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(单词翻译:双击或拖选)
5 A Dead Man
I went into the room… and I was very surprised．
The room was full of strange things．Coloured shirts and suits．Three guitars．And there were posters and photographs on the walls．
I looked at the posters．
Jake Rosso's face looked down at me．
I looked at the dead Jake Rosso's pictures，and I remembered all the photographs on the walls of my room in Hong Kong．I could never forget that face—the face of my favourite singer．
Then，while I looked at his face，something strange happened．I began to see another face in the posters．An older face，and with a moustache1，but the same face．
I saw the face of Mr Ross．
‘No！’I said．‘It's not true！’
But it was，I knew it was．
‘Mr Ross is…Jake Rosso！’
‘No！'said a voice behind me．
‘I don't believe you！’I said．
‘You have to believe me！’
I looked at the posters．‘Who is that，if it's not you？’
‘It's Jake Rosso．He was… my brother．’
‘That's not true！I shouted．‘I don't believe you．Listen，Jake Rosso was my favourite singer—I had hundreds of pho tos of him．I still have all his records．I loved him，do you understand？Thousands of people loved him．’
‘He's dead，'mr Ross said quietly．
‘No！’I shouted．‘You're Jake Rosso！You look different now，yes．You've got short hair，you've got a moustache now，and you wear glasses．But you're… Jake… Rosso．You were my favourite pop star， so I know．’
Mr Ross said nothing，and watched my face．
‘He doesn't know what to do，’I thought．‘He knows I don't believe him，and he's afraid．’
Then he said，‘It was you in the passage last night，wasn't it？’
‘Yes，’I answered．
He looked angry．‘I was wrong to give your mother a job，’he said．‘I thought it was OK because you came from Hong Kong．And I needed help with my work．I needed a good secretary4．’
‘Does your other secretary know who you are？’I asked．‘Do the other people on the island know？’
‘What's he going to do？’I thought．
Then he turned round．‘OK，you're right．I…I am Jake Rosso．’
‘I knew it！’
He looked worried and unhappy．‘Can you keep a secret？A very important secret？’
I thought for a minute，then I said，‘Yes，I can keep a secret．’
Then he told me：
‘The other people on this island are my family．’
‘Your family？’I said．
‘Yes．My real name is James Duncan，and Mr and Mrs Duncan are my father and mother．Tony is my younger brother，and his wife， Lisa，is my secretary．It's she who's in hospital．’
‘And Stella and Dan Parks？’I asked．
‘My mother's sister and her husband，’he said．
‘But what are you doing here on this island？I don't understand．’
‘I'11 tell you，’he said．He sat down on a chair and took a guitar in his hands，but he didn't play it．‘You were right．I was a famous pop star．I was very rich，and I had a beautiful wife．But things went wrong．’
‘How？’
‘I took drugs6，’he said．‘I drank a lot of alcohol7．I got drunk8 and crashed10 cars．I did stupid，terrible things．I knew it was wrong but I couldn't stop doing it．I was… crazy，for a time．’
‘I can understand that，’I told him．‘I've taken drugs，too．
He looked surprised．‘You have？’
‘Yes，’I said．‘After my father died，I was very unhappy and things went wrong for me too．But go on with your story．’
He went on．‘One night，I was driving my car．I was drunk and— and I hit somebody．A young girl．She…died．I killed her．’
‘Oh，no！’
‘Yes，’he said．‘She was fifteen years old．I wanted to die，too．The money didn't matter any more．Nothing mat11 tered any more．’
‘What did you do after the accident？’I asked．
