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课文24 “家丑”
2 s/ P7 x! Z$ u0 e% M% i+ G/ r; ]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.* E4 V8 t' v ~ P' p
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。$ f( X: f/ D* M j' T% {% r
418. The English language possesses a vivid saying to describe this sort of situation.
$ u( a5 m a, P- ?2 Q8 I# ?" Y 英语中有一个生动的说法来形容这种情况。
+ N$ g2 I$ M9 _) {( D8 ^+ J+ P0 P8 w1 G419. The terrible secret is called 'a skeleton in the cupboard'., T; M' W/ h% z
惊人的秘密称作“柜中骷髅”。
1 x* J4 r$ |. h$ I% Y420. At some dramatic moment in the story, the terrible secret becomes known and a reputation is ruined.* O5 ^% r2 I5 g0 f2 }6 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。
, F- L6 m* e$ u7 b. ^421. 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.% b; d( M, V6 D( C' m3 ~6 _
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。! j! I- n' ]4 ?' A
422. It is all very well for such things to occur in fiction.9 D" M3 M2 u$ Q7 Y1 N- O G
这种事发生在小说中是无可非议的。- U% V- ?3 p# ]* I/ p
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.
6 d. ~8 R) B3 Y: X B6 s0 z f3 T 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。
: @: j' B( e: m2 U* O8 g424. The only person I know who has a skeleton in the cupboard is George Carlton, and he is very proud of the fact.
: x r& y/ j* @ 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 J& h# g8 r8 d- T2 d7 C
425. George studied medicine in his youth. Instead of becoming a doctor, however, he became a successful writer of detective stories., I! C1 H. l' Z0 w
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。
1 R& K8 K! j5 }2 J% J: O426. I once spent an uncomfortable weekend which I shall never forget at his house.
7 f9 P, ^) j/ R- ^4 w 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。
. ~4 L/ m: L# I427. George showed me to the guestroom which, he said, was rarely used., R" z0 T& l0 L
乔治把我领进客房,说这间很少使用。. o) A0 C2 x2 I4 m
428. He told me to unpack my things and then come down to dinner.
" k6 m4 J5 g6 K 他让我打开行装后下楼吃饭。0 y f% q" k* J. ~8 v9 c; O
429. After I had stacked my shirts and underclothes in two empty drawers,
( Q8 k! m( ]1 K1 j7 F# o 我将衬衫、内衣放进两个空抽屉里,
5 g; u$ }+ o4 j0 Z T# y430. I decided to hang one of the two suits I had brought with me in the cupboard.
$ t, {- l" n2 P; \ 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。
" h/ G9 R8 U, }! S431. I opened the cupboard door and then stood in front of it petrified.
/ C$ _, j$ z5 x4 V 我打开柜门,站在柜门前一下惊呆了。
3 _+ }* @- i1 I3 l% o432. A skeleton was dangling before my eyes.
7 Q- c+ _" M9 _" n$ U; R 一具骷髅悬挂在眼前,
* S0 i: s' Q2 o433. 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.6 l: }" @' E2 I9 w+ G. B0 X
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。
3 A ^9 R' p2 b( j" o% Y$ u434. Dropping my suit, I dashed downstairs to tell George.# }$ E4 [1 X" j* ?8 q
我扔下西服冲下楼去告诉乔治。* I. ]. u% E: j) V1 J6 U6 i
435. This was worse than 'a terrible secret'; this was a real skeleton!. i" q7 w/ e5 R" O( w
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!7 e q6 [& q0 J. A
436. But George was unsympathetic. 'Oh, that,' he said with a smile as if he were talking about an old friend.- |4 j5 s# H: P5 @% b ~: c3 |& Y
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 K8 m S% m! {. O7 Q) K
437. That's Sebastian. You forget that I was a medical student once upon a time. |
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