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课文24 “家丑”3 V. x: T5 n+ U: G+ E& 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.1 ~: }5 c5 x" _2 f* p: Y
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。
3 o/ g* ` J/ P$ C7 f% f418. The English language possesses a vivid saying to describe this sort of situation.
2 b' I; J/ r7 K- ?& }6 y/ V 英语中有一个生动的说法来形容这种情况。
! Q4 q/ Q% Z3 |5 t419. The terrible secret is called 'a skeleton in the cupboard'.
9 |. |! k! J! J( K1 i 惊人的秘密称作“柜中骷髅”。
' x4 h' Y: i- k# a& Q420. At some dramatic moment in the story, the terrible secret becomes known and a reputation is ruined.1 m' N8 p* [5 X) z# Q. z
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。
3 E# N; N6 D! j0 k$ a' U: ^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.2 n8 S; M" k O7 K" J) S' Y
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。
. ~( A& n+ f, ^& L422. It is all very well for such things to occur in fiction.
3 h5 b% |1 N' y e2 t# k 这种事发生在小说中是无可非议的。0 N7 C0 Z" [% w; p% R. _
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.$ Z- k# ~( r1 o* E
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。
5 f' o2 Q2 t( N' k1 y2 y424. The only person I know who has a skeleton in the cupboard is George Carlton, and he is very proud of the fact.( U) x! {( i6 P3 s( `8 v- N- S; `
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。
+ V8 }' R2 Q( H; H4 ^425. George studied medicine in his youth. Instead of becoming a doctor, however, he became a successful writer of detective stories.: g8 j- x4 i% [2 n
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。% V2 {; H: f7 k y7 f
426. I once spent an uncomfortable weekend which I shall never forget at his house.2 ^! u( n9 e1 X; \0 x! E
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。
/ _! I: I( P- b! g) {+ Y427. George showed me to the guestroom which, he said, was rarely used.
3 M+ H! a5 H; W7 _$ @$ p 乔治把我领进客房,说这间很少使用。) N$ l; e$ e0 y2 O4 f1 ]
428. He told me to unpack my things and then come down to dinner.
, z3 [9 F6 N& X6 Q2 e9 _ 他让我打开行装后下楼吃饭。! ^0 ?& M$ b. O" d; ^& E
429. After I had stacked my shirts and underclothes in two empty drawers,$ w& R/ d* c" _8 O; N
我将衬衫、内衣放进两个空抽屉里,) U. C4 q8 m+ l( {. z% U
430. I decided to hang one of the two suits I had brought with me in the cupboard.# g2 t- {. r: \2 e5 E- Y
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。1 ?& U( L. @) o- g
431. I opened the cupboard door and then stood in front of it petrified.
6 x- W& K3 {, w3 }, h 我打开柜门,站在柜门前一下惊呆了。9 j" U* r. A, e2 N) t; T
432. A skeleton was dangling before my eyes.
4 N) Z7 \5 I$ o. H# x" x 一具骷髅悬挂在眼前,
0 \4 _+ X" Y* e& H433. 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.) _4 U, K: H( J; I4 M4 ~
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 l4 R- y" A4 [
434. Dropping my suit, I dashed downstairs to tell George.
% n# V* E; C' K 我扔下西服冲下楼去告诉乔治。
; u! j1 b# M4 [) T" o435. This was worse than 'a terrible secret'; this was a real skeleton!
: i1 ~1 Q2 S6 ? 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!
* a, v& y4 \- m/ [. g0 W436. But George was unsympathetic. 'Oh, that,' he said with a smile as if he were talking about an old friend.8 i9 h4 A- f4 H$ a0 A
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。
; h* K+ O/ q' j8 y: W437. That's Sebastian. You forget that I was a medical student once upon a time. |
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