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儿童英语读物 The Dinosaur Mystery CHAPTER 10 Give the Dog a Bone

时间:2017-08-10 03:26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)

It was the morning of the Dino World opening and Mr. Alden had returned, just as he had said he would.

The Aldens were talking so fast their grandfather could hardly keep track of their adventures.

“We saw a man go down a hole in the street. Then we got locked up in the planetarium1.” Benny stopped to take a breath. “But we still didn’t find the bones, Grandfather.”

Mrs. Diggs poured Mr. Alden more coffee, “These children have been so busy, James, they didn’t get a chance to do everything they planned during their visit.”

Soo Lee stood next to Mr. Alden. “We wanted to find bones, but we only saw ones that weren’t lost.”

Mr. Alden smiled. “Tell that to the crowd waiting outside the museum! I had a hard time getting a parking space when I arrived. Bones or no bones, Dino World is going to be a crowded place today.”

The Aldens could hardly wait for their grandfather to finish his coffee.

“Maybe you children can run ahead and take one last look around just in case our missing bones turned up.” Mr. Diggs suggested. “I just hope Titus had time to finish attaching the plastic model bones we had to make for opening day.”

Jessie sighed. “We’re sorry we didn’t find the real ones, Mr. Diggs.”

Mr. Diggs shook his head, “Well, even if you don’t find the bones, I will speak to Eve Skyler about those posters!” Mr. Diggs scratched his head. “Lately I’ve been thinking this place should be called the Pickering Mystery Museum what with all these strange goings-on.”

Mrs. Diggs handed Jessie some keys. “Here’s an extra elevator key and one for Dr. Pettibone’s office. We’ll meet you in the dinosaur2 hall in just a bit.”

In no time the children reached Dr. Pettibone’s office. It was pitch-dark.

Henry turned on the lights. “Dr. Pettibone must be in the dinosaur hall getting everything ready for the opening. Let’s check if he’s there.”

But when the children entered the big hall, they couldn’t believe their eyes. Pete Lawlor was up on a ladder, and he was holding up a piece of jawbone next to T. rex’s head!

“Pete! What are you doing here? And where did you get that bone?” Henry yelled out.

Pete cradled the jawbone like a baby and tried not to lose his balance.

“Watch out!” Jessie warned as she ran over to steady the ladder, When Pete looked down, he saw five pairs of suspicious eyes staring up.

“It’s not what you think,” he began. “I found this jawbone here when I came in after my shift. It was just lying on this bed of straw.” He pointed3 to a pile of straw on the floor. Chips of white plaster were scattered4 everywhere.

Hand in hand, Benny and Soo Lee raced around to the other side of the dinosaur.

“The tail is back! The tail is back!” Soo Lee called out.

The older children ran over. Soo Lee was right. Every bone on T. rex’s tail was in perfect position.

Jessie swallowed hard before she spoke5 to Pete again. “Did you have anything to do with these bones, Pete?” she asked when he came down from the ladder.

Pete Lawlor looked pale and sick. “Please let me explain. I did come in here a few times when I wasn’t supposed to, including the night you kids arrived. But I never took anything. I just liked looking at T. rex, that’s all.”

Violet spoke in a gentle voice. “We know you wouldn’t take anything, Pete. Did you bump into the dinosaur by accident and damage it? That could happen to anybody.”

Pete shook his head. “I know I don’t always watch where I’m going. That’s why I keep setting off the alarms. But a couple of times they went off when I had nothing to do with it. I just like seeing all the things in this museum. It gets so quiet at night, I like to go visit things. But I wouldn’t hurt a tooth on T. rex here. Honest.”

With that, Pete gently lay the jawbone section on the straw. “When I sneaked6 in here this morning and saw this big bone just sitting here, I tried to reattach it before we opened. I want folks to see the real thing, But there’s still a bone missing. Until it shows up, T. rex isn’t complete.”

“That’s okay, Pete,” Henry said. “We don’t really think you had anything to do with these bones. What I can’t figure is …”

Before Henry could finish, Pete and the Aldens heard Nosey’s nails clicking across the floor.

“Here boy, here boy,” Pete said when Nosey burst into the dinosaur hall whining7 and panting, “I sent him around to sniff8 things out, but all he does is keep running back to the fossil lab.”

“That’s what Watch does when he wants to show us something,” said Benny,

“Naw,” Pete said. “I already followed him upstairs. He keeps running back to the lab for no reason. There are lots of bones up there, but not the missing one.”

