Chapter 22 Jane Takes a New Job
When Norman
Gale1, Jane and Poirot met for dinner on the night after the
blackmailing2 incident, Norman was relieved to hear that his services as Mr Robinson were no longer required.
"He is dead, the good Mr Robinson," said Poirot. He raised his glass.
"Let us drink to his memory."
"R.I.P.," said Norman with a laugh.
"What happened?" asked Jane of Poirot.
He smiled at her.
"I found out what I wanted to know."
"Was she mixed up with Giselle?"
"Yes."
"That was pretty clear from my interview with her," said Norman.
"Quite so," said Poirot. "But I wanted a full and
detailed3 story."
"And you got it?"
"I got it."
They both looked at him inquiringly, but Poirot, in a provoking manner, began to discuss the relationship between a career and a life.
"There are not so many round
pegs4 in square holes one might think. Most people, in spite of what they tell you choose the occupation that they secretly desire. You will hear a man say who works in an office, 'I should like to explore, to rough it in far countries.' But you will find that he likes reading the fiction that deals with that subject, but that he himself prefers the safety and moderate comfort of an office stool."
"According to you," said Jane, "my desire for foreign travel isn't genuine. Messing about with women's heads is my true
vocation5. Well, that isn't true."
Poirot smiled at her.
"You are young still. Naturally, one tries this, that and the other, but what one eventually settles down into is the life one prefers."
"And suppose I prefer being rich?"
"Ah, that, it is more difficult!"
"I don't agree with you," said Gale. "I'm a dentist by chance, not choice. My uncle was a dentist; he wanted me to come in with him, but I was all for adventure and seeing the world. I chucked dentistry and went off to farm in South Africa. However, that wasn't much good; I hadn't had enough experience. I had to accept the old man's offer and come and set up business with him."
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收听单词发音
1
gale
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n.大风,强风,一阵闹声(尤指笑声等) |
参考例句: |
- We got our roof blown off in the gale last night.昨夜的大风把我们的房顶给掀掉了。
- According to the weather forecast,there will be a gale tomorrow.据气象台预报,明天有大风。
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2
blackmailing
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胁迫,尤指以透露他人不体面行为相威胁以勒索钱财( blackmail的现在分词 ) |
参考例句: |
- The policemen kept blackmailing him, because they had sth. on him. 那些警察之所以经常去敲他的竹杠是因为抓住把柄了。
- Democratic paper "nailed" an aggravated case of blackmailing to me. 民主党最主要的报纸把一桩极为严重的讹诈案件“栽”在我的头上。
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3
detailed
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adj.详细的,详尽的,极注意细节的,完全的 |
参考例句: |
- He had made a detailed study of the terrain.他对地形作了缜密的研究。
- A detailed list of our publications is available on request.我们的出版物有一份详细的目录备索。
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4
pegs
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n.衣夹( peg的名词复数 );挂钉;系帐篷的桩;弦钮v.用夹子或钉子固定( peg的第三人称单数 );使固定在某水平 |
参考例句: |
- She hung up the shirt with two (clothes) pegs. 她用两只衣夹挂上衬衫。 来自辞典例句
- The vice-presidents were all square pegs in round holes. 各位副总裁也都安排得不得其所。 来自辞典例句
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vocation
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n.职业,行业 |
参考例句: |
- She struggled for years to find her true vocation.她多年来苦苦寻找真正适合自己的职业。
- She felt it was her vocation to minister to the sick.她觉得照料病人是她的天职。
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6
dominion
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n.统治,管辖,支配权;领土,版图 |
参考例句: |
- Alexander held dominion over a vast area.亚历山大曾统治过辽阔的地域。
- In the affluent society,the authorities are hardly forced to justify their dominion.在富裕社会里,当局几乎无需证明其统治之合理。
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dwelling
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n.住宅,住所,寓所 |
参考例句: |
- Those two men are dwelling with us.那两个人跟我们住在一起。
- He occupies a three-story dwelling place on the Park Street.他在派克街上有一幢3层楼的寓所。
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rusty
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adj.生锈的;锈色的;荒废了的 |
参考例句: |
- The lock on the door is rusty and won't open.门上的锁锈住了。
- I haven't practiced my French for months and it's getting rusty.几个月不用,我的法语又荒疏了。
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compartment
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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。
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melancholy
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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。
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disillusioned
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a.不再抱幻想的,大失所望的,幻想破灭的 |
参考例句: |
- I soon became disillusioned with the job. 我不久便对这个工作不再抱幻想了。
- Many people who are disillusioned in reality assimilate life to a dream. 许多对现实失望的人把人生比作一场梦。
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patriotic
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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。
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dominions
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统治权( dominion的名词复数 ); 领土; 疆土; 版图 |
参考例句: |
- The King sent messengers to every town, village and hamlet in his dominions. 国王派使者到国内每一个市镇,村落和山庄。
- European powers no longer rule over great overseas dominions. 欧洲列强不再统治大块海外领土了。
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fixed
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adj.固定的,不变的,准备好的;(计算机)固定的 |
参考例句: |
- Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗?
- Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定,我们就不应该随意改变。
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monopolized
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v.垄断( monopolize的过去式和过去分词 );独占;专卖;专营 |
参考例句: |
- Men traditionally monopolized jobs in the printing industry. 在传统上,男人包揽了印刷行业中的所有工作。
- The oil combine monopolized the fuel sales of the country. 这家石油联合企业垄断了这个国家的原油销售。 来自互联网
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severely
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adv.严格地;严厉地;非常恶劣地 |
参考例句: |
- He was severely criticized and removed from his post.他受到了严厉的批评并且被撤了职。
- He is severely put down for his careless work.他因工作上的粗心大意而受到了严厉的批评。
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precisely
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adv.恰好,正好,精确地,细致地 |
参考例句: |
- It's precisely that sort of slick sales-talk that I mistrust.我不相信的正是那种油腔滑调的推销宣传。
- The man adjusted very precisely.那个人调得很准。
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pottery
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n.陶器,陶器场 |
参考例句: |
- My sister likes to learn art pottery in her spare time.我妹妹喜欢在空余时间学习陶艺。
- The pottery was left to bake in the hot sun.陶器放在外面让炎热的太阳烘晒焙干。
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texture
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n.(织物)质地;(材料)构造;结构;肌理 |
参考例句: |
- We could feel the smooth texture of silk.我们能感觉出丝绸的光滑质地。
- Her skin has a fine texture.她的皮肤细腻。
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besought
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v.恳求,乞求(某事物)( beseech的过去式和过去分词 );(beseech的过去式与过去分词) |
参考例句: |
- The prisoner besought the judge for mercy/to be merciful. 囚犯恳求法官宽恕[乞求宽大]。 来自辞典例句
- They besought him to speak the truth. 他们恳求他说实话. 来自辞典例句
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specious
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adj.似是而非的;adv.似是而非地 |
参考例句: |
- Such talk is actually specious and groundless.这些话实际上毫无根据,似是而非的。
- It is unlikely that the Duke was convinced by such specious arguments.公爵不太可能相信这种似是而非的论点。
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specimen
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n.样本,标本 |
参考例句: |
- You'll need tweezers to hold up the specimen.你要用镊子来夹这标本。
- This specimen is richly variegated in colour.这件标本上有很多颜色。
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passionately
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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。
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fascination
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n.令人着迷的事物,魅力,迷恋 |
参考例句: |
- He had a deep fascination with all forms of transport.他对所有的运输工具都很着迷。
- His letters have been a source of fascination to a wide audience.广大观众一直迷恋于他的来信。
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accomplishment
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n.完成,成就,(pl.)造诣,技能 |
参考例句: |
- The series of paintings is quite an accomplishment.这一系列的绘画真是了不起的成就。
- Money will be crucial to the accomplishment of our objectives.要实现我们的目标,钱是至关重要的。
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monologue
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n.长篇大论,(戏剧等中的)独白 |
参考例句: |
- The comedian gave a long monologue of jokes.喜剧演员讲了一长段由笑话组成的独白。
- He went into a long monologue.他一个人滔滔不绝地讲话。
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manifestation
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n.表现形式;表明;现象 |
参考例句: |
- Her smile is a manifestation of joy.她的微笑是她快乐的表现。
- What we call mass is only another manifestation of energy.我们称之为质量的东西只是能量的另一种表现形态。
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prehistoric
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adj.(有记载的)历史以前的,史前的,古老的 |
参考例句: |
- They have found prehistoric remains.他们发现了史前遗迹。
- It was rather like an exhibition of prehistoric electronic equipment.这儿倒像是在展览古老的电子设备。
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sinecure
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n.闲差事,挂名职务 |
参考例句: |
- She found him an exalted sinecure as a Fellow of the Library of Congress.她给他找了一个级别很高的闲职:国会图书馆研究员。
- He even had a job,a sinecure,more highly-paid than his old job had been.他甚至还有一个工作,一个挂名差使,比他原来的工作的待遇要好多了。
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demonstration
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n.表明,示范,论证,示威 |
参考例句: |
- His new book is a demonstration of his patriotism.他写的新书是他的爱国精神的证明。
- He gave a demonstration of the new technique then and there.他当场表演了这种新的操作方法。
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