MWRP讀物推介|紅房子謎案The Red House Mystery

《紅房子謎案》（The Red House Mystery）是「百萬英語閱讀計劃」MWRP叢書——英漢對照中級英語系列讀物第ＩＩ輯之4，適合已掌握1500基本英語辭彙量（相當於初中畢業）的英語學習者閱讀。

百萬英語閱讀計劃是為專門為中國學生設計的英語閱讀提高計劃，讀者對象為已具有初中英語水平的讀者，通過２年、每天約15分鐘的閱讀能達到中級英語水平，掌握3000多單詞和大量的短語，熟練掌握英語的各種句子結構，並能閱讀一般英語原著。詳見：《百萬英語閱讀計劃讀者手冊》。

內容簡介

有人被殺害，而房子卻從裡面鎖著——這就是所謂的密室謎案（Locked-room mystery）。

安東尼?吉林厄姆到紅房子去拜訪朋友比爾?貝弗利，卻遇上了一宗離奇的兇殺案。紅房子的主人馬克在等待從澳大利亞來的那個名聲不好的哥哥羅伯特，不久房子里便傳來槍聲，羅伯特死在房間，而房間卻是從裡面鎖著的，馬克也不見了。於是安東尼決定扮演偵探福爾摩斯的角色，而比爾則扮演他的助手華生，對此案展開了調查……

原書作者A.A.米爾恩（A. A.Milne 1882-1956）是英國著名劇作家、小說家、童話作家和詩人。本書是他唯一一部偵探小說，是專門為其父親創作的，被稱為偵探小說黃金時代的三大奇書之一，而他本人則更以《小熊維尼》而聞名。

文本信息

本書文本統計信息詳見下表，供選擇時參考：

說明:

1. 關於可讀性：這是根據美國Rudolf Flesch博士的統計方法計算出的Flesch Reading Ease（弗萊士易讀度），計算根據是句子的字數和100個字內音節個數等，數值在0和100之間，數目越大，文章越容易讀。

2. 1500基本辭彙外的單詞不包括由這些詞構成的合成詞 （如：schoolboy<=school +boy）和派生詞 （如：proudly <= proud + ly）。

3. 專有名詞（人名地名）或由專有名詞派生的辭彙以及感嘆詞不計入生詞。

4. 1500詞外詞數（生詞數）包含重複詞數。比如一個單詞以不同形式出現3次，則按3次統計。

5. 在1500詞外詞條數中，重複的單詞或者一個單詞的不同形式統計為1次。

6. 正文每一千字處都有字數標誌，便於讀者掌握閱讀進度。

7. 1500基本辭彙外的詞在原文部分用粗體顯示，譯文部分用深色粗體，由於翻譯的緣故，兩部分的詞性和意義並不完全對應，僅供參考。

8. 本系列讀物的前三本生詞全部標註，以後只標註兩次，出現兩次以後生詞就不再標註。

第一章試讀

The Red House Mystery

紅房子謎案

Chapter 1. Mrs. Stevens Is Frightened

第一章　史蒂文斯夫人受到驚嚇

It was a hot August afternoon. The Red House was taking its nap. There was a lazy murmur of bees in the flower-borders, a gentle cooing of pigeons in the tops of the trees. From distant lawns came the noise of a mowing-machine.

這是８月一個炎熱的午後。紅房子里的人們正在午休。花壇里的蜜蜂在懶洋洋地嗡嗡響，樹上的鴿子輕輕地咕咕叫著。遠處的草地上傳來割草機的聲音。

In the housekeeper』s room Audrey Stevens, the pretty maid, took out her best hat, and began to sew. She talked casually to her aunt, the housekeeper of Mr. Mark Ablett』s bachelor home.

