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儿童英语读物 The Mystery of the Lake Monster CHAPTER 9 A Monster-Maker

时间:2017-09-06 06:48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)

Later that night, the Aldens were setting up their trap on one of the paths by Lake Lucille.

“I’m tired of waiting,” said Benny.

“Shhh,” said Jessie.

“I hope Nicole is doing her job,” said Henry. “Otherwise we won’t catch anyone.”

“I put a new roll of film into my camera,” said Violet. “That way we can have lots of evidence.” The Aldens had decided1 that the best way to catch a monster — a photograph — was the best way to catch their culprit, too.

Watch pricked2 up his ears and whined3 slightly. “Is that — ” Benny began.

But a moment later, Nicole came down the path. “I think he fell for it,” Nicole reported breathlessly. “I told him I had heard Nora and Drew talking and that Nora had said that if they had just one more monster incident, she was going to close the lodge4 for the summer — even if it’s just more footprints on the beach. I said that she said, ‘In fact, if I had seen those footprints, that would have been enough for me.’ ”

“That’s great, Nicole,” said Violet admiringly.

“I know,” said Nicole. “And I pretended to be really upset.”

“Excellent,” said Jessie.

“Now, when he leaves tonight, follow him, but be careful not to get caught,” Henry said.

“And don’t forget your camera,” Benny reminded her. “Just in case something goes wrong with Violet’s.”

Nicole nodded. “I won’t,” she said. “This time, we’re going to have some solid proof of who the real monster of Lake Lucille is.”

The night grew steadily5 darker. Stars appeared in the black sky. From far away, a bear hooted6 and a bear cub7 answered.

“Don’t worry, Watch,” Benny whispered. “They won’t bother us if we don’t bother them.”

As the lights up at the lodge and in the cabins went out one by one, the whole world seemed to be going to sleep. Quiet and calm lay over the lake and the mountains.

Something rustled8 in the underbrush.

“What was that?” said Violet.

“Just an animal — a raccoon or opossum,” Jessie whispered to her. “Carl told us they liked to go out at night.”

“Oh, yes,” said Violet.

“Shhh,” said Henry very, very quietly.

Everyone froze in their hiding place. Benny put his hand over Watch’s muzzle9 so Watch wouldn’t bark.

Then a thin beam of light pricked the darkness. It came down the trail. The Aldens could see that someone was walking, half covering the beam of the flashlight with one hand so that it wouldn’t be as bright. Whoever it was wanted only enough light to see — and didn’t want to be seen.

Turning on their flashlights, the Aldens leaped out from their hiding places and ran toward the light.

“Smile!” Violet said as she took a picture.

Jason Dubois was standing10 in the middle of the path, wearing an awful scowl11. Nicole was right behind him.

He held up his hand to shield his eyes. “Nicole? Was this your idea? You’re in big trouble!”

“I’m not in trouble. You are,” Nicole answered.

Then for the first time, Jason realized that Nicole wasn’t the only one on the path with him.

“Who — It’s the Aldens,” he said. “What are you doing here?”

“Catching a monster,” said Benny.

“That’s right,” said Nicole.

By the beams of their flashlights, they saw the frightened look that suddenly crossed Jason’s face. “W-What are you talking about?”

“You,” said Henry. “You’re the one who’s been trying to make everyone think there is a monster around here.”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Jason said.

“If you’re not the monster, why are you carrying a monster foot around with you in the middle of the night?” asked Jessie. She pointed12 to the ground next to Jason’s feet. There was a pair of flippers, the sort of flippers that swimmers use when they go snorkeling. But these flippers were different. They had metal nails taped to the ends of them with silver electrical tape.

Jason said, “I don’t know where those came from. I’ve never seen them before.”

“Then why does one of the flippers have your name on it?” asked Violet.

“Uh . . .” said Jason. “Uh . . .”

“Admit it,” said Henry. “You’re the lake monster. You’re Lucy.”

Suddenly Jason’s shoulders slumped13. “Okay, I am. At first I just did it for fun. I found an old air horn in the storage shed that was almost worn out. I wrapped a couple of towels around it and snuck out one night and used it to make sounds like I thought a lake monster would make. And you guys fell for it!

“That’s when I got the idea of trying to make everybody believe there really was a monster. I thought if I could scare Mom and Dad, they’d take us home.”

“That was rotten, Jason,” said Nicole angrily. “When you fell out of the canoe, I thought you were really in trouble!”

“How did you do that?” asked Henry.

“I borrowed a jigsaw14 from the toolshed when no one was around and cut teeth marks in the paddle. Then I used it to paddle out onto the lake not too far from where you guys were having your picnic.” Jason made a face. “I didn’t count on Carl being around. I was afraid he’d catch on. That’s why I was so rude to him.”

“And the footprints — how did you leave footprints on the beach without leaving any others?” asked Jessie.

“I knew that since it had been raining, the ground would be soft, so I waded16 all the way over to where I got out of the water. Then I put on the flippers and walked up on the beach to make the footprints. Afterward17, I waded back,” said Jason.

“That’s why Watch went to the other end of the porch. He could smell you, or hear you, as you waded back,” said Jessie.

