Words of Christie

 The Mysterious affair at Styles by Agatha Christie

In the quaintly quiet village of Styles, the atmosphere was pierced by the beastly news of a death. The bereaved family, shrouded in grief, acquiesced to an inquest led by Poirot, whose inscrutability was as profound as a sphinx. His physiognomy remained imperturbably calm as he began to expound on his observations, weaving through the mystery like a buoy in a stormy sea.

Standing by the gorge near the manor, Poirot’s sharp eyes noted the hobnailed boots clumping through the dirt, their presence blotting the otherwise pristine path. He scribbled notes furiously, his frock coat billowing slightly in the breeze, the ruffles at his cuffs adding a peculiar elegance to his otherwise methodical demeanor.

The inquest revealed a deranged mind at work, and the post-mortem hinted at foul play. Poirot, never one to waste words, began to recapitulate the sequence of events. “The pang of betrayal,” he said, “led to a moment of languor, and in that moment, the fatal deed was done.”

But the villagers, with their varied dispositions, were not so easily convinced. “Fiddlesticks!” someone exclaimed contemptuously, their voice cutting through the crowd like a sharp blade. Poirot, unbothered by the gruffness of the remark, interposed, “The evidence is clear. The victim’s scribbled note, though seemingly nonsensical, was interpolated to disguise the truth.”

One reproachful glance from Poirot silenced the skeptics. “Do not mistake the inscrutability of the case for its insolubility,” he added with a trace of reproachful authority. “Even the sphinx reveals its secrets to those who persist.”

As the pieces of the puzzle clumped together in Poirot’s mind, he closed his notebook and smiled faintly. “Now, let us uncover the truth.”

在风景如画却古怪宁静的斯泰尔斯村，一则令人不快的噩耗打破了平静。失去亲人的家属笼罩在悲痛中，默许了由波洛主持的一场调查。波洛那神秘莫测的神情如同斯芬克斯一般，他的面容平静如水，开始详细解释他的观察结果，像风暴中的浮标一般，穿梭于这场谜案之中。

在庄园附近的峡谷旁，波洛敏锐的目光注意到钉鞋的足迹重重踏过泥土，它们的存在污损了本该洁净的小路。他潦草地记下笔记，他的长袍在微风中微微飘动，袖口的褶边为他理性而精确的举止增添了一丝奇特的优雅。

调查显示，一颗疯狂的心酝酿了罪行，验尸报告暗示着不祥的气息。波洛从不浪费话语，开始总结事情的经过：“背叛的剧痛，”他说，“引发了一瞬间的无力，而就在那一刻，罪行发生了。”

然而，村民们性情各异，并不那么容易相信。“胡说八道！”有人轻蔑地喊道，声音如锋利的刀刃般穿透人群。但波洛并未被粗暴的言辞扰乱，他插话道：“证据清楚明了。受害者潦草的字条，虽然看似无意义，却被刻意插入以掩盖真相。”

波洛用责备的目光扫视了一下四周的怀疑者。“不要将案件的难以理解误认为它的不可解。”他带着一丝责备的语气补充道，“即便是斯芬克斯，也会向坚持不懈的人揭示它的秘密。”

当案件的线索在波洛的脑海中聚集成形时，他合上了笔记本，淡淡一笑。“现在，让我们揭开真相。”

In the quiet village of Styles, Hercule Poirot sat in the corner of a lukewarm tea shop, his crafty mind piecing together fragments of the crime. Mademoiselle Cynthia entered precipitately, her cheeks flushed with a tawny glow and her demeanor both abashed and constrainedly polite. Poirot’s gleam of sharp intellect caught her nervousness, and he jocosely remarked, “Mademoiselle, you are more reticent than usual. Do you have something frightful to confess?”

Cynthia’s lips trembled as she tried to muster her courage. “It’s just a supposition, Monsieur Poirot,” she said, her voice flimsy but determined. “I saw someone leering through the garden hedge last night. It was most disconcerting.”

