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课文24 “家丑”0 M X' {) c ^% A
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.$ J) t$ |9 s x# Y; `) X& S
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。
: x: U: D, s* e, {( e* \418. The English language possesses a vivid saying to describe this sort of situation.
, h* u4 F" r, W$ z 英语中有一个生动的说法来形容这种情况。
6 H' E9 ]( e2 w; O; z9 T7 G2 {419. The terrible secret is called 'a skeleton in the cupboard'.
( y |' u$ Y5 s9 V1 o) ?/ Z 惊人的秘密称作“柜中骷髅”。
3 o: h; f8 l: W420. At some dramatic moment in the story, the terrible secret becomes known and a reputation is ruined.1 `9 _! F# d+ g# b. U h4 L
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。
$ N- n6 w+ g+ x421. 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.4 n% y! \% k2 ^' s6 U
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。
2 M4 Y# ~! ?/ \422. It is all very well for such things to occur in fiction.3 A/ N/ d x* p8 V: c9 r" c" n* J0 ^
这种事发生在小说中是无可非议的。
% K/ j* V Y$ z" Q423. 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.( D- ~+ _$ m& d* R2 c, v
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。$ }+ M" x) d9 e1 |* k
424. The only person I know who has a skeleton in the cupboard is George Carlton, and he is very proud of the fact.* o" s# X: k a( \! W+ c
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。. G8 c- _* \5 y F7 U
425. George studied medicine in his youth. Instead of becoming a doctor, however, he became a successful writer of detective stories.
: m" Z. J% ~0 ^# j( ]/ B. [ 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。
( m2 ^) U, `# ?* d; w426. I once spent an uncomfortable weekend which I shall never forget at his house.
& P! Q" E _% u" W1 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。* W2 y. h: `0 W9 x) l0 ]( L! P/ A0 x
427. George showed me to the guestroom which, he said, was rarely used.. Z, e, u% b4 C ] C. D
乔治把我领进客房,说这间很少使用。0 s; J, o( X; G- y+ b
428. He told me to unpack my things and then come down to dinner.% v* F7 g3 D6 h+ m+ M; D! M7 v
他让我打开行装后下楼吃饭。
% I# @5 {- ?$ Q# X! N429. After I had stacked my shirts and underclothes in two empty drawers,
0 {% g+ I* U. y. k! b 我将衬衫、内衣放进两个空抽屉里,
% m$ J4 p/ @# W% T7 q430. I decided to hang one of the two suits I had brought with me in the cupboard.1 T& F; b/ d3 i1 J% z! A
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。
_" Q# D& w5 g4 D. ]- P' K431. I opened the cupboard door and then stood in front of it petrified.7 L) P) x- u4 v. S
我打开柜门,站在柜门前一下惊呆了。
( {' H# U& W7 [432. A skeleton was dangling before my eyes.$ H7 ~# [2 l/ u/ z
一具骷髅悬挂在眼前,) q8 X8 s0 Z1 Q' T1 T& U
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.% I% l! m) C1 P' }
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。
, J+ p2 t. c: g& t5 X434. Dropping my suit, I dashed downstairs to tell George.
$ I0 U* q6 ~0 S, {0 i 我扔下西服冲下楼去告诉乔治。8 G3 \! S* v. V6 z
435. This was worse than 'a terrible secret'; this was a real skeleton!* \! E( {6 l! R$ r3 \) o
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!% t9 u$ @, [9 ^! \) @1 O
436. But George was unsympathetic. 'Oh, that,' he said with a smile as if he were talking about an old friend.
$ s+ x# z! y$ V+ h 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。
) l/ p- w" O; [; v8 T# H; G437. That's Sebastian. You forget that I was a medical student once upon a time. |
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