在管家的房間，漂亮的女僕奧德莉?史蒂文斯拿起她那頂最好的帽子，縫了起來。她同姑媽隨便地說著話。她的姑媽是單身漢馬克?艾布萊特家的管家。

「For Joe?」 said Mrs. Stevens coldly, looking at the hat. Audrey nodded. 「He likes a bit of pink.」

「給喬看的吧？」史蒂文斯夫人看著帽子，冷冰冰地說。奧德莉點點頭。「他喜歡有點兒粉紅色。」

「I like pink myself,」 said her aunt. 「Joe Turner isn』t the only one.」

「我自己也喜歡粉紅色，」她的姑媽說。「不只喬?特納一個人。」

「Not everybody likes pink,」 said Audrey. 「Stylish, isn』t it?」

「不是誰都喜歡粉紅色的，」奧德莉說。「很時髦，是吧？」

「Oh, it』ll suit you all right, and it would have suited me at your age. A bit too stylish for me, at fifty-eight.」

「哦，正適合你戴，我要是你這個歲數，也適合我戴。現在我戴有點太時髦了，５８歲的人了。」

「Funny thing about Mr. Mark』s brother. Imagine not seeing your brother for fifteen years.」 She gave a laugh and went on, 「I wonder what I should do if I didn』t see Joe for fifteen years.」

「馬克先生哥哥的事真有趣。你想想，１５竟不見哥哥一面。」她笑了笑，又接著說：「要是我１５年不見喬的話，不知道我會怎樣呢。」

「As I told you all this morning,」 said her aunt, 「I』ve been here five years, and never heard of a brother. There』s been no brother here while I』ve been here.」

「就像我一上午跟你說的，」她的姑媽說，「我來這裡５年了，從來沒聽說過哥哥的事。自從我來這裡，這裡就沒有過什麼哥哥。」

「I was so surprised when he spoke about him at breakfast this morning. They were all talking about the brother when I went in, and Mr. Mark turned to me. 『Stevens,』 he said, 『my brother is coming to see me this afternoon; I』m expecting him about three. Show him into the office.』 I was never so surprised in my life, not knowing he had a brother. 『My brother from Australia,』 he said. From Australia.」

「今天早上吃早餐時，他說到他，我大吃一驚。我進去的時候，他們都在談論這位哥哥，然後馬克先生轉向我。『史蒂文斯，』他說，『我哥哥今天下午要來看我，３點左右我等著他。把他領到辦公室去。』我長這麼大從來沒這麼吃驚過，我根本不知道他有個哥哥呢。『我哥哥從澳大利亞來，』他說。從澳大利亞來。」

「Well, he may have been in Australia,」 said Mrs. Stevens. 「I don』t know the country; but he』s never been here. Not while I』ve been here, and that』s five years.」

「哦，他也許一直在澳大利亞，」史蒂文斯夫人說，「我不知道這個國家，不過他從沒來過這裡。從我來這裡他就沒來過，那也有５年了。」

「Well, but, auntie, he hasn』t been here for fifteen years. I heard Mr. Mark telling Mr. Cayley. 『Fifteen years,』 he says. Mr. Cayley had asked him when his brother was last in England. Mr. Cayley knew of him, I heard him telling Mr. Beverley, but didn』t know when he was last in England--see? So that』s why he asked Mr. Mark.」

「哦，可是，姑媽，他已經１５年沒來這裡了。我是聽馬克先生告訴凱利先生的。『１５年了，』他說。凱利先生問他，他的哥哥上一回是什麼時候來到英國的。凱利先生知道他，我聽到他告訴過貝弗利先生了，可是不知道他上回是什麼時候來英國的--懂了嗎？因此他就問了馬克先生。」

「He』s not come into the house for five years. And if he』s been in Australia, as you say, well, I daresay he』s had his reasons.」

「５年來他就沒進過這個家。要是像你說的，他一直在澳大利亞，那麼，我敢說，在有他的原因。」

「What reasons?」 said Audrey.

「什麼原因呢？」奧德莉問。

「Never mind what reasons. Being in the place of a mother to you, since your poor mother died, I say this, Audrey--when a gentleman goes to Australia, he has his reasons. And when he stays in Australia fifteen years, as Mr. Mark says, he has his reasons. Don』t ask what reasons.」

「別管什麼原因。你可憐的媽媽去世後，我當了你的媽媽，我對你說，奧德莉--一位紳士去澳大利亞，那有他的原因。像馬克先生說的，他在澳大利亞待了１５年，那他有他的原因。別問是什麼原因了。」

「Got into trouble, I suppose,」 said Audrey carelessly. 「They were saying at breakfast he』d been wild. Debts. I』m glad Joe isn』t like that. He』s got fifteen pounds in the bank. Did I tell you?」

「惹上麻煩了，我想，」奧德莉隨口說道，「吃早飯的時候，他們說他很放蕩，欠了債。我很高興，喬不是這種人。他在銀行還存了15英鎊呢。我告訴過你嗎？」

Suddenly, a bell rang and Audrey jumped to her feet. She arranged her cap in front of the glass.

