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美国故事 SENEWS-2005-0806-Feature

时间:2007-05-12 01:19来源:互联网 提供网友:ahmy88   字体: [ ]
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Now the Special English program "American Stories".

Our story today is called "The Gatewood Caper1". It was written by Dashiell Hammett, Here is Harry2 Monroe with the story.

Millionaire3 Harvey Gatewood had a desk as big as a bed in the middle of his office. He looked almost as big as his desk. Gatewood had become rich by knocking down anyone who stood in his way. Now, he leaned4 across his desk and began shouting at me. "My daughter was kidnapped last night; I want you to find her and the people who did this." "Tell me about it," I suggested. Gatewood said his daughter Audrey had gone out for a walk, the night before at 7 o'clock. She never came home. The next morning, Gatewood received a letter from her kidnappers5. They asked 50,000 dollars for her and put one of her favorite rings in the envelope to prove they had her. Gatewood had called the police immediately, but a few minutes later he decided6 to hire his own private detectives. That's when he called me at my Continental7 Detective Agency8. "Find her!" he barked at me.

I left his office and went to his home. The servants told me Audrey was 19 years old and Gatewood's only child. They said her mother was dead and Audrey and her father did not like each other. I went to her room where I found a picture of her. She was a pretty girl with big blue eyes and a small pointed9 chin10. I took the photograph with me when I went back to my office. I decided to call the police detectives. Elgar and Selden who were working on the case. They said that I could take a look at the letter the kidnappers had sent. The envelope had been mailed from San Francisco on September 20th. The same night Audrey had disappeared. The postmark on the envelope was stamped 8:00 pm. While I was at the police station, a young policeman stuck his head into the room. "Gatewood just called," he said, "He wants all of you in his office right away."

I ran out with Elgar and Selden and jumped into one of their police cars. Gatewood was walking up and down in his office. His face was red with anger. "She just phoned me," Shouted as soon as he saw us, she said, "Oh, daddy! Do something. I can't stand this. They're killing11 me. Then I heard a man's voice yell12 something and someone hung up the phone." Gatewood began banging13 his desk with his huge hands. "Have you people done anything?" We had to admit that we had discovered nothing yet. That night, I went home with Gatewood. At 2:30 in the morning, the telephone rang. I listened on the telephone downstairs while Gatewood talked on the telephone by his bed upstairs. A man's voice said "Gatewood, put the money in a bag and leave the house with it immediately, walk down Clay14 Street to the river. You'll meet someone with a handkerchief over his face, drop the money and go back home. You'll get your daughter back in an hour or two." The stranger hung up the telephone. "Do what he told you to do?" I said to Gatewood, "And don't try any tricks."

A few minutes later, Gatewood left his house carrying a white bag of money in his left hand. I followed him as he walked down the dark streets for about 10 minutes. No one was around. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a tall woman appeared; she was wearing black clothes and holding a handkerchief to her face. Gatewood stopped. He dropped the bag of money, turned around and walked quickly away. The woman ran to the bag. Picked it up and disappeared down a dark side street. The side street was empty when I reached it. I looked for an open window or door that would show me which building the woman had run into. Nothing. All the doors and windows were locked. I picked one door and broke the lock. I was lucky. Inside I found a woman's skirt, coat and hat, all black on the floor near the door. I knocked on a few doors in the building and one of the people told me that a tall man named Lytton had rented an apartment there only 3 days earlier. Lytton was not home when I knocked on his door. But now I understood how the mysterious woman had disappeared. Lytton had put on women's clothing over his own, then he had gone out the back door of the apartment building leaving the door open. After getting the money, he ran back into the building, locked the door and took off his disguise15. Then he must have left the apartment building through the front door.

