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儿童英语读物 The Mystery of the Singing Ghost CHAPTER 4 The Argument

时间:2017-07-24 09:06来源:互联网 提供网友:qing   字体: [ ]
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In the morning none of the Aldens felt like going right to the house.

Benny said, “Can’t we go somewhere else first? We can clean in the afternoon.”

“Benny’s right,” Violet1 said.

Jessie thought for a minute and then said, “I know. Let’s go to the lake in the park. We can swim and then go to the house.”

“Great!” Henry agreed.

“I think we should stop at the bakery first and buy some jelly2 doughnuts,” Benny said.

Henry laughed. “Okay, Benny, we can do that.”

The children biked into town and went to the bakery. Joan Bernstein, a tall, blonde woman who owned the shop, smiled when the Aldens came in. She looked away from the customer she was waiting on and said, “Hi, Aldens. I’ll be with you in a minute.”

She finished putting chocolate cookies into a bag and then said, “I think you children should meet Terry Evans.” She gestured toward3 her customer, who was a short red-haired woman. “Ms. Evans is writing a book about the history of Greenfield.”

“Is Greenfield that important?” Benny asked.

Ms. Bernstein nodded. “This town goes way back to colonial4 times.”

Terry Evans smiled at the Aldens. “Have you all lived here very long?” she asked them.

“Since our grandfather found us and brought us here,” Benny answered.

Ms. Evans laughed and started to leave the store.

“The Aldens’ cousins have bought that old Roth house,” Ms. Bernstein said. “The children are cleaning it up for them. Everyone in town is talking about how helpful the kids are.”

Terry Evans turned to the Aldens. “Oh,” she said. “I hear that’s a very interesting house. Can you tell me about it?”

“We don’t know that much,” Jessie said hesitantly.

“You must know something,” Ms. Evans insisted.

“Just that Mr. Farley says it’s haunted,” Benny said.

“But we know that’s silly, of course,” Henry added.

“Is it?” Ms. Evans asked. She looked at the children mysteriously. Then she said, “I have to go now, but I’d like to talk to you all again.” Then she left.

Benny looked after her. “She liked us, I think. She wants to talk to us again.”

“Yes, but why?” Henry asked. “We told her we don’t know much about the house.”

“She’s just a very curious woman,” Joan Bernstein said. “Now, what can I give you children?”

“Jelly doughnuts,” Benny answered. “We’re going to take them to the park.”

Violet got four small containers of orange juice from the cooler, and Ms. Bernstein put the doughnuts, juice, and straws into a bag. The Aldens paid her and went out to their bikes. “Be careful at the lake,” she called after them.

“We will,” Violet called back.

When they reached the park, they sat on the grass under a tree. The shimmering5 lake was only a few yards from them.

Benny opened the paper bag and gave his brother and sisters a doughnut. Violet passed around the juice and straws. They sat contentedly6 and ate their snack, watching three teenagers playing in the lake.

They waited a little while after they had finished eating. Then they stripped7 down to the bathing suits they had on under their clothes. They ran to the lake and swam and splashed8. Benny stayed near the shore. The Aldens kept their eyes on each other while they swam.

When they finally ran out of the water, they dried themselves and lay on the grass, talking softly9. Suddenly, very close by, they heard loud voices. Under a nearby tree were Mr. Farley and Thomas Yeats. They hadn’t seen the Aldens.

“I’ll never do that. Never!” Mr. Farley cried out.

“I’m willing to pay you,” Thomas Yeats said.

“No! It’s not about money. I won’t do it,” Mr. Farley insisted.

“Forget it!” Mr. Yeats said, and he strode10 away. In a few seconds Mr. Farley left, too.

“Wow!” Violet said.

“What was that all about?” Jessie asked.

“What do you suppose Mr. Yeats wanted Mr. Farley to do?” Henry asked.

“Whatever it was, he was willing to pay for it,” Violet said.

“Mr. Farley was certainly definite,” Jessie said.

“It’s a mystery!” Benny said, smiling.

“It sure is,” Violet agreed.

When the Aldens got to the house later that day, Terry Evans was sitting on a porch11 step. “I just wanted to ask you a few questions,” she said.

“Oh,” Jessie said. “What kind of questions?”

“About the house, of course,” Terry replied. “Do you know anything about the girl who used to live here … Celia Roth?”

“The girl who disappeared?” Benny asked eagerly.

Terry nodded.

“We don’t know anything at all,” Violet answered.

“This house should really be a Greenfield landmark,” Ms. Evans said. “With its strange history, no one should be allowed to buy it.”

“What history?” Benny asked.

“Well,” Terry said, “I’ve heard a number of people lived here after the Roths left. But no one stayed long. For whatever reasons, they left fairly quickly. Ghosts, you know.” She smiled slyly12, waved, and left.

Mr. Farley, who was back in his yard, walked over to the Aldens. “Why’s that woman snooping around?” he asked. “She sure asks a lot of questions.”

