The secret formula to Agatha Christie's murder mysteries - Jamie Bernthal

Translator: Aubrey Cheng Reviewer: Thomas Tam

Agatha Christie is the best-selling novelist of all time.

Agatha Christie 一直以嚟 都係最暢銷嘅小說家

But in 1916, she wasn’t even the most promising writer in her family.

但佢喺 1916 年仲未係屋企裡面 最有前途嘅作家

Her older sister Madge had already written several short stories,

當時，佢家姐 Madge 已經寫咗幾個短篇故事

while Agatha hadn’t published any.

但 Agatha 仲未有 任何故事可以出版

So when Agatha shared her desire to write a mystery novel,

所以當 Agatha 話俾家姐知 佢想寫部懸疑小說嗰陣

Madge scoffed.

Madge 嗤之以鼻

She bet that Agatha wouldn’t be able to create a compelling mystery—

打賭 Agatha 寫唔出 一個引人入勝嘅懸疑故事——

and certainly not something she couldn't solve.

對 Agatha 嚟講簡直唔係問題

Today, the novel that came of that bet

今日，由於打賭 而寫成嘅小說

stands alongside almost 100 other mysteries written by Christie,

變成咗 Christie 近百篇懸疑小說之一

each one a cleverly constructed puzzle box

每個故事都係 精心設計嘅謎盒

of clues, misdirection, and human drama.

滿佈線索、誤導 同人性群像劇

So let's investigate how she crafted these perfect crimes.

不如一齊研究吓 佢點樣構思完美犯罪案件嘅呢？

Christie designed her stories in many ways,

Agatha 以多種方式 嚟設計佢嘅故事

but one of the most important decisions was the setting.

但其中一樣最重要嘅鋪排 就係嗰個場景

From a remote island to a snow-stalled train car,

由偏遠島嶼 到雪地裏停滯嘅火車

she favored locations isolated from society.

佢最鍾意揀 遠離人煙嘅地方

By restricting the scope of her stories,

透過限制故事嘅範疇

Christie 可減少嫌疑犯人數 嚟提升戲劇張力

Christie limited possible suspects and built tension

by forcing characters to stay put—

令到包括兇手啲角色

even with a killer among them.

無法離開原地

Sometimes she further heightened the drama

有時佢又會為咗 令到劇情更加緊湊

by making the characters strangers,

設定啲角色係互不相識

unsure who they can trust.

令到佢哋唔知信邊個先好

但正因為佢設計出 既詭異又與眾不同嘅故事

But while her settings are eerie and extraordinary,

her characters are just the opposite.

佢啲角色反而平平無奇

One of the biggest criticisms of Christie’s novels

佢嘅小說最多人批評嘅地方

is that they’re full of two-dimensional people.

就係一眾人物角色 都唔夠立體

But Christie avoided complex characters for a reason.

但 Christie 有佢嘅原因 避開啲複雜嘅角色

By reducing people to a handful of simple traits,

只配上簡單嘅人物設計

she provided readers with predictable suspects.

等啲讀者估到 邊個就係嫌疑犯

Well, usually predictable.

通常好容易預測到

Christie also used the audience's expectations against them.

Christie 亦都會利用 讀者嘅預期去捉弄佢哋

However, this typecasting sometimes relied on

儘管呢種類型轉換有時依賴

what contemporary readers know to be harmful stereotypes.

當代讀者所認識到 有害嘅固有觀念

She frequently caricatured particular occupations and ethnic groups

佢經常諷刺某啲職業 同埋種族群體

for comic effect,

嚟製造搞笑效果

reinforcing the prejudices of her time.

協助加深當時啲人嘅偏見

This is certainly not an element of Christie’s work worth emulating,

喺 Christie 嘅作品入面， 呢點當然唔值得大家仿效

and fortunately, many modern mystery writers

好好彩，好多現代懸疑小說作家

have found less problematic ways to use this technique.

都揾到較少爭議方式 運用呢種塑造人物技巧

Even when she got it wrong,

即使 Christie 搞錯咗

Christie worked to make her characters feel authentic.

