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儿童英语读物 The Mystery of the Secret Message CHAPTER 3 The Hidden Message

时间:2017-08-25 03:28来源:互联网 提供网友:qing   字体: [ ]
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We need a new mystery,” Benny said. The four Alden children were sitting and talking in their boxcar, and Benny was feeling restless.

“We have to help Grandfather with the Winter Festival. We don’t have time to solve a mystery, too,” said Jessie.

She wrote something in a green binder1. Knowing that Jessie was organized and responsible, Grandfather had asked her to keep track of preparations for the festival. As Grandfather’s assistant, Jessie kept notes in the festival notebook.

“Can’t we do both?” Benny said.

“Well, Benny, mysteries don’t just fall out of the sky,” Violet said.

“What about your picture?” asked Benny. “That’s a mystery.”

“Violet’s picture is just a weird2 mistake,” said Henry.

Jessie closed her notebook. “We promised to clean the statue today. Is everyone ready?”

“I have the lunch Mrs. McGregor packed us.” Violet held up a large wicker picnic basket. She slipped the strange photograph into her basket. Maybe Mr. Kirby had found the rightful owner.

“And I’ve got the cleaning stuff.” Jessie wheeled her bicycle out from the garage. The tote bag containing her notebook swung from her handlebars.

She handed Henry the bucket of cleaning supplies to hang from his handlebars.

Benny climbed on his bike. “Let’s go!”

The children pedaled quickly in the crisp morning air to the center of Greenfield.

They parked their bicycles in the lot on one side of the square. Shops and businesses lined two sides. The town hall, with its wide green lawn, occupied the fourth side. In the center of the brick-paved common area stood the statue of Josiah Wade3.

Violet wished she had brought her camera. The square looked so pretty today. The copper4 spire5 of the town hall gleamed in the bright sunlight.

“What a great day,” Henry said.

“Maybe we’ll find a new mystery,” Benny said hopefully.

“Work first!” Jessie chided gently. Secretly, she also wished they had a new mystery to solve. Life was so much more exciting when they were searching for clues.

They unloaded the cleaning supplies at the base of the statue.

“He sure is dirty.” Jessie swiped a finger over one bronze sleeve. “Well, we’ll make him clean again.”

She handed the bucket to Henry. “Mrs. Turner in the drugstore should let you fill this.”

Henry returned a few minutes later with a bucketful of hot water. He squirted in detergent6 to make suds. Then they each grabbed a brush and began scrubbing.

After working for about a half hour, the children stopped to eat lunch.

After everyone washed their hands at Cooke’s Drugstore, Violet passed around turkey and cranberry7 sauce sandwiches on whole wheat bread. Henry poured them each a cup of hot chocolate from the thermos8.

“And we have oatmeal cookies for dessert,” Violet said.

“Look how shiny Josiah’s boots are,” Benny said proudly, munching9 a carrot stick.

“You did a good job,” said Jessie. “That musket10 is tough, but I’ve almost got it cleaned.”

Across the square, a familiar figure emerged from a side door of the town hall.

“It’s Rick!” Benny said, waving excitedly. “Now he’ll tell us the secret.”

“Looking good,” Rick Bass11 said. “I bet old Josiah loves getting a bath.”

Violet offered him an oatmeal cookie. “You said you know something about the town.”

“So I did. Boy, these are good cookies. Please give my compliments to your Mrs. McGregor.” Rick’s brown eyes crinkled at the corners. He loved to tease.

“Rick!” Benny wailed12. “Tell us!”

Rick laughed. “All right! I’ve kept you in suspense13 long enough.”

The children leaned forward eagerly.

“Josiah Wade,” Rick stated, “was not a Minuteman.”

“He wasn’t a soldier?” Henry asked. “Why is his statue dressed like one?”

“Good question,” said Rick. “I think it’s a joke the sculptor14 played on Greenfield.”

“What kind of a joke is that?” Violet wondered.

Looking at the children’s blank faces, Rick explained, “I’ve been reading about the history of Greenfield. This statue was created by Franklin Bond.”

