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儿童英语读物 The Ghost of the Chattering Bones CHAPTER 1 The Haunted Bridge

时间:2017-11-16 07:36来源:互联网 提供网友:qing   字体: [ ]
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    (单词翻译:双击或拖选)

“What kind of mystery is it, Mrs. McGregor?” asked six-year-old Benny. The youngest Alden couldn’t keep still. He was bouncing up and down with excitement in the backseat of the family van.

Mrs. McGregor, who was sitting up front beside Grandfather Alden, looked over her shoulder and smiled. “It’s Norah’s story to tell, Benny,” she said. “Not mine.”

Henry gave his little brother a playful nudge. “Hold your horses, Benny,” he said. “It won’t be long before we’re at Eton Place.” At fourteen, Henry was the oldest of the Aldens.

“I guess I can hold my horses a little bit longer,” said Benny. He didn’t like to wait.

Norah Eton, a good friend of the Aldens’ housekeeper1, had invited Mrs. McGregor and the four Alden children to come for a visit in the country. There was an old mystery that needed solving, and Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny were eager to hear all about it. There was nothing the Aldens liked better than a mystery. And together they’d managed to solve quite a few.

Twelve-year-old Jessie looked up from the map she was studying. “We make a left at the next road, Grandfather,” she told him. Jessie was the best map reader in the family. She always knew how to get where they were going.

“Oh, now I remember!” Mrs. McGregor nodded. “It’s been so long since I’ve been out this way, my memory’s a bit foggy.”

“How long has it been, Mrs. McGregor?” Grandfather Alden asked, as they turned off the highway onto a gravel2 road full of twists and turns.

“Let me see, now … Norah’s great-niece, Pam, was just a toddler the last time I saw her,” said Mrs. McGregor. She thought for a moment “Now she would be about Violet’s age.”

At the mention of her name, ten-year-old Violet turned away from the window. “Will Pam be staying with her great-aunt Norah all summer?” she wanted to know.

“Oh, I imagine so,” Mrs. McGregor answered. “She usually does. You see, her parents own an antique store in the city. They spend their summers traveling all over the country hunting for treasures.”

Benny’s eyebrows3 shot up. “Treasures?”

“Interesting old things to sell in their store,” explained Mrs. McGregor. “They stop at every flea4 market and swap5 meet they can find.”

That sounded like fun to Benny. “Why doesn’t Pam go along?”

“Travel can be tiring,” put in Grandfather, who often went away on business.

“Yes, indeed,” agreed Mrs. McGregor.

“I imagine Pam would much rather spend her summers with her great-aunt Norah.”

“That makes sense,” said Henry.

Mrs. McGregor went on, “When Norah and I were young, we loved exploring Eton Place—all the fields and the streams and the woods. The property’s been in the Eton family for a long time. As a matter of fact,” she added, “Norah’s putting together a history of the Eton family. She even hired a college student to help with the research.”

“That must be interesting,” said Jessie. “I’d like to put together a history of the Alden family sometime.”

Benny tapped on his sister’s shoulder to get her attention. “Don’t forget to mention Watch, Jessie,” he reminded her. Watch was the family dog.

“Oh, Benny!” Jessie laughed. “I’d never forget Watch.”

“How about our boxcar?” asked Benny.

“I’d never forget our boxcar, either,” Jessie told her little brother. “Our old home is an important part of our family history.”

After their parents died, Jessie, Henry, Benny, and Violet had run away. They found an old boxcar in the woods and stayed there for a while. Then James Alden found his grandchildren and brought them to live with him in his big white house in Greenfield. He even gave the boxcar a special place in the backyard. The children often used their former home as a clubhouse.

“I’m glad I brought my camera along,” said Violet. “We can take pictures of our trip to go in our family history.”

James Alden smiled into the rear view mirror. “Photos are a great way to keep a record of the times.”

“I wonder what they did in the olden days,” Jessie said thoughtfully, “before cameras were invented.”

“They didn’t have cameras back then?” Benny sounded surprised.

Violet shook her head. “Not until the 1820s.” Violet knew a lot about photography. It was one of her hobbies.

“You’re becoming a real expert, Violet,” said Henry.

“Thanks, Henry.” Violet beamed. “But I still have a lot to learn.”

Grandfather spotted6 a small gas station. He pulled up close to the gas pumps. A woman with gray streaks7 in her dark hair came over to the car.

