1-5

 

5.

Hours later Pa left for Paris. Accompanied by Mummy’s sisters, Aunt Sarah and Aunt Jane. Theyneeded to learn more about the crash, someone said. And they needed to arrange for the return ofMummy’s body.

Body. People kept using that word. It was a punch in the throat, and a bloody¹ lie, becauseMummy wasn’t dead.

That was my sudden insight. With nothing to do but roam the castle and talk to myself, asuspicion took hold, which then became a firm belief. This was all a trick. And for once the trickwasn’t being played by the people around me, or the press, but by Mummy. Her life’s beenmiserable, she’s been hounded, harassed², lied about, lied to. So she’s staged an accident as adiversion and run away.

The realization³ took my breath away, made me gasp⁴ with relief.

Of course! It’s all a ruse⁵, so she can make a clean start! At this very moment she’sundoubtedly renting an apartment in Paris, or arranging fresh flowers in her secretly purchasedlog cabin somewhere way up high in the Swiss Alps. Soon, soon, she’ll send for me and Willy. It’sall so obvious! Why didn’t I see it before? Mummy isn’t dead! She’s hiding!

I felt so much better.

Then doubt crept in.

Hang on! Mummy would never do this to us. This unspeakable pain, she’d never allow that, letalone cause it.

Then back to relief: She had no choice. It was her only hope of freedom.

Then doubt again: Mummy wouldn’t hide, she’s too much of a fighter.

Then relief: This is her way of fighting. She’ll be back. She has to be. It’s my birthday in twoweeks.

But Pa and my aunts came back first. Their return was reported by every TV channel. Theworld watched as they stepped onto the tarmac at RAF Northolt. One channel even added music tothe arrival: someone mournfully singing a psalm⁶. Willy and I were kept from the TV, but I thinkwe heard that.

The next few days passed in a vacuum, no one saying anything. We all remained ensconcedinside the castle. It was like being inside a crypt, except a crypt where everyone’s wearing trewsand keeping to normal routines and schedules. If anyone talked about anything, I didn’t hear them.

The only voice I heard was the one droning in my head, arguing with itself.

She’s gone.

No, she’s hiding.

She’s dead.

No, she’s playing dead.

Then, one morning, it was time. Back to London. I remember nothing about the trip. Did wedrive? Did we fly on the Royal Flight? I can see the reunion with Pa, and the aunts, and the pivotalencounter with Aunt Sarah, though it’s wreathed in fog and might be slightly out of sequence. Attimes my memory places it right there, in those horrid⁷ first days of September. But at other timesmemory casts it forward, to many years later.

Whenever it happened, it happened like this:

William? Harry⁸? Aunt Sarah has something for you, boys.

She stepped forward, holding two tiny blue boxes. What’s this?

Open it.

I lifted off the top of my blue box. Inside was…a moth⁹?

No.

A mustache?

No.

What’s…?

Her hair, Harry.

Aunt Sarah explained that, while in Paris, she’d clipped two locks from Mummy’s head.

So there it was. Proof. She’s really gone.

But then immediately came the reassuring¹⁰ doubt, the lifesaving uncertainty¹¹: No, this could beanybody’s hair. Mummy, her beautiful blond hair intact, was out there somewhere.

I’d know if she weren’t. My body would know. My heart would know. And neither knows anysuch thing.

Both were just as full of love for her as ever.

 

1 bloody   

adj.非常的的；流血的；残忍的；adv.很；vt.血染

参考例句：

• He got a bloody nose in the fight.他在打斗中被打得鼻子流血。
• He is a bloody fool.他是一个十足的笨蛋。

2 harassed   

adj. 疲倦的，厌烦的 动词harass的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He has complained of being harassed by the police. 他投诉受到警方侵扰。
• harassed mothers with their children 带着孩子的疲惫不堪的母亲们

3 realization   

n.实现；认识到，深刻了解

参考例句：

• We shall gladly lend every effort in our power toward its realization.我们将乐意为它的实现而竭尽全力。
• He came to the realization that he would never make a good teacher.他逐渐认识到自己永远不会成为好老师。

4 gasp   

n.喘息，气喘；v.喘息；气吁吁他说

参考例句：

• She gave a gasp of surprise.她吃惊得大口喘气。
• The enemy are at their last gasp.敌人在做垂死的挣扎。

5 ruse   

n.诡计，计策；诡计

参考例句：

• The children thought of a clever ruse to get their mother to leave the house so they could get ready for her surprise.孩子们想出一个聪明的办法使妈妈离家，以便他们能准备给她一个惊喜。It is now clear that this was a ruse to divide them.现在已清楚这是一个离间他们的诡计。

6 psalm   

n.赞美诗，圣诗

参考例句：

• The clergyman began droning the psalm.牧师开始以单调而低沈的语调吟诵赞美诗。
• The minister droned out the psalm.牧师喃喃地念赞美诗。

7 horrid   

adj.可怕的；令人惊恐的；恐怖的；极讨厌的

参考例句：

• I'm not going to the horrid dinner party.我不打算去参加这次讨厌的宴会。
• The medicine is horrid and she couldn't get it down.这种药很难吃，她咽不下去。

8 harry   

vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼

参考例句：

• Today,people feel more hurried and harried.今天，人们感到更加忙碌和苦恼。
• Obama harried business by Healthcare Reform plan.奥巴马用医改掠夺了商界。

9 moth   

n.蛾，蛀虫

参考例句：

• A moth was fluttering round the lamp.有一只蛾子扑打着翅膀绕着灯飞。
• The sweater is moth-eaten.毛衣让蛀虫咬坏了。

10 reassuring   

a.使人消除恐惧和疑虑的，使人放心的

参考例句：

• He gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder. 他轻拍了一下她的肩膀让她放心。
• With a reassuring pat on her arm, he left. 他鼓励地拍了拍她的手臂就离开了。

11 uncertainty   

n.易变，靠不住，不确知，不确定的事物

参考例句：

• Her comments will add to the uncertainty of the situation.她的批评将会使局势更加不稳定。
• After six weeks of uncertainty,the strain was beginning to take its toll.6个星期的忐忑不安后，压力开始产生影响了。