儿童英语读物 The Mystery of the Stolen Music CHAPTER 12 The Audition

“I can’t think about this mystery now,” Violet said. “Tomorrow is the audition¹ for the young people’s orchestra. I have to go home and practice.”

“We’ll go home, too,” Jessie suggested. “We can be your audience.”

They trooped out of Victor’s room to the elevator.

Outside the hotel, they were just in time to catch the bus.

When they were seated, Benny said, “This is a good idea — listening to Violet practice.” He turned to the others. “You know why?”

“Oh course we do, Benny,” Henry replied. “Listening to good music is a wonderful experience.”

“That’s not the only reason,” Benny said.

Jessie laughed. “Well, don’t keep us in suspense², Benny. Tell us your reason.”

“I might get an idea.”

“Yes, listening to music often gives people ideas,” Henry said.

“I mean about the mystery. I got the idea about the fake notes when Melody was playing. I might get an even better idea listening to Violet,” said Benny.

But he didn’t. The minute he and the others were seated around the living room and Violet began to play, Benny forgot about the mystery. So did everyone else. They thought only about the music Violet played and how proud they were of her.

“Now, I’ll play ‘Song of the Wind,’” she said.

The notes followed one after another, separate and clear and yet blended, like drops of water in a smoothly³ flowing river.

Violet played all their favorites, even “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.”

When she had finished, Jessie asked, “What will you play for the audition, Violet?”

Benny piped up, “Play ‘Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.’ I like that best.”

Everyone laughed.

“I like them all best,” Soo Lee said.

“I don’t know which piece to play,” Violet said. “I think I’ll let Melody choose.”

Benny got to his feet. “Now that that’s settled,” he announced, “I’m hungry. It’s time for lunch.”

Jessie put out sandwich fixings. That way, each of the Aldens could make his or her favorite.

Afterward⁴, Benny raided the garbage.

“I’m going to use this cardboard tube to make a kazoo,” he said. He placed waxed paper over one end and secured it with a rubber band. Then, he hummed into it. He liked the sound it made.

Soo Lee decided⁵ to make an instrument, too. She found several different-sized bottles and arranged them according to size. When she blew across the tops, she played a melody.

All afternoon, Soo Lee and Benny kept making instruments until they had enough for all the Aldens. When Grandfather came home from the mill, they gave him a concert.

“Bravo!” he said as they took their final bows. “You sound like a real orchestra.”

“Part of what you heard was my stomach growling,” Benny told him. He was hungry again!

After dinner, Grandfather asked Violet to play. She sounded even better than she had that afternoon.

“Violet, if you play like that, you’re sure to win a place in the young people’s orchestra,” Grandfather assured her.

“Then we’ll celebrate,” Benny said.

Grandfather nodded. “Yes, of course, we must do that. I’ll tell you what: You meet me at the hotel tomorrow afternoon and I’ll treat you to dinner in the dining room.”

“What if I’m not chosen?” Violet asked.

“You will be,” Soo Lee responded.

Violet wanted to believe that, but she had her doubts. The competition would be stiff. She went to bed vowing⁶ to do her very best. “Then, whatever happens will be all right,” she told herself.

The next morning, they arrived at the Civic⁷ Center to find the auditorium⁸ nearly full and buzzing with excitement.

Melody called for attention. “Will the musicians please come up to the front rows,” she instructed.

Violet made a this-is-it face. The others wished her good luck, and she started up the aisle⁹.

When everyone was assembled, Melody divided them according to their instruments. The strings¹⁰ would be first to play.

Violet was third. On stage, she carefully took her violin from its case. She put it in position and pulled the bow across the strings to be sure it was in tune¹¹. Then, she read-justed it, took a deep breath, and played the pieces Melody had selected from her list.

After the first few notes, Henry, Jessie, Benny, and Soo Lee relaxed. There was no question about it: Violet was very good and getting better all the time.

The orchestra list was posted in the reception hall at noon. There were so many people crowded around the bulletin board, it was difficult to see. Benny squeezed to the front of the group where he stood on tiptoe to read the list. At the very top of the strings section was Violet’s name.

“Hooray!” Benny exclaimed. He squeezed back through the crush of people. “You made it!” he said, and hugged his sister.

Violet skipped off to call Grandfather. While the other Aldens waited for her, Henry picked up a printed concert schedule.

“When is the young people’s rehearsal¹²?” Jessie asked him.

“Tomorrow morning. Their concert will be Saturday afternoon.”

“What about the regular orchestra?” Benny wanted to know. “When do they play?”

“Friday night.”

“That’s tomorrow!” Soo Lee said.

Benny sighed. “That doesn’t give us much time.”

They all knew he was thinking about solving the mystery. Could the Boxcar Children find the missing score in time for it to be displayed before the concert?

1 audition   

n.(对志愿艺人等的)面试(指试读、试唱等)

参考例句：

• I'm going to the audition but I don't expect I'll get a part.我去试音，可并不指望会给我个角色演出。
• At first,they said he was too young,but later they called him for an audition.起初，他们说他太小，但后来他们叫他去试听。

2 suspense   

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。

3 smoothly   

adv.平滑地，顺利地，流利地，流畅地

参考例句：

• The workmen are very cooperative,so the work goes on smoothly.工人们十分合作，所以工作进展顺利。
• Just change one or two words and the sentence will read smoothly.这句话只要动一两个字就顺了。

4 afterward   

adv.后来；以后

参考例句：

• Let's go to the theatre first and eat afterward. 让我们先去看戏，然后吃饭。
• Afterward,the boy became a very famous artist.后来，这男孩成为一个很有名的艺术家。

5 decided   

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。

6 vowing   

起誓，发誓（vow的现在分词形式）

参考例句：

• President Bush is vowing to help Minneapolis rebuild its collapsed bridge. 布什总统承诺将帮助明尼阿波利斯重建坍塌的大桥。
• President Bush is vowing to help Minneapolis rebuild this collapse bridge. 布什总统发誓要帮助明尼阿波利斯重建起这座坍塌的桥梁。

7 civic   

adj.城市的，都市的，市民的，公民的

参考例句：

• I feel it is my civic duty to vote.我认为投票选举是我作为公民的义务。
• The civic leaders helped to forward the project.市政府领导者协助促进工程的进展。

8 auditorium   

n.观众席，听众席；会堂，礼堂

参考例句：

• The teacher gathered all the pupils in the auditorium.老师把全体同学集合在礼堂内。
• The stage is thrust forward into the auditorium.舞台向前突出，伸入观众席。

9 aisle   

n.（教堂、教室、戏院等里的）过道，通道

参考例句：

• The aisle was crammed with people.过道上挤满了人。
• The girl ushered me along the aisle to my seat.引座小姐带领我沿着通道到我的座位上去。

10 strings   

n.弦

参考例句：

• He sat on the bed,idly plucking the strings of his guitar.他坐在床上，随意地拨着吉他的弦。
• She swept her fingers over the strings of the harp.她用手指划过竖琴的琴弦。

11 tune   

n.调子；和谐，协调；v.调音，调节，调整

参考例句：

• He'd written a tune,and played it to us on the piano.他写了一段曲子，并在钢琴上弹给我们听。
• The boy beat out a tune on a tin can.那男孩在易拉罐上敲出一首曲子。

12 rehearsal   

n.排练，排演；练习

参考例句：

• I want to play you a recording of the rehearsal.我想给你放一下彩排的录像。
• You can sharpen your skills with rehearsal.排练可以让技巧更加纯熟。