“Fill ’er up?” the woman asked with a friendly smile. She was wearing blue overalls8 with the name DARLENE embroidered9 across the front.

Grandfather nodded. “You read my mind.”

While Darlene filled the tank, the children hopped10 out of the car. They set to work washing the windows and the headlights.

“You folks on vacation?” Darlene asked them.

Jessie nodded. “We’re spending a week in the country.”

“Oh?”

“At Eton Place,” Benny added.

As Darlene replaced the cap on the gas tank, she lowered her voice. “A word of advice,” she said. “Don’t go fishing from the old stone bridge. Some say it’s haunted.” Her eyes twinkled but her voice was serious.

The children were so surprised by Darlene’s word that they were speechless. Before they had a chance to ask any questions, Grandfather had paid the bill and they were on their way again.

“Eton Place sounds a little … spooky,” Benny said as they drove along.

“You don’t believe there’s really a ghost, do you?” Henry asked in his sensible way.

“Um, no,” Benny said. But he didn’t sound too sure.

Violet added, “Darlene was just teasing.”

“I imagine she was talking about the ghost of the Chattering11 Bones,” put in Mrs. McGregor.

The children all looked at their housekeeper in surprise. “The ghost of the what?” said Benny, his eyes round. “Did you say—”

“Oh, look!” Mrs. McGregor broke in, as the car rounded a curve. “There’s the mailbox!”

Benny craned his neck. “Where?” he asked. He had been thinking about chattering bones. They were a scary thought.

Mrs. McGregor pointed12 to the side of the road. Sure enough, up ahead was a mailbox set atop a post. The shiny gold lettering on the side of the mailbox read: ETON PLACE.

Grandfather turned the station wagon13 into a long driveway that wound through the trees. They slowed to a stop when they came to a big plum-colored house with a large porch. On one side was an orchard14. On the other, a flower garden.

“Oh, a purple house!” Violet cried with delight as she scooted sideways out of the wide backseat. Purple was Violet’s favorite color. She almost always wore something purple or violet.

“Yes, the house has always been plum-colored,” said Mrs. McGregor as Henry opened the car door for her. “Thanks to Meg Plum.”

As Grandfather lifted the suitcases out of the car, Jessie noticed a tall, silver-haired woman in a flowery-blue sundress standing15 near the orchard. She was talking to a man in a business suit. As if feeling Jessie’s eyes on her, the woman suddenly looked over.

“Margaret!” The tall woman rushed towards Mrs. McGregor. “How wonderful to see you!”

“It’s been too long,” said Mrs. McGregor, returning her friend’s warm hug.

“And this fine-looking group must be the Alden family!” Norah Eton said.

Mrs. McGregor proudly introduced everyone. “Welcome to Eton Place!” Norah said, a smile spreading across her face. “I can’t wait for you to meet my niece. I know she’ll enjoy your company.”

“We’re looking forward to meeting Pam,” said Jessie, speaking for them all.

“Guess what, Mrs. Eton?” Benny put in. He was still thinking about the mystery.

“What, Benny?”

“We’re pretty good at tracking down clues,” he told her proudly.

“So I’ve heard,” said Norah. “I’ll tell you all about the old mystery after dinner, Benny. But you have to promise me one thing.”

“All right,” said Benny. “What is it?”

“You must call me Norah.”

“Okay, Norah,” agreed Benny. “It’s a deal!”

Just then, a voice boomed out. “I’m Spence Morton.” The man in the business suit walked toward the group and put out his hand for Grandfather to shake. “I hope you’re not here about the bridge, too,” he said. “I made a fair offer, but I’ll go higher if necessary.”

Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny looked at each other in bewilderment. Was this the same bridge Darlene had mentioned?

Spence Morton went on, “I was passing through town and happened to pick up a local paper.” He pulled a newspaper out from under his arm and thumped16 a finger under a picture of an old stone bridge. “This is exactly what I’ve been looking for!” he told them, his eyes glittering behind gold-rimmed glasses. “My wife takes great pride in her English garden,” he added, “and this charming bridge will be perfect for the stream that runs through it.”

“That bridge is not for sale,” Norah stated icily. “As I said before, you’re wasting your time.”

The man did not look pleased to hear this. “Everything has a price tag,” he insisted.

“We’ll see about that.” Norah’s mouth was set in a thin, hard line.

