must be,’ he said.
For once I was disposed to agree. Japp had often suggested before that Poirot was what he called ‘touched’. In those cases he had simply not understood what Poirot was driving at. Here, I was forced to confess, I could not understand Poirot’s attitude. If not touched, he was, at any rate, suspiciously changeable. Here was his own private theory triumphantly⁶ confirmed and straight away he went back on it.
It was enough to dismay and distress

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1 extravagant
adj.奢侈的；过分的；(言行等)放肆的
参考例句：
They tried to please him with fulsome compliments and extravagant gifts.他们想用溢美之词和奢华的礼品来取悦他。 He is extravagant in behaviour.他行为放肆。

2 implore
vt.乞求，恳求，哀求
参考例句：
I implore you to write. At least tell me you're alive.请给我音讯，让我知道你还活着。 Please implore someone else's help in a crisis.危险时请向别人求助。

3 dabbed
（用某物）轻触( dab的过去式和过去分词 )； 轻而快地擦掉（或抹掉）； 快速擦拭； （用某物）轻而快地涂上（或点上）…
参考例句：
She dabbed her eyes and blew her nose. 她轻轻擦了几下眼睛，擤了擤鼻涕。 He dabbed at the spot on his tie with a napkin. 他用餐巾快速擦去领带上的污点。

4 acting
n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的
参考例句：
Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。 During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

5 melodrama
n.音乐剧；情节剧
参考例句：
We really don't need all this ridiculous melodrama!别跟我们来这套荒唐的情节剧表演！ White Haired Woman was a melodrama,but in certain spots it was deliberately funny.《白毛女》是一出悲剧性的歌剧，但也有不少插科打诨。

6 triumphantly
ad.得意洋洋地；得胜地；成功地
参考例句：
The lion was roaring triumphantly. 狮子正在发出胜利的吼叫。 Robert was looking at me triumphantly. 罗伯特正得意扬扬地看着我。

7 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。

8 liar
n.说谎的人
参考例句：
I know you for a thief and a liar!我算认识你了，一个又偷又骗的家伙！ She was wrongly labelled a liar.她被错误地扣上说谎者的帽子。

9 straightforward
adj.正直的，坦率的；易懂的，简单的
参考例句：
A straightforward talk is better than a flowery speech.巧言不如直说。 I must insist on your giving me a straightforward answer.我一定要你给我一个直截了当的回答。

10 tortuous
adj.弯弯曲曲的，蜿蜒的
参考例句：
We have travelled a tortuous road.我们走过了曲折的道路。 They walked through the tortuous streets of the old city.他们步行穿过老城区中心弯弯曲曲的街道。

11 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

12 motives
n.动机，目的( motive的名词复数 )
参考例句：
to impeach sb's motives 怀疑某人的动机 His motives are unclear. 他的用意不明。

13 grudged
怀恨（grudge的过去式与过去分词形式）
参考例句：
The mean man grudged the food his horse ate. 那个吝啬鬼舍不得喂马。 He grudged the food his horse ate. 他吝惜马料。

14 elucidation
n.说明，阐明
参考例句：
The advertising copy is the elucidation text,which must be written according to the formula of AIDA. 文案是说明文，应基本遵照AIDA公式来写作。 来自互联网 Fourth, a worm hole, elucidation space-time can stretch, compression, rent, also is deduced time-travel this idea. 第四，有了虫洞，就说明时空可以被拉伸、压缩、撕裂，也就推导出了时空旅行这个想法。 来自互联网

15 winked
v.使眼色( wink的过去式和过去分词 )；递眼色（表示友好或高兴等）；（指光）闪烁；闪亮
参考例句：
He winked at her and she knew he was thinking the same thing that she was. 他冲她眨了眨眼，她便知道他的想法和她一样。 He winked his eyes at her and left the classroom. 他向她眨巴一下眼睛走出了教室。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

16 impatience
n.不耐烦，急躁
参考例句：
He expressed impatience at the slow rate of progress.进展缓慢，他显得不耐烦。 He gave a stamp of impatience.他不耐烦地跺脚。

17 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。

18 affronted
adj.被侮辱的，被冒犯的v.勇敢地面对( affront的过去式和过去分词 )；相遇
参考例句：
He hoped they would not feel affronted if they were not invited . 他希望如果他们没有获得邀请也不要感到受辱。 Affronted at his impertinence,she stared at him coldly and wordlessly. 被他的无礼而冒犯，她冷冷地、无言地盯着他。 来自《简明英汉词典》

19 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。

20 brass
n.黄铜；黄铜器，铜管乐器
参考例句：
Many of the workers play in the factory's brass band.许多工人都在工厂铜管乐队中演奏。 Brass is formed by the fusion of copper and zinc.黄铜是通过铜和锌的熔合而成的。

