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儿童英语读物 The Mystery of the Wild Ponies CHAPTER 5 The Horsenapper

时间:2017-09-28 06:21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)

“I’ll pick you up in about twenty minutes,” said Grandfather.

The children scrambled1 out of the station wagon2. When Grandfather said at breakfast that he needed to pick up some items he’d forgotten at the grocery store, the children leaped at the chance to visit the wild horse sanctuary3 again.

“We’ll be right here,” Henry said to Grandfather. He noticed Thomas Hyde’s Jeep parked outside the gate.

When Grandfather drove off, the Aldens walked up the sandy road.

Benny climbed on the gate. “No horses,” he said, disappointed.

“Maybe they’ll follow Officer Hyde back here like they did the other day,” said Jessie.

They didn’t have to wait long to see the sanctuary officer. He came down the path and opened the gate, then closed it behind him.

“You guys are up early,” he said.

“We came to visit the horses while our grandfather is at the store,” said Henry. Then he remembered a question he wanted to ask. “Did you see a lady here the other day? An artist? She always wears a big straw hat.”

Officer Hyde shook his head. “I didn’t see her. Did she want to see me?”

“She’s our neighbor,” Jessie replied. “She was trying to paint the horses. She was mad when they didn’t show up.”

Officer Hyde fumbled5 with the padlock, clearly upset. “They’re wild animals. They don’t care about human schedules.”

Violet sensed something was wrong. “Is everything okay?” she asked, concerned.

“One of the horses is missing,” Officer Hyde said.

“Missing!” Benny gasped6.

Officer Hyde nodded. “Yes. At first I thought Midnight had simply wandered away from the herd7. But I searched the sanctuary yesterday and this morning. I can’t find him.”

“Maybe he got out,” said Jessie. “You said they do that sometimes.”

“They do, but not for very long. You see, Midnight is the leader of the herd. Last week I noticed another stallion acting8 aggressive.”

Benny frowned. “What do you mean?”

“There can only be one leader of a herd,” Officer Hyde explained. “If another stallion wants to take over, he’ll fight the leader. I think that’s what happened. Midnight got in a fight and lost. He was driven away from the herd.”

“Does that mean Midnight can’t come back?” Henry asked.

“No. Midnight could take over again. But he can’t be gone too long or the herd will accept the new leader instead.” Officer Hyde gazed over the dune9. “In any case, I need to find him. He may be injured.”

“I guess Midnight is black,” said Benny. He thought of the horse he’d seen pawing the beach the other night.

“Like midnight,” Officer Hyde said, smiling. “Listen, if you kids see or hear anything, please let me know immediately. The sooner we find him, the better chance he has of regaining10 his place in the herd.”

“What happens if he doesn’t?” Violet asked, feeling sorry for the lost horse.

“It means he’d have to find a new herd,” said Officer Hyde, opening the door to his Jeep. “That would be hard since the herd is so small. There are only a few new colts born every year.”

“We’ll be on the lookout,” Henry promised.

Officer Hyde climbed in and drove off.

“I wonder where Midnight could be,”

Violet said. “We know it can’t be the horse Benny saw on the beach that night.”

“Mine was a ghost,” Benny insisted. Then he had a thought. “What if Magic the ghost horse is the horse that had a fight with Midnight?”

“How could that be?” asked Henry gently. “Officer Hyde said he knew the other stallion that was trying to take over.”

Benny wasn’t about to let go of his idea. “But Shad told us Magic appeared when he wanted to go back to his herd.”

Violet nodded. “That’s right. Shad said when we see Magic, he’ll be coming back to reclaim11 his rightful place in the herd.” She quickly added, “But it’s just a story, Benny.”

“There are no ghosts,” said Henry firmly. “Not even ghost horses.”

At that moment, something whinnied behind him. Startled, the kids spun12 around.

“Oh, look!” Violet said softly.

Three horses stood at the gate, shaking their shaggy heads. Two of the ponies13 bent14 to crop the grass growing at the base of the gate. The third horse gazed at the kids.

“Such big brown eyes,” said Jessie, fascinated. “It’s like she’s telling us something.”