“Sometimes missing things turn up in the most obvious places,” Jessie said.

Soo Lee and Benny ran ahead and called out to the dog. “Come on, Nosey! Come on!”

Nosey zoomed9 right past the children and headed straight to the fossil lab. He sniffed10 at the door and wouldn’t stop whining.

“Well, doggone,” Pete said. “Not again!” He pulled Nosey by the collar.

“No, let’s see what he does,” Henry said.

“He’ll keep sniffing11, that’s all,” Pete said.

Just then, the elevator door opened. Mr. and Mrs. Diggs, Mr. Alden, and Dr. Skyler stepped off the elevator.

“Why is everyone here?” Mrs. Diggs asked when she saw everyone crowded into Dr. Pettibone’s office.

Before anyone else could answer, Pete spoke up. “Some of the missing bones are back — all the tailbones and most of the jawbone!”

Mr. and Mrs. Diggs ran out to check the dinosaur for themselves. When they returned, they looked shocked and relieved at the same time.

“If this isn’t the most amazing thing,” Mr. Diggs said. “Every single piece is back except for the hinge joint12 that connects the jawbone to the …” Mr. Diggs paused and looked annoyed. “Why does Nosey keep whining at the lab door? I guess I’d better unlock it and find out.”

“What on earth happened in here?” Mrs. Diggs cried when she stepped into the lab. “It’s been ransacked13!”

“What does ‘ransacked’ mean, Violet?” Benny asked.

“It means somebody turned everything upside down and inside out,” Violet answered.

Indeed, Dr. Pettibone’s office was a wreck14. Rock and plaster chips lay all over the work tables and on the floor.

Nosey raced over to a dark corner. Mr. Diggs turned on the lights.

“It’s Mr. Bones!” Benny and Soo Lee cried at the same time.

Dr. Pettibone was hiding in the corner!

Mrs. Diggs went over to Dr. Pettibone and put her hand on his arm. “Titus, what is it? Why are you hiding here? Did someone harm you?”

Dr. Pettibone shook his head slowly, over and over. “I harmed myself, Emma. Please forgive me.”

“Whatever do you mean, Titus?” Mr. Diggs asked.

Dr. Pettibone sat down on one of the work stools and began to explain. “I’ve ruined everything. Everything. I only meant to introduce T. rex to the world, and instead I made a mess of things.”

“You mean you stole the bones, Titus?” Mr. Diggs asked.

Dr. Pettibone nodded. “I thought people would appreciate the importance of this magnificent creature if something happened to it. Last week, I disarmed15 the remote camera so I wouldn’t be seen. Then over several nights when I said I was in Montana, I took the bones one by one. I made plaster casts for them for safekeeping inside of one of my field crates16. Last night I took the bones out of their casings and reattached them to the skeleton. But then I got confused and couldn’t find the critical hinge joint to reattach the jawbone. I don’t know which block of plaster I hid it in.”

“What a terrible thing to do, Titus,” Mrs. Diggs said. “Everyone recognized the importance of T. rex’s discovery without all this fuss!”

Just then, Dr. Skyler spoke for the first time. “Mr. and Mrs. Diggs thought I had something to do with the missing bones, Titus,” Dr. Skyler said. “I just came to apologize to you for some awful things I did do.”

Dr. Pettibone looked more confused than ever. “What are you talking about, Eve?”

Dr. Skyler took a deep breath. “I … I tried to delay the opening of Dino World. I’m afraid I even involved the Aldens, sabotaging17 their work and locking them in the planetarium. I made so much work for them at the planetarium, I knew they wouldn’t have much time to help you with your exhibit. And I …”

Jessie faced Dr. Skyler. “Were you the person who took down all the posters we put up? We found them hidden in the storage closet.”

At first Dr. Skyler didn’t answer. Then she put a hand on Jessie’s shoulder. “It was me. I took down every poster I could find. Please understand. It was so hard for me to see Dino World getting all the attention. I thought my planetarium would seem very dull after everyone saw Dr. Pettibone’s magnificent dinosaur and all his other fossils. I’m so sorry, particularly since you children helped me get the sky shows underway again.”

Dr. Skyler turned to Mr. and Mrs. Diggs. “I’ve already written up a letter of resignation, Emma. Or you can fire me.”

Dr. Pettibone looked up at Mr. and Mrs. Diggs. “Don’t fire Eve, fire me. Or I’ll make it easy for you and resign right now. I don’t know what I was thinking. My plan didn’t work in any case. Now one of the key bones I removed is actually missing.”

