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儿童英语读物 The Mystery of the Stolen Sword CHAPTER 3 The Missing Letters

时间:2017-09-13 05:58来源:互联网 提供网友:qing   字体: [ ]
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    (单词翻译:双击或拖选)

“You mean someone is stealing your fruit?” Benny asked.

Seymour actually smiled. “No, nothing like that.” He cleared his throat. “The fact is, someone is stealing our antiques — not the furniture, but smaller things like my stamp collection and some old family letters.”

“Oh, no, Seymour,” Grandfather said. “Your stamp collection was very valuable.”

Seymour put down his fork. “It was,” he agreed. “And so were some of those letters — at least to me. A lot of them dated from the Civil War.”

“Were there any letters from the ghost?” asked Benny.

Seymour looked puzzled, but only for a moment. “Oh, you mean Joshua,” he said, chuckling1 a little. “I see your grandfather has told you all the family history.”

“Everyone for miles around knows about Joshua’s ghost,” Mike reminded the farmer.

“I suppose they do,” Seymour agreed as he stirred his coffee. “But to answer your question, Benny, yes, some letters from Joshua were taken, along with Gideon’s diary. Gideon was one of my ancestors, the one who built this farm,” the farmer added, looking at the Aldens.

“Oh, we know about Gideon,” Benny said.

Seymour looked at Grandfather and raised his eyebrows2. “I can see you prepared your grandchildren well for this visit,” he said.

“But we should be glad you didn’t lose all of Gideon’s letters,” Rose reminded her husband as she handed him a piece of homemade apple pie for dessert.

“No, I have a few left. There are plenty of old letters in this house, some I haven’t even read yet,” Seymour remarked.

“Seymour, why didn’t you tell us about this? When did these robberies take place?” Jeff wanted to know.

Seymour looked at his farmhand. “I didn’t notice the missing letters until last night,” he said. “And as for the stamp collection, well, I think it disappeared maybe a week ago.”

“You should have told us,” Jeff persisted.

Seymour looked down at his hands. “Well, the truth is, I, uh, had to make sure those things really were missing. You know how forgetful I can be in my old age.”

Jeff nodded, but he looked troubled. “Did you call the police?” he asked.

“I did. They came over to check things out.”

“They told us there had been some other robberies nearby, in Chassell,” Rose said. “Chassell is the nearest big town,” she explained to the Aldens. “The thieves only took small items — old photographs, paintings, antique jewelry3, things like that.”

“So these thieves want antiques,” Jeff said.

“Apparently so.” Seymour sounded grim. “I just worry they’ll take some of the old swords. But I think they’re safe enough in the secret passageway.”

“Are you sure?” Jeff asked, looking doubtful. “Everyone who’s ever worked on the farm knows about the secret passageway. I wouldn’t be surprised if most of the town knew about it, too.”

“That’s true,” said Seymour, frowning. “But only the farm workers and some of my relatives know how to get inside it.”

Benny perked4 up. “You mean the passageway has a secret entrance?”

Seymour nodded. “It has two secret entrances in fact.”

“And all the people who work on the farm know how to get inside the passageway?” Henry asked.

“Yes, they would,” Seymour answered. “The only other people who know are my children and grandchildren, and they’re sworn to secrecy5. The entrance to the passageway has always been a farm secret.”

“I guess you can’t be too careful,” said Jeff as he rose from his seat to stretch his arms. “I’m really sorry this happened, Seymour. Let me know if there’s anything I can do to help.”

“I will, Jeff, thank you.”

“Well, Mike and I should be getting back to work. There’s still a lot of clearing and pruning6 to do.”

Mike looked at his hands. He had grown even more quiet during dessert and seemed very upset about the robberies. At last he sighed and rose, thanking the Curtises for lunch.

“Oh, you’re welcome, Mike,” Rose said.

Mike merely nodded and followed Jeff out the door.

Seymour watched them leave, stirring his coffee. He waited until the farmhands were out of sight before turning to the Aldens.

“You know, I have something to confess,” Seymour began as Rose cleared the plates from the table with Violet and Benny’s help. “This isn’t easy for me to say, but the reason I didn’t tell Jeff and Mike about these robberies right away is that, well, I just don’t know what to think.”

“What do you mean?” Grandfather asked.

Seymour sighed and looked close to tears. “Well, it’s just that whoever did those robberies knows a lot about me and where I keep my things. I just can’t help thinking that the burglar is someone I know pretty well.”

“But, Seymour, surely you don’t suspect Jeff and Mike. They’ve been working for you for years, ever since they were boys,” Rose said.

“No, I don’t believe it could be them, but I do employ other farmhands to help during the picking season.”

“Who?” Jessie wanted to know.

“Well, this fall I had two high school students, Veronica and Martin. You’ll meet them while you’re here — they still help me out around the farm. They’re good kids. I know their parents and grandparents.”

“You know, Seymour, it’s entirely7 possible this robbery is tied to the other antique robberies in town. It may not be anyone we know at all,” Rose said.

“I wish I could believe that.” Seymour sounded sad. “I hate to be in the position of suspecting everyone who works around here. But that stamp collection was in a secret drawer in my desk. And nothing else was touched. The thief knew just where to look.”

“You’ve told your farmhands about your secret drawer?” Grandfather asked.

“Well, yes. I like to show that old desk to the people who come in. And Jeff and Mike have seen my stamp collection.”

“Did the others know where your stamp collection was?” Jessie asked as she handed Benny more dishes to take off the table.

Seymour scratched his head. “Well, I told Veronica about it. She collects stamps, too.”

“I don’t think we should jump to any conclusions until we have more evidence,” Rose suggested. “You know that’s what the police said.”

“Right,” said Seymour. “My wife is the down-to-earth one,” he told the Aldens. “She always talks good sense.” The farmer rose slowly. “Who would like to take a walk around the farm?” he asked.

“Me.” Benny was the first to answer. “Can we see the secret passageway, too?”

“Follow me,” Seymour said, walking toward the door.

“Oh, Seymour, before you go, why don’t you show the Aldens where their rooms are. They may want to unpack8, or at least unload their belongings9 from the car. They’ve only just arrived.”

“Good idea,” said Seymour. “I told you Rose is the sensible one.”

Everyone laughed.

The bedrooms were all upstairs on the second floor. