Text:

'At the time the murder was committed, I was travelling on the 8 o'clock train to London,' said the man.

'Do you always catch such an early train?' asked the inspector.

'Of course I do,' answered the man. 'I must be at work at 10 o'clock. My employer will confirm that I was there on time.'

'Would a later train get you to work on time?' asked the inspector.

'I suppose it would, but I never catch a later train.'

'At what time did you arrive at the station?'

'At ten to eight. I bought a paper and waited for the train.'

'And you -- didn't notice anything unusual?'

?'Of course not.'

'I suggest,' said the inspector, 'that you are not telling the truth. I suggest that you did not catch the 8 o'clock train, but that you caught the 8.25 which would still get you to work on time. You see, on the morning of the murder, the 8 o'clock train did not run at all. It broke down at Ferngreen station and was taken off the line.'

Words & Expressions

*alibi /??l?ba?/ a perfect/cast-iron/unshakeable alibi

--He had a perfect alibi and the police let him go.

*debunk /?di??b??k/, to show that an idea or belief is false揭穿

--The author attempts to debunk unreal expectations of marriage.

*punctual /?p??kt?u?l/, arriving, happening, or being done at exactly the time that has been arranged =on time

--She is always punctual for appointments.

*blatant /?ble?t?nt/,something bad that is blatant= is?very clear and easy to see, but the person responsible for it does not seem embarrassed or ashamed.公然地

--blatant discrimination

*allergy?/??l?rd?i/, a medical?condition in which you become ill or?in which your skin becomes red and painful?because you have eaten or touched a particular substance.

--I have an allergy to cats./ a food allergy

*buy your story 相信你的話

--I won't buy your story.

*burn your bridges/boats?自毀長城,自斷后路,?to do something with the result?that you will not be able to return to a previous situation again, even if you want to.

--I’m really tempted to take up that job offer in Washington, but I don’t want to burn my boats with this company.

*somebody’s mind goes blank=somebody’s mind is a blank一片空白

--For some inexplicable reason, her mind went completely blank.

Pronunciation

*employer /?m?pl???r/

*murder /?m??rd?r/

*London /?l?nd?n/

*ask /?sk/

*course /k??rs/

*answer/??ns?r/

*perfect /?p??rf?kt/