“I know what she’s saying,” Benny said. “She wants Midnight back.” Then he spoke15 louder, so the horses could hear. “We’ll find him. We promise.”

Henry smiled at his little brother’s enthusiasm. He realized how important it was to find the missing stallion. The Outer Banks might look small on the map, but the island they were on was actually fairly big. Midnight could be anywhere.

When they got back to the cottage, the kids changed into their suits and went down to the beach. Henry carried a cooler of drinks and snacks. Jessie brought a blue-and-white-striped umbrella. Violet brought her art things, the towels, and a sack of toys for Benny.

They found a nice spot between the dune and the ocean. Violet laid out the towels.

Henry stabbed the umbrella into the sand and opened it. Then he yelled, “Last one in the water is a rotten egg!”

With screams of laughter, the Aldens plunged16 into the waves. Jessie and Henry took Benny’s hands and led him past the breakers. He squealed17 with delight as they played in the gently swelling18 waves.

Farther out, they saw Jeremy and his roommates bodysurfing, and Benny waved and shouted hello.

Jeremy yelled hello back to them and caught the next wave in. He landed at the foamy19 water’s edge next to Benny.

“Hey,” he greeted them, “do you want me to show you how to catch waves?”

“Yes!” they all cheered at once.

Jeremy coached Benny in the water close to the shore and gave Violet, Jessie, and Henry tips on catching20 the swells21 a little farther out.

While stopping together to catch their breath, Benny remembered something he’d wanted to ask their friendly college neighbor.

“Jeremy, you never told us about your big stunt,” Benny said. “What was it?”

Jeremy grinned at the memory of his last big practical joke. “I ‘borrowed’ a goat from the veterinary department and dressed him up in my English professor’s hat and scarf.”

Benny laughed and Henry Jessie, and Violet couldn’t help smiling, even though they didn’t approve of the prank22.

When the kids grew tired of riding the waves, they thanked Jeremy and walked back up the beach. They wrapped themselves in thick, fluffy23 towels and sat in the sun to dry.

Suddenly Henry gave a cry. “Look! Dolphins!”

“Where?” Benny demanded. Then he saw their dark gray glistening24 bodies arch out of the water.

The Aldens watched, enchanted25. “They’re playing, just like Jeremy and his friends,” Jessie exclaimed.

Violet turned back. She saw Winifred Gorman on her deck, working. “I wonder if Ms. Gorman sees them.”

“Let’s go tell her!” Benny said. He didn’t think anybody should miss the dolphins. They all walked back to Winifred Gorman’s house.

She saw them coming. “What is it now?” she said grumpily.

“We just wanted to tell you about the dolphins,” Violet called out. “They’re straight out in front of you. They are so beautiful when they jump like that.”

Winifred glanced toward the ocean. “I don’t see them.”

“We’ll come up and show you,” said Benny, taking the steps two at a time.

The others followed.

Benny pointed4 to the spot where the dolphins dove and popped up. “They’re the same color as the water, but you’ll see them in a minute. There!”

“Now I see them,” said Winifred finally, and a faint smile softened26 her face. “And they are beautiful.”

Violet was studying the half-finished painting on the easel. It showed another beach scene. “That’s very nice,” she commented politely.

“No, it isn’t.” With her brush, Winifred slashed27 red paint across the canvas. “Listen, you kids, I’m expecting important company.”

“We were just going,” said Jessie. “Benny wanted to show you the dolphins. That’s all.”

But Winifred didn’t answer or even say good-bye.

When the Aldens were back on the beach, Jessie said, “She never has anything nice to say. What a grouch28!”

“She did smile a little this time, though,” said Violet, and she gazed back at Winifred’s deck. “I don’t think she’s happy with her paintings.”

“Well, we can’t worry about her,” said Henry. “We have to help Officer Hyde find Midnight.”

“But first,” said Benny, opening the cooler, “I need a soda29 and some pretzels! I can’t think on an empty stomach.”

The others laughed.

“You must do a lot of thinking,” teased Violet. “Your stomach is never empty, Benny!”