“Here’s the marker,” said Jessie, pointing to a small brass15 plate at the base of the statue. “It says, ‘Sculpted by Franklin A. Bond, June 4, 1855.’ ”

“Now, think about these dates,” Rick told them. “Josiah Wade was born in 1763. The Revolutionary War took place between 1775 and 1783.”

Henry did the math quickly in his head. “Josiah was only twelve when the war began.”

“Exactly!” Rick was warming to his subject. “Josiah Wade was a teenage boy during the period. He probably remembered the war quite well, but I doubt he actually fought in it.”

Benny was confused. “Then why would Franklin Bond make Josiah a soldier if he wasn’t?”

“Franklin Bond grew up in Greenfield,” replied Rick. “When he was a young boy he knew Josiah Wade. By the time Franklin created the statue, Josiah was an old man. Franklin probably listened to Josiah’s stories about the war. Maybe Josiah told Franklin he fought with the patriots16.”

Henry studied the bronze statue. “If Josiah really wasn’t a soldier, then that’s a good joke on us!”

“Josiah Wade helped form the town of Greenfield, so he deserved a statue in his honor,” Rick said. “A man looks more important in a uniform. But I doubt Josiah Wade ever wore one.”

Since it was lunchtime, the square was growing busy. Sylvia Pepper came out of her florist’s shop to inspect the Aldens’ cleaning job.

“Not bad,” she said critically. “I don’t suppose there’s anything you can do about that crumbly old base.”

“We’ve been trying,” Henry told her. “But little stones keep dropping off. It’ll be great when old Josiah gets a new base.”

“It would be even better if the statue were moved,” Sylvia said. She eyed Rick Bass. “You’re the town historian, aren’t you?”

“Actually,” he corrected, “I’m the curator for the new museum.”

“Well, don’t you agree the statue should be moved? It just clutters17 the square,” Sylvia said. “My building is the oldest on the square, so it should be in front of my shop.”

Rick shook his head. “If the town wants to move the statue, I believe it should be part of the museum.”

“Bury it in the basement of the town hall!” Sylvia said shrilly18. “What a ridiculous idea!”

“I’ve got to go back to work,” Rick told the Aldens abruptly19. “Thanks for the cookie.”

Violet could tell Rick didn’t like Sylvia. She didn’t blame him. Sylvia Pepper wasn’t very friendly.

Dawn Wellington joined the group. Today her blond ponytail was tied back with a blue ribbon that matched her eyes.

“The statue really sparkles!” she said.

“We were just talking about where it should be moved,” Sylvia said.

“But we don’t know if it will be moved,” Dawn pointed20 out. “The vote won’t be announced until Saturday. I put in my ballot21!”

“Anyone with any sense will agree the statue should be moved.” Sylvia waved her arm, her silver bracelets22 jangling. “We want a nice, modern fountain there.”

“Not all of us,” Dawn said. “I like the square just the way it is.”

“What do you know?” Sylvia retorted. “You’ve just come here.” With that, she flounced across the square to her shop.

Dawn bit her lip. “I didn’t mean to make her mad.”

“She’s awfully23 touchy,” Jessie observed.

“I shouldn’t repeat gossip,” Dawn said, “but Mrs. Turner told me that Sylvia’s shop isn’t doing very well. I guess that’s why she’s a little testy24.”

Just then Violet remembered the photograph in the picnic basket.

“I have a strange picture. Maybe you could tell us about it.” She pulled the mysterious photo out and handed it to Dawn.

“See? It’s got that funny blank spot near the top,” Benny pointed out.

Dawn squinted25 at the picture. “Hmmmm,” she said thoughtfully. “I’d like to try something in my studio. May I borrow your picture, Violet?”

“Sure. Can we come, too?” Violet asked.

“Of course.” Dawn led the way into her photography studio.

They walked past the front room, and through a door with a red light over the top.

The windowless room contained sinks and counters filled with strange-looking equipment. A single red bulb overhead provided the only light.

“It’s sure dark in here,” Benny remarked.

