儿童英语读物 迈克的谜案 Mike's Mystery Chapter 14 班尼还是迈克？

CHAPTER 14
Ben or Mike?

When Mike and Spotty went back, Mike whispered¹, “Ben, we just caught the man in the blue hat.”

“You did?” said Benny. “Did he have on a blue hat?”

“He didn’t have on any hat at all,” said Mike. “I told you he wouldn’t.”

“I wish you had told me before,” said Benny. “Watch and I would have come, too.”

“I had no time,” said Mike. “Sh-h-h, don’t say a word!”

Then the show was over. The lights went on. Everyone sat around eating pie and drinking coffee. Mr. Carter² came back very quietly.

The boys looked at him but they did not say a word.

“It’s all over,” Mr. Carter whispered to Mike and Benny.

“Where is that man?” asked Mike.

“Well, he is in jail³ again. This time he will stay there,” said Mr. Carter. “That man was wanted in four states! You boys helped me a great deal. And best of all, you did not talk.”

“Wait till I tell Henry!” cried Benny. “He thinks I can’t stop talking.”

“I’ll tell him myself,” smiled Mr. Carter. “And Jessie will like to know, too. She’s a mother to you, Benny.”

“Yes, I know,” said Benny.

“She always keeps care of you, Ben,” said Mike.

“Takes care of me,” said Benny.

“Well, takes care, then,” agreed Mike. He didn’t even start to argue. Benny was quite surprised.

With everyone gone, the Woods, the Aldens and Mr. Carter were left alone in the big room.

Mr. Carter said, “Please sit down, all of you. I want to tell you something.”

When they were quiet, he said, “The hunt for the man in the blue hat is over. The man has been caught, and the mystery is solved.”

“Oh, how?” asked Aunt Jane in excitement.

Then Mr. Carter told her about the man. He told her about Spotty growling⁵.

“You don’t need to growl⁴ any more, Spotty,” said Mr. Carter. He patted⁶ the dog’s smooth head. “The man has gone away.”

“Well, I am glad,” said Violet⁷ softly⁸. “I know it was exciting for the boys, but I didn’t like it at all.”

“No,” said Mr. Carter, looking at Violet with a smile, “neither did I.”

“Well,” said Mike, “now it’s all over, it was my mystery, wasn’t it?”

“Oh, no, it wasn’t!” cried Benny. “It was mine!”

“My dog found the blue hat!” shouted Mike.

“But my dog helped him. And Watch found the tin can!” said Benny.

Then Mike suddenly stopped. He said, “Yes, Ben, I think it was your mystery after all. Because it was your mine.”

“Well,” said Benny slowly, “maybe it was yours, because it was your house that burned up.”

“Well, well!” said Henry, smiling at Mike. “How you have changed, Mike!”

“That’s what I say,” said Mrs. Wood. “Mike is getting to be a very nice, thoughtful⁹ boy. He doesn’t argue so much. I said it did him good to play with Benny.”

Henry laughed. “And you remember I said it was good for Benny to play with Mike! They are quite a pair.”

“Yes, boys, you are quite a pair,” said Mr. Carter. His eyes began to twinkle¹⁰. “Let me give you something to think about. Maybe you two boys will be together next summer, too. But not here.”

“Where,” cried Jessie, “will we all be together?”

“Well, you children will all be together, but the rest is a secret.”

“Oh, a secret? Grandfather’s secret, I suppose,” said Henry. “He is always a little ahead of us.”

“Yes, I can tell you that much. You children and Mike, and your grandfather are included in the secret.”

“And Spotty and Watch?” asked Mike.

“Yes, Watch, but not Spotty.”

The children were thinking hard. They had no idea what it was all about.

Jessie asked the last question. “Will you be there, too, Mr. Carter?”

“No,” said Mr. Carter. He looked at Jessie with a funny little smile. “And I shall certainly be very sorry for myself.”

After that, Mr. Carter shook his head at every question. He would not tell another thing.

Then Mike said, “I’m not going to ask Mr. Carter any more. He don’t want to tell us, I mean doesn’t.”

