by
Agatha Christie
Selection
of links
School
Year 2004-2005 4ème
Européenne
The
class studied extracts
from :
the novel, a strip cartoon
and the
film (by Sidney Lumet)
They learnt their
parts
and shot videos.
Chapter 1 - An Important
Passenger on the Taurus Express
It
was five o'clock on a winter's
morning in Syria. Alongside the
platform (1)
at Aleppo stood the train grandly
designed in Railway guides as
the Taurus Express. It consisted
of a kitchen and dining-car, a
sleeping-car and two local coaches.
And then there had come this Belgian
stranger - all the way from England.
"You have saved us, mon cher",
said the General emotionally.
To which the stranger (by name
M. Hercule Poirot) had made a
fitting reply including the phrase
:
"But indeed do I not remember
that once you saved my life?"
"Today is Sunday", said Lieutenant
Dubosc.
"Tomorrow, Monday evening, you
will be in Stamboul (2)".
"That is so", agreed M. Poirot.
"And you intend to remain there
a few days, I think?"
"Mais oui. Stamboul, it is a city
I have never visited. It would
be a pity (3)
to pass through it - comme ça."
Mary Debenham had had little sleep
since she left Baghdad on the
preceding Thursday. Two men below
her window were talking French.
One was a French officer, the
other was a little man with enormous
moustaches. The
Wagon Lit conductor (4)
had come up to the two men. The
train was about to depart, he
said. The little man removed his
hat. What an egg-shaped head he
had. In spite of (5)
her preoccupations Mary Debenham
smiled. A ridiculous-looking little
man. The sort of little man one
could never take seriously.
"En voiture, Monsieur", said the
Wagon Lit conductor.
"There are not many people travelling,
I imagine", Poirot said to the
conductor.
"No, Monsieur. I have only two
other passengers - both English.
A Colonel from India, and a young
English lady from Baghdad."
She was tall, slim and dark -
perhaps twenty-eight years of
age. M. Hercule Poirot, having
nothing better to do, amused himself
by studying her without appearing
to do so. She had poise (6)
and efficiency. Presently
(7)
another person entered the restaurant-car.
This was a tall man of between
forty and fifty, lean of figure
(8),
brown of skin, with hair slightly
grizzled around the temples. The
newcomer gave a little bow to
the girl.
"Morning, Miss Debenham."
"Good-morning, Colonel Arbuthnot."
The Colonel was standing with
a hand on the chair opposite her.
"Any objection?", he asked.
"Of course not. Sit down"
True to their nationality, the
two English people were not chatty
(9).
They exchanged a few brief remarks.
At lunch time the other two again
shared a table.
Their conversation was more animated
than at breakfast. The Colonel
inquired if she was going straight
through (10)
to England or if she was stopping
in Stamboul.
"No, I'm going straight on."
"Oh, I see. Well, I may say I'm
very glad you are going straight,
because I am."
(1)
platform
: quai
(2) Stamboul :
Istanbul (la ville d')
(3) it would be a pity
: ce serait dommage
(4) conductor
: chef de train
(5) in spite of : malgré
(6) poise : port,
assurance
(7) presently : bientôt
(8) lean of figure
: mince
(9) chatty : bavard
(10) straight through
: directement
Questions
1
Where does the scene take place
? (country and town)
2 When does
the scene take place ? (season
and precise day)
3 What is the
equipment on the train ? (rooms)
4 Why is there
a sleeping-car ?
5
What's the name of the Belgian
stranger ?
6
Find other details about this
man.
7
Why was he in the East ? (remember
his job)
8 What is he
going to do now ?
9 Who are the
two other main characters ?
10 Read the
description of Poirot : is it
the narrator's point of view
?
Chapter
2 - The Tokatlian Hotel
The Taurus Express arrived
at 7.00 pm at Haydapassar near
the Strait of the Bosphorus.
The
Bosphorus was rough (1)
and M. Poirot didn't enjoy the
crossing. On arrival at the Galata
Bridge he drove straight to the
Tokatlian Hotel.
At the Tokatlian Hotel, Hercule
Poirot asked for a room with bath.
Then he stepped over the concierge's
desk and inquired for letters.
There were three and a telegram.