突然，門鈴響了，奧德莉一下子跳了起來。她到鏡子前面整理了一下她的帽子。

「There, that』s the front door,」 she said. 「That』s him. 『Show him into the office,』 said Mr. Mark. I suppose he doesn』t want the other ladies and gentlemen to see him. Well, they』re all out at their golf, anyhow-- Wonder if he』s going to stay-- Perhaps he』s brought back a lot of gold from Australia--I might hear something about Australia, because if anybody can get gold there, then Joe and I--」

「來了，是在前門，」她說，「是他。『把他領到辦公室去，馬克先生說過。我想他不想讓別的夫人和先生們看到他。哦，反正他們都在外面打高爾夫球--不知道他會不會住下來--也許他從澳大利亞帶回了許多金子--我也許可以聽到些關於澳大利亞的情況，因為，要是誰在那裡都能弄到金子，那麼喬和我--」

「Now, now, get on, Audrey.」

「好了，走吧，奧德莉。」

「Just going, darling.」 She went out.

「這就走，親愛的。」她出去了。

The door of the Red House led to a pleasant hall. It was a big place with a low roof. The walls were white and the windows had blue curtains. On the right and left were doors leading into other living-rooms. But on the side which faced you as you came in were windows again, looking on to a small grass court. The staircase went up along the right-hand wall. And, turning to the left, it led you along a gallery to a bedroom. This would be Mr. Robert Ablett』s room if he stayed. But his plans in this matter were as yet unknown.

紅房子的大門通向一個舒適的門廳，這個地方很寬敞，房頂很低，牆是白色的，窗戶上掛著藍色的窗帘。左右兩邊都有門，通到別的起居室。可你一進門，你對面的一面又是窗子，朝一個草地小球場開著。樓梯沿著右面的牆上去，向左一拐，便穿過一條畫廊，通到一個卧室。羅伯特?艾布萊特先生如果留下來的話就住這間卧室，但是他在這件事中的計劃尚不得而知。

As Audrey came across the hall she was surprised to see Mr. Cayley suddenly. He was sitting in a seat beneath one of the front windows, reading. It was certainly much cooler there than the golf-links on such a day. But somehow, the house seemed deserted that afternoon, as if all the guests were outside, or up in their bedrooms, sleeping.

奧德莉穿過門廳時，忽然看見了凱利先生，讓她吃了一驚。他正坐在一扇前窗下的座位上看書。在這樣的日子，這兒當然要比高爾夫球場涼快得多。不過，那天下午，這座房子似乎空無一人，好像所有的客人都出去了，或者是在樓上的卧室睡覺。

Her face turned red. 「Oh, I beg your pardon, sir,」 she said, 「I didn』t see you at first.」 He looked up from his book and smiled at her. There was an attractive smile on that big ugly face. 「Such a gentleman, Mr. Cayley,」 she thought to herself as she went on.

她的臉紅了。「哦，請原諒，先生，」她說，「我先前沒看見你呢。」他從書上抬起頭來，對她微笑了一下。他那張醜陋的大臉上帶著迷人的微笑。「這麼一位紳士，凱利先生，」她一邊繼續走一邊心想。

「So this is Mr. Robert,」 said Audrey to herself, when she saw the visitor.

「這麼說，這就是羅伯特先生了，」奧德莉看到客人，心裡說道。

She told her aunt afterwards that she would have known him anywhere for Mr. Mark』s brother. Actually she was surprised. Little Mark was well dressed, with his neat pointed beard and his carefully curled moustache. He was a very different man from this rough-looking, ill-dressed visitor. He stared at her.

後來她跟姑媽說，不管在哪兒看到這個人，她都會認出他是馬克先生的哥哥的。實際上她很吃驚。小個子馬克先生衣冠楚楚，下巴上留著整齊的尖鬍子，嘴唇上是精心捲起來的八字鬍，完全不同於這個樣子粗魯、衣冠不整的來客。他盯住她。

「I want to see Mr. Mark Ablett,」 he called. It sounded almost like a threat.

