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儿童英语读物 The Mystery of the Runaway Ghost CHAPTER 3 Elephants and a Riddle

时间:2017-11-10 06:00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)

“Do you think it’s true?” Benny asked his brother and sisters. He was standing1 at the window in the lace-and-lavender room that Violet and Jessie were sharing. The children had finished unpacking2 and were waiting for Violet to put more film in her camera.

Jessie, who was brushing her long brown hair, looked over at her younger brother. “What do you mean, Benny?”

Benny plopped down on Jessie’s bed. “Do you think Buttercup really is trying to tell Fran something?”

“No.” Henry shook his head firmly. “Ghosts don’t exist, Benny.” But the youngest Alden didn’t look convinced.

Violet looked up. “You must admit, Henry it’s awfully3 strange about that painting.”

Benny was quick to agree. “How could the artist paint Buttercup’s picture seven years after she disappeared?”

Henry shrugged4. “That’s a good question.”

“I don’t understand it, either,” put in Jessie, as the four of them made their way downstairs. “But there must be a logical explanation for it.”

“Like what?” demanded Benny.

None of them had an answer to that question.

“Something sure smells good!” Henry said, as they trooped into the kitchen.

Fran was humming to herself as she took the biscuits out of the oven. “I made my special meatballs in mushroom sauce.” The table was already set for dinner, and she gestured for the children to sit down. “I’m hoping it’ll hit the spot.”

“Grandfather told us you’re a great cook, Fran,” Jessie said, taking a seat next to Benny.

“Oh, I just follow the old family recipes, Jessie,” Fran said. “Selden’s wife, Anne, brought most of them with her from St. Ives.”

“St. Ives?” said Henry.

“That was the name of Anne’s hometown in England.” Fran set a dish of mashed5 potatoes on the table.

“It must’ve been hard for Anne to leave her hometown,” Violet said. Violet was shy, and meeting new people often made her nervous.

Fran pulled up a chair. “I imagine Anne was homesick at first, but she loved Selden, and she never regretted her new life in Wisconsin.”

Just then, a voice behind them made the children turn around quickly in surprise.

“Sorry I’m late.” A slim young woman came rushing into the room. She was dressed in a sleeveless blouse and a brightly flowered skirt. Her blond hair was pulled back into a ponytail.

Fran smiled warmly. “We only just sat down, Lottie.” She quickly introduced the Aldens to her boarder, Lottie Brighton.

“A newlywed couple came into the gallery just as I was leaving,” Lottie explained, after saying hello to everyone. “They were eager for a sketch6.” She slipped into the empty seat beside Henry. “What could I do? I needed the extra money.”

Seeing the children’s slightly puzzled faces, Fran said, “Lottie has a job at one of the local galleries in Cedarburg. She draws sketches7 of the tourists who come to town.”

That sounded like fun to Violet. “Oh, you must love going to work every day, Lottie!” Violet liked to sketch and draw, and she was good at it, too.

Lottie placed a napkin over her lap. “Yes, I do enjoy it, and it’s good practice,” she said. “I just wish it paid more.”

“Lottie’s putting herself through art school,” Fran explained.

“At the rate I’m going, I’ll never have enough money for the fall term.” Lottie frowned as she put green beans on her plate.

“I know what it’s like to be on a tight budget, Lottie.” Fran placed a comforting hand on the young woman’s arm. “It isn’t easy, but you’ll find a way.”

“Grandfather always says, ‘Where there’s a will, there’s a way,’ ” Benny said, then went back to wolfing down meatballs.

Lottie nodded. “Yes, sometimes you have to do whatever it takes,” she said, “even if…” Her words trailed away in a sigh.

Henry watched her expectantly, but Lottie didn’t finish the sentence.

Just after Benny had eaten the last meatball, there was a soft tapping on the kitchen door. Wiping her mouth with a napkin, Fran hurried to answer it.

A suntanned woman with a cheery smile was standing on the doorstep. She was dressed in a T-shirt and shorts, and her thick dark curls were held back from her face with a white headband. At her elbow was a girl about Violet’s age, holding a pie.