He opened it in his usual neat,
unhurried fashion :
"Development
you predicted in Kassner case
has come unexpectedly.
Please return immediately."
"Voilà
ce qui est embêtant, " muttered
(2)
Poirot.
"I shall have to leave tonight.
At what time does the Simplon
Orient leave, Monsieur?"
"At nine o'clock, Monsieur." "Can
you get me a sleeper (3)?"
"Assuredly, Monsieur. There is
no difficulty this time of the
year. The trains are almost empty
(4).
How far are you going?"
"To London."
"Bien, Monsieur, I'll get you
a ticket to London and reserve
your sleeping-car accommodation
in the Stamboul-Calais coach."
"I have time to dine?"
"But assuredly, Monsieur."
As he was giving his order to
the waiter, a hand was placed
on his shoulder.
"Ah, mon vieux!" said a voice
behind him. The speaker was a
short, elderly (5)
man, his hair cut en brosse.
"M. Bouc!"
"M. Poirot!"
M. Bouc was a Belgian, a director
of the Compagnie Internationale
des Wagons Lits, and his acquaintance
(6)
with the former star of the Belgian
police force dated back many years.
"You return home - when?"
"Tonight."
"Splendid! I, too. That is to
say, I go as far as Lausanne."
"We will meet later," said M.
Bouc.
M. Poirot addressed himself to
the task of keeping his moustaches
out of his soup.
He
was looking at two American people
in the restaurant. The younger
was a likeable-looking man but
the other - between sixty and
seventy - produced an unpleasant
impression on Poirot.
"I had a curious impression. It
was as if a wild (7)
animal had passed by me," he told
M. Bouc in the lounge.
The concierge came towards them
and said :
"There is not one first-class
sleeping berth."
"Comment?" cried M. Bouc. "At
this time of year ?"
"Well, well...have no fear (8),
my friend. We will arrange something."
Finally
M. Hercule Poirot was given a
second-class sleeping berth in
No.7. He shared
(9) the cabin with
MacQueen.
Outside a voice shouted : "En
voiture!"
The
Orient Express had started on
its three-day journey across Europe.
Notes
(1)
rough sea : mer agitée
(2) to mutter : marmonner
(3) sleeper =
berth : couchette
(4) empty : vide
(5) elderly =
old
(6) acquaintance : connaissance,
amitié
(7) wild :
sauvage
(8) have no fear !
= don't be afraid
! : n'ayez crainte!
(9) to share :
partager
Activities
Activity
1 True or False? - Quote the
text
1
M. Poirot loved his journey
all the way from Aleppo to Stamboul.
2 On his arrival
at the Tokatlian Hotel, he intended
to stay in Stamboul a few days.
3 In winter
the trains are usually full of
passengers.
4 M. Bouc sounded
enthusiastic to travel with M.
Poirot.
5 M. Bouc was
sorry because he can't find a
free sleeper for his old friend.
Activity
2 Put into the chronological
order
A
An unexpected telegram arrived
from London for M. Poirot.
B M. Bouc and M. Poirot unexpectedly
met in the restaurant.
C M. Poirot crossed the Strait
of the Bosphorus.
D A strange American sttracted
the detective's attention.
E The Orient Express left Stamboul.
F M. Poirot asked for a first-class
sleeper on the Orient Express.
G MacQueen and M. Poirot became
roommates.
.pdf
format extract
and activities
Links
Match
the 16 pictures with the 16 characters
16
pictures
Here are the names of the 16
characters :
(The characters you haven't
met yet are described below)
M.
Hercule Poirot
M. Bouc
Hector MacQueen
M. Ratchett
Mrs Hubbard
Princess Dragomiroff
Pierre
Hildegarde
Colonel Arbuthnot and Mary Debenham
Prince Andrenyi : Hungarian
/ blond-haired / moustache
Dr Constantine : doctor on the
train / quite old / thinks the
victim was poisoned
Foscarelli :Italian businessman
/ exuberant / wearing glasses
Mr Hardman : American salesman
/ old / quite fat
Princess Andrenyi : Hungarian
/ smart / blond-haired /young
Mr Masterman : British / the
victim's secretary / tall /
old / long nose
Miss Ohlsson : Swedish / middle-aged
/ slim / smart
TOP
of the page
Chapter
7 - The Body
Followed
by Dr. Constantine, Poirot made
his way to the compartment of
the murdered man.
