死亡終局

題詞

To PROFESSOR S.R.K.GLANVILLE

Dear Stephen,

It was you who originally suggested to me the idea of a detective story set in Ancient Egypt, and but for your active help and encouragement this book would never have been written.

I want to say here how much I have enjoyed all the interesting literature you have lent me and to thank you once more for the patience with which you have answered my qustions and for the time and trouble you have expended. The pleasure and interest which the writing of the book has brought to me you already know.

Your affectionate and grateful friend, Agatha Christie

致S. R. K.格蘭維爾教授

親愛的史蒂芬：

是你最早建議我寫一部發生在古埃及的偵探小說，而且，如果沒有你的積極幫助和鼓勵，這本書就不會順利寫成。

在這裡，我想說我是多么喜愛你借給我的那些有趣的文獻，並且再一次感謝你花費時間和精力耐心地回答我的問題。這本書的寫作所帶給我的愉悅和趣味你已經知曉了。

你親愛的朋友，阿加莎·克里斯蒂

【史蒂芬·格蘭維爾是著名埃及古物學者。這本書的創作他有很大功勞（參見《阿加莎·克里斯蒂自傳》第十章）。阿加莎·克里斯蒂甚至還聽從了他的意見，把書的結尾改了。這也是第一次阿加莎·克里斯蒂屈服於外界對其作品情節的異議。但後來阿加莎·克里斯蒂還是後悔了：她在《阿加莎·克里斯蒂自傳》里自嘆還是手癢，想重寫結尾部分。（"I still think now, when I reread the book, that I would like to rewrite the end of it-which shows that you should stick to your guns in the first place."）】