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Mystery at The Ice Castle Inn: The End

时间:2017-01-03 15:48来源:互联网 提供网友:nan   字体: [ ]
    (单词翻译:双击或拖选)

 

And now the VOA Learning English program, Words and Their Stories.

This week we finish the three-part story “Mystery at The Ice Castle Inn.” You will learn not only the ending of the mystery but also more English expressions that deal with cold.

At the end of part two, our four travelers had gone on a treasure hunt. They followed clues and searched the castle. But as they gather by the fire to tell what they found, no one is happy. What they found are not treasures at all.

The actress, Sylvia, is deeply disturbed by a pink baby’s rattle1. A framed termination letter unnerves teacher Madeline. A white wedding veil angers Vincent, the handsome athlete. Major Jack2 is saddened by a military medal.

As each person looks at their so-called treasure, they hear a terrifying sound from the room above.

They all break out in a cold sweat. They are so scared they cannot speak -- well, all but one. The housekeeper3 remains4 as cool as a cucumber. They wonder why she is able to stay so calm while they are scared to death.

The housekeeper tells them to not move. She will investigate.

As they listen to her footsteps traveling up the massive staircase, Sylvia asks, “Shouldn’t one of us go with her? What if it is a wild animal?”

Vincent says, “I am staying right here by the fire and drink my wine. I have a feeling it’s going to be a long night.”

The teacher suggests they use furniture to block the door in case the creature, whatever it is, is dangerous. Major Jack suggests they each find something to use as a weapon.

Time passes. Finally, Sylvia speaks. “Someone needs to check on the housekeeper,” she says. The actress goes the door. But when she tries the knob, it will not turn! She runs to a window and pulls up. But it does not move.

She cries out. “We are not only snowed in --- we are locked in!”

Everyone stops cold. They stop immediately.

“You can’t snow us, Sylvia,” yells Vincent. “And why would you try to fool us, anyway?”

He hurries to the door but finds it is, indeed, locked. The others run to the windows but none will open.

Major Jack finally loses his cool and yells at the group. “Why are we here?! What is going on?”

“Look, everyone just chill out,” Madeline says, using her poor classroom discipline skills to try to calm the group. Then, she explains why she is at The Ice Castle Inn.

“I was invited,” she says. “That’s why I'm here. The plane ticket, room, food -- everything was free!”

The others look at each other in shock. They all received identical invitations. Each guest comes to the same realization5 at once: they are victims of a trick.

“Getting us all together here in this castle – it is one big snow job,” says Major Jack.

Sylvia agrees, “Yes, but who is trying to snow us? Who invited us?”

Just then, the door to the room creaks open. The four guests stare as the housekeeper walks into the room. She has returned from investigating the upstairs.

“I invited you,” she says.

“You? You?! You’re just a housekeeper,” says Madeline.

She eyes them each, coldly.

“No, I’m not just the housekeeper. My name is Crystal Castle. The Ice Castle Inn is mine. And now, I’d like you to meet my daughter, my adopted daughter, Hope.”

A young woman enters. She is very thin and her straight, blond hair is messy. But her face – it’s like an angel’s. She wears a silky white nightgown and robe. They look costly6. But her feet are bare. Her body twitches8 and her eyes move nervously9 around the room. She doesn’t speak.

Vincent drops his wine glass. He is suddenly stone cold sober, as he says, “Hope? Is that you?”

Madeline, is now standing10 next to Vincent.

“It can’t be. Hope? I haven’t seen you in years.”

“You haven’t seen her in exactly 5 years.” says Crystal.

Sylvia and Major Jack do not recognize Hope. They are only more confused.

“Was she the one who made that terrible noise? Is she … mad? I mean, is she crazy?” asks the major.

Crystal, no longer the housekeeper, yells at them, “Hope is as pure as the driven snow! She is good and kind. But yes, she is mad. And you four people in this room drove her to madness! That is why you are here!”

It is now the middle of the night. Crystal let’s everything out in the open. She explains how each person in that room contributed to her beloved girl’s insanity11.

“I’ll start with you, Vincent. You and Hope were engaged. But on the wedding day, you broke your promise to marry her, leaving her stranded12 at the church!”

Vincent says nervously, “I got cold feet! I was nervous and changed my mind at the last minute.”

He picks up the white wedding veil from the floor and holds it tightly.

“If you must know, it was the worst mistake of my life. I’ve never been the same. I’ve never been happy. I was happy with Hope. But I was too young to marry.”

He sinks into the chair. He looks deep into the fire, his mind trapped in the mistake of years past.

“You may think you know me but you don’t know anything about me,” he says, his voice filled with regret.