“Well, look who’s here!” Fran stepped aside to usher8 in the new arrivals. Then she introduced everyone to her neighbors, Cora Roback and her daughter, Reese.

“We made a special welcome-to-Cedarburg dessert,” Reese said, smiling over at the Aldens. “Ghost pie!” She held it up.

Benny’s mouth dropped open. “Did you say ghost pie?”

“Don’t worry, Benny.” Cora laughed. “It’s really just plain old apple pie.”

“But guess what?” added Reese, who had the same dark hair and big brown eyes as her mother. “It’s so delicious that it disappears — just like that!” She snapped her fingers exactly as Fran had done. “That’s why we call it — ”

“Ghost pie!” everyone cried out.

“What a perfect way to end our meal!” Fran said as she set the pie on the counter.

Jessie gave Reese a friendly smile. “I’m glad I left room for dessert.”

“The meatballs hit the spot,” put in Benny, “but I’ve still got a big spot left for ghost pie.”

“Count me in, too,” added Henry. Violet nodded.

“Cora owns an antique store in town,” Fran informed the Aldens. “She also writes articles for a local magazine. Right now, she’s working on one about Shadowbox and the other old homes of Cedarburg.”

“Oh!” Henry said. “I can’t wait to read all about the runaway9 ghost.”

“Oh, yes!” Fran rubbed her hands together with pleasure. “The family ghost will get quite a write-up, I’m sure. I mean, how can it miss?”

Jessie couldn’t help noticing that Cora shifted uncomfortably.

“The problem is —” Cora began to say. But Fran interrupted.

“If you need more information, Cora, just let me know. I’ll fill you in on all the ghostly details.”

Cora held up a hand. “You might as well know, Fran,” she told her, “I decided10 not to mention the runaway ghost in the article.”

“What was that?” There was a look of shock on Fran’s face.

“Well, there haven’t been any sightings in years, right? And even the ones from long ago were probably staged — you know, to entertain the guests. The whole idea of a ghost cow seems a bit … far-fetched. Don’t you think?” Cora suddenly seemed unable to look Fran in the eye.

“Far-fetched?” Fran stiffened11.

Lottie offered an opinion. “I agree with Cora. An article like that should stick to the facts.”

Cora nodded. “Exactly!” she said. “The facts and nothing but the facts.”

“People would laugh if you mentioned a ghost cow,” added Lottie. “You mustn’t even consider such a thing, Cora.”

Jessie caught Henry’s eye. Why was Lottie butting12 in? The article had nothing to do with her.

“I want this article to be taken seriously,” Cora added.

“I see.” Fran looked as if she wanted to argue, but she didn’t.

Violet didn’t like to see the disappointment on Fran’s face. She just had to say something. “But … the runaway ghost is a part of the history of Shadowbox. That story goes all the way back to the 1850s!”

Reese turned to her mother. “Violet’s right. You can’t write about Shadowbox and not mention the runaway ghost. They go together like … like ghost pie and ice cream!”

Cora frowned. “Reese, please!” She gave her daughter a warning look. “You’re not helping13 matters.”

“I’m sure you know best, Cora,” Fran said, forcing a smile. “No reason for anyone to be upset.” But it was plain that Fran was upset.

“Sure nice to meet everyone!” Cora was already steering14 her daughter toward the door. She suddenly seemed eager to get away. “See you later.”

As the door closed behind them, Fran mumbled15, “If Cora thinks I’m going to sit back and do nothing, she should think again. I mean, really!”

The Aldens exchanged worried looks. What was Fran planning to do?

“Now,” said Fran, who was back to her cheery self, “are you ready to hear about that mystery?”

The Aldens nodded eagerly. They were sitting in the living room, sipping16 apple cider and eating ghost pie and ice cream.

“All the clues are right here,” Fran said. She reached for a small wooden box on the table beside her. “But, for the life of me, I can’t make head nor tails of any of it.”

“We’ll do our best to help,” Henry promised.

“We’re good detectives,” added Benny.

“Detectives?” echoed Lottie.

“These children have a real knack18 for tracking down clues,” Fran told her. “They’ve offered to help me solve a mystery.”

“Oh?” Lottie raised her eyebrows19.