‘I drove12 on in the car．I didn't stop，and I didn't tell the police．I had killed someone and I was afraid．’He looked afraid now．He put the guitar down and went on with his story．‘So I made a plan．Jake Rosso had to die，too．It was the best thing to do．And so… I “killed” him．’
‘But you're still alive．’
‘My family know I'm alive， but no other people know．’He looked at me．‘But now you know．’
‘How did you do it？’I asked．
‘I told my family about my p1an and I told Greta，my wife．At first they didn't like it．But after a long time，they said OK．Then I faked the car crash9．’
‘Faked it？’
‘Yes，’he said．‘I put some of my things in the car．A guitar，and some clothes．Then I pushed my car over a cliff13 and burned it．The police found the burned car and thought I was dead．Everybody thought I was killed in the car crash．’
‘But you faked the crash，’I said．
‘Yes．’
‘What did you do then？’
‘My family hid me away for months．I tried to change into a different person— with shorter hair，a moustache， quiet suits．All my money went to Greta and she changed her name to Ross．I told her to buy this island．Now I invest14 her money，the money that was mine．And now I'm “James Ross．”
‘What about“Jake Rosso”？’I asked．
‘Jake Rosso took drugs，’he said．‘Jake Rosso got drunk and crashed cars． He killed a young girl，so he had to “die”．I can never forget the girl．I think about her every day．’
‘And that's why you always look so sad，’I thought．
I looked around the room．‘Why do you keep a room like this？ Why do you keep the guitars，the posters and photographs？’
James Ross did not speak for a minute．Then he said，‘I need to remember my old life， and what Jake Rosso was like．I'm never going to sing again and I'm never going to take drugs But I need this room，to remember．’
I looked at the posters and the photographs．And I looked at his sad face．‘I'm not going to say anything．I won't tell my mother，I won't tell anybody．’
James Ross looked at me．‘I think you understand，’he said．
‘I do，’I said．‘I've done bad things．I want to forget them，too．I needed to get away，to hide，too．That's why we came to England，to begin a new life Yes，I understatld．’
He took my hand，and we walked out of the room and closed the door．
I never went into the room again，and I didn't tell anybody．
My mother and I left the island at the end of the summer．Soon after，I went to college．
My life is bettter now．I work on a farm in England and my mother works15 in an office． My mother doesn't worry about me，because I'm happier now．
I haven't been back to the island．
But I know there's a ‘dead man’living there．
5 亡灵
我进了房间……并感到很惊讶。
屋里满是奇怪的东西：花衬衫和花衣服，三把吉它。墙上还有一些海报和照片。
我看着海报。
杰克·罗索的脸俯视着我。
我望着已故的杰克·罗索的图片，想起了在香港时我房间墙壁上的那些照片。我永远也不会忘记那张脸——我最喜爱的歌手的那张脸。
接着，正当我盯着他那张脸看时，奇怪的事情发生了。我开始在海报上看出另一张脸。这张脸显得年龄大了一些，留着胡子，但又是一模一样的。
我看到了罗斯先生的脸。
“不！”我说，“这不是真的！”
但这是真的，我知道这是真的。
“罗斯先生就是……杰克·罗索！”
“不是！”我身后有个人说。
我转过脸，看见了罗斯先生。他正站在门口。他看上去……害怕的样子。
“我不相信你的话！”我说。
“你应当相信我的话！”
我望着海报。“如果那个人不是你，那是谁？”
“是杰克·罗索。他是……我兄弟。”
“那不是真的！”我大声喊道，“我不相信你的话。听着，杰克·罗索是我最喜爱的歌手——我存有他几百张照片。我现在还保存着他所有的唱片。我喜爱过他，你懂吗？成千上万的人喜爱过他。”
“他死了，”罗斯先生平静地说。
“没有！”我喊叫着，“你就是杰克·罗索！你现在看上去不一样了，是这样。留着短发，蓄着胡子，戴着眼镜。但是你就是……杰克……罗索。你曾是我最喜爱的那位流行歌手，所以我知道。”
罗斯先生没说什么，他看着我的脸。
“他不知道该怎么办了。”我想，“他知道我不相信他的话，他害怕了。”
然后他说：“昨天晚上是你在走廊里，对吗？”
“是我，”我回答说。
他看上去生气了。“我给你妈妈工作给错了，”他说，“我原认为不会有事，因为你们从香港来。而且我那时需要人帮我工作。我当时需要一个好秘书。”
“你另外的秘书知道你是谁吗？”我问道，“岛上其他的人知道吗？”
罗斯先生没有回答，但走到了窗户旁。他正思考着。
“他要干什么？”我想。
然后他转过身来。“好吧，你说对了。我……我是杰克·罗索。”
“我早就知道这点！”
他显得有些不安和不快。“你能保密吗？一个非常重要的秘密？”
我想了一下，然后说：“能，我能保密。”
然后他把秘密告诉了我：
“岛上其他的人是我家里人。”
“你家里人？”我说。
“是的。我的真名叫詹姆斯·邓肯，而邓肯先生和夫人是我的父母。托尼是我的弟弟，他的妻子莉萨是我的秘书。现在住院的就是她。”
“而斯特拉·帕克斯和丹·帕克斯呢？”我问道。
“是我姨妈和姨夫，”他说。
“但是你在这儿的这个岛上干什么呀？我不明白。”
“我会告诉你的，”他说。他在一把椅子上坐下来，拿起一把吉它，可他没弹。“你说对了。我过去是个有名的歌星，那时我很有钱，还有个漂亮的妻子。可后来出事了。”
