鲜花( 0) 鸡蛋( 0)
|
课文24 “家丑”3 a! b, k9 ~. p, b* {
417. We often read in novels how a seemingly respectable person or family has some terrible secret which has been concealed from strangers for years.$ x- T0 m1 a$ i- s" G- b
在小说中,我们经常读到一个表面上受人尊重的人物或家庭,却有着某种多年不为人所知的骇人听闻的秘密。5 d$ p& w! f7 F( l$ N0 f- Z
418. The English language possesses a vivid saying to describe this sort of situation.! X& N' s. z, y0 ]/ f
英语中有一个生动的说法来形容这种情况。: {2 C' A; v# c% B+ L; w/ I# b# V
419. The terrible secret is called 'a skeleton in the cupboard'.
$ B0 |6 y( a% ~0 {5 c" s: e. y9 V 惊人的秘密称作“柜中骷髅”。
, Y& E6 m% y/ N/ l# q420. At some dramatic moment in the story, the terrible secret becomes known and a reputation is ruined.% o2 t. d3 D+ o9 W: m( q! J
在小说的某个戏剧性时刻,可怕的秘密泄漏出来,接着便是某人的声誉扫地。
8 }3 [" Z8 L4 v9 z421. The reader's hair stands on end when he reads in the final pages of the novel that the heroine, a dear old lady who had always been so kind to everybody, had, in her youth, poisoned every one of her five husbands.
5 p: b. n+ X/ o. @1 _3 S7 n- O; W7 w 当读者到小说最后几页了解到书中女主人公,那位一向待大家很好的可爱的老妇人年轻时一连毒死了她的5个丈夫时,不禁会毛骨悚然。
7 y) d% @! _. `- G422. It is all very well for such things to occur in fiction.
+ C$ _2 S; r3 o+ r6 s& ]! V 这种事发生在小说中是无可非议的。( K: X W3 a j1 [* Y
423. To varying degrees, we all have secrets which we do not want even our closest friends to learn, but few of us have skeletons in the cupboard.; |' R% k$ j& H$ B. f& z1 u
尽管我们人人都有各种大小秘密。连最亲密的朋友都不愿让他们知道,但我们当中极少有人有柜中骷髅。
" A3 G' W3 e/ @8 p% b' F424. The only person I know who has a skeleton in the cupboard is George Carlton, and he is very proud of the fact.
# Q! u m( l( }. u1 y 我所认识的唯一的在柜中藏骷嵝的人便是乔治.卡尔顿,他甚至引以为自豪。
1 y/ _7 |1 A$ m, R0 Q' K: W0 d425. George studied medicine in his youth. Instead of becoming a doctor, however, he became a successful writer of detective stories./ Y) d" ~1 X; \" H* H
乔治年轻时学过医,然而,他后来没当上医生,却成了一位成功的侦探小说作家。" c7 R# F0 F `. T
426. I once spent an uncomfortable weekend which I shall never forget at his house.' D N/ U+ f) G2 J
有一次,我在他家里度周末,过得很不愉快。这事我永远不会忘记。0 V, A% }& L4 W
427. George showed me to the guestroom which, he said, was rarely used.
" Y7 q# m, K* x. \3 n, a 乔治把我领进客房,说这间很少使用。
7 s, G, @# Y* _6 T4 U9 G428. He told me to unpack my things and then come down to dinner.
& y2 }, R& c* f$ o 他让我打开行装后下楼吃饭。: |4 ~+ ^$ ?9 v
429. After I had stacked my shirts and underclothes in two empty drawers,
) y$ d) r3 e" E$ J/ Y. [1 I3 r 我将衬衫、内衣放进两个空抽屉里,
) n( ]3 ]3 E1 h! l+ B0 D' e8 _430. I decided to hang one of the two suits I had brought with me in the cupboard.
. t+ @- d2 M3 ~: R8 ` 然后我想把随身带来的两套西服中的一套挂到大衣柜里去。
! O! a9 g8 r. b$ d) u431. I opened the cupboard door and then stood in front of it petrified.( h3 e% |# H4 {/ z$ O
我打开柜门,站在柜门前一下惊呆了。
+ z5 r# U3 V+ r5 |9 @( H' ]. J" I432. A skeleton was dangling before my eyes.1 M2 O$ ^8 o6 x+ T u/ c
一具骷髅悬挂在眼前," C7 H" n3 C/ O$ X2 c: s7 W5 T
433. The sudden movement of the door made it sway slightly and it gave me the impression that it was about to leap out at me.. _0 ^0 W0 z5 k3 Q* Q9 K! U( i. \9 {
由于柜门突然打开,它也随之轻微摇晃起来,让我觉得它好像马上要跳出柜门朝我扑过来似的。
. N4 u# K4 n& w, T: a9 F434. Dropping my suit, I dashed downstairs to tell George.
' G* a2 h$ h) T1 \ 我扔下西服冲下楼去告诉乔治。
* B' |9 ?8 N) b5 j4 L3 A435. This was worse than 'a terrible secret'; this was a real skeleton!! |# f+ ]4 C/ T/ n% P
这是比“骇人听闻的秘密”更加惊人的东西,这是一具真正的骷髅啊!3 g, g0 o+ X" h3 i. k& L' e% t* c
436. But George was unsympathetic. 'Oh, that,' he said with a smile as if he were talking about an old friend.4 I4 F7 a- V; |0 c8 i7 C/ N$ G4 f
但乔治却无动于衷。“噢,是它呀!他笑着说道,俨然在谈论一位老朋友。4 w% }5 w9 m, i. C# ~" S, O0 v' t7 _
437. That's Sebastian. You forget that I was a medical student once upon a time. |
|