Henry wanted to ask Mr. Farley what he and Mr. Yeats had been arguing about. But he didn’t want Mr. Farley to think they’d been eavesdropping13. Instead he asked, “Mr. Farley, how long did Mr. Roth stay after Celia disappeared?”

Mr. Farley thought for a minute. “Just a few months. He was mysterious. Wouldn’t talk about Celia at all. He just left Greenfield.”

“Ms. Evans said other people lived here,” Jessie said.

Mr. Farley nodded. “Yes, a few families bought the house, lived here a short time, and then left. It’s been empty now for a good twenty years. The only thing left from the Roths is an old bed, that big old desk upstairs, and some boxes of old books.”

“When did Celia disappear?” Jessie asked.

Mr. Farley said, “I remember it all well. I was only ten years old, but some things you don’t forget. It was the summer of 1917. August, it was. A hot day in August and, poof, she just vanished14. But I know she came back … to the house … for some reason … or at least her ghost did.”

Henry laughed. “Come on, Mr. Farley. We just don’t believe that.”

The Aldens went into the house and sat down on the floor.

“What do you think happened to Celia?” Jessie asked.

“Maybe she was kidnapped,” Violet said.

“Or she might have drowned in the lake,” Henry suggested.

“Maybe Celia ran away, just like we did,” Benny said.

“Yes, Benny, but Grandfather found us,” Violet said. “No one ever found Celia.”
 


点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 violet 8h3wm     
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。
2 jelly KaBz4     
n.冻,果子冻,胶状物
参考例句:
  • We had toast and jelly at breakfast.我们早餐吃的是烤面包和果冻。
  • The medicine was a clear jelly.这种药是透明的胶状物。
3 toward on6we     
prep.对于,关于,接近,将近,向,朝
参考例句:
  • Suddenly I saw a tall figure approaching toward the policeman.突然间我看到一个高大的身影朝警察靠近。
  • Upon seeing her,I smiled and ran toward her. 看到她我笑了,并跑了过去。
4 colonial Hq9zJ     
adj.殖民地的,关于殖民的;n.殖民地,居民
参考例句:
  • The natives were unwilling to be bent by colonial power.土著居民不愿受殖民势力的摆布。
  • The people of Africa have successfully fought against colonial rule.非洲人民成功地反抗了殖民统治。
5 shimmering 0a3bf9e89a4f6639d4583ea76519339e     
v.闪闪发光,发微光( shimmer的现在分词 )
参考例句:
  • The sea was shimmering in the sunlight. 阳光下海水波光闪烁。
  • The colours are delicate and shimmering. 这些颜色柔和且闪烁微光。 来自辞典例句
6 contentedly a0af12176ca79b27d4028fdbaf1b5f64     
adv.心满意足地
参考例句:
  • My father sat puffing contentedly on his pipe.父亲坐着心满意足地抽着烟斗。
  • "This is brother John's writing,"said Sally,contentedly,as she opened the letter.
7 stripped 10ca9c8a56c26669f205f753344651db     
adj. 剥夺的, 拆除的 动词strip的过去式和过去分词
参考例句:
  • I stripped and washed myself all over. 我脱掉衣服,把全身洗了洗。
  • a stripped-down version of the song 这首歌的精简版
8 splashed 127fd523d272edcb5c979b7f84b6767c     
v.使(液体)溅起( splash的过去式和过去分词 );(指液体)溅落
参考例句:
  • Water splashed onto the floor. 水哗的一声泼洒在地板上。
  • The cowboy splashed his way across the shallow stream with his cow. 牧童牵着牛淌过浅溪。 来自《简明英汉词典》
9 softly HiIzR4     
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。
10 strode strode     
大踏步走,跨过( stride的过去式 ); (stride的过去式)
参考例句:
  • She strode past him without a backward glance . 她大步从他身边走过,都没有回头瞧他一眼。
  • We strode across the snowy fields. 我们大步流星地穿过雪封的旷野。
11 porch ju9yM     
n.门廊,入口处,走廊,游廊
参考例句:
  • There are thousands of pages of advertising on our porch.有成千上万页广告堆在我们的门廊上。
  • The porch is supported by six immense pillars.门廊由六根大柱子支撑着。
12 slyly 1b0aae900be84cdb3badf8813262dd7f     
adv.狡猾地;偷偷地;俏皮地;会意地
参考例句:
  • She glanced slyly at Madeleine. 她诡秘地向马德琳瞥了一眼。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • He was lurking slyly in the background. 他狡猾地躲在背后活动。 来自《简明英汉词典》
13 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。
14 vanished NfXzQH     
adj.消失了的v.消失( vanish的过去式和过去分词 );突然不见;不复存在;绝迹
参考例句:
  • He walked through—and vanished. Poof! Like that. 他走了过去,然后就嗖的一下子不见了。
  • The magician vanished in a puff of smoke. 魔术师在一股烟雾中突然不见了。
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