“Well, well, you’re learning¹¹, Mike,” said Henry. “Maybe you’ll be a schoolteacher yet.”

“Oh, no, I won’t. I’m going to be an FBI man,” said Mike.

“Yes, and he may,” said Mr. Carter. “He and Benny talk all the time. But I want you all to know that they know when to keep still.”

Benny was thinking. Then he went over to Mr. Carter and put his hand on Mr. Carter’s shoulder. “I think this really was Mike’s mystery,” he said. “It was his dog that found the hat. And he would have found it if I had stayed home with Grandfather, and never come out here at all.”

“Good for you, Benny,” said everyone.

“What a kind boy you are, Benny,” said Mrs. Wood.

“That was good of you, Ben,” said Mike. “Thank you.”

Mike was so polite that everyone laughed. But it was Mike’s mystery forever and ever.

1 whispered   

adj.耳语的，低语的v.低声说( whisper的过去式和过去分词 )；私语；小声说；私下说

参考例句：

• She sidled up to me and whispered something in my ear. 她悄悄走上前来，对我耳语了几句。
• His ill luck has been whispered about the neighborhood. 他的不幸遭遇已在邻居中传开。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 carter   

n.运货马车夫，赶大车的人；卡车司机

参考例句：

• Although fatigue shows readily on Carter, he bounces back quickly. 卡特虽然容易显出疲劳的样子，但他恢复得很快。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The carter flipped at the horse with his whip. 赶大车的人扬鞭朝着马轻轻地抽打。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 jail   

n.监狱，看守所；vt.监禁，拘留

参考例句：

• The castle had been used as a jail.这城堡曾用作监狱。
• If she carries on shoplifting,she'll end up in jail.她如果还在店铺里偷东西，最终会被抓进监狱的。

4 growl   

v.（狗等）嗥叫，（炮等）轰鸣；n.嗥叫，轰鸣

参考例句：

• The dog was biting,growling and wagging its tail.那条狗在一边撕咬一边低声吼叫，尾巴也跟着摇摆。
• The car growls along rutted streets.汽车在车辙纵横的街上一路轰鸣。

5 growling   

n.吠声, 咆哮声 v.怒吠, 咆哮, 吼

参考例句：

• We heard thunder growling in the distance. 我们听见远处有隆隆雷声。
• The lay about the deck growling together in talk. 他们在甲板上到处游荡，聚集在一起发牢骚。

6 patted   

v.轻拍( pat的过去式和过去分词 )；拍成，拍至；表扬，称赞（某人/自己）

参考例句：

• She patted the dog on the head. 她轻轻地拍着狗的头。
• He leaned forward and patted me on the shoulder. 他向前倾着身子并拍我的肩膀。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 violet   

adj.紫色的；n.紫罗兰

参考例句：

• She likes to wear violet dresses.他喜欢穿紫色的衣服。
• Violet is the color of wisdom,peace and strength.紫色是智慧的，和平的和力量的颜色。

8 softly   

adv.柔和地，静静地，温柔地

参考例句：

• He speaks too softly for her to hear.他讲话声音太轻，她听不见。
• She breathed her advice softly.她低声劝告。

9 thoughtful   

adj.思考的，沉思的，体贴的，关心的

参考例句：

• She is thoughtful for her friends.她很体贴她的朋友们。
• This is a thoughtful essay.这是一篇具有思想性的随笔。

10 twinkle   

n.闪烁，闪耀，眨眼，瞬息；v.闪烁，使...闪耀，眨眼，迅速移动

参考例句：

• The twinkle of distant town lights was very beautiful.远处城镇灯火闪烁，煞是好看。
• At night,lights twinkle in distant villages across the valleys.夜间，山谷那头的遥远村落里灯光闪闪。

11 learning   

n.学问，学识，学习；动词learn的现在分词

参考例句：

• When you are learning to ride a bicycle,you often fall off.初学骑自行车时，常会从车上掉下来。
• Learning languages isn't just a matter of remembering words.学习语言不仅仅是记些单词的事。