「我要見馬克?艾布萊特先生，」他嚷道。那口氣聽上去像是威脅。

Audrey smiled at him. She had a smile for everybody.

奧德莉沖他一笑。她對誰都是這樣笑。

「Yes, sir. He is expecting you, if you will come this way.」

「好的，先生。他正在等你呢，請這邊走。」

「Oh！ So you know who I am, eh?」

「哦！這麼說，你知道我是誰了，嗯？」

「Mr. Robert Ablett?」

「是羅伯特?艾布萊特先生？」

「Ay, that』s right. So he』s expecting me, eh? He』ll be glad to see me, eh?」

「啊，沒錯。這麼說，他在等著我，嗯？他會很高興見到我，嗯？」

「Please come this way, sir,」 said Audrey.

「請這邊來，先生。」奧德莉說。

She went to the second door on the left, and opened it.

她走到左邊第二扇門，打開它。

「Mr. Robert Ab--」 she began, and then stopped suddenly. The room was empty. She turned to the man behind her. 「If you will sit down, sir, I will find the master. I know he』s in, because he told me that you were coming this afternoon.」

「羅伯特?艾布--」她剛開口，然後突然停了口。房間里空無一人。她向身後那個人轉過身去。「請先坐一會兒，先生，我就去找主人。我知道他在家，因為他告訴過我今天下午你要來的。」

「Oh！」 He looked round the room. 「What do you call this place, eh?」

「哦！」他朝房間四下打量了一下，「這是什麼地方啊，嗯？」

「The office, sir.」

「是辦公室，先生。」

「The office?」

「辦公室？」

「The room where the master writes, sir,」 said Audrey, with pride.

「是主人寫作的房間，先生，」奧德莉自豪地說。

「Not well-dressed enough for the drawing-room, eh?」

「我穿得不夠好，不能進客廳，嗯？」

「I will tell the master you are here, sir,」 said Audrey.

「我去告訴主人說你來了，先生，」奧德莉說。

She closed the door and left him there. She walked across the hall to the library, glanced in, came back a little uncertainly, and stood in front of Cayley.

她關上房門，把他留在那兒。她穿過門廳來到圖書室，往裡瞥了一眼，又沒把握地走回來，站在凱利面前。

「If you please, sir,」 she said in a low voice, 「can you tell me where the master is? It』s Mr. Robert called.」

「請問，先生，」她低聲說，「你能告訴我主人在哪兒嗎？是羅伯特先生登門了。」

「What?」 said Cayley, looking up from his book. 「Who?」

「什麼？」凱利從書本上抬起頭來，說道。「誰？」

Audrey repeated her question.

奧德莉把問話重複了一遍。

「I don』t know. Isn』t he in the office? He went up to the Temple after lunch. I don』t think I』ve seen him since.」

「我不知道。他不在辦公室嗎？午飯後他去廟裡了。我想以後就沒見過他。」

「Thank you, sir. I will go up to the Temple.」

「謝謝你，先生。我這就到廟裡去。」

Cayley returned to his book.

凱利繼續看他的書。

The 「Temple」 was a brick summer-house, in the gardens at the back of the house, about three hundred yards away. Here Mark meditated sometimes before returning to the 「office」 to write.

所謂「廟」，就是一座磚砌的避暑別墅，在屋後的花園裡，大約有３００碼遠。馬克有時候在這裡做一下冥想，然後再回「辦公室」寫作。

Audrey walked slowly up to the Temple, looked in and walked slowly back. All that walk for nothing. Perhaps the master was upstairs in his room. 「Not well-dressed enough for the drawing-room.」 Well, now, Auntie, would you like anyone in your drawing-room with a red handkerchief round his neck and big dirty boots, and--listen！ One of the men shooting rabbits. How hot it was; she would like a cup of tea. Well, one thing, Mr. Robert wasn』t staying the night; he hadn』t any luggage. Of course Mr. Mark could lend him things; he had clothes enough for six.

