第一次读完了一本十七万字的推理小说《无人生还》(And Then There Were None),这是英国推理小说作家阿加莎·克里斯蒂的长篇小说,出版于1939年。看过了故事简介,好奇心就一直驱使我读到最后真相大白的那一刻。
故事发生在一个夏天,八个素不相识的人受邀来到海岛黑人岛上。他们抵达后,接待他们的却只是管家
特夫妇俩。用晚餐的时候,餐厅里的留声机忽然响起,指控他们宾客以及管家夫妇这十人都曾犯有谋杀罪。众人正在惶恐之际,来宾之一忽然死亡,噩梦由此开始了。
他们在自己的房间里都发现了一首儿歌:
One choked his little self and thenthere were nine.
噎死一个没法救,十个只剩九。
Nine little Indian boys sat up very late;
九个印地安小男孩,深夜不寐真困乏;
One overslept himself and thenthere were eight.
倒头一睡睡死啦,九个只剩八。
Eight little Indian boys travelling in Devon;
八个印地安小男孩,德文城里去猎奇;
One said he'd stay there andthen there were seven.
丢下一个命归西,八个只剩七。
Seven little Indian boys chopping up sticks;
七个印地安小男孩,伐树砍枝不顺手;
One chopped himself in halvesand then there were six.
斧劈两半一命休,七个只剩六。
Six little Indian boys playing with a hive;
六个印地安小男孩,玩弄蜂房惹蜂怒;
A bumblebee stung one and thenthere were five.
飞来一蛰命呜呼,六个只剩五。
Five little Indian boys going in for law;
五个印地安小男孩,惹是生非打官司;
One got in Chancery and then therewere four.
官司缠身直到死,五个只剩四。
Four little Indian boys going out to sea;
四个印地安小男孩,结伙出海遭大难;
A red herring swallowed one andthen there were three.
鱼吞一个血斑斑,四个只剩三。
Three little Indian boys walking in the Zoo;
三个印地安小男孩,动物园里遭祸殃;
A big bear hugged one and thenthere were two.
狗熊突然从天降,三个只剩两。
Two little Indian boys sitting in the sun;
两个印地安小男孩,太阳底下长叹息;
One got frizzled up and thenthere was one.
晒死烤死悲戚戚,两个只剩一。
One little Indian boy left all alone;
一个印地安小男孩,归去来兮只一人;
He went and hanged himself and thenthere were none.
悬梁自尽了此生,一个也不剩。
餐桌上还有十个小瓷像。从第一天晚上开始的几天时间里,每天都有人按着儿歌里述说的方式死去,每死一个人,餐桌上的瓷瓶就会少掉一个。一时之间,人人自危,都希望能找出一个办法拯救自己的生命。可是海上起了大风浪,不可能寻得救援或者逃出生天。唯一的求生办法就是找出凶手。
谁是凶手呢?荒岛已经被他们搜寻数遍,不可能有容身之处,所以凶手必然在他们中间。幸存着的人们彼此怀疑,彼此试探,可是一切的警戒一切的提防还是没有能阻止那最后一刻的到来。风浪停息了,岛上的明争暗斗也停息了,只留下了十具尸体……无人生还。
这部小说让我真正的完成了一次有始有终的阅读,虽然最初的目标是读完一本原版书。但是看了第一章,因为被情节吸引就改看了中文。特别推荐讯飞输入法下的海豚有声APP,帮助我智能朗读了大部分文本。在结尾真相大白后,自己也反思了自己为什么没有通过作者的线索推断出真正的幕后操作者。这次阅读的正向体验也让我有了再读完一本书的热情。接下来还将继续秉承有始有终的信念,清书单,多思考。