21 tacks
大头钉( tack的名词复数 )； 平头钉； 航向； 方法
参考例句：
Never mind the side issues, let's get down to brass tacks and thrash out a basic agreement. 别管枝节问题，让我们讨论问题的实质，以求得基本一致。 Get down to the brass tacks,and quit talking round the subject. 谈实质问题吧，别兜圈子了。

22 honourable
adj.可敬的；荣誉的，光荣的
参考例句：
I don't think I am worthy of such an honourable title.这样的光荣称号，我可担当不起。 I hope to find an honourable way of settling difficulties.我希望设法找到一个体面的办法以摆脱困境。

23 tallied
v.计算，清点( tally的过去式和过去分词 )；加标签（或标记）于；（使）符合；（使）吻合
参考例句：
The girl tallied them with her eyes for a moment. 新娘用目光把这些化妆品清点了一下。 来自教父部分 His account of the accident tallied with hers. 他对事故的陈述和她的相吻合。 来自辞典例句

24 bluffed
以假象欺骗，吹牛( bluff的过去式和过去分词 )； 以虚张声势找出或达成
参考例句：
Hung-chien bluffed, "You know perfectly well yourself without my telling you." 鸿渐摆空城计道：“你心里明白，不用我说。” In each case the hijackers bluffed the crew using fake grenades. 每一个案例中，劫机者都用了假手榴弹吓唬机组人员。

25 meditating
a.沉思的，冥想的
参考例句：
They were meditating revenge. 他们在谋划进行报复。 The congressman is meditating a reply to his critics. 这位国会议员正在考虑给他的批评者一个答复。

26 dozed
v.打盹儿，打瞌睡( doze的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
He boozed till daylight and dozed into the afternoon. 他喝了个通霄，昏沉沉地一直睡到下午。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》 I dozed off during the soporific music. 我听到这催人入睡的音乐，便不知不觉打起盹儿来了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

27 concealing
v.隐藏，隐瞒，遮住( conceal的现在分词 )
参考例句：
Despite his outward display of friendliness, I sensed he was concealing something. 尽管他表现得友善，我还是感觉到他有所隐瞒。 来自《简明英汉词典》 SHE WAS BREAKING THE COMPACT, AND CONCEALING IT FROM HIM. 她违反了他们之间的约定，还把他蒙在鼓里。 来自英汉文学 - 三万元遗产

28 interval
n.间隔，间距；幕间休息，中场休息
参考例句：
The interval between the two trees measures 40 feet.这两棵树的间隔是40英尺。 There was a long interval before he anwsered the telephone.隔了好久他才回了电话。

29 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》

30 meditatively
adv.冥想地
参考例句：
The old man looked meditatively at the darts board. 老头儿沉思不语，看着那投镖板。 来自英汉文学 "Well,'said the foreman, scratching his ear meditatively, "we do need a stitcher. “这--"工头沉思地搔了搔耳朵。 "我们确实需要一个缝纫工。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹

31 marsh
n.沼泽，湿地
参考例句：
There are a lot of frogs in the marsh.沼泽里有许多青蛙。 I made my way slowly out of the marsh.我缓慢地走出这片沼泽地。

32 stunt
n.惊人表演，绝技，特技；vt.阻碍...发育，妨碍...生长
参考例句：
Lack of the right food may stunt growth.缺乏适当的食物会阻碍发育。 Right up there is where the big stunt is taking place.那边将会有惊人的表演。

33 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。

34 alibi
n.某人当时不在犯罪现场的申辩或证明；借口
参考例句：
Do you have any proof to substantiate your alibi? 你有证据表明你当时不在犯罪现场吗？ The police are suspicious of his alibi because he already has a record.警方对他不在场的辩解表示怀疑，因为他已有前科。

35 dealing
n.经商方法，待人态度
参考例句：
This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。 His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

36 acquit
vt.宣判无罪；(oneself)使(自己)表现出
参考例句：
That fact decided the judge to acquit him.那个事实使法官判他无罪。 They always acquit themselves of their duty very well.他们总是很好地履行自己的职责。

37 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。

38 sneak
vt.潜行(隐藏,填石缝)；偷偷摸摸做；n.潜行；adj.暗中进行
参考例句：
He raised his spear and sneak forward.他提起长矛悄悄地前进。 I saw him sneak away from us.我看见他悄悄地从我们身边走开。

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 testimony
n.证词；见证，证明
参考例句：
The testimony given by him is dubious.他所作的证据是可疑的。 He was called in to bear testimony to what the police officer said.他被传入为警官所说的话作证。

41 trumped
v.（牌戏）出王牌赢（一牌或一墩）( trump的过去分词 )；吹号公告，吹号庆祝；吹喇叭；捏造
参考例句：
That woman trumped up various baseless charges against him. 那个女人捏造种种毫无根据的罪名指控他。 来自《简明英汉词典》 Several of his colleagues trumped up a complaint to get him removed from the job. 他的几位同事诬告他，使他丟掉了工作。 来自《简明英汉词典》

42 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》