“怎么了？”
“我吸毒，”他说，“我酗酒。我喝醉了并撞了车。我干了些既愚蠢而又可怕的事情。我知道这不对，可我不能罢手。有一段时间，我简直是……发疯了。”
“我可以理解。”我告诉他，“我也吸过毒。”
他看上去很惊讶。“你吸过毒？”
“吸过。”我说，“我父亲去世后，我很不快乐，我也出事了。可接着讲你的事吧。”
他接着讲了。“一天晚上，我开着车。我喝醉了，还——还撞了人。是个年轻姑娘，她……死了。我撞死了她。”
“啊，不！”
“真的。”他说，“她15岁。我也想去死。钱对我来说已不再有意义了。一切都不再有意义了。”
“出事之后你怎么办了？”我问道。
“我接着开车。我没停下来，也没告诉警察。我撞死了人，我真害怕。”他现在看上去还很害怕。他放下吉它继续讲他的故事。“所以我订了一个计划。杰克·罗索也得死。这是最好的办法。所以……我‘杀’了他。”
“可你还活着。”
“我家人知道我还活着，但别人不知道。”他看了看我。“但现在你知道了。”
“你是怎么做的？”我问道。
“我把我的计划告诉了我家里的人，还告诉了我的妻子格里塔。起初，他们不喜欢这个主意。可过了很长一段时间后，他们说‘行’。后来我伪造了那场车祸。”
“伪造车祸？”
“是的。”他说，“我在车里放了些我的东西。一把吉它，还有一些衣服。然后我把车从峭壁上推下去并且把车烧了。警察发现了烧毁的车，认为我死了。大家都认为我在车祸中丧生了。”
“可是车祸是你伪造的呀，”我说。
“是的。”
“后来你干了什么？”
“我的家里人把我隐匿了几个月。我尽力想变成一个完全不同的人——剪短头发，留起胡子，穿着不显眼的衣服。我所有的钱都归了格里塔，她把姓改为罗斯。我叫她买下这个岛。现在我用她的钱投资，这钱原来是我的。现在我是‘詹姆斯·罗斯’。”
“那‘杰克·罗索’呢？”我问。
“杰克·罗索吸毒。”他说，“杰克·罗索喝醉了酒，撞了车。他撞死了一个年轻姑娘，所以他不得不‘死’。我永远也忘不了那个女孩。我天天想着她的事。”
“而那便是你为何总是显得那么忧郁的原因，”我想。
我环视了一下这个房间。“你为什么把房间保持这个样子？你为什么保留这些吉它、海报和照片？”
詹姆斯·罗斯沉默了片刻。然后他说：“我需要记住原来的生活，记住杰克·罗索曾是什么样子。我决不会再唱歌，也决不会吸毒。可是我需要这个房间，以回忆过去。”
我望着海报和照片。我还望着他那张忧郁的脸。“我什么也不会说的。我不会告诉我妈妈的，我谁也不会告诉的。”
詹姆斯·罗斯看着我。“我想你理解，”他说。
“我理解。”我说，“我做过错事。我也想把它们忘掉。我也想出走，隐藏起来。那就是为什么我们来到了英格兰、来开始一种新的生活的原因。是的，我理解。”
他拉着我的手，我们走出了这个房间并关上了门。
我再也没进过这个房间，也没把这件事告诉过任何人。
夏末，我和我妈妈离开了那座岛。不久之后，我上了大学。
现在我的生活好多了。我在英格兰的一个农场工作，我妈妈在办公室工作。她不为我担心了，因为我现在快乐多了。
我再也没有回岛上去过。
但是我知道那儿住着一位“亡灵”。
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1
moustache
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| n.髭；小胡子；八字胡；触须 | |
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2
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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3
doorway
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| n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径 | |
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4
secretary
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| n.秘书，部长，大臣，书记 | |
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5
thinking
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| n.思考，思想；adj.思考的，有理性的；vbl.想，思考 | |
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6
drugs
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| n.药物( drug的名词复数 )；药剂；麻醉药；毒品 | |
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7
alcohol
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| n.酒精，乙醇；含酒精的饮料 | |
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8
drunk
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| adj.醉酒的；(喻)陶醉的；n.酗酒者，醉汉 | |
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9
crash
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| n.碰撞，坠落，坠毁；撞击声，爆裂声；失败，瓦解；vt.碰撞，坠落，坠毁；vi.碰撞 | |
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10
crashed
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| v.（使）猛撞， （使）撞毁( crash的过去式和过去分词 )；撞坏；猛冲直撞；发出巨响 | |
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11
mat
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| n.垫，丛，衬边；adj.粗糙的；v.纠缠在一起，铺席于...上，使...无光泽 | |
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12
drove
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| vbl.驾驶，drive的过去式；n.畜群 | |
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13
cliff
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| n.悬崖，峭壁 | |
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14
invest
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| v.投资；投入(时间等)；授予，赋予 | |
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15
works
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| n.作品，著作；工厂，活动部件，机件 | |
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