Poirot’s keen eyes narrowed. “Presto! A clue, perhaps. Describe this scoundrel.”

“He was weedy,” she replied, “with an insolence that nettled me. He looked extravagantly pleased with himself, as though he were concocting something piquant.”

The coroner had already dismissed the case as an accident, but Poirot repudiated that conclusion with judicious logic. “The coroner’s findings were injudicious,” Poirot muttered, “a flimsy explanation at best. There is more to this than meets the eye.”

As he considered the possibilities, a twinge of doubt crept into his mind. Could it be a plot to depose the family’s heir? The idea gleamed in his thoughts like a dim candle in the darkness.

Suddenly, a hush fell over the tea shop as a man entered. His tawny coat was muddy, and his glib manner unnerved the room. Poirot leaned forward, his voice dropping to a whisper. “Mademoiselle, is this the man?”

Cynthia nodded, constrainedly. “Yes. That’s him.”

The man smirked, but Poirot remained composed. “You have walked into my trap,” Poirot said jocosely but with unmistakable authority. “Your insolence and haste will be your downfall.”

The man, realizing the game was up, tried to flee, but Poirot stood, his presence as sharp as ever. “Hush now, Monsieur,” he commanded. “This mystery is solved.”

在寂静的斯泰尔斯村，赫尔克里·波洛坐在温吞的茶馆角落里， 机智的头脑正拼凑着犯罪的碎片。西恩小姐仓促地冲了进来，脸颊泛着黄褐色的红晕，神态既尴尬又局促。波洛锐利的目光捕捉到她的紧张，风趣地说道：“小姐，你今天比平常更加沉默寡言。难道你有什么可怕的事情要坦白吗？”

西恩的嘴唇颤抖着，试图鼓起勇气。“这只是个假设，波洛先生，”她的声音虚弱却坚定。“昨晚我看到有人在花园的树篱间斜眼偷看。那真是令人不安。”

波洛锐利的双眼微眯。“快！这也许是一个线索。描述一下这个无赖。”

“他很瘦弱，”她回答道，“带着一种让我恼怒的傲慢。他看起来非常得意，好像正在策划什么辛辣刺激的事情。”

验尸官已经将案件归结为意外，但波洛明智地否认了这个结论。“验尸官的发现是不明智的，”波洛低声说道，“最多只能算是一个脆弱的解释。事情远不止表面这么简单。”

当他思索着各种可能性时，一阵刺痛感涌上他的心头。会不会这是一个罢黜家族继承人的阴谋？这个想法在他的脑海中闪烁着微光，就像黑暗中的烛火。

突然，茶馆里一片安静，一个男人走了进来。他的黄褐色外套沾满了泥，油嘴滑舌的态度让整个房间都感到不安。波洛向前倾了倾身子，声音低了下来。“小姐，是这个人吗？”

西恩局促地点了点头。“是的，就是他。”

那个男人冷笑了一下，但波洛保持冷静。“你已经落入了我的圈套，”波洛带着一丝幽默却又不容置疑的语气说道。“你的傲慢和仓促将是你的败笔。”

那人意识到自己败露了，试图逃跑，但波洛站了起来，气场锐利如常。“安静点，先生，”他命令道。“这起谜案已经揭晓了。”

In the wretched glade on the outskirts of Styles, Hastings, fidgeting with a halter, sauntered nervously, his brow furrowed in thought. He had been accosted earlier by a ruffian—a queer figure with vehemence in his voice, who left Hastings incredulous at the abominable innuendos hurled his way.

Poirot, ever the connoisseur of human behavior, observed Hastings’ nonplus from a distance. “Mon ami,” he called out jocularly, his tone a leaven of humor to Hastings’ dour (gloomy) mood. “Why such tomfoolery with that halter? It is not the byword for intelligence.”

