365个英语简短小故事- 35. Four Slit Throats

An Italian couple murdered four people in the house next door. They slit¹ the throats of their neighbor, Maria Como, and her mom. Then they slit the throats of Mrs. Como's 2-year-old little boy, Perry, and a woman who just happened to be visiting. Finally, they set the house on fire! This all happened two weeks before Christmas.

The couple had complained constantly² to the Comos about the noise they caused, but no one else in the neighborhood seemed to think that the Comos were noisy.

"Maria was a kind and quiet person," said one of her neighbors. "She and her husband used to push little Perry around the neighborhood in his stroller. They were friendly to everyone. I can't believe this happened."

Police in the northern Italian town could not believe it either. A spokesman³ said that never in the history of Italy had a married couple worked as a team to slice four neighbors' throats and then try to burn their house down!

"I think if they claim temporary insanity⁴, everyone will believe it!" said the spokesman.

After firemen found the four bodies, the couple calmly confessed⁵ to the police.
 

1 slit   

n.狭长的切口；裂缝；vt.切开，撕裂

参考例句：

• The coat has been slit in two places.这件外衣有两处裂开了。
• He began to slit open each envelope.他开始裁开每个信封。

2 constantly   

adv.不变地，不断地，时常地

参考例句：

• The two countries have been warring constantly for years.这两国多年来一直交战。
• We should constantly urge ourselves on to study hard.我们要经常鞭策自己努力学习。

3 spokesman   

n.发言人，代言人

参考例句：

• The government spokesman gave a quick briefing to the reporters.政府发言人向记者们作了情况简介。
• They drew lots to decide who should be their spokesman.他们抽签决定谁是他们的发言人。

4 insanity   

n.疯狂，精神错乱；极端的愚蠢，荒唐

参考例句：

• In his defense he alleged temporary insanity.他伪称一时精神错乱，为自己辩解。
• He remained in his cell,and this visit only increased the belief in his insanity.他依旧还是住在他的地牢里，这次视察只是更加使人相信他是个疯子了。

5 confessed   

adj. 众所周知的，公认的 动词confess的过去式和过去分词形式

参考例句：

• She confessed to the murder. 她供认犯了谋杀罪。
• He confessed to a priest that he had sinned. 他向神父忏悔他犯了罪。