选择字号:【大】【中】【小】 | 关灯
护眼
|
Foreword
关注小说网官方公众号(noveltingroom),原版名著免费领。
Foreword
Hercule Poirot’s flat was essentially1 modern in its furnishings. It gleamed with chromium. Its easychairs, though comfortably padded, were square and uncompromising in outline.
On one of these chairs sat Hercule Poirot, neatly—in the middle of the chair. Opposite him,in another chair, sat Dr.?Burton, Fellow of All Souls, sipping2 appreciatively at a glass of Poirot’sCh?teau Mouton Rothschild. There was no neatness about Dr.?Burton. He was plump, untidy, andbeneath his thatch4 of white hair beamed a rubicund5 and benign6 countenance7. He had a deepwheezy chuckle8 and the habit of covering himself and everything round him with tobacco ash. Invain did Poirot surround him with ashtrays9.
Dr.?Burton was asking a question.
“Tell me,” he said. “Why Hercule?”
“You mean, my Christian10 name?”
“Hardly a Christian name,” the other demurred11. “Definitely pagan. But why? That’s what Iwant to know. Father’s fancy? Mother’s whim12? Family reasons? If I remember rightly—thoughmy memory isn’t what it was—you had a brother called Achille, did you not?”
Poirot’s mind raced back over the details of Achille Poirot’s career. Had all that reallyhappened?
“Only for a short space of time,” he replied.
Dr.?Burton passed tactfully from the subject of Achille Poirot.
点击
收听单词发音

1
essentially
![]() |
|
adv.本质上,实质上,基本上 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
2
sipping
![]() |
|
v.小口喝,呷,抿( sip的现在分词 ) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
3
appreciative
![]() |
|
adj.有鉴赏力的,有眼力的;感激的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
4
thatch
![]() |
|
vt.用茅草覆盖…的顶部;n.茅草(屋) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
5
rubicund
![]() |
|
adj.(脸色)红润的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
6
benign
![]() |
|
adj.善良的,慈祥的;良性的,无危险的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
7
countenance
![]() |
|
n.脸色,面容;面部表情;vt.支持,赞同 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
8
chuckle
![]() |
|
vi./n.轻声笑,咯咯笑 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
9
ashtrays
![]() |
|
烟灰缸( ashtray的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
10
Christian
![]() |
|
adj.基督教徒的;n.基督教徒 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
11
demurred
![]() |
|
v.表示异议,反对( demur的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
12
whim
![]() |
|
n.一时的兴致,突然的念头;奇想,幻想 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
13
ruminated
![]() |
|
v.沉思( ruminate的过去式和过去分词 );反复考虑;反刍;倒嚼 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
14
impatience
![]() |
|
n.不耐烦,急躁 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
15
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: |
|
|
16
wheeze
![]() |
|
n.喘息声,气喘声;v.喘息着说 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
17
attired
![]() |
|
adj.穿着整齐的v.使穿上衣服,使穿上盛装( attire的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
18
natty
![]() |
|
adj.整洁的,漂亮的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
19
adorned
![]() |
|
[计]被修饰的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
20
shrugged
![]() |
|
vt.耸肩(shrug的过去式与过去分词形式) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
21
cultivation
![]() |
|
n.耕作,培养,栽培(法),养成 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
22
marrows
![]() |
|
n.骨髓(marrow的复数形式) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
23
marrow
![]() |
|
n.骨髓;精华;活力 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
24
swollen
![]() |
|
adj.肿大的,水涨的;v.使变大,肿胀 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
25
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: |
|
|
26
minced
![]() |
|
v.切碎( mince的过去式和过去分词 );剁碎;绞碎;用绞肉机绞(食物,尤指肉) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
27
bouquet
![]() |
|
n.花束,酒香 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
28
sipped
![]() |
|
v.小口喝,呷,抿( sip的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
29
descended
![]() |
|
a.为...后裔的,出身于...的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
30
sonorously
![]() |
|
adv.圆润低沉地;感人地;堂皇地;朗朗地 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
31
buffeted
![]() |
|
反复敲打( buffet的过去式和过去分词 ); 连续猛击; 打来打去; 推来搡去 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
32
alas
![]() |
|
int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
33
melancholy
![]() |
|
n.忧郁,愁思;adj.令人感伤(沮丧)的,忧郁的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
34
chuckled
![]() |
|
轻声地笑( chuckle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
35
amiable
![]() |
|
adj.和蔼可亲的,友善的,亲切的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
36
gnome
![]() |
|
n.土地神;侏儒,地精 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
37
labor
![]() |
|
n.劳动,努力,工作,劳工;分娩;vi.劳动,努力,苦干;vt.详细分析;麻烦 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
38
labors
![]() |
|
v.努力争取(for)( labor的第三人称单数 );苦干;详细分析;(指引擎)缓慢而困难地运转 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
39
perusing
![]() |
|
v.读(某篇文字)( peruse的现在分词 );(尤指)细阅;审阅;匆匆读或心不在焉地浏览(某篇文字) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
40
harried
![]() |
|
v.使苦恼( harry的过去式和过去分词 );不断烦扰;一再袭击;侵扰 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
41
detailed
![]() |
|
adj.详细的,详尽的,极注意细节的,完全的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
42
plunged
![]() |
|
v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 );暴跌;骤降;突降 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
43
lore
![]() |
|
n.传说;学问,经验,知识 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
44
celebrated
![]() |
|
adj.有名的,声誉卓著的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
45
undoubtedly
![]() |
|
adv.确实地,无疑地 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
46
aliases
![]() |
|
n.别名,化名( alias的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
47
rape
![]() |
|
n.抢夺,掠夺,强奸;vt.掠夺,抢夺,强奸 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
48
disillusioned
![]() |
|
a.不再抱幻想的,大失所望的,幻想破灭的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
49
copper
![]() |
|
n.铜;铜币;铜器;adj.铜(制)的;(紫)铜色的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
50
sketch
![]() |
|
n.草图;梗概;素描;v.素描;概述 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
51
bulging
![]() |
|
膨胀; 凸出(部); 打气; 折皱 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
52
brandishing
![]() |
|
v.挥舞( brandish的现在分词 );炫耀 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
53
benefactor
![]() |
|
n. 恩人,行善的人,捐助人 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
54
conceit
![]() |
|
n.自负,自高自大 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
55
artistic
![]() |
|
adj.艺术(家)的,美术(家)的;善于艺术创作的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
56
sensational
![]() |
|
adj.使人感动的,非常好的,轰动的,耸人听闻的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
57
royalty
![]() |
|
n.皇家,皇族 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
上一章:
没有了
下一章:
序幕
©英文小说网 2005-2010