佢會花心思 令到啲角色好真實

She closely observed the people around her,

佢會細心觀察身邊嘅人

and constantly scribbled down details from overheard conversations.

仲經常將無意中聽到嘅對話 簡單同潦草咁記低啲細節

She would then rearrange these details to piece her mysteries together,

佢將呢啲對話內容 改編成懸疑嘅情節

often switching who the murderer was as she worked.

佢筆下亦都經常轉換 邊個係兇手

This approach kept information murky and disoriented even the sharpest readers.

令到啲線索變得模糊、雜亂 擾亂頭腦清晰嘅讀者

However, there’s an important balance to strike

但喺巧妙佈局 同情節混亂之間

between being clever and being confusing.

要攞到平衡係好重要

Nobody wants to read a predictable mystery,

冇人想睇估得到嘅懸疑故事

but if things get too convoluted you can lose your reader altogether.

但如果個故事太曲折， 又會失去所有嘅讀者

Christie handled this in part by keeping her language simple and accessible.

Christie 盡量用簡易嘅語言 處理咗部分問題

She used short sentences and clear, snappy dialogue

佢用簡短嘅句子 清楚而且活潑嘅對話

to help readers follow information.

幫助讀者順住啲線索睇落去

This kind of clarity is essential,

呢種清晰度係好緊要

because the best mysteries string their audience along

因為最出色嘅懸疑故事

with a carefully laid trail of clues.

全靠精心鋪排嘅線索 嚟牽引啲讀者

With Christie, a good clue is one the reader will remember,

Christie 嘅作品 讀者會記住啲好嘅線索

but usually, fail to completely understand.

但佢哋通常都唔會 明白哂背後嘅含義

For example, when a character cries that “Everything tastes foul today,”

舉個例，死者幾分鐘前講：

just minutes before he dies,

「今日乜嘢都唔對路﹗」

the reader races to determine who poisoned his beverage.

讀者會叻唔切去認定 邊個喺杯飲品度落毒

But they’re likely failing to truly consider this clue.

但係佢哋似乎誤解咗 呢條線索嘅含義

如果當日所有嘢 都唔對路嘅話

If everything tasted foul that day,

then he’d been poisoned long before that drink.

咁死者應該一早就俾人落咗毒

Christie also used clues to intentionally mislead her audience.

Christie 亦都會故意 寫一啲線索搞亂讀者

For example, readers might recognize a clue associated with one suspect,

使讀者會將條線索 指向某個嫌疑人

only to learn that it was being used to frame them.

之後先發覺原來畀佢裝彈弓

Other times, she built misdirection directly into the story’s structure—

有時佢又會直接喺故事結構度 帶啲讀者遊花園

like when a narrator reporting the murder is revealed to be the killer.

好似報告單兇案嘅人 被揭露佢先至係兇手一樣

Outside crime and clues,

除咗罪案同線索

there’s one more ingredient in Christie’s formula:

Christie 嘅寫作公式 重有一樣元素：

the detective.

就係偵探

Christie created many sleuths,

佢創造咗好多偵探角色

but her most enduring are Hercule Poirot and Miss Jane Marple.

但係令人最難忘嘅就係 Hercule Poirot 同女士 Jane Marple

Neither this petit Belgian refugee nor this elderly amateur detective

無論係細細粒嘅比利時難民 定係業餘偵探嘅老婦

are traditional heroes.

都唔係典型嘅英雄人物

But their outsider status is exactly what helps them slip past security

但正係佢哋嘅局外人身份 先可以逃過保安法眼

亦都令到啲嫌疑犯 放低咗戒心

and make suspects let their guard down.

As you might have guessed, Agatha won her sister’s bet.

正如你會估到 Agatha 贏咗佢家姐嘅打賭

Her eccentric detectives, clever clues, and simplified suspects

佢怪異嘅偵探、巧妙線索 同埋簡化嘅嫌疑犯角色

form a blueprint that has stumped countless readers.

構成一個難倒 無數讀者嘅故事藍圖

And now that you've uncovered her strategies,

你而家發現咗 佢嘅寫作策略

the only mystery left is what stories you can tell with these secrets.

剩番落嚟嘅謎團 係你用呢啲秘技講述乜嘢故仔