“I know a lot about you, Vincent,” Crystal says.

She knows, for example, that Vincent’s wealth and status come entirely13 from his wife’s family. She also knows that he was married before and never got divorced.

“Which means,” she continues, “that you are not legally married to your rich wife. What will happen if I tell her and her family?”

“I would lose it all,” he says, “my wealth, home, social position. But, I don’t care. Tell them. I don’t care about anything. Life without Hope has been a cold and lonely place. I bet you didn’t know that.”

Outside the storm is easing. The wind blows lighter14 and the snow has stopped. And, Hope has changed ever so slightly. She puts on a pair of slippers15 and moves toward the fireplace. Standing over Vincent, she lays a hand on his head.

And then she speaks. “It is okay, Vincent. We were very young.”

They are Hope’s first words in many months.

The young man can’t bring himself to look at Hope. He simply holds tighter to her wedding veil.

Crystal moves to her daughter, hugs her tightly and puts a coat over her shoulders. Then, she redirects her frigid16 stare to Madeline. The teacher looks down at the framed letter in her hands.

“You don’t need to speak, Crystal. I can explain this myself,” Madeline says.

She says she and Hope worked at the same school. At first, they were best friends. Hope was very talented, beautiful and kind. Everyone liked her very much. Over time, Madeline became very jealous.

“I tried to freeze her out as much as possible. I gave Hope the cold shoulder. I tried my best to leave her out of things. But that didn’t work. So, I stole money from the school and made it look like Hope did it. She was fired immediately.”

Crystal answers with anger. “You destroyed her career and her reputation!”

“Crystal, you should check again,” Madeline says. “Several teachers investigated the theft knowing their beloved Hope would not steal. They suspected I was to blame for the situation. But, they couldn’t find any evidence against me so they couldn’t fire me.”

“But, my career has been in a deep freeze ever since,” Madeline continues. "My students hate me, the other teachers hate me and I hate my job. And I’ve never had another friend like Hope.” As she says this she throws the framed termination letter across the room.

Hope says in a calm, clear voice, “It will all be okay. Listen … outside … the storm has stopped.”

The actress, Sylvia, suddenly feels an unexpected and strong feeling for this strange, quiet young woman. Then she asks Crystal how she is connected to Hope.

Crystal says with an icy tone in her voice, “Why, Sylvia, Hope is your daughter.”

With that news, Sylvia passes out cold.

When she wakes up, the others learn why the actress so often holds her gold locket close to her heart. In the locket are pictures of a baby girl and a baby boy – babies she gave up for adoption17.

“I was young and alone,” Sylvia explains. “I was poor and snowed under so many unpaid18 bills that I could barely breathe. I didn’t know what to do with two babies. But I have thought of them every day since. But how did you come to adopt them?”

Crystal says she was a young doctoral student assigned to the orphanage19. She took care of the brother and sister. When a rich relative died, she inherited a fortune and The Ice Castle Inn. So, she adopted the two babies and raised them as her own.

As Crystal talks of raising two wonderful children, the actress holds the locket to her chest.

It was Crystal’s plan all along to expose Sylvia’s history. She thought that people would stop seeing her films if they knew she had given up her own children to further her career. But she now realizes that that is not true.

Crystal also realizes she was wrong and feels, quite unexpectedly, ashamed. She doesn’t feel any better when Sylvia looks down at her locket and asks, “Where is my son?”

“This is where the major comes into the story,” Crystal says hesitantly.

Major Jack says that he does not know this young woman.

Crystals agrees with him. “That’s right. You don’t,” she says. “But you did know her brother – her only brother. They were so close growing up. They were more like best friends than brother and sister. His name was Lieutenant20 Justice Castle.”

Major Jack’s blood turns to ice. Yes, he knows the name Justice Castle very well.

“Justice was a soldier under my command – one of the finest soldiers I have ever met. We were on a peace keeping mission and weren’t supposed to see any fighting. But I got my information wrong. I sent his squad21 into a dangerous area.”

The major has a difficult time continuing. His voice breaks as he speaks and his eyes fill with tears.

“Justice was killed in action because of my mistake. But I lied on official reports. I blamed him for misreading a map. This has haunted me ever since. Before coming on this trip, I told my superiors the truth about what happened that day. When I return, I will probably be court-martialed. And I deserve it.”

Crystal turns off a recording22 device. She had planned to say, “And now I have recorded your statement, Major.” She had planned to say, “Now, I have the proof I need to ruin you too.”

But her plans are not necessary now. He is already a ruined man.

