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魔幻的匿名信:《魔手》选读(英音朗读)

阿加莎 · 克里斯蒂被誉为“推理女王”,是世界三大推理宗师之一,她的推理作品可分为四类:

一, 以波洛为侦探主角的系列;

二,以马普尔小姐为侦探主角的系列;

三,汤米和塔彭丝夫妇为主角的系列;

四,以业余侦探为主角的系列。



《魔手》,又名《魔指》、《平静小镇里的罪恶》,是阿加莎 · 克里斯蒂作品中马普尔小姐探案系列中的一本,并分别于1985年和2006年被翻拍成了电视剧和电影。

Jerry Burton是一名在飞行事故中受伤的年轻人,他来到林姆斯托克小镇疗养。这个小镇上的每个人都收到了匿名信,信中涉及了收件人的一些“秘密”。在匿名信的压力下,Symmington夫人服毒自尽了。没过多久,年轻的女佣Agnes也被谋杀了。信的内容是真实的吗?Symmington夫人真的是自杀的吗?

俗话说得好,无风不起浪,来看马普尔小姐如何乘风破浪揭开真相。





Chapter 2




Our anonymous letter did worry me a little but I soon stopped thinking about it. Then, about a week later, our servant, Partridge, told me that Beatrice, the girl who helped her, would not be coming today.
 
‘She has been upset,’ Partridge said.
 
I said I was sorry and hoped that Beatrice would soon be better.
 
‘She is perfectly well,’ said Partridge. ‘It is her feelings that are upset. Because of a letter she has received, suggesting, well, that she is too friendly with you, Mr Burton.’

 
Since I hardly knew what Beatrice looked like I said, ‘What nonsense!’
 
‘That is just what I said to the girl’s mother,’ said Partridge.
 
‘But Beatrice’s boyfriend got one of those letters too, and he doesn’t think it is nonsense at all. So I think it is a good thing Beatrice has left. Because she would not be so upset unless there was something she didn’t want found out. There is no smoke without fire, Mr Burton.’
 
I did not know then how very tired I was going to get of that particular phrase.





no smoke without fire 无火不起烟,无风不起浪







文化注释

Origin of the books title 

The Moving Finger

The book’s title comes from a book of Persian Poetry written in the 11th or 12th century.
 

The Moving Finger Writes; and, having writ,
Moves on: nor all thy Piety nor Wit
Shall lure it back to cancel half a Line,
Nor all thy Tears wash out a Word of it.
 
The meaning of the phrase ‘The Moving Finger’ is that whatever you do in your life, it is your own responsibility and cannot be changed.
 
书名 The Moving Finger 的由来
这部小说的书名来自于一本写于 11 或 12 世纪的波斯诗集∶

“魔手不断书写,一旦写下,
必将继续; 你用尽虔敬或智慧
都无法诱使它删改片段半行;
你所有的眼泪也不能洗去只字片语.”


因此,“魔手(The Moving Finger)”的含义就是人在一生中做下的任何事情都是自己要负起的责任,无法更改或抹煞。
 
No smoke without fire
This is a British proverb meaning that there may be something true behind a rumour. In other words, if you see evidence of something (i.e. the smoke), you assume that there is the cause (i.e. the fire) somewhere, even if you cannot see it. In the story, this theme runs throughout. People in the village assume that there is something true in the accusations in the anonymous letters.

无火不起烟(无风不起浪)
这是一句英国谚语,意思是谣言总是来自于某些事实真相。也就是说,如果你看到某事的迹象(例如:烟),虽然没有看到实际的起因(例如:火),但你也可以认为一定事出有因。在故事里,这个主题贯穿始终。村里的人们都认为匿名信里所指的事情总有一些真实的成分。




(请滑动阅读)


(以上内容节选自《魔手》,图片来自网络)



《魔手》是“阿加莎·克里斯蒂经典侦探作品集”丛书之一。
阿加莎·克里斯蒂:100年前的英伦传奇
用中国人看得懂的英语带您进入阿加莎·克里斯蒂的世界

  • 语言:英语专家精心改写,适合中高级英语学习者阅读
  • 文化:人物表和历史文化背景注释
  • 词汇:难词注释帮助学习和阅读
  • 听力:优美英音全文朗读(附二维码音频下载和点读功能)


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丛书目录(点击蓝色书名,可跳转到试听页面)
《斯泰尔斯庄园奇案》(The Mysterious Affair at Styles)《鸽群中的猫》(Cat among the Pigeons《云中奇案》(Death in the Cloud)《命案目睹记》(4.50 from Paddington)《死亡约会》(Appointment with Death)《国际学舍谋杀案》(Hickory Dickory Dock)《古屋疑云》(Peril at End House)《罗杰疑案》(The Murder of Roger Ackroyd)《东方快车谋杀案》(Murder on the Orient Express)《控方证人及其他》(The Witness for the Prosecution and Other Stories)《尼罗河上的惨案》(Death on the Nile)《穿棕色套装的人》(The Man in the Brown Suit)《黑麦奇案》(A Pocket Full of Rye)《悬崖上的谋杀》(Why Didn't They Ask Evans)《书房命案》(The Body in the Library)《弄假成真》(Dead Man's Folly)《怪屋》(Crooked House)《密码》(N or M?)《魔手》(The Moving Finger)《地狱之旅》(Destination Unknown)《借镜杀人》(They Do It with Mirrors)《寓所谜案》(The Murder at the Vicarage)《葬礼之后》(After the Funeral)《闪光的氰化物》(Sparkling Cyanide)


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