云中命案 11

Chapter 11,The American,Fournier was deep in conversation with old Georges. The detective was looking hot and annoyed.,‘Just like the police,’ the old man was grumbling ¹ in his deep hoarse ² voice. ‘Ask one the samequestion over and over again. What do they hope for? That sooner or later one will give overspeaking the truth and take to lies instead? Agreeable lies, naturally, lies that suit the book of cesMessieurs.’,‘It is not lies I want, but the truth.’,‘Very well, it is the truth that I have been telling you. Yes, a woman did come to see Madamethe night before she left for England. You show me those photographs, you ask me if I recognizethe woman among them. I tell you what I have told you all along—my present eyesight is notgood—it was growing dark—I did not look closely. I did not recognize the lady. If I saw her faceto face I should probably not recognize her. There! You have it plainly for the fourth or fifth time.’,Fournier spoke ³ with irritable ⁴ sarcasm ⁵.,‘Then do not believe it. What do I care? A nice thing—to be mixed up with the police! I amashamed. If Madame had not been killed high up in the air you would probably pretend that I,Georges, had poisoned her. The police are like that.’ Poirot forestalled ⁶ an angry retort onFournier’s part by slipping a tactful arm through that of his friend.,‘Come, mon vieux,’ he said. ‘The stomach calls. A simple but satisfying meal, that is what Iprescribe. Let us say omelette aux champignons, sole à la Normande—a cheese of Port Salut, andwith it red wine. What wine exactly?’,Fournier glanced at his watch.,‘True,’ he said. ‘It is one o’clock. Talking to this animal here—’ He glared at Georges.,We didn't hear any grumbling about the food. 我们没听到过对食物的抱怨。,He asked me a question in a hoarse voice.他用嘶哑的声音问了我一个问题 。