“Mark my words,” said Spence Morton, “I’ll do whatever it takes to get what I want.” With that, he turned and walked away.

Norah sighed. “Every time I turn around lately, there’s Spence Morton. Yesterday I found him measuring my bridge! Can you believe it?”

Mrs. McGregor shook her head. “The nerve!”

“He isn’t a bad person, but …” Norah stopped and let out a long sigh.

“But,” finished Grandfather, “he just won’t take no for an answer.”

Norah nodded slowly. “I wish now I’d never let the newspaper do that write-up on my bridge.” Then, changing the subject, she added, “Will you join us for a late dinner, James? There’s plenty to go around.”

“Thanks, Norah,” he said, “but the sun’s already going down, and I still have some business to take care of.”

Grandfather gave a cheery honk17 as he drove away. Everyone waved, then headed toward the plum-colored house.

Mrs. McGregor looked around as they stepped inside. She smiled at Norah. “I see you’ve made some changes,” she said.

“Yes, I finally got around to fixing the house up a bit,” said Norah. As she led the way to the stairs, she shook her head. “But what a mess! Walls torn down … floorboards pulled up. This place was a real disaster area for a while.”

Upstairs, a room with plum-patterned wallpaper was waiting for Mrs. McGregor, another with fan-shaped windows for Violet and Jessie. A third bedroom with twin beds and fringed blue bedspreads was just right for Henry and Benny.

“We’ve been keeping dinner warm for you,” Norah told them. “Anybody hungry?”

Benny waved his hand in the air. “I am! I am!” he cried, to no one’s surprise. The youngest Alden was always hungry.

Norah laughed. “Well, come on down as soon as you’ve settled in.”

It didn’t take the Aldens long to unpack18. They were waiting for Violet to finish brushing her hair when Benny cried, “Look!” He was peering through one of the fan-shaped windows.

Jessie could tell by her little brother’s face that something had startled him. “What’s going on, Benny?” she asked, stepping up beside him.

“Look down there!” Benny said, his eyes wide.

“What is it?” Henry hurried over, with Violet close behind.

“It’s a bridge!” declared Benny.

The Aldens huddled19 around, straining to see out into the gathering20 darkness. Sure enough, the shadowy outline of a curved stone bridge could be seen in a far corner of the backyard.

“There must be a creek21 behind the house,” noted22 Henry.

Violet said, “I can’t be sure, but I think that’s the bridge that was in the newspaper.”

“Got to be,” said Jessie. “That’s the one Spence Morton wants to buy. I’m sure of it.”

Benny nodded. “I bet it’s the haunted bridge Darlene was talking about. We’re not supposed to go fishing from it, remember?”

“Of course we can go fishing from it, Benny,” Henry insisted. “The bridge isn’t haunted.”

“No one goes fishing from that bridge,” said a voice behind them. “No one does. Ever.”
 