Hastings staggered slightly, his footing unsure. “I was just trying to retrace the steps of the personages in this case. Their subterfuge is insuperable.”

Poirot raised a brow, exultation flickering briefly as he pointed to a facsimile of a map lying on the baize table nearby. “This, Hastings, is the cynosure of our mystery. But do not blunder into conclusions. Let us think!”

“Stolid as ever,” Hastings muttered under his breath, though his irritation began to ebb. He glanced at the map, noticing an ostentatiously marked spot near a glade.

Poirot, meanwhile, stooped to pick up a mallet left behind—a curious detail. “Ah, the details!” he exclaimed. “They're stupefied, aren't they not?”

“Are you suggesting the ruffian was here with a mallet?” Hastings asked, feeling more bewildered.

Poirot smiled haughtily, ignoring the question. “Let us gad about, Hastings, and see what we uncover. With care, even the most abominable of mysteries can unravel.”

And so they set off, Hastings muttering expostulations, Poirot sauntering confidently, their steps marked by the possibility of vehemence or victory ahead.

在斯泰尔斯村外的那片凄凉的林间空地上，黑斯廷斯一边摆弄着一根缰绳，一边漫无目的地徘徊，额头上布满了思索的皱纹。早些时候，他被一个流氓拦住了——那是个奇怪的家伙，言语中充满了激烈的情绪，让黑斯廷斯对那些可憎的暗示感到难以置信。

波洛，一向是人类行为的鉴赏家，从远处观察着黑斯廷斯困惑的模样。“我的朋友，”他打趣地喊道，语气中透着一种活跃气氛的幽默感，“你为什么拿着缰绳胡闹呢？这可不是聪明的象征。”

黑斯廷斯稍稍踉跄了一下，脚步有些不稳。“我只是在试图重现案件中那些人物的行踪。他们的诡计简直难以破解。”

波洛抬起眉头，脸上掠过一丝得意，他指向摆在毛呢桌上的一张地图副本。“这个，黑斯廷斯，才是我们谜题的焦点。但千万不要犯错误下结论。我们需要思考！”

“你一如既往地冷静无情，”黑斯廷斯低声嘟囔，虽然他的烦躁情绪开始缓和下来。他瞥了一眼地图，注意到地图上显眼地标记了空地附近的一处地点。

与此同时，波洛弯腰捡起一把遗留在地上的木槌——这是个奇怪的细节。“啊，细节！”他感叹道，“它们难道不会让你惊愕吗？”

“你的意思是流氓曾拿着木槌出现在这里？”黑斯廷斯问道，感到更加困惑。

波洛傲慢地一笑，忽略了问题。“让我们四处看看吧，黑斯廷斯，看看我们能发现什么。只要小心，即便是最可憎的谜团也会解开。”

于是，他们出发了。黑斯廷斯嘴里嘟囔着抗议，波洛自信地闲逛着，他们的步伐间，既可能迎来激烈的挑战，也可能迎来胜利的曙光。

Hastings stammered, "Poirot, this is a morbid scene."
Poirot adjusted his supple tie and replied, “I opine that the onus of solving this case falls on me.”
At that moment, an indignant Mrs. Cavendish burst in, her shrewishness apparent. “That unscrupulous blackguard Alfred! He’s behind this!” she ejaculated.
Poirot raised a brow, his tone solicitous. “Madame, such asperity will not help.”
From the corner, Alfred smirked, a cavalier air about him. “What a vagary of accusations,” he muttered.
Mrs. Cavendish’s hand trembled as she held a phial. Poirot noticed and said, “Please, stow that away before we have another contention.”
Hastings interjected, “Poirot, the man’s prodigious debts suggest he’s a spendthrift or even a profligate.”
Poirot’s eyes narrowed. “Perhaps. But do not forget the tether of human greed. It leads to all crimes.”
Mrs. Cavendish added, “And his pugnacious nature!”
Poirot tapped his head, pondering. “This case, mon ami, is stupendous. The evidence, like a sieve, lets nothing escape.”
Alfred leapt forward in a sudden gambol, but Poirot stopped him with a gallant stance.
“Enough of this gaiety,” Poirot declared. “I aver the truth lies in the ponderous details.”
As Alfred’s confidence shuddered, Poirot concluded, “This man’s crime was not a mere caper; it was carefully planned.”
And so, the case at Styles was closed.