“Yes, indeed. The mystery fell into my lap a few weeks ago, when I was having repairs done in the front hall. Some of the floorboards were warped20 and needed replacing.” Fran looked around at each of the Aldens. “One of the workmen found this under a loose floorboard.” She gave the mysterious box a little shake.

Violet knelt down beside Fran’s chair to get a closer look. “Oh, the box is decorated with pressed flowers.”

“Yes, it’s quite lovely, really,” Fran responded. “And very old, too. I would guess that it’s been hidden away for a long time.”

Jessie looked questioningly at her. “What makes you say that, Fran?”

“Take a good look at the box, Jessie. See how faded the flowers are? Time takes its toll21 on pressed flowers, I’m afraid. The colors eventually fade.”

“That’s good detective work,” praised Henry.

Violet ran her fingers gently over the box. A little shiver went down her spine22 as she made a discovery. “The flowers are buttercups!”

The others gathered round to check it out. Sure enough, the entire box was covered with nothing but buttercups.

“Is that why you think the mystery has something to do with the runaway ghost?” Henry asked Fran.

Nodding her head, Fran said, “There must be some kind of connection. I can feel it in my bones.”

“But what’s inside the box?” Benny asked, his mouth full of ghost pie. He could hardly stand the suspense23.

With a quick motion, Fran flipped24 open the lid and removed a single sheet of paper, yellowed with age. “There’s a riddle25 inside,” she said. “And a rather strange one at that!” Putting on her reading glasses, Fran began to read aloud:

“The thing you hold

Is the thing you seek,

A treasure waits,

Shadows speak.

Solve this riddle,

And you will see,

You’re ready to solve,

Riddle three.”

The Aldens stared wide-eyed at Fran. Then Benny said, “Riddle three?” He looked confused.

“I guess there was once a riddle one that led to the secret hiding place under the floorboards,” Fran said.

“Well, one thing’s for sure,” said Jessie, “nobody ever figured it out.”

“What makes you say that, Jessie?” Benny asked.

“Because the box was still in its hiding place, Benny,” she explained.

“Oh, right!” Benny said.

“Just think,” put in Fran, “if I hadn’t decided to spiff up the front hall, the box would still be there.”

Benny was deep in thought. “But shadows can’t speak, can they?” he asked, his mind still on the riddle.

Shaking his head, Henry said, “I’ve never heard of it.”

Fran leaned close, as though about to share a secret. “It might have something to do with the elephants.”

“Elephants?” Benny almost choked on his pie. “What elephants?”

Fran reached into the box again and pulled out a handful of elephants cut from black paper. “There’s a whole herd26 of these … these shadow elephants inside,” she said, as if not knowing what else to call them.

“Hey, that makes it a shadowbox!” Benny realized.

Fran laughed a little. “Yes, I suppose it is a kind of shadowbox.”

Everyone had a turn inspecting the contents of the box. After thumbing through the shadow elephants once … twice … three times, Henry drew his eyebrows together in a frown.

“I don’t get it,” he said. “What do these elephants have to do with the riddle?”

The other Aldens crowded around to take another look.

“Each of the elephants looks different, but their trunks all point up,” Jessie noticed. “Do you think that could mean anything?”

“You’re right, Jessie, they’re all like that,” Henry said with a nod.

“But why are their trunks pointing up?” Benny wanted to know. “And what does the riddle mean?”

Henry scratched behind his neck. “Beats me!”

“What’d I tell you?” said Fran. “It doesn’t make sense, does it?” She took a sip17 of her apple cider.

The Aldens sat in puzzled silence. They had never come across a mystery like this one before. If shadows did talk, then what would the shadow elephants want to tell them?

Lottie spoke27 up. “If you ask me, it doesn’t mean anything. It’s probably just a game of some kind,” she said matter-of-factly. “That box has probably been hidden away since the Victorian era. Weren’t parlor28 games popular back then?”

Benny wrinkled up his forehead. “What’s the Victorian era?”

“The olden days,” explained Henry. “Before computers or television.”

“They didn’t have electricity back then,” added Jessie.

Lottie nodded. “That’s right. In the evenings, they’d read or sew or play games. This easily could be part of a game.”