“This is my darkroom,” Dawn explained. “This is where I develop pictures. Bright light ruins unexposed film, so I work with little illumination.”

Dawn dipped the strange photo into a pan of liquid. Then she turned on a small lamp attached to her counter. Pushing the metal shade to one side, she held the photo over the bare lightbulb.

“Just as I thought,” she said. “Watch carefully.”

Slowly, words appeared in the blank space on the photograph.
 


点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 binder atUzh     
n.包扎物,包扎工具;[法]临时契约;粘合剂;装订工
参考例句:
  • The cloth flower snaps on with a special binder.这布花是用一种特殊的粘合剂固定住的。
  • Purified water was used as liquid binder.纯净水作为液体粘合剂。
2 weird bghw8     
adj.古怪的,离奇的;怪诞的,神秘而可怕的
参考例句:
  • From his weird behaviour,he seems a bit of an oddity.从他不寻常的行为看来,他好像有点怪。
  • His weird clothes really gas me.他的怪衣裳简直笑死人。
3 wade nMgzu     
v.跋涉,涉水;n.跋涉
参考例句:
  • We had to wade through the river to the opposite bank.我们只好涉水过河到对岸。
  • We cannot but wade across the river.我们只好趟水过去。
4 copper HZXyU     
n.铜;铜币;铜器;adj.铜(制)的;(紫)铜色的
参考例句:
  • The students are asked to prove the purity of copper.要求学生们检验铜的纯度。
  • Copper is a good medium for the conduction of heat and electricity.铜是热和电的良导体。
5 spire SF3yo     
n.(教堂)尖顶,尖塔,高点
参考例句:
  • The church spire was struck by lightning.教堂的尖顶遭到了雷击。
  • They could just make out the spire of the church in the distance.他们只能辨认出远处教堂的尖塔。
6 detergent dm1zW     
n.洗涤剂;adj.有洗净力的
参考例句:
  • He recommended a new detergent to me.他向我推荐一种新的洗涤剂。
  • This detergent can remove stubborn stains.这种去污剂能去除难洗的污渍。
7 cranberry TvOz5U     
n.梅果
参考例句:
  • Turkey reminds me of cranberry sauce.火鸡让我想起梅果酱。
  • Actually I prefer canned cranberry sauce.事实上我更喜欢罐装的梅果酱。
8 thermos TqjyE     
n.保湿瓶,热水瓶
参考例句:
  • Can I borrow your thermos?我可以借用你的暖水瓶吗?
  • It's handy to have the thermos here.暖瓶放在这儿好拿。
9 munching 3bbbb661207569e6c6cb6a1390d74d06     
v.用力咀嚼(某物),大嚼( munch的现在分词 )
参考例句:
  • He was munching an apple. 他在津津有味地嚼着苹果。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Munching the apple as he was, he had an eye for all her movements. 他虽然啃着苹果,但却很留神地监视着她的每一个动作。 来自辞典例句
10 musket 46jzO     
n.滑膛枪
参考例句:
  • I hunted with a musket two years ago.两年前我用滑膛枪打猎。
  • So some seconds passed,till suddenly Joyce whipped up his musket and fired.又过了几秒钟,突然,乔伊斯端起枪来开了火。
11 bass APUyY     
n.男低音(歌手);低音乐器;低音大提琴
参考例句:
  • He answered my question in a surprisingly deep bass.他用一种低得出奇的声音回答我的问题。
  • The bass was to give a concert in the park.那位男低音歌唱家将在公园中举行音乐会。
12 wailed e27902fd534535a9f82ffa06a5b6937a     
v.哭叫,哀号( wail的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • She wailed over her father's remains. 她对着父亲的遗体嚎啕大哭。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
  • The women of the town wailed over the war victims. 城里的妇女为战争的死难者们痛哭。 来自辞典例句
13 suspense 9rJw3     
n.(对可能发生的事)紧张感,担心,挂虑