黑斯廷斯结巴地说道：“波洛，这真是个病态的场面。”

波洛整理了一下柔软的领带，回答道：“我认为，解决这个案件的责任落在我身上。”

就在这时，一脸愤怒的卡文迪什夫人闯了进来，显得十分泼辣。“那个无赖阿尔弗雷德！肯定是他干的！”她突然喊道。

波洛挑了挑眉，语气关切地说：“夫人，这种严厉的态度无济于事。”

角落里的阿尔弗雷德带着傲慢的神情冷笑了一声。“真是荒唐的奇想，”他嘟囔道。

卡文迪什夫人手里拿着一个小瓶，手在颤抖。波洛注意到了，说：“请把它收好，免得我们再生争论。”

黑斯廷斯插嘴道：“波洛，这个人有巨大的债务，这表明他是个挥霍者，甚至是个浪费成性的人。”

波洛眯起眼睛，语气凝重。“也许如此。但不要忘记人类贪婪的束缚，它导致了所有的犯罪。”

卡文迪什夫人补充道：“还有他的好斗性格！”

波洛敲了敲头，若有所思地说道：“这个案子，朋友，是非凡的。证据就像一个筛子，什么也逃不过。”

阿尔弗雷德突然跳跃着向前，但波洛以勇敢的姿态拦住了他。

“别再这样欢快了，”波洛断然说道。“我断言，真相藏在那些沉重的细节中。”

就在阿尔弗雷德的信心开始颤抖时，波洛下了结论：“这个人的罪行并非简单的蹦跳，而是精心策划的。”

就这样，斯泰尔斯的案件落下了帷幕。

---

Murder on the Links by Agatha Christie

A singularly rakish gentleman stood beneath the chiming peal of a distant clock. Nearby, a mischievous minx, no ordinary damsel, pattered volubly about some unintelligible topic, her gestures evincing a peculiar excitement.

A porter had just alighted, burdened by a heavy trunk. His efforts drew no attention from a frump sitting on a bench, lost in her own world. The scene, though mundane, held a certain gaiety when a child, his face lit with a dimple, ran past chasing a paper fag blown by the wind.

Suddenly, the discourse shifted. The gentleman offered a salve for the minx’s theatrics—a kind word. She stopped her dramatic gesturing, her scornful look withering into a laugh. “Marvelous!” she exclaimed, as though hearing a universal verity for the first time.

The banal tranquility was interrupted when the gentleman, now prostrate in a bow, handed her a flower, his manner discreet yet chic. Though she demurred, the gesture betokened his admiration.

The onlookers, charmed, smiled, but one whispered, stammeringly, “Such devotion—quite immoderately romantic!”

在远处钟声的响声下，一位独特地流露出风流的仪态的绅士伫立其间。近旁，一位狡黠的狡猾的女人，绝非寻常少女，正喋喋不休、流利地谈论着一些难以理解的话题，动作中表现出一种奇异的兴奋。

此时，一名搬运工刚刚降落似地放下沉重的行李箱。他的辛劳并未引起坐在长凳上那位老古板女子的注意，她似乎沉浸在自己的世界中。场景虽看似平凡，却有一丝欢欣的欢乐气息流露；不远处，一个有着酒窝的孩子追逐一根被风吹走的纸质烟卷，洋溢着奇妙的愉悦。

忽然，谈话的焦点转移了。那绅士以一句温柔的话语作为药膏般的安抚，缓解了这狡猾的女人的戏剧化表现。她的神情收起了先前的尖刻，转而发出轻快的笑声：“真是奇迹！”仿佛她头一次听闻世间的真理。