Fran had to admit it was possible. “My great-great-grandmother Anne was a very creative person. She loved coming up with games to keep her children amused.”

Benny’s face fell. “You mean, there might not be a treasure waiting?”

“Maybe not,” said Jessie. “But we won’t know for sure until we do some investigating.”

“Why get yourselves all worked up about nothing?” insisted Lottie. “If there ever was a treasure, it must be long gone.”

Henry and Jessie exchanged glances. Why was Lottie so sure there wasn’t a treasure?

Before they had a chance to ask any questions, Lottie suddenly got to her feet. “Well, I think I’ll go up to my room and paint for a while,” she said.

“Oh, what are you painting, Lottie?” Violet asked.

Lottie shrugged a little. “Nothing special,” she said.

Fran chuckled29. “Lottie’s very hush-hush about her art. I haven’t been able to get a word out of her.”

“Oh,” Benny said, disappointed. “So we can’t see it?”

Lottie shook her head firmly and went upstairs.

Violet couldn’t help wondering why Fran’s boarder was being so secretive.


点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 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。
2 unpacking 4cd1f3e1b7db9c6a932889b5839cdd25     
n.取出货物,拆包[箱]v.从(包裹等)中取出(所装的东西),打开行李取出( unpack的现在分词 );拆包;解除…的负担;吐露(心事等)
参考例句:
  • Joe sat on the bed while Martin was unpacking. 马丁打开箱子取东西的时候,乔坐在床上。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • They are unpacking a trunk. 他们正在打开衣箱。 来自《简明英汉词典》
3 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。
4 shrugged 497904474a48f991a3d1961b0476ebce     
vt.耸肩(shrug的过去式与过去分词形式)
参考例句:
  • Sam shrugged and said nothing. 萨姆耸耸肩膀,什么也没说。
  • She shrugged, feigning nonchalance. 她耸耸肩,装出一副无所谓的样子。 来自《简明英汉词典》
5 mashed Jotz5Y     
a.捣烂的
参考例句:
  • two scoops of mashed potato 两勺土豆泥
  • Just one scoop of mashed potato for me, please. 请给我盛一勺土豆泥。
6 sketch UEyyG     
n.草图;梗概;素描;v.素描;概述
参考例句:
  • My sister often goes into the country to sketch. 我姐姐常到乡间去写生。
  • I will send you a slight sketch of the house.我将给你寄去房屋的草图。
7 sketches 8d492ee1b1a5d72e6468fd0914f4a701     
n.草图( sketch的名词复数 );素描;速写;梗概
参考例句:
  • The artist is making sketches for his next painting. 画家正为他的下一幅作品画素描。
  • You have to admit that these sketches are true to life. 你得承认这些素描很逼真。 来自《简明英汉词典》
8 usher sK2zJ     
n.带位员,招待员;vt.引导,护送;vi.做招待,担任引座员
参考例句:
  • The usher seated us in the front row.引座员让我们在前排就座。
  • They were quickly ushered away.他们被迅速领开。
9 runaway jD4y5     
n.逃走的人,逃亡,亡命者;adj.逃亡的,逃走的
参考例句:
  • The police have not found the runaway to date.警察迄今没抓到逃犯。
  • He was praised for bringing up the runaway horse.他勒住了脱缰之马受到了表扬。
10 decided lvqzZd     
adj.决定了的,坚决的;明显的,明确的
参考例句:
  • This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
  • There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。
11 stiffened de9de455736b69d3f33bb134bba74f63     
加强的
参考例句:
  • He leaned towards her and she stiffened at this invasion of her personal space. 他向她俯过身去,这种侵犯她个人空间的举动让她绷紧了身子。
  • She stiffened with fear. 她吓呆了。
12 butting 040c106d50d62fd82f9f4419ebe99980     
用头撞人(犯规动作)
参考例句:
  • When they were talking Mary kept butting in. 当他们在谈话时,玛丽老是插嘴。
  • A couple of goats are butting each other. 两只山羊在用角互相顶撞。