The next morning there was no word from Audrey. We still had heard nothing by afternoon. I began to wonder about some things. I checked with Audrey's girlfriends and found that one of them was the last person to see Audrey before the kidnapping. Agnes Danger Field told me, she saw Audrey walking down Market Street alone the night of the kidnapping between 8:15 and 8:45. I took a taxi to the shopping district where there were a lot of large department stores. I went into each one asking if a tall man had bought clothing that would fit Audrey. At the fifth department store I got good news. A tall man had come in the day before buying clothing in Audrey's size. He had bought a lot of clothing and arranged17 for it to be delivered to his apartment on 14th street. He signed his name, Theodore Alfred. When I arrived at the address he gave, I saw a fat lady leaving the building. I told her I was a private detective and asked her about Alfred. She said he and his wife had rented apartment 202 only a week ago. She stopped talking suddenly as a tall man walked past me into the building. She said he was Mr. Alfred. But I recognized him as Penny18 Quail19, an unimportant20 little thief. I knew he recognized me, too. I followed him into the building and ran up the stairs to apartment 202. I rang the doorbell, 3 gunshots answered and the middle of the door had 3 bullet21 holes in it. Those bullets22 would have been in my stomach if I hadn't learned23 years ago to stand to one side of strange doors. I kicked at the door and the lock broke. As I ran into the room, I saw Quail and a woman struggling on the floor. The woman was Audrey Gatewood. She had a gun in her hand. I grabbed24 it and yelled25. "That's enough! Get up, both of you." Quail sat down in a chair trying to catch his breath26, but the woman stood in the center of the room. "You are just lucky I didn't shoot you." She said angrily, "How did you discover the truth?" "In several ways," I answered. "First, one of your friends said she saw you on Market Street between 8:15 and 8:45 the night you disappeared. But the postmark on the letter to your father read 8:00 pm. Quail, here, should have waited longer before mailing the letter. When you didn't come home after the money was paid. I had an idea you kidnapped yourself, then I thought you would need to buy clothing. You left home that night just to take a walk. You couldn't bring a suitcase full of clothing with you. I knew you had a man helping27 you. I thought perhaps the man would buy what you needed. And it turned out that he did. But he was too lazy to carry the packages from the store himself. So he had the store send the clothing to this place. That's how I knew where to find you."

Gatewood met his daughter at the police station. I had never seen him so angry when he learned the truth. Gatewood told the police to lock up his daughter. But Audrey threatened to tell some of his business secrets to the newspapers. Gatewood must have believed she really would do it, too. Because he told the police he had changed his mind. And the father and daughter left for home. I could see the hate they had for each other, not a very happy reunion. The police were still holding Quail, but he wasn't worried. He knew if Audrey was free, he wouldn't be punished either. I was glad it was over. It had been a rough16 job and a strange adventure, The Gatewood Caper.