Vincent is the next to speak. “Do you mean to tell us, that for the past several years you have been collecting information on us, planning this whole trip just to get even with us?”

Crystal stares at the empty faces of the group and says, “Revenge is a dish best served cold.”

“What does that mean, mother?” asks Hope as she moves to Crystal’s side.

“It means,” she explains, “that I have waited a long time to get my revenge. And that just makes my revenge feel even better.”

“But revenge won’t bring back Justice, will it.”

“No, it won’t, my dear.”

Crystal collapses23 into a chair, tired from the years of planning and hating. She has waited so long to get her revenge for her daughter but now it is cold comfort. The revenge has offered her none of the reward she thought it would.

“Oh, look! The sun is coming up!” Hope says happily. “And what’s that on the horizon?”

The group are shocked to hear the sounds of a helicopter approaching.

“Look mother!” says Hope. “A helicopter is landing on the big lawn! How beautiful the day is going to be.” She looks reborn, renewed.

“Yes, I think it will be,” says Crystal Castle. “Let’s get our bags and leave this cold place. How would you like to spend the rest of the winter on a tropical island?”

“That sounds lovely,” Hope says as the color returns to her cheeks. “But what about the others? I hope they will be alright. I hope.”

A helicopter is not the only sound they hear. A snow plow24 is slowly working its way up the long drive to The Ice Castle Inn. It won’t be long before Vincent, Madeline, Sylvia and Major Jack will be able to leave the inn and return to their normal lives.

Or will they? Will their lives ever be normal again? Will any of them ever be the same ever again?

And so ends “Mystery at The Ice Castle Inn.”

Words in This Story

disturb – v. to worry or upset (someone)

obvious – adj. easy for the mind to understand or recognize

stranded – v. to leave (a person or animal) in a place without a way of leaving it

identical – adj. being the same

twitch7 – v. to make a slight, sudden movement that is not controlled or deliberate

insanity – n. severe mental illness : the condition of being insane

regret – n. to feel sad or sorry about (something that you did or did not do)

frigid – adj. very cold : not friendly or loving : lacking emotional warmth

inherited – v. to receive (money, property, etc.) from someone when that person dies

fortune – n. a very large amount of money — usually singular

lullaby – n. a song used to help a child fall asleep

revenge – n. he act of doing something to hurt someone because that person did something that hurt you

ashamed – adj. feeling shame, guilt25, or disgrace

hesitantly – adv. slow to act or proceed

haunt – v. to keep coming back to the mind of (someone) especially in a way that makes the person sad or upset : haunted – adj.

court-martial – v. to present evidence against (someone) in a military court : to put (someone) on trial in a military court