点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 housekeeper 6q2zxl     
n.管理家务的主妇,女管家
参考例句:
  • A spotless stove told us that his mother is a diligent housekeeper.炉子清洁无瑕就表明他母亲是个勤劳的主妇。
  • She is an economical housekeeper and feeds her family cheaply.她节约持家,一家人吃得很省。
2 gravel s6hyT     
n.砂跞;砂砾层;结石
参考例句:
  • We bought six bags of gravel for the garden path.我们购买了六袋碎石用来铺花园的小路。
  • More gravel is needed to fill the hollow in the drive.需要更多的砾石来填平车道上的坑洼。
3 eyebrows a0e6fb1330e9cfecfd1c7a4d00030ed5     
眉毛( eyebrow的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • Eyebrows stop sweat from coming down into the eyes. 眉毛挡住汗水使其不能流进眼睛。
  • His eyebrows project noticeably. 他的眉毛特别突出。
4 flea dgSz3     
n.跳蚤
参考例句:
  • I'll put a flea in his ear if he bothers me once more.如果他再来打扰的话,我就要对他不客气了。
  • Hunter has an interest in prowling around a flea market.亨特对逛跳蚤市场很感兴趣。
5 swap crnwE     
n.交换;vt.交换,用...作交易
参考例句:
  • I will swap you my bicycle for your radio.我想拿我的自行车换你的收音机。
  • This comic was a swap that I got from Nick.这本漫画书是我从尼克那里换来的。
6 spotted 7FEyj     
adj.有斑点的,斑纹的,弄污了的
参考例句:
  • The milkman selected the spotted cows,from among a herd of two hundred.牛奶商从一群200头牛中选出有斑点的牛。
  • Sam's shop stocks short spotted socks.山姆的商店屯积了有斑点的短袜。
7 streaks a961fa635c402b4952940a0218464c02     
n.(与周围有所不同的)条纹( streak的名词复数 );(通常指不好的)特征(倾向);(不断经历成功或失败的)一段时期v.快速移动( streak的第三人称单数 );使布满条纹
参考例句:
  • streaks of grey in her hair 她头上的绺绺白发
  • Bacon has streaks of fat and streaks of lean. 咸肉中有几层肥的和几层瘦的。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
8 overalls 2mCz6w     
n.(复)工装裤;长罩衣
参考例句:
  • He is in overalls today.他今天穿的是工作裤。
  • He changed his overalls for a suit.他脱下工装裤,换上了一套西服。
9 embroidered StqztZ     
adj.绣花的
参考例句:
  • She embroidered flowers on the cushion covers. 她在这些靠垫套上绣了花。
  • She embroidered flowers on the front of the dress. 她在连衣裙的正面绣花。
10 hopped 91b136feb9c3ae690a1c2672986faa1c     
跳上[下]( hop的过去式和过去分词 ); 单足蹦跳; 齐足(或双足)跳行; 摘葎草花
参考例句:
  • He hopped onto a car and wanted to drive to town. 他跳上汽车想开向市区。
  • He hopped into a car and drove to town. 他跳进汽车,向市区开去。
11 chattering chattering     
n. (机器振动发出的)咔嗒声,(鸟等)鸣,啁啾 adj. 喋喋不休的,啾啾声的 动词chatter的现在分词形式
参考例句:
  • The teacher told the children to stop chattering in class. 老师叫孩子们在课堂上不要叽叽喳喳讲话。
  • I was so cold that my teeth were chattering. 我冷得牙齿直打战。
12 pointed Il8zB4     
adj.尖的,直截了当的
参考例句:
  • He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
  • She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。
13 wagon XhUwP     
n.四轮马车,手推车,面包车;无盖运货列车
参考例句:
  • We have to fork the hay into the wagon.我们得把干草用叉子挑进马车里去。
  • The muddy road bemired the wagon.马车陷入了泥泞的道路。
14 orchard UJzxu     
n.果园,果园里的全部果树,(美俚)棒球场
参考例句:
  • My orchard is bearing well this year.今年我的果园果实累累。
  • Each bamboo house was surrounded by a thriving orchard.每座竹楼周围都是茂密的果园。
15 standing 2hCzgo     
n.持续,地位;adj.永久的,不动的,直立的,不流动的
参考例句:
  • After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
  • They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。
16 thumped 0a7f1b69ec9ae1663cb5ed15c0a62795     
v.重击, (指心脏)急速跳动( thump的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • Dave thumped the table in frustration . 戴夫懊恼得捶打桌子。
  • He thumped the table angrily. 他愤怒地用拳捶击桌子。
17 honk TdizI     
n.雁叫声,汽车喇叭声
参考例句:
  • Don't honk the horn indiscriminately.不要乱鸣喇叭!
  • While passing another vehicle,you must honk your horn.通过另一部车时必须鸣按喇叭。
18 unpack sfwzBO     
vt.打开包裹(或行李),卸货
参考例句:
  • I must unpack before dinner.我得在饭前把行李打开。
  • She said she would unpack the items later.她说以后再把箱子里的东西拿出来。
19 huddled 39b87f9ca342d61fe478b5034beb4139     
挤在一起(huddle的过去式与过去分词形式)
参考例句:
  • We huddled together for warmth. 我们挤在一块取暖。
  • We huddled together to keep warm. 我们挤在一起来保暖。
20 gathering ChmxZ     
n.集会,聚会,聚集
参考例句:
  • He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
  • He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。
21 creek 3orzL     
n.小溪,小河,小湾
参考例句:
  • He sprang through the creek.他跳过小河。
  • People sunbathe in the nude on the rocks above the creek.人们在露出小溪的岩石上裸体晒日光浴。
22 noted 5n4zXc     
adj.著名的,知名的
参考例句:
  • The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
  • Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。
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