点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 caper frTzz     
v.雀跃,欢蹦;n.雀跃,跳跃;续随子,刺山柑花蕾;嬉戏
参考例句:
  • The children cut a caper in the yard.孩子们在院子里兴高采烈地乱蹦乱跳。
  • The girl's caper cost her a twisted ankle.小姑娘又蹦又跳,结果扭伤了脚踝。
2 harry heBxS     
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。
3 millionaire r7gzP     
n.百万富翁,大富豪
参考例句:
  • The millionaire put up a lot of money for the church.这位百万富翁为教会捐了许多钱。
  • She wants to marry a millionaire.她想嫁给一位有钱人。
4 leaned 725f4ee64e460865d2a6749276d2ed06     
v.(使)倾斜,屈身( lean的过去式和过去分词 );倚;依赖;使斜靠
参考例句:
  • He leaned forward, his hands clasped tightly together. 他俯身向前,双手十字交错地紧握着。
  • He leaned back, exulting at the success of his plan. 他向后一靠,为自己计划成功而得意扬扬。
5 kidnappers cce17449190af84dbf37efcfeaf5f600     
n.拐子,绑匪( kidnapper的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • They were freed yesterday by their kidnappers unharmed. 他们昨天被绑架者释放了,没有受到伤害。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The kidnappers had threatened to behead all four unless their jailed comrades were released. 帮匪们曾经威胁说如果印度方面不释放他们的同伙,他们就要将这四名人质全部斩首。 来自《简明英汉词典》
6 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。
7 continental Zazyk     
adj.大陆的,大陆性的,欧洲大陆的
参考例句:
  • A continental climate is different from an insular one.大陆性气候不同于岛屿气候。
  • The most ancient parts of the continental crust are 4000 million years old.大陆地壳最古老的部分有40亿年历史。
8 agency iKcy0     
n.经办;代理;代理处
参考例句:
  • This disease is spread through the agency of insects.这种疾病是通过昆虫媒介传播的。
  • He spoke in the person of Xinhua News Agency.他代表新华社讲话。
9 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。
10 chin dVmyu     
n.下巴,下颚,不气馁,不灰心
参考例句:
  • You've got some egg on your chin.你的下巴上沾着一点鸡蛋。
  • He hurried on with his shaving,cutting his chin twice.他急急忙忙地剃胡子,把下巴割破了两次。
11 killing kpBziQ     
n.巨额利润;突然赚大钱,发大财
参考例句:
  • Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
  • Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。
12 yell cfQwN     
vi./n.号叫,叫喊
参考例句:
  • This gave them a chance to yell.这给了他们大声喊叫的机会。
  • When his schoolmate made the last goal,the boy gave out with an untrammeled yell.那个男孩在他的同学踢进最后一球时不禁纵声欢呼。
13 banging ff1693a574bbf08d2f9dc3d0567a38fc     
vt.猛击,猛撞(bang的现在分词形式)
参考例句:
  • The baby was banging the table with his spoon. 小宝宝用调羹敲打着桌子。
  • Stop banging around, children, Father is trying to sleep. 孩子们,别到处乱敲!爸爸想睡觉。 来自《简明英汉词典》
14 clay RqIzh     
n.黏土;泥土
参考例句:
  • The children like making houses of sticks and clay.孩子们喜欢用树枝或黏土盖房子玩。
  • What a love of a clay doll!多么可爱的泥娃娃!
15 disguise 9lbzE     
vt.把...假扮起来;n.伪装物,假装,伪装
参考例句:
  • He went about in the disguise of a sailor.他伪装成海员到处流窜。
  • It is impossible to disguise the fact that business is bad.生意不好这件事无法隐瞒。
16 rough BXRxI     
adj.粗糙的;粗略的,大致的;粗野的,粗暴的
参考例句:
  • It's just a very rough translation.这只是一篇非常粗糙的译稿。
  • His reply was a bit rough.他的答复过于粗鲁了一点。
17 arranged arranged     
adj.安排的v.安排,准备( arrange的过去式和过去分词 );把…(系统地)分类;整理;改编(剧本等)
参考例句:
  • The party was arranged quickly. 聚会很快就安排好了。
  • Chairs in rows are not as conducive to discussion as chairs arranged in a circle. 椅子成排摆放不如成圈摆放便于讨论。
18 penny 0MFxu     
n.(英)便士,美分
参考例句:
  • I will not lent you a penny.我一便士都不愿借给你。
  • Sugar has risen a penny a pound.糖价每磅涨了1便士。
19 quail f0UzL     
n.鹌鹑;vi.畏惧,颤抖
参考例句:
  • Cowards always quail before the enemy.在敌人面前,胆小鬼们总是畏缩不前的。
  • Quail eggs are very high in cholesterol.鹌鹑蛋胆固醇含量高。
20 unimportant OfHz34     
adj.不重要的,无意义的
参考例句:
  • Let's not quarrel about such unimportant matters.我们不要为这些小事争吵了。
  • Money seems unimportant when sets beside the joys of family life.与天伦之乐相比,金钱显得微不足道。
21 bullet GSUyA     
n.枪弹,子弹
参考例句:
  • The bullet wound in his shoulder was opened up for treatment.切开他肩上的枪伤进行治疗。
  • The bullet missed me by a hair's s breadth.那颗子弹差一点就打中了我。
22 bullets lxFzBH     
n.弹药;军火
参考例句:
  • The bodies of the hostages were found riddled with bullets. 在人质的尸体上发现了很多弹孔。
  • The bullets and cannon-balls were flying in all directions. 子弹和炮弹到处乱飞。
23 learned m1oxn     
adj.有学问的,博学的;learn的过去式和过去分词
参考例句:
  • He went into a rage when he learned about it.他听到这事后勃然大怒。
  • In this little village,he passed for a learned man.在这个小村子里,他被视为有学问的人。
24 grabbed grabbed     
v.抢先,抢占( grab的过去式和过去分词 );(尤指匆忙地)取;攫取;(尤指自私、贪婪地)捞取
参考例句:
  • He was grabbed by two men and frogmarched out of the hall. 他被两个男人紧抓双臂押出大厅。
  • She grabbed the child's hand and ran. 她抓住孩子的手就跑。
25 yelled aeee2b86b284e7fbd44f45779d6073c1     
v.叫喊,号叫,叫着说( yell的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • He yelled at the other driver. 他冲着另一位司机大叫。
  • The lost man yelled, hoping someone in the woods would hear him. 迷路的人大声喊着,希望林子里的人会听见。 来自《简明英汉词典》
26 breath 9SCyv     
n.呼吸,气息,微风,迹象,精神,一种说话的声音
参考例句:
  • I'm just going out for a breath of fresh air.我正要出去呼吸新鲜空气。
  • While climbing up the stairs the old man always loses his breath.那老人上楼时总是气喘吁吁的。
27 helping 2rGzDc     
n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的,辅助的
参考例句:
  • The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
  • By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。
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