The room was quiet. No one knew what to say. Then everyone heard some clinking. They turned to see Violet chiseling18 a plaster-covered chunk19. Several large pieces fell cleanly away from a knobby-looking bone.

“Could this be the last missing piece, Dr. Pettibone?” Violet asked, pointing to the fossil.

Dr. Pettibone stood up. “Oh, my dear girl! You found the right bone. I got so confused last night, I couldn’t remember which block of plaster I’d hidden it in.”

For the first time, Dr. Pettibone looked directly at Benny and Soo Lee. “These little detectives spotted20 me trying to get back into the museum through the manhole that connects underground. That’s why I didn’t want them near me. And then Henry and Jessie and Violet saw those receipts from my stay here in town when I was supposed to be in Montana. I kept those out of habit.” He shook his head.

“Were you the shadow man the first night we came?” Jessie asked.

Now Dr. Pettibone looked confused.

“I was the shadow man,” Pete confessed. “I guess I should quit the museum, too. I figured out how to fix the lock in the dinosaur hall so I could visit T. rex anytime I wanted at night. I just like being around something like that.”

Mr. Diggs looked at his watch. “Whew! What a time to discover all this! We’ve only got about fifteen minutes before we let in everyone. Pete, you seem to know plenty about the fossils. You go help Dr. Pettibone wire those last bones to the skeleton.”

“We’ll have to see about getting you a job as one of our guides — that is, when you’re not helping21 Titus and Eve,” Mrs. Diggs said to Pete. “You may not be cut out to be a night watchman, but you certainly know your way around stars and fossils.”

Dr. Pettibone looked relieved, “Does that mean I can stay on, Emma?”

Mrs. Diggs nodded. “Of course. And Eve, too. We’ve all been overworked lately and not ourselves. Now that Pete will be around to give you both a hand, maybe the Pickering Museum can get back to normal.”

Mr. Alden laughed. “When things get normal, that means it’s time for the Aldens to go home!”

Dr. Pettibone bent22 down to show Violet, Benny, and Soo Lee the missing hinge bone. “And thank you for helping me so much. I couldn’t live without my bones.”

“Neither could anybody!” Benny said.

Nosey barked, as if he understood what Benny had said.

“See?” said Benny.

Everyone laughed.

Then Dr. Pettibone cleared his throat. “Time to open the exhibit and introduce T. rex’s bones to everyone — thanks to you Aldens!”