“I guess,” said Jason. “But tonight I didn’t have to wade15, because it hadn’t been raining and so the ground was dry and firm. I didn’t know that Nicole was making up everything about Nora being ready to leave.”

“And you kept saying there was no monster so that no one would suspect you,” said Violet.

“But we caught you!” cried Benny. “We tricked you and trapped you and you have the monster feet.”

“Okay, okay,” said Jason. “I did it. What are you going to do about it?”

“Either we tell Nora or you do,” said Henry. “She and Drew are the ones who lost business because of what you did. You at least owe her an apology.”

“I know,” said Jason. Then he said, “I’m sorry. You know, I’m almost relieved it didn’t work. Once I started going out in the canoe and walking around the lake and all that, I started kind of liking18 it here.”

He pointed to Violet’s camera. “How did you think of that?” he said.

“We did what you did,” said Jessie. “We listened to Carl’s stories. That’s what gave us the idea of taking a picture. Carl’s stories started the lake monster mystery — and they helped solve it, too.”


点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 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。
2 pricked 1d0503c50da14dcb6603a2df2c2d4557     
刺,扎,戳( prick的过去式和过去分词 ); 刺伤; 刺痛; 使剧痛
参考例句:
  • The cook pricked a few holes in the pastry. 厨师在馅饼上戳了几个洞。
  • He was pricked by his conscience. 他受到良心的谴责。
3 whined cb507de8567f4d63145f632630148984     
v.哀号( whine的过去式和过去分词 );哀诉,诉怨
参考例句:
  • The dog whined at the door, asking to be let out. 狗在门前嚎叫着要出去。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
  • He whined and pouted when he did not get what he wanted. 他要是没得到想要的东西就会发牢骚、撅嘴。 来自辞典例句
4 lodge q8nzj     
v.临时住宿,寄宿,寄存,容纳;n.传达室,小旅馆
参考例句:
  • Is there anywhere that I can lodge in the village tonight?村里有我今晚过夜的地方吗?
  • I shall lodge at the inn for two nights.我要在这家小店住两个晚上。
5 steadily Qukw6     
adv.稳定地;不变地;持续地
参考例句:
  • The scope of man's use of natural resources will steadily grow.人类利用自然资源的广度将日益扩大。
  • Our educational reform was steadily led onto the correct path.我们的教学改革慢慢上轨道了。
6 hooted 8df924a716d9d67e78a021e69df38ba5     
(使)作汽笛声响,作汽车喇叭声( hoot的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • An owl hooted nearby. 一只猫头鹰在附近啼叫。
  • The crowd hooted and jeered at the speaker. 群众向那演讲人发出轻蔑的叫嚣和嘲笑。
7 cub ny5xt     
n.幼兽,年轻无经验的人
参考例句:
  • The lion cub's mother was hunting for what she needs. 这只幼师的母亲正在捕猎。
  • The cub licked the milk from its mother's breast. 这头幼兽吸吮着它妈妈的奶水。
8 rustled f68661cf4ba60e94dc1960741a892551     
v.发出沙沙的声音( rustle的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • He rustled his papers. 他把试卷弄得沙沙地响。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Leaves rustled gently in the breeze. 树叶迎着微风沙沙作响。 来自《简明英汉词典》
9 muzzle i11yN     
n.鼻口部;口套;枪(炮)口;vt.使缄默
参考例句:
  • He placed the muzzle of the pistol between his teeth.他把手枪的枪口放在牙齿中间。
  • The President wanted to muzzle the press.总统企图遏制新闻自由。
10 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。
11 scowl HDNyX     
vi.(at)生气地皱眉,沉下脸,怒视;n.怒容
参考例句:
  • I wonder why he is wearing an angry scowl.我不知道他为何面带怒容。
  • The boss manifested his disgust with a scowl.老板面带怒色,清楚表示出他的厌恶之感。
12 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。
13 slumped b010f9799fb8ebd413389b9083180d8d     
大幅度下降,暴跌( slump的过去式和过去分词 ); 沉重或突然地落下[倒下]
参考例句:
  • Sales have slumped this year. 今年销售量锐减。
  • The driver was slumped exhausted over the wheel. 司机伏在方向盘上,疲惫得睡着了。
14 jigsaw q3Gxa     
n.缕花锯,竖锯,拼图游戏;vt.用竖锯锯,使互相交错搭接
参考例句:
  • A jigsaw puzzle can keep me absorbed for hours.一副拼图就能让我沉醉几个小时。
  • Tom likes to work on jigsaw puzzles,too.汤姆也喜欢玩拼图游戏。
15 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。
16 waded e8d8bc55cdc9612ad0bc65820a4ceac6     
(从水、泥等)蹚,走过,跋( wade的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • She tucked up her skirt and waded into the river. 她撩起裙子蹚水走进河里。
  • He waded into the water to push the boat out. 他蹚进水里把船推出来。
17 afterward fK6y3     
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。
18 liking mpXzQ5     
n.爱好;嗜好;喜欢
参考例句:
  • The word palate also means taste or liking.Palate这个词也有“口味”或“嗜好”的意思。
  • I must admit I have no liking for exaggeration.我必须承认我不喜欢夸大其词。
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