奧德莉慢慢地走到廟裡，朝裡面看了看，然後又慢慢地走了回來。白走了那麼遠。也許主人在樓上他的房間里呢。「我穿得不夠好，不能進客廳。」哦，你說，姑媽，你會讓一個脖子上圍著紅手帕，腳上穿著髒兮兮的大靴子的人進你的客廳，而且--聽！有人在放槍打野兔。天真熱啊；她倒想喝杯茶。哦，有件事兒，羅伯特先生沒打算在這裡過夜，他什麼行李也沒有。當然，馬克先生可以借些衣服給他；他的衣服夠６個人穿的。

She came into the house. As she passed the housekeeper』s room on her way to the hall, the door opened suddenly, and a rather frightened face looked out.

她來到房子。她去門廳路過管家的房間時，房門忽然打開，一張驚恐的臉往外張望。

「Hello, Audrey,」 said Elsie, one of the housemaids. 「It』s Audrey,」 she said, turning into the room.

「喂，奧德莉！」其中一個女傭艾爾西說。「是奧德莉，」她回頭朝房間里說。

「Come in, Audrey,」 called Mrs. Stevens.

「進來，奧德莉，」史蒂文斯夫人喊道。

「What』s happened?」 said Audrey, looking in at the door.

「出什麼事了？」奧德莉在門口朝裡面看著，問道。

「Oh, my dear, where have you been?」

「哦，我親愛的，你去哪兒啦？」

「Up to the Temple.」

「我去了廟一趟。」

「Did you hear anything?」

「你聽見什麼了嗎？」

「Hear what?」

「聽見什麼？」

「Bangs and explosions and terrible things.」

「砰砰聲和爆炸聲，真可怕。」

「Oh！」 said Audrey. 「One of the men shooting rabbits.」

「哦！」奧德莉說。「是有人在開槍打野兔。」

「Rabbits！」 said her aunt. 「It was inside the house, my girl.」

「野兔！」姑媽說。「是在屋裡啊，我的姑娘。」

「It was,」 said Elsie.

「的確是，」艾爾西說。

Audrey looked at her aunt and then at Elsie.

奧德莉看看她的姑媽，又看看艾爾西。

「Do you think he had a gun with him?」 she said in a low voice.

「你們覺得他隨身帶著槍嗎？」她低聲說。

「Who?」 said Elsie excitedly.

「誰？」艾爾西興奮地說。

「That brother of his. From Australia. I said as soon as I saw him, 『You』re a bad man！』 That』s what I said, Elsie. Even before he spoke to me. Rude！」

「他的那個哥哥啊。從澳大利亞來的。我一看到他就心裡嘀咕：『你是個壞蛋！我當時就是這麼說的，艾爾西。甚至在他跟我說話之前。粗魯！」

Mrs. Stevens lay back in her chair, breathing rather rapidly. 「I wouldn』t go out of this room now, not if you paid me a hundred thousand pounds.」

史蒂文斯夫人把身子靠到椅子背上，呼吸急促。「就算付給我１０萬英鎊，現在我也不會走出這個房間的。」

「Oh, Mrs. Stevens！」 said Elsie. 「I wouldn』t go as far as that, not myself, but--」

「哦，史蒂文斯夫人！」艾爾西叫道。「我也不會出去，我自己不會的，不過--」

「There！」 cried Mrs. Stevens, sitting up suddenly. They listened anxiously. A door was being shaken, kicked, rattled.

「聽！」史蒂文斯夫人突然坐起身來，叫道。她們緊張地聽著。有一扇門有人又是晃，又是踢，弄得嘎嘎響。

「Listen！」

「聽！」

Audrey and Elsie looked at each other with frightened eyes.

奧德莉和艾爾西用驚慌的眼神對視著。

They heard a man』s voice, loud, angry.

她們聽到一個男子的聲音，聲音又大又氣憤。

「Open the door！」 it was shouting. 「Open the door！ I say, open the door！」

「開門！」那個聲音喊道。「開門！聽著，快開門！」

「Don』t open the door！」 cried Mrs. Stevens in a terror, as if it was her door which was threatened. 「Audrey！ Elsie！ Don』t let him in！」

「別開門！」史蒂文斯夫人驚恐地喊道，好像威脅著要開的是她的房門。「奧德莉！艾爾西！別放他進來！」

「Open the door！」 came the voice again.

「開門！」聲音再次傳來。