点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 planetarium y20z0     
n.天文馆;天象仪
参考例句:
  • The planetarium staff also prepared talks for radio broadcast.天文馆的工作人员还要准备讲稿给电台广播。
  • It landed in a shallow basin fifty yards from the planetarium.它降落在离天文馆五十码处的一个浅盆地中。
2 dinosaur xuSxp     
n.恐龙
参考例句:
  • Are you trying to tell me that David was attacked by a dinosaur?你是想要告诉我大卫被一支恐龙所攻击?
  • He stared at the faithful miniature of the dinosaur.他凝视著精确的恐龙缩小模型。
3 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。
4 scattered 7jgzKF     
adj.分散的,稀疏的;散步的;疏疏落落的
参考例句:
  • Gathering up his scattered papers,he pushed them into his case.他把散乱的文件收拾起来,塞进文件夹里。
5 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。
6 sneaked fcb2f62c486b1c2ed19664da4b5204be     
v.潜行( sneak的过去式和过去分词 );偷偷溜走;(儿童向成人)打小报告;告状
参考例句:
  • I sneaked up the stairs. 我蹑手蹑脚地上了楼。
  • She sneaked a surreptitious glance at her watch. 她偷偷看了一眼手表。
7 whining whining     
n. 抱怨,牢骚 v. 哭诉,发牢骚
参考例句:
  • That's the way with you whining, puny, pitiful players. 你们这种又爱哭、又软弱、又可怜的赌棍就是这样。
  • The dog sat outside the door whining (to be let in). 那条狗坐在门外狺狺叫着(要进来)。
8 sniff PF7zs     
vi.嗅…味道;抽鼻涕;对嗤之以鼻,蔑视
参考例句:
  • The police used dogs to sniff out the criminals in their hiding - place.警察使用警犬查出了罪犯的藏身地点。
  • When Munchie meets a dog on the beach, they sniff each other for a while.当麦奇在海滩上碰到另一条狗的时候,他们会彼此嗅一会儿。
9 zoomed 7d2196a2c3b9cad9d8899e8add247521     
v.(飞机、汽车等)急速移动( zoom的过去式 );(价格、费用等)急升,猛涨
参考例句:
  • Traffic zoomed past us. 车辆从我们身边疾驰而过。
  • Cars zoomed helter-skelter, honking belligerently. 大街上来往车辆穿梭不停,喇叭声刺耳。 来自《简明英汉词典》
10 sniffed ccb6bd83c4e9592715e6230a90f76b72     
v.以鼻吸气,嗅,闻( sniff的过去式和过去分词 );抽鼻子(尤指哭泣、患感冒等时出声地用鼻子吸气);抱怨,不以为然地说
参考例句:
  • When Jenney had stopped crying she sniffed and dried her eyes. 珍妮停止了哭泣,吸了吸鼻子,擦干了眼泪。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The dog sniffed suspiciously at the stranger. 狗疑惑地嗅着那个陌生人。 来自《简明英汉词典》
11 sniffing 50b6416c50a7d3793e6172a8514a0576     
n.探查法v.以鼻吸气,嗅,闻( sniff的现在分词 );抽鼻子(尤指哭泣、患感冒等时出声地用鼻子吸气);抱怨,不以为然地说
参考例句:
  • We all had colds and couldn't stop sniffing and sneezing. 我们都感冒了,一个劲地抽鼻子,打喷嚏。
  • They all had colds and were sniffing and sneezing. 他们都伤风了,呼呼喘气而且打喷嚏。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
12 joint m3lx4     
adj.联合的,共同的;n.关节,接合处;v.连接,贴合
参考例句:
  • I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤,肩膀脫臼了。
  • We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。
13 ransacked 09515d69399c972e2c9f59770cedff4e     
v.彻底搜查( ransack的过去式和过去分词 );抢劫,掠夺
参考例句:
  • The house had been ransacked by burglars. 这房子遭到了盗贼的洗劫。
  • The house had been ransacked of all that was worth anything. 屋子里所有值钱的东西都被抢去了。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
14 wreck QMjzE     
n.失事,遇难;沉船;vt.(船等)失事,遇难
参考例句:
  • Weather may have been a factor in the wreck.天气可能是造成这次失事的原因之一。
  • No one can wreck the friendship between us.没有人能够破坏我们之间的友谊。
15 disarmed f147d778a788fe8e4bf22a9bdb60a8ba     
v.裁军( disarm的过去式和过去分词 );使息怒
参考例句:
  • Most of the rebels were captured and disarmed. 大部分叛乱分子被俘获并解除了武装。
  • The swordsman disarmed his opponent and ran him through. 剑客缴了对手的械,并对其乱刺一气。 来自《简明英汉词典》
16 crates crates     
n. 板条箱, 篓子, 旧汽车 vt. 装进纸条箱
参考例句:
  • We were using crates as seats. 我们用大木箱作为座位。
  • Thousands of crates compacted in a warehouse. 数以千计的板条箱堆放在仓库里。
17 sabotaging ba20b6ee606869e83e5a042beefced7e     
阴谋破坏(某事物)( sabotage的现在分词 )
参考例句:
  • Mr Smith fiercely denied any question of sabotaging the talks. 史密斯先生坚决拒绝任何企图阻挠谈话的提问。
  • Failed in sabotaging APEC summit in Sydney of Australia. 澳大利亚悉尼APEC会议遭遇惨败。
18 chiseling 7e82c249b80ca36671d3ee17f227c551     
v.凿,雕,镌( chisel的现在分词 )
参考例句:
  • The sculptor was at work chiseling a statue. 雕塑家正在雕琢一尊雕像。 来自辞典例句
  • Tommy:Four of them are sawing, three are chiseling and one is reaming. 四个在锯,三个在磨,二个在凿,还有一个在铰。 来自互联网
19 chunk Kqwzz     
n.厚片,大块,相当大的部分(数量)
参考例句:
  • They had to be careful of floating chunks of ice.他们必须当心大块浮冰。
  • The company owns a chunk of farmland near Gatwick Airport.该公司拥有盖特威克机场周边的大片农田。
20 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。
21 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。
22 bent QQ8yD     
n.爱好,癖好;adj.弯的;决心的,一心的
参考例句:
  • He was fully bent upon the project.他一心扑在这项计划上。
  • We bent over backward to help them.我们尽了最大努力帮助他们。
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