Lesson 24 A skeleton in the cupboard 家丑
We often read in novels how a seemingly respectable person or familyhas some terrible secret which has been concealed from strangers for years. TheEnglish language possesses a vivid saying to describe this sort of situation.The terrible secret is called a skeleton in the cupboard. At some dramaticmoment in the story, the terrible secret becomes known and a reputation isruined. The readers hair stands on end when he reads in the final pages of thenovel that the heroine, a dear old lady who had always been so kind toeverybody, had, in her youth, poisoned every one of her five husbands.
It is all very well for such things to occur in fiction. To varyingdegrees, we all have secrets which we do not want even our closest friends tolearn, but few of us have skeletons in the cupboard. The only person I know whohas a skeleton in the cupboard is George Carlton, and he is very proud of thefact. George studied medicine in his youth. Instead of becoming a doctor,however, he became a successful writer of detective stories. I once spent anuncomfortable weekend which I shall never forget at his house. George showed meto the guest-room which, he said, was rarely used. He told me to unpack mythings and then come down to dinner. After I had stacked my shirts andunderclothes in two empty drawers, I decided to hang one of the two suits I hadbrought with me in the cupboard. I opened the cupboard door and then stood infront of it petrified. A skeleton was dangling before my eyes. The suddenmovement of the door made it sway slightly and it gave me the impression thatit was about to leap out at me. Dropping my suit, I dashed downstairs to tellGeorge. This was worse than a terrible secret this was a real skeleton! But George was unsympathetic. Oh, that, he saidwith a smile as if he were talking about an old friend. ThatsSebastian. You forget that I was a medical student once upon a time.
在小说中,我们经常读到一个表面上受人尊重的人物或家族,却有着某种多年不为人所知的骇人听闻的秘密。英语中有一个生动的说法来形容这种情况。惊人的秘密被称作柜中骷髅。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。当读者读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。
这种事发生在小说中是无可非议的。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。我所认识的唯一的在柜中藏骷髅的人便是乔治卡尔顿,他甚至引以为自豪。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。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。乔治把我领进客房,说这间房间很少使用。他让我打开行装后下楼吃饭。我将衬衫、内衣放进两个空抽屉里,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。我打开柜门,站在柜门前一下子惊呆了。一具骷髅悬挂在眼前,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。我扔下西服冲下楼去告诉乔治。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!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。那是塞巴斯蒂安。你忘了我以前是学医的了。
幼儿英语儿歌歌词
少儿英语儿歌视频:五只小火鸡
经典英文儿歌歌词:Polly Put the Kettle On
少儿英语歌曲精选(下)
经典英文儿歌歌词:Home on the Range
经典少儿英语儿歌歌词:You are My sunshine
原版少儿英语歌曲:Are you sleeping
经典少儿英语儿歌歌词:In a Week
幼儿英语儿歌:小臭鼬的窝
少儿英语歌曲精选(中)
原版少儿英语歌曲:Row your boat
英文儿歌经典下载:body song
经典英文儿歌歌词:ABC Song
英文儿歌经典下载:A wolf
英文儿歌经典下载:five little ducks
幼儿英语儿歌歌词:Skip to my Lou
幼儿英语儿歌视频:骑竹马
少儿英语歌曲歌词:Let s Go to the Garde
经典英文儿歌歌词:A Bicycle Built for two
经典英文儿歌歌词:What do You Want to Eat
少儿英语歌曲歌词: London Bridge
幼儿英语儿歌歌词:Happy Birthday
英文儿歌经典下载:five little ducks
幼儿英语儿歌歌词:Down in the Valley
幼儿英语儿歌视频:山谷里的农夫
经典英文儿歌歌词:Apple Tree
经典英文儿歌歌词:It ain’t Gonna Rain no more
少儿英语儿歌视频:感恩节之歌
少儿英语歌曲歌词:Wash and dry
幼儿英语儿歌视频:蚯蚓会爬
不限 |
英语教案 |
英语课件 |
英语试题 |
不限 |
不限 |
上册 |
下册 |
不限 |