13 helping 2rGzDc     
n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的,辅助的
参考例句:
  • The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
  • By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。
14 steering 3hRzbi     
n.操舵装置
参考例句:
  • He beat his hands on the steering wheel in frustration. 他沮丧地用手打了几下方向盘。
  • Steering according to the wind, he also framed his words more amicably. 他真会看风使舵,口吻也马上变得温和了。
15 mumbled 3855fd60b1f055fa928ebec8bcf3f539     
含糊地说某事,叽咕,咕哝( mumble的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • He mumbled something to me which I did not quite catch. 他对我叽咕了几句话,可我没太听清楚。
  • George mumbled incoherently to himself. 乔治语无伦次地喃喃自语。
16 sipping e7d80fb5edc3b51045def1311858d0ae     
v.小口喝,呷,抿( sip的现在分词 )
参考例句:
  • She sat in the sun, idly sipping a cool drink. 她坐在阳光下懒洋洋地抿着冷饮。
  • She sat there, sipping at her tea. 她坐在那儿抿着茶。
17 sip Oxawv     
v.小口地喝,抿,呷;n.一小口的量
参考例句:
  • She took a sip of the cocktail.她啜饮一口鸡尾酒。
  • Elizabeth took a sip of the hot coffee.伊丽莎白呷了一口热咖啡。
18 knack Jx9y4     
n.诀窍,做事情的灵巧的,便利的方法
参考例句:
  • He has a knack of teaching arithmetic.他教算术有诀窍。
  • Making omelettes isn't difficult,but there's a knack to it.做煎蛋饼并不难,但有窍门。
19 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。
20 warped f1a38e3bf30c41ab80f0dce53b0da015     
adj.反常的;乖戾的;(变)弯曲的;变形的v.弄弯,变歪( warp的过去式和过去分词 );使(行为等)不合情理,使乖戾,
参考例句:
  • a warped sense of humour 畸形的幽默感
  • The board has warped. 木板翘了。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
21 toll LJpzo     
n.过路(桥)费;损失,伤亡人数;v.敲(钟)
参考例句:
  • The hailstone took a heavy toll of the crops in our village last night.昨晚那场冰雹损坏了我们村的庄稼。
  • The war took a heavy toll of human life.这次战争夺去了许多人的生命。
22 spine lFQzT     
n.脊柱,脊椎;(动植物的)刺;书脊
参考例句:
  • He broke his spine in a fall from a horse.他从马上跌下摔断了脊梁骨。
  • His spine developed a slight curve.他的脊柱有点弯曲。
23 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。
24 flipped 5bef9da31993fe26a832c7d4b9630147     
轻弹( flip的过去式和过去分词 ); 按(开关); 快速翻转; 急挥
参考例句:
  • The plane flipped and crashed. 飞机猛地翻转,撞毁了。
  • The carter flipped at the horse with his whip. 赶大车的人扬鞭朝着马轻轻地抽打。
25 riddle WCfzw     
n.谜,谜语,粗筛;vt.解谜,给…出谜,筛,检查,鉴定,非难,充满于;vi.出谜
参考例句:
  • The riddle couldn't be solved by the child.这个谜语孩子猜不出来。
  • Her disappearance is a complete riddle.她的失踪完全是一个谜。
26 herd Pd8zb     
n.兽群,牧群;vt.使集中,把…赶在一起
参考例句:
  • She drove the herd of cattle through the wilderness.她赶着牛群穿过荒野。
  • He had no opinions of his own but simply follow the herd.他从无主见,只是人云亦云。
27 spoke XryyC     
n.(车轮的)辐条;轮辐;破坏某人的计划;阻挠某人的行动 v.讲,谈(speak的过去式);说;演说;从某种观点来说
参考例句:
  • They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
  • The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。
28 parlor v4MzU     
n.店铺,营业室;会客室,客厅
参考例句:
  • She was lying on a small settee in the parlor.她躺在客厅的一张小长椅上。
  • Is there a pizza parlor in the neighborhood?附近有没有比萨店?
29 chuckled 8ce1383c838073977a08258a1f3e30f8     
轻声地笑( chuckle的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • She chuckled at the memory. 想起这件事她就暗自发笑。
  • She chuckled softly to herself as she remembered his astonished look. 想起他那惊讶的表情,她就轻轻地暗自发笑。
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