参考例句:
  • The suspense was unbearable.这样提心吊胆的状况实在叫人受不了。
  • The director used ingenious devices to keep the audience in suspense.导演用巧妙手法引起观众的悬念。
14 sculptor 8Dyz4     
n.雕刻家,雕刻家
参考例句:
  • A sculptor forms her material.雕塑家把材料塑造成雕塑品。
  • The sculptor rounded the clay into a sphere.那位雕塑家把黏土做成了一个球状。
15 brass DWbzI     
n.黄铜;黄铜器,铜管乐器
参考例句:
  • Many of the workers play in the factory's brass band.许多工人都在工厂铜管乐队中演奏。
  • Brass is formed by the fusion of copper and zinc.黄铜是通过铜和锌的熔合而成的。
16 patriots cf0387291504d78a6ac7a13147d2f229     
爱国者,爱国主义者( patriot的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • Abraham Lincoln was a fine type of the American patriots. 亚伯拉罕·林肯是美国爱国者的优秀典型。
  • These patriots would fight to death before they surrendered. 这些爱国者宁愿战斗到死,也不愿投降。
17 clutters d2d92607f838ff841e2880c3137f0f5d     
n.杂物,零乱的东西零乱vt.( clutter的名词复数 );乱糟糟地堆满,把…弄得很乱;(以…) 塞满…v.杂物,零乱的东西零乱vt.( clutter的第三人称单数 );乱糟糟地堆满,把…弄得很乱;(以…) 塞满…
参考例句:
  • Be cautious with your use of CC; overuse simply clutters inboxes. 也不要随意乱用抄送,不然会造成对方收件箱的混乱。 来自互联网
  • None of the proposed Methods: Will effective enough to remove ground clutters. 提出来地方法都不足以排除地面杂波。 来自互联网
18 shrilly a8e1b87de57fd858801df009e7a453fe     
尖声的; 光亮的,耀眼的
参考例句:
  • The librarian threw back his head and laughed shrilly. 图书管理员把头往后面一仰,尖着嗓子哈哈大笑。
  • He half rose in his seat, whistling shrilly between his teeth, waving his hand. 他从车座上半欠起身子,低声打了一个尖锐的唿哨,一面挥挥手。
19 abruptly iINyJ     
adv.突然地,出其不意地
参考例句:
  • He gestured abruptly for Virginia to get in the car.他粗鲁地示意弗吉尼亚上车。
  • I was abruptly notified that a half-hour speech was expected of me.我突然被通知要讲半个小时的话。
20 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。
21 ballot jujzB     
n.(不记名)投票,投票总数,投票权;vi.投票
参考例句:
  • The members have demanded a ballot.会员们要求投票表决。
  • The union said they will ballot members on whether to strike.工会称他们将要求会员投票表决是否罢工。
22 bracelets 58df124ddcdc646ef29c1c5054d8043d     
n.手镯,臂镯( bracelet的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • The lamplight struck a gleam from her bracelets. 她的手镯在灯光的照射下闪闪发亮。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • On display are earrings, necklaces and bracelets made from jade, amber and amethyst. 展出的有用玉石、琥珀和紫水晶做的耳环、项链和手镯。 来自《简明英汉词典》
23 awfully MPkym     
adv.可怕地,非常地,极端地
参考例句:
  • Agriculture was awfully neglected in the past.过去农业遭到严重忽视。
  • I've been feeling awfully bad about it.对这我一直感到很难受。
24 testy GIQzC     
adj.易怒的;暴躁的
参考例句:
  • Ben's getting a little testy in his old age.上了年纪后本变得有点性急了。
  • A doctor was called in to see a rather testy aristocrat.一个性格相当暴躁的贵族召来了一位医生为他检查。
25 squinted aaf7c56a51bf19a5f429b7a9ddca2e9b     
斜视( squint的过去式和过去分词 ); 眯着眼睛; 瞟; 从小孔或缝隙里看
参考例句:
  • Pulling his rifle to his shoulder he squinted along the barrel. 他把枪顶肩,眯起眼睛瞄准。
  • I squinted through the keyhole. 我从锁眼窥看。
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