tropical – adj. of, relating to, occurring in, or used in the tropics


点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 rattle 5Alzb     
v.飞奔,碰响;激怒;n.碰撞声;拨浪鼓
参考例句:
  • The baby only shook the rattle and laughed and crowed.孩子只是摇着拨浪鼓,笑着叫着。
  • She could hear the rattle of the teacups.她听见茶具叮当响。
2 jack 53Hxp     
n.插座,千斤顶,男人;v.抬起,提醒,扛举;n.(Jake)杰克
参考例句:
  • I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。
  • He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。
3 housekeeper 6q2zxl     
n.管理家务的主妇,女管家
参考例句:
  • A spotless stove told us that his mother is a diligent housekeeper.炉子清洁无瑕就表明他母亲是个勤劳的主妇。
  • She is an economical housekeeper and feeds her family cheaply.她节约持家,一家人吃得很省。
4 remains 1kMzTy     
n.剩余物,残留物;遗体,遗迹
参考例句:
  • He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
  • The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。
5 realization nTwxS     
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。
6 costly 7zXxh     
adj.昂贵的,价值高的,豪华的
参考例句:
  • It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
  • This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用,左不过贵了些。
7 twitch jK3ze     
v.急拉,抽动,痉挛,抽搐;n.扯,阵痛,痉挛
参考例句:
  • The smell made my dog's nose twitch.那股气味使我的狗的鼻子抽动着。
  • I felt a twitch at my sleeve.我觉得有人扯了一下我的袖子。
8 twitches ad4956b2a0ba10cf1e516f73f42f7fc3     
n.(使)抽动, (使)颤动, (使)抽搐( twitch的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • No response, just a flutter of flanks and a few ear twitches. 没反应,只有胁腹和耳朵动了几下。 来自互联网
  • BCEF(50,100 mg·kg~-1 ) could distinctly increase the head-twitch number in the 5-HTP induced head-twitches test. BCEF50、100mg·kg-1可明显增加5羟色胺酸诱导甩头小鼠的甩头次数。 来自互联网
9 nervously tn6zFp     
adv.神情激动地,不安地
参考例句:
  • He bit his lip nervously,trying not to cry.他紧张地咬着唇,努力忍着不哭出来。
  • He paced nervously up and down on the platform.他在站台上情绪不安地走来走去。
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 insanity H6xxf     
n.疯狂,精神错乱;极端的愚蠢,荒唐
参考例句:
  • In his defense he alleged temporary insanity.他伪称一时精神错乱,为自己辩解。
  • He remained in his cell,and this visit only increased the belief in his insanity.他依旧还是住在他的地牢里,这次视察只是更加使人相信他是个疯子了。
12 stranded thfz18     
a.搁浅的,进退两难的
参考例句:
  • He was stranded in a strange city without money. 他流落在一个陌生的城市里, 身无分文,一筹莫展。
  • I was stranded in the strange town without money or friends. 我困在那陌生的城市,既没有钱,又没有朋友。
13 entirely entirely     
ad.全部地,完整地;完全地,彻底地
参考例句:
  • The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
  • His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。
14 lighter 5pPzPR     
n.打火机,点火器;驳船;v.用驳船运送;light的比较级
参考例句:
  • The portrait was touched up so as to make it lighter.这张画经过润色,色调明朗了一些。
  • The lighter works off the car battery.引燃器利用汽车蓄电池打火。
15 slippers oiPzHV     
n. 拖鞋
参考例句:
  • a pair of slippers 一双拖鞋
  • He kicked his slippers off and dropped on to the bed. 他踢掉了拖鞋,倒在床上。
16 frigid TfBzl     
adj.寒冷的,凛冽的;冷淡的;拘禁的
参考例句:
  • The water was too frigid to allow him to remain submerged for long.水冰冷彻骨,他在下面呆不了太长时间。
  • She returned his smile with a frigid glance.对他的微笑她报以冷冷的一瞥。
17 adoption UK7yu     
n.采用,采纳,通过;收养
参考例句:
  • An adoption agency had sent the boys to two different families.一个收养机构把他们送给两个不同的家庭。
  • The adoption of this policy would relieve them of a tremendous burden.采取这一政策会给他们解除一个巨大的负担。
18 unpaid fjEwu     
adj.未付款的,无报酬的
参考例句:
  • Doctors work excessive unpaid overtime.医生过度加班却无报酬。
  • He's doing a month's unpaid work experience with an engineering firm.他正在一家工程公司无偿工作一个月以获得工作经验。
19 orphanage jJwxf     
n.孤儿院
参考例句:
  • They dispensed new clothes to the children in the orphanage.他们把新衣服发给孤儿院的小孩们。
  • They gave the proceeds of the sale to the orphanage.他们把销售的收入给了这家孤儿院。
20 lieutenant X3GyG     
n.陆军中尉,海军上尉;代理官员,副职官员
参考例句:
  • He was promoted to be a lieutenant in the army.他被提升为陆军中尉。
  • He prevailed on the lieutenant to send in a short note.他说动那个副官,递上了一张简短的便条进去。
21 squad 4G1zq     
n.班,小队,小团体;vt.把…编成班或小组
参考例句:
  • The squad leader ordered the men to mark time.班长命令战士们原地踏步。
  • A squad is the smallest unit in an army.班是军队的最小构成单位。
22 recording UktzJj     
n.录音,记录
参考例句:
  • How long will the recording of the song take?录下这首歌得花多少时间?
  • I want to play you a recording of the rehearsal.我想给你放一下彩排的录像。
23 collapses 9efa410d233b4045491e3d6f683e12ed     
折叠( collapse的第三人称单数 ); 倒塌; 崩溃; (尤指工作劳累后)坐下
参考例句:
  • This bridge table collapses. 这张桥牌桌子能折叠。
  • Once Russia collapses, the last chance to stop Hitler will be gone. 一旦俄国垮台,抑止希特勒的最后机会就没有了。
24 plow eu5yE     
n.犁,耕地,犁过的地;v.犁,费力地前进[英]plough
参考例句:
  • At this time of the year farmers plow their fields.每年这个时候农民们都在耕地。
  • We will plow the field soon after the last frost.最后一场霜过后,我们将马上耕田。
25 guilt 9e6xr     
n.犯罪;内疚;过失,罪责
参考例句:
  • She tried to cover up her guilt by lying.她企图用谎言掩饰自己的罪行。
  • Don't lay a guilt trip on your child about schoolwork.别因为功课责备孩子而使他觉得很内疚。
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TAG标签:   VOA慢速英语
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