They played catch with a beach ball, then took another dip in the ocean. Soon Jessie spotted30 Grandfather waving from their deck.

“Time to go in,” she told them. “Grandfather warned us not to get sunburned.”

They packed up and hopped31 across the hot sand. When they reached the little boardwalk between Winifred’s house and theirs, they set their things down to rinse32 off with the outdoor hose.

As Henry turned on the water, he noticed a shiny black car in Winifred’s driveway.

“Winifred’s company is here,” he commented.

He handed the hose to Violet and looked at the car. “From New York,” he remarked. “The license33 plate has the Empire State Building on it. Expensive car.”

“There he is!” Jessie whispered.

Winifred’s guest, a man wearing dark slacks and a white shirt, had just come out on her deck. He sat in a chair at the umbrella table, facing away from the Aldens. Seconds later, Winifred came out, too. She carried two glasses.

“Thanks,” said the man. He had a loud voice the Aldens could easily hear. “It’s nice here.”

“It’s different,” Winifred said with a shrug34. She sat next to him, with her back to the Aldens.

“We should go in,” whispered Violet. “They’re talking so loud I can hear them without even trying. Is that eavesdropping35?”

“We’re not eavesdropping,” said Jessie. “They’re talking extra loud.” She and the others began to pick up their belongings36.

Just then they heard Winifred ask the man, “What do you think?”

“Well, I could get a good price for the horse in New York,” he replied.

Winifred nodded. “The black horse is definitely the best. The others are worthless.”

“I’ll start lining37 up a buyer as soon as I get back,” the man promised.

The kids stared at one another. They were talking about a black horse! It could only be Midnight.

With his finger to his lips, Henry motioned to them to head inside. They crept down the boardwalk and into the front entrance of Gullwing Cottage.

Once inside, everyone spoke at once.

“She’s trying to sell Midnight!” Benny cried.

“We don’t know that for sure,” said Henry. “But it does sound suspicious. They were definitely talking about a black horse.”

“If she took Midnight, where is she keeping him?” asked Violet.

“Even more important,” said Jessie direly38, “if she somehow managed to capture Midnight, why is she selling him? She could just return him to the herd.”

Henry shook his head. “I think Winifred Gorman may have committed a crime.”

“Yeah,” said Benny. “Horsenapping!”