这原本陈腐的宁静被绅士接下来的举动打破：他以一个俯卧的礼仪姿态呈上一朵花，举止虽谨慎的却格外优雅的。女子虽有犹豫，可这行为已为他的倾慕预示了深意。

旁观者们被这情境打动，露出微笑。其中一人结巴地低声赞叹：“如此的热忱——实在过度地浪漫！”

2.
In solitude, trudging towards a dilapidated house, the chauffeur uttered an exclamation at the opportune moment, alerting the Magistrate. As they shuffle forward adroitly, the obstinate offered intimation of an intestate inheritance and an amorous secret worthy of Tantalus. Gingerly clutching a counterfoil, the Magistrate dexterously sought egress from their disconsolate stupefaction. Suddenly, a hidden behind a dagger provoked an ecstatic, even puerile, shriek of asperity. Near a barrow, a garrulous figure beneath a bonnet revealed antecedents of exigency, altering the timbre of the reverie. Though averse to reproach, loquacity prevailed. With a trot and a sententiously inquisitive glance, they heave themselves onward and dote on freedom.

在孤独中，步履沉重地走向一座破旧房子的那位司机，在恰当的时刻发出一声感叹，提醒了那位法官。当他们熟练地向前缓步前行时，那顽固之人暗示了无遗嘱继承的线索及如同坦塔罗斯般多情的秘密。法官小心翼翼地攥着一张存根，灵巧地寻求着脱离惆怅和惊愕的出口。突然，有什么东西隐藏在一把匕首后，激发出欣喜若狂、甚至略显幼稚的尖厉喊声。

在一辆小推车附近，一位戴着帽子的话痨人物透露出这紧急情势的先前因由，改变了恍如梦境般沉思的音色。尽管他们不愿受责备，冗长多言却终占上风。伴随着轻快的小跑和简短而好奇的目光，他们用力继续前行，并深深钟情于那自由。

3.
 During her brief sojourn in the quiet village, a woman in a flowing petticoat devised an unerring plan to settle an old vendetta. Her impetuous wrath drove her to act with reckless abandon, her heart simmering with enmity and rancor. She began to connive with the locals, spinning a web of rigmarole and gathering sundry accomplices to execute her scheme.

The first night ended in bustle, as whispers of indiscretion spread among the snobbish residents, their laughter mingling with biting raillery. The woman’s demeanor remained suave, though her resolve masked an undercurrent of bitterness.

When the act unfolded, it struck with a poignant precision, leaving witnesses flabbergast and sparking a paroxysm of remonstrance from the crowd. Yet, as she stood at the hilt of her success, their prosaic reactions—mere gapes of dull surprise—turned her moment of victory into hollow disappointment. Her quest to consummate revenge felt more like an unfinished chapter, the jauntiness she had hoped for nowhere to be found.

在她短暂的逗留期间，这位身着飘逸衬裙的女子精心策划了一场无误的计划，以了结一场旧日的宿怨。她因冲动的愤怒而鲁莽行事，内心充满着敌意和怨恨。她开始与当地人共谋，编织一张繁琐的网络，并聚集了各种各样的同谋来执行她的计划。

第一个夜晚在忙碌中结束，关于她的鲁莽之举的窃窃私语传遍了那些势利的居民间，他们的笑声中夹杂着尖刻的戏谑。这名女子的举止依然温文尔雅，但她的决心掩盖了内心深处的苦涩。

当行动展开时，其辛酸的精准击中了目标，使目击者们感到震惊，并引发了人群中一阵阵抗议的突发。然而，当她站在成功的柄之上时，围观者们的平淡无奇的反应——仅仅是一些呆滞的目瞪口呆——将她的胜利时刻化为了一场空虚的失落。她完成复仇的计划更像是一章未完的故事，期待中的轻快欢愉却无处可寻。