新概念英语3--（一天学一篇）---课24

ltlong52010

课文24  “家丑”
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.
. s4 L, f' ~3 a. v$ F4 U2 i# M/ i- r        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。
/ y0 y/ Q+ ?0 S% [* B! P2 ^) s3 _418. The English language possesses a vivid saying to describe this sort of situation.
4 o1 c0 `6 r% m7 m9 |% }1 y1 Q        英语中有一个生动的说法来形容这种情况。
419. The terrible secret is called 'a skeleton in the cupboard'.
' g% \; q# R: j, k% M5 p3 ]- ^- ~        惊人的秘密称作“柜中骷髅”。
420. At some dramatic moment in the story, the terrible secret becomes known and a reputation is ruined.
  z3 P5 G; k; T) q# c        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。
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.
: n& x3 ]2 p" E; p        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。
- Z6 D4 y2 T/ k7 c" J422. It is all very well for such things to occur in fiction.
        这种事发生在小说中是无可非议的。
, Q! o# q2 Q2 F423. 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.
% @8 e( Q0 W3 q        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。
4 H. k  S" H8 U% ~0 V424. The only person I know who has a skeleton in the cupboard is George Carlton, and he is very proud of the fact.
) Q1 t, t; g- l        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。
425. George studied medicine in his youth. Instead of becoming a doctor, however, he became a successful writer of detective stories.
        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。
426. I once spent an uncomfortable weekend which I shall never forget at his house.
; Z  G2 d$ T2 P1 ]% g        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。
( l* L* Q  ?; K0 j& w, \& k; P7 v427. George showed me to the guestroom which, he said, was rarely used.
% r2 z6 \0 E2 A6 e5 P        乔治把我领进客房，说这间很少使用。
$ `; b; @6 X  J: f0 m428. He told me to unpack my things and then come down to dinner.
, d' f6 V: m1 X4 A5 e# l, Y        他让我打开行装后下楼吃饭。
1 b+ |# Y1 x0 B5 e. X, u429. After I had stacked my shirts and underclothes in two empty drawers,
        我将衬衫、内衣放进两个空抽屉里，
& [& B# A3 O3 T2 C4 u430. I decided to hang one of the two suits I had brought with me in the cupboard.
# I5 M2 r( a  |+ }1 v3 b2 {        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。
431. I opened the cupboard door and then stood in front of it petrified.
        我打开柜门，站在柜门前一下惊呆了。
432. A skeleton was dangling before my eyes.
4 D% T1 I  Y- Y9 L$ B        一具骷髅悬挂在眼前，
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.
4 `) B9 M9 B& S4 z        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。
1 M) r& t+ i) m434. Dropping my suit, I dashed downstairs to tell George.
        我扔下西服冲下楼去告诉乔治。
435. This was worse than 'a terrible secret'; this was a real skeleton!
2 D6 z9 P: S$ c( 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！
436. But George was unsympathetic. 'Oh, that,' he said with a smile as if he were talking about an old friend.
; q4 g6 t3 F; I; \0 d        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。
437. That's Sebastian. You forget that I was a medical student once upon a time.