点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 scrambled 2e4a1c533c25a82f8e80e696225a73f2     
v.快速爬行( scramble的过去式和过去分词 );攀登;争夺;(军事飞机)紧急起飞
参考例句:
  • Each scrambled for the football at the football ground. 足球场上你争我夺。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
  • He scrambled awkwardly to his feet. 他笨拙地爬起身来。 来自《简明英汉词典》
2 wagon XhUwP     
n.四轮马车,手推车,面包车;无盖运货列车
参考例句:
  • We have to fork the hay into the wagon.我们得把干草用叉子挑进马车里去。
  • The muddy road bemired the wagon.马车陷入了泥泞的道路。
3 sanctuary iCrzE     
n.圣所,圣堂,寺庙;禁猎区,保护区
参考例句:
  • There was a sanctuary of political refugees behind the hospital.医院后面有一个政治难民的避难所。
  • Most countries refuse to give sanctuary to people who hijack aeroplanes.大多数国家拒绝对劫机者提供庇护。
4 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。
5 fumbled 78441379bedbe3ea49c53fb90c34475f     
(笨拙地)摸索或处理(某事物)( fumble的过去式和过去分词 ); 乱摸,笨拙地弄; 使落下
参考例句:
  • She fumbled in her pocket for a handkerchief. 她在她口袋里胡乱摸找手帕。
  • He fumbled about in his pockets for the ticket. 他(瞎)摸着衣兜找票。
6 gasped e6af294d8a7477229d6749fa9e8f5b80     
v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 );喘息;倒抽气;很想要
参考例句:
  • She gasped at the wonderful view. 如此美景使她惊讶得屏住了呼吸。
  • People gasped with admiration at the superb skill of the gymnasts. 体操运动员的高超技艺令人赞叹。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
7 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。
8 acting czRzoc     
n.演戏,行为,假装;adj.代理的,临时的,演出用的
参考例句:
  • Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她,她只是假装的。
  • During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代,她的表演生涯黯然失色。
9 dune arHx6     
n.(由风吹积而成的)沙丘
参考例句:
  • The sand massed to form a dune.沙积集起来成了沙丘。
  • Cute Jim sat on the dune eating a prune in June.可爱的吉姆在六月天坐在沙丘上吃着话梅。
10 regaining 458e5f36daee4821aec7d05bf0dd4829     
复得( regain的现在分词 ); 赢回; 重回; 复至某地
参考例句:
  • She was regaining consciousness now, but the fear was coming with her. 现在她正在恢发她的知觉,但是恐怖也就伴随着来了。
  • She said briefly, regaining her will with a click. 她干脆地答道,又马上重新振作起精神来。
11 reclaim NUWxp     
v.要求归还,收回;开垦
参考例句:
  • I have tried to reclaim my money without success.我没能把钱取回来。
  • You must present this ticket when you reclaim your luggage.当你要取回行李时,必须出示这张票子。
12 spun kvjwT     
v.纺,杜撰,急转身
参考例句:
  • His grandmother spun him a yarn at the fire.他奶奶在火炉边给他讲故事。
  • Her skilful fingers spun the wool out to a fine thread.她那灵巧的手指把羊毛纺成了细毛线。
13 ponies 47346fc7580de7596d7df8d115a3545d     
矮种马,小型马( pony的名词复数 ); £25 25 英镑
参考例句:
  • They drove the ponies into a corral. 他们把矮种马赶进了畜栏。
  • She has a mania for ponies. 她特别喜欢小马。
14 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。
15 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。
16 plunged 06a599a54b33c9d941718dccc7739582     
v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 );暴跌;骤降;突降
参考例句:
  • The train derailed and plunged into the river. 火车脱轨栽进了河里。
  • She lost her balance and plunged 100 feet to her death. 她没有站稳,从100英尺的高处跌下摔死了。
17 squealed 08be5c82571f6dba9615fa69033e21b0     
v.长声尖叫,用长而尖锐的声音说( squeal的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • He squealed the words out. 他吼叫着说出那些话。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The brakes of the car squealed. 汽车的刹车发出吱吱声。 来自《简明英汉词典》
18 swelling OUzzd     
n.肿胀
参考例句:
  • Use ice to reduce the swelling. 用冰敷消肿。
  • There is a marked swelling of the lymph nodes. 淋巴结处有明显的肿块。
19 foamy 05f2da3f5bfaab984a44284e27ede263     
adj.全是泡沫的,泡沫的,起泡沫的
参考例句:
  • In Internet foamy 2001, so hard when, everybody stayed. 在互联网泡沫的2001年,那么艰难的时候,大家都留下来了。 来自互联网