"Brrr," observed Poirot.
Poirot examined the window carefully.
"Possibly the open window was
intended to suggest that somebody
left the carriage this way.
Criminals do not make mistakes
of that kind nowadays (1)."
"The body is not pretty," he
said.
"Someone must have stood there
and stabbed again and again.
How many wounds are there exactly?"
"I make it twelve. One or two
slight (2).
On the other hand, at least
(3)
three would be capable of causing
death. Great strength (4)
was needed for those blows (5).
They could not have been delivered
by a woman."
They looked round them : Ratchett's
day clothing... an ashtray (6)
containing the butt of a cigar
and charred (7)
fragments of paper.
Poirot's eyes looked round.
Nothing could escape their scrutiny.
He picked up something from
the floor. It was a small piece
of cambric (8)
with an embroidered initial
- H.
"A woman's handkerchief," said
the doctor.
"There is a woman concerned
in this."
Poirot also found a pipe-cleaner
on the floor and a gold watch
saying a quarter past one.
"One cannot complain of having
no clues in this case. There
are clues here in abundance!
How many women are there in
this coach?"
"Six, Monsieur. The old American
lady, a Swedish lady, the young
English lady, the Countess Andrenyi
and Madame la Princesse Dragomiroff
and her maid."
Notes
(1) nowadays
: de nos jours
(2) slight : léger,
superficiel
(3) at least : au moins
(4) strength : force
(5) blow : coup
(6) ashtray : cendrier
(ash : cendre)
(7) charred : carbonisé
(8) cambric : une batiste
(toile de lin très fine)
Questions
1 Poirot concluded that
the killer :
A escaped through the window.
B left the window open by mistake.
C was still on the train.
2
Dr Constantine said :
A all the wounds were serious.
B a few wounds were serious.
C the wounds were all slight.
3
The Doctor thinks :
A the murderer can't be a man.
B the murderer can't be a woman.
C the murderer was very strong.
4
According to Poirot, finding
plenty of clues is :
A a lucky situation.
B rather strange and confusing.
C exceptional.
5
Poirot wants to question
the women about :
A the handkerchief.
B the open window.
C the charred fragments of paper.
Bonus
: what do you think about
the charred fragments of paper?
(what sort of paper can Mr Ratchett
have received before his death?
What about?)
.pdf
format extract
and activities
TOP
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Video
extracts - The
Body
1
M. Poirot and MacQueen
MacQueen looks and sounds ...
How many years did he work for
M. Ratchett?
What is he showing M. Poirot?
What messages are written on
them ?
2
M. Poirot and the charred fragments
of paper
Under
M. Ratchett's pillow (1),
M. Poirot dicovers a ... .
Dr Constantine finds a ... with
the letter "H".
M. Poirot doesn't know if the
"H" is for a ... or a ... .
He is using a hatbox (2)
to ... .
What can he read?
3 M. Poirot and M. Bouc
What do you learn about
M. Ratchett's real identity?
What is the complete name written
on the charred fragments of
paper?
What do you learn about her?
What about her father? Her mother?
Her nursemaid?
Notes
(1) pillow
: oreiller
(2) hatbox : carton à
chapeaux
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Chapter
8 - The Armstrong Kidnapping
Case
M. Poirot and
M. Bouc are discussing the discovery
"I have dicovered
the identity of the victim.
I know why he had to leave America",
said Poirot.
"Who was he?"
"Do you remember
reading of the Armstrong baby?
This is the man who murdered
little ... Armstrong. Cassetti."
"I recall (1)
it now. A shocking
affair - though (2)
I cannot remember the details."
"Colonel Armstrong was an Englishman,
he was half American. He married
the daughter of Linda Arden,
the most famous tragic American
actress of her day. They lived
in ... and had one child - a
girl whom they idolized (3).
When she was
... years old, she was kidnapped,
and an impossibly high sum (4)
demanded as the
price of her return. After her
parents had paid over the enormous
sum of two hundred thousand
...., the child's dead body
was discovered. And there was
worse than that. Mrs Armstrong
was expecting (5)
another ... .
