The Blue Cross 姚晓琳

TheBlueCross——G.K.ChestertonG.K.ChestertonGilbertKeithChesterton1874.05.29－1936.06.14AnEnglishwriter,ChestertonwasborninLondon,asmallbourgeoisfamily(小资产阶级家庭).Hehasproducedthousandsofpoemsandstories.Hisbest-knownworksarehismysteryanddetectivestories.Someofhischaractersareunforgettable,particularlythepriestFatherBrown.Althoughheappearsalittlestupid,FatherBrownsolvesthemostdifficultmysteriesinhisslow,carefulandextremelypoliteway.FamousWorks‘TheBlueCross’1910‘TheManWhoWasThursday‘1907‘TheInnocenceofFatherBrown1911’TheWisdomofFatherBrown’1914‘TheIncredulityofFatherBrown’1926‘TheSecretofFatherBrown’1927‘TheScandalofFatherBrown’1935Thereisagreatmanwhomakeseverymanfeelsmall.Buttherealgreatmanisthemanwhomakeseverymanfeelgreat.有一个伟大人物使所有的人都感动渺小，但是真正伟大的人却使所有的人感到伟大.------G.K.ChestertonIfyouareapriest(神父),willyouthrowthesoupatthewall?Ifyouwantsugar,butthebottleisfullofsalt,willyoubecalm?AristideValentinFlambeauFatherBrownHeistheheadoftheParispoliceandthemostfamousdetectiveintheworld.Withgreycoat,awhiteshirtandasilverhat.Thin,withashortblackbeard.AFrenchmanofgreatstrength,sizeanddaring.(大胆的)Hemayappeartobeanyone.Heissixfeetfourinchestall.HeisaRomanCatholicPriest.Hisfaceisround.Withanoldumbrella.ValentinsuspectthatFlambeauisgoingtoLondontoattendtheinternationalconferenceofclergymen(国际圣体会议),andpossiblystealoneofthepreciousreligiouscrossondisplaythere.OnthetrainridefromParistoLondon,wherehebelievesFlambeautobehiding.ValentinencountersaCatholicpriestwhosenameisFatherBrown.Hehearsthepriesttellaladythatheiscarryingasilvercross,coveredinpreciousbluestones,whichValentinknowstobethefamousBlueCross.WhenValentinarrivesinLondon,hecomesarestaurant,withastrangedarkliquidatthewall.Hesitsdownandordersacupofcoffee.Whenhisdrinkarrives,henoticesthatthepositionsofthetablesaltandsugarhavebeenchanged.Hecallsthewaiter.Waitersaysitmustbethosetwoclergymen.Valentinasksandfindsoutthatthesmallerofthetwoprieststhrewhishalf-emptybowlofsoupatthewallthenquicklyleavingtherestaurant.ValentinrecognizesthedescriptionofFatherBrown,andhurrieson.Hecomesagrocersandfindsthattheorangesandnutsticket’spositionsarewrong.Thegrocertellshimasimilarstoryoftwopriests,onesmallandonebig.ValentinwiththehelpoftwoLondonpoliceandcontinueslooking.Aftersometime,Valentinfindsarestaurantwiththefrontwindowhavingalargestarwhichwasbroken.Afteraskingthewaiter,Valentinlearnsthattheglasswindowwasbrokenbyalittlepriest,andpaidoverthreetimesforhisbill.Valentinfinalclueisinasweetshop,wheretheladytellshimthattwopriestsleftnotahalfhourago.Aftertheyleft,thesmallerofthetwosoonreturned,sayinghehadlostapackage,andthatifwefounditandsendittoWestminster.Theshopkeeperfindthepackagebutpriesthadleft,TheshopkeeperthentellsValentinthatthetwopriestsheadedforHampsteadHeath,andValentinheadstothepark.Thenhemetwiththetwopriests,andfollowingthemquietly,hearstheyhaveanargue.ValentinknowsthathistrueidentityisFlambeau,anddemandsthepackagefromFatherBrown.WhenFatherBrownrefuses,Flambeausaysthathehaschangedthepackage.However,FatherBrownrepliesthathehasputthepackagesbackatthesweetshopandsendthecrosssafelytoafriendatWestminster.Heexplainsthereasonwhyhesuspectedhimisthatherecognizedthestingingbracelet(带刺的手镯)acriminalinsignia.SoIknowwhoyouare.FatherBrowntestedFlambeau1.Changethepositionsofthesugarandsalt.2.Flambeaudrinkshissaltycoffeewithoutaword.3.Flambeaupaysforthethreetimeshigherbillwithoutcomplaint.Reason:Flambeaudidnotwanttodrawattentiontohimselfintherestaurant.Inthefinalscene,bothFlambeauandValentinbowtoFatherBrownbecauseofhisgreatdetectiveskills.1.DoyouknowwhydidnotFlambeauangrywiththesalt’sandsugar’spositionsarewrong?2.WhydidFatherBrownthrewthesoupatthewall,knocktheapplesdownandbreakthewindow?Answer1.Becausehedidnotwanthisidentitytobenoticed.2.BecausehewantstokeephiscrosssafeandleavesanobvioustrailforValentintofollow.