Lesson 24 A skeleton in the cupboard

We often read in novels how a seemingly respectable person or family has some terrible secret which has been concealed from strangers for years.

在小說中，我們經常讀到一個表面上受人尊重的人物或家庭，卻有著某種多年不為人所知的駭人聽聞的秘密。

Lesson 24 A skeleton in the cupboard

The English language possesses a vivid saying to describe this sort of situation.

英語中有一個生動的說法來形容這種情況。

Lesson 24 A skeleton in the cupboard

The terrible secret is called 'a skeleton in the cupboard'.

驚人的秘密稱作“柜中骷髏”。

Lesson 24 A skeleton in the cupboard

At some dramatic moment in the story, the terrible secret becomes known and a reputation is ruined.

在小說的某個戲劇性時刻，可怕的秘密泄漏出來，接著便是某人的聲譽掃地。

Lesson 24 A skeleton in the cupboard

The reader's hair stands on end when he reads in the final pages of the novel that the heroine a dear old lady who had always been so kind to everybody, had, in her youth, poisoned every one of her five husbands.

當讀者到小說最后幾頁了解到書中女主人公，那位一向待大家很好的可愛的老婦人年輕時一連毒死了她的5個丈夫時，不禁會毛骨悚然。

Lesson 24 A skeleton in the cupboard

It is all very well for such things to occur in fiction.

這種事發生在小說中是無可非議的。

Lesson 24 A skeleton in the cupboard

To varying degrees, we all have secrets which we do not want even our closest friends to learn,

盡管我們人人都有各種大小秘密。連最親密的朋友都不愿讓他們知道，

Lesson 24 A skeleton in the cupboard

but few of us have skeletons in the cupboard.

但我們當中極少有人有柜中骷髏。

Lesson 24 A skeleton in the cupboard

The only person I know who has a skeleton in the cupboard is George Carlton,

我所認識的唯一的在柜中藏骷嶁的人便是喬治。卡爾頓，

Lesson 24 A skeleton in the cupboard

and he is very pound of the fact.

他甚至引以為自豪。

Lesson 24 A skeleton in the cupboard

George studied medicine in his youth.

喬治年輕時學過醫，

Lesson 24 A skeleton in the cupboard

Instead of becoming a doctor, however, he became a successful writer of detective stories.

然而，他后來沒當上醫生，卻成了一位成功的偵探小說作家。

Lesson 24 A skeleton in the cupboard

I once spend an uncomfortable weekend which I shall never forget at his house.

有一次，我在他家里度周末，過得很不愉快。這事我永遠不會忘記。

Lesson 24 A skeleton in the cupboard

George showed me to the guestroom which, he said, was rarely used.

喬治把我領進客房，說這間很少使用。

Lesson 24 A skeleton in the cupboard

He told me to unpack my things and then come down to dinner.

他讓我打開行裝后下樓吃飯。

Lesson 24 A skeleton in the cupboard

After I had stacked my shirts and underclothes in two empty drawers,

我將襯衫、內衣放進兩個空抽屜里，

Lesson 24 A skeleton in the cupboard

I decided to hang one of the tow suits I had brought with me in the cupboard.

然后我想把隨身帶來的兩套西服中的一套掛到大衣柜里去。

Lesson 24 A skeleton in the cupboard

I opened the cupboard door and then stood in front of it petrified.

我打開柜門，站在柜門前一下驚呆了。

Lesson 24 A skeleton in the cupboard

A skeleton was dangling before my eyes.

一具骷髏懸掛在眼前，

Lesson 24 A skeleton in the cupboard

The sudden movement of the door made it sway slightly and it gave me the impression that it was about to leap out at me.

由于柜門突然打開，它也隨之輕微搖晃起來，讓我覺得它好像馬上要跳出柜門朝我撲過來似的。

Lesson 24 A skeleton in the cupboard

Dropping my suit, I dashed downstairs to tell George.

我扔下西服沖下樓去告訴喬治。

Lesson 24 A skeleton in the cupboard

This was worse than a terrible secret'; this was a read skeleton! But George was unsympathetic.

這是比“駭人聽聞的秘密”更加驚人的東西，這是一具真正的骷髏啊！但喬治卻無動于衷。

Lesson 24 A skeleton in the cupboard

'Oh, that,' he said with a smile as if he were talking about an old friend.

“噢，是它呀！他笑著說道，儼然在談論一位老朋友。

Lesson 24 A skeleton in the cupboard

'That's Sebastian.

“那是塞巴斯蒂安。

Lesson 24 A skeleton in the cupboard

You forget that I was a medical student once upon a time.'

你忘了我以前是學醫的了。”

Lesson 25 The Cutty Sark

One of the most famous sailing ships of the nineteenth century, the Cutty Sark, can still be seen at Greewich.

人們在格林威治仍可看到19世紀最有名的帆船之一“卡蒂薩克”號。

Lesson 25 The Cutty Sark

She stands on dry land and is visited by thousands of people each year.

它停在陸地上，每年接待成千上萬的參觀者。

Lesson 25 The Cutty Sark

She serves as an impressive reminder of the great ships of past.

它給人們留下深刻的印象，使人們回憶起歷史上的巨型帆船，

Lesson 25 The Cutty Sark

Before they were replaced by steamships,

在蒸汽船取代帆船之前。

Lesson 25 The Cutty Sark

sailing vessels like the Cutty Sark were used to carry tea from China and wool from Australia.

“卡蒂薩克”號之類的帆船被用來從中國運回茶葉，從澳大利亞運回羊毛。