Following the shock of the discovery
she gave birth (6)
prematurely to a dead child,
and herself died. Her broken-hearted
.... shot himself (7)."
"Mon Dieu, what
a tragedy, I remember now,"
said M. Bouc.
"There was another death if
I remember righly?"
"Yes, an unfortunate French
or Swiss nursemaid. The police
were convinced that she had
some knowledge (8)
of the crime.
They refused to believe in her
hysterical denials. Finally,
in a fit of despair
(9) the poor
girl threw ... from a window
and was killed. It was proved
afterwards that she had been
absolutely innocent."
"It is not good to think of,"
said M. Bouc.
"After six months this man Cassetti
was arrested. But because he
was rich, he was acquitted.
He changed his ... and left
America. Since then he has been
a gentleman travelling abroad
and living on his rentes."
"Ah, quel animal!", M. Bouc
said.
"The question now is : is this
murder the work of some rival
gang or is it an act of private
vengeance ?"
"Are there any members of the
Armstrong family living?," asked
M. Bouc.
"That, ..., I do not know,"
M. Poirot answered.
Notes
(1) recall
= remember : se rappeler
(2) though = although
: bien que
(3) idolize : adorer
(4) sum : somme d'argent
(5) expect : attendre
(un enfant)
(6) give (gave-given) birth
to : donner naissance
à
(7) shoot (shot-shot) oneself
: se tuer avec une arme
(8) knowlegde : connaissance
(9)
a fit of despair : un accès
de rage
Questions
Complete the text with these
words :
unfortunately - herself
- three - Daisy - dollars -
husband
name - baby - America
Match
the two parts of the sentences
:
Find
9 adjectives in the word square
and match them to their opposites
in the list :
.pdf
format extract
and activities
TOP
of the page
Video
extracts - interrogations
Anticipate
- What questions is M. Poirot
going to ask?
- Who is he going to ask these
questions?
- Write 3 questions in reported
speech (1).
Interrogation
1
Personal information about his
wife? their daughter?
Information about the passengers
: How many did he see?
What do Dr Constantine and M.
Bouc think?
Interrogation
2
Reaction
about Ratchett's real identity
:
sad? surprised? relieved?
(2)
indifferent ?
Personal information : His ...
was the district attorney who
handled the case.
Who did he greatly admire?
Who's asking questions?
What does M. Bouc think?
Does M. Constantine agree with
him?
Interrogation 3
What time did he last
see Mr Ratchett ?
Who was M. Masterman's
roommate?
Did he have a good sleep?
Reaction about Ratchett's real
identity :
sad?
- surprised? - understands
his temper better now?
What
does M. Bouc think?
Interrogation 4
Complete
name?
How does she behave?
calm? nervous? provocative?
respectful? quick-witted?
(3)
What does he she want
to show M. Poirot?
Interrogation 5
Could they refuse the interrogation?
What surprises M. Poirot about
her passport?
What is Countess Andrenyi's
complete name?
Have they ever lived in America?
Interrogation
6
What
is Hildegarde doing when M.
Poirot and M. Bouc come in?
Princess Dragomiroff was
...'s godmother (4).
She and Linda Arden were
very good friends.
Linda Arden was Daisy's ...
.
What was Linda Arden famous
for?
Is she still alive?
Has she got other relatives?
Notes
(1)
reported speech : discours
indirect
(2) to snore : ronfler
(3) quick-witted : vif
d'esprit
(4) godmother : marraine
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Role-playing
Each page includes
:
- the dialogue
- stressed syllable help
- .pdf format sketch to be used
in class
Sketch
01 Poirot - MacQueen - Bouc
(first interrogation)
Sketch
02
Poirot
- Bouc (discovery of Mr Ratchett's
real identity)
Sketch
03
MacQueen
- Poirot - Bouc - Doctor Constantine
Sketch
04
Poirot
- Mrs Hubbard
Sketch
05
Poirot
- Dragomiroff - Hildegarde
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Selection
of
links
plot, character list, quotations,
key facts... sparknotes.com
cast and photos imdb.com
notes & Lindbergh kidnapping
answers.com
official site of the luxury train
orientexpress.com
the truth behind the legend seat61.com
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