  • It's foamy milk that you add to the coffee. 将牛奶打出泡沫后加入咖啡中。 来自互联网
20 catching cwVztY     
adj.易传染的,有魅力的,迷人的,接住
参考例句:
  • There are those who think eczema is catching.有人就是认为湿疹会传染。
  • Enthusiasm is very catching.热情非常富有感染力。
21 swells e5cc2e057ee1aff52e79fb6af45c685d     
增强( swell的第三人称单数 ); 肿胀; (使)凸出; 充满(激情)
参考例句:
  • The waters were heaving up in great swells. 河水正在急剧上升。
  • A barrel swells in the middle. 水桶中部隆起。
22 prank 51azg     
n.开玩笑,恶作剧;v.装饰;打扮;炫耀自己
参考例句:
  • It was thought that the fire alarm had been set off as a prank.人们认为火警报警器响是个恶作剧。
  • The dean was ranking the boys for pulling the prank.系主任正在惩罚那些恶作剧的男学生。
23 fluffy CQjzv     
adj.有绒毛的,空洞的
参考例句:
  • Newly hatched chicks are like fluffy balls.刚孵出的小鸡像绒毛球。
  • The steamed bread is very fluffy.馒头很暄。
24 glistening glistening     
adj.闪耀的,反光的v.湿物闪耀,闪亮( glisten的现在分词 )
参考例句:
  • Her eyes were glistening with tears. 她眼里闪着晶莹的泪花。
  • Her eyes were glistening with tears. 她眼睛中的泪水闪着柔和的光。 来自《用法词典》
25 enchanted enchanted     
adj. 被施魔法的,陶醉的,入迷的 动词enchant的过去式和过去分词
参考例句:
  • She was enchanted by the flowers you sent her. 她非常喜欢你送给她的花。
  • He was enchanted by the idea. 他为这个主意而欣喜若狂。
26 softened 19151c4e3297eb1618bed6a05d92b4fe     
(使)变软( soften的过去式和过去分词 ); 缓解打击; 缓和; 安慰
参考例句:
  • His smile softened slightly. 他的微笑稍柔和了些。
  • The ice cream softened and began to melt. 冰淇淋开始变软并开始融化。
27 slashed 8ff3ba5a4258d9c9f9590cbbb804f2db     
v.挥砍( slash的过去式和过去分词 );鞭打;割破;削减
参考例句:
  • Someone had slashed the tyres on my car. 有人把我的汽车轮胎割破了。
  • He slashed the bark off the tree with his knife. 他用刀把树皮从树上砍下。 来自《简明英汉词典》
28 grouch fQ0z8     
n.牢骚,不满;v.抱怨
参考例句:
  • He's always having a grouch about something.他总是发脾气抱怨这个抱怨那个。
  • One of the biggest grouches is the new system of payment.人们抱怨最多的一点就是这种新的支付方式。
29 soda cr3ye     
n.苏打水;汽水
参考例句:
  • She doesn't enjoy drinking chocolate soda.她不喜欢喝巧克力汽水。
  • I will freshen your drink with more soda and ice cubes.我给你的饮料重加一些苏打水和冰块。
30 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。
31 hopped 91b136feb9c3ae690a1c2672986faa1c     
跳上[下]( hop的过去式和过去分词 ); 单足蹦跳; 齐足(或双足)跳行; 摘葎草花
参考例句:
  • He hopped onto a car and wanted to drive to town. 他跳上汽车想开向市区。
  • He hopped into a car and drove to town. 他跳进汽车,向市区开去。
32 rinse BCozs     
v.用清水漂洗,用清水冲洗
参考例句:
  • Give the cup a rinse.冲洗一下杯子。
  • Don't just rinse the bottles. Wash them out carefully.别只涮涮瓶子,要仔细地洗洗里面。
33 license B9TzU     
n.执照,许可证,特许;v.许可,特许
参考例句:
  • The foreign guest has a license on the person.这个外国客人随身携带执照。
  • The driver was arrested for having false license plates on his car.司机由于使用假车牌而被捕。
34 shrug Ry3w5     
v.耸肩(表示怀疑、冷漠、不知等)
参考例句:
  • With a shrug,he went out of the room.他耸一下肩,走出了房间。
  • I admire the way she is able to shrug off unfair criticism.我很佩服她能对错误的批评意见不予理会。
35 eavesdropping 4a826293c077353641ee3f86da957082     
n. 偷听
参考例句:
  • We caught him eavesdropping outside the window. 我们撞见他正在窗外偷听。
  • Suddenly the kids,who had been eavesdropping,flew into the room. 突然间,一直在偷听的孩子们飞进屋来。
36 belongings oy6zMv     
n.私人物品,私人财物
参考例句:
  • I put a few personal belongings in a bag.我把几件私人物品装进包中。
  • Your personal belongings are not dutiable.个人物品不用纳税。
37 lining kpgzTO     
n.衬里,衬料
参考例句:
  • The lining of my coat is torn.我的外套衬里破了。
  • Moss makes an attractive lining to wire baskets.用苔藓垫在铁丝篮里很漂亮。
38 direly e49ab68e9fd394c95609165aed9d5e91     
可怕的,恐怖的; 悲惨的; 迫切的,极端的
参考例句:
  • living in dire poverty 生活赤贫
  • There were dire warnings about the dangers of watching too much TV. 曾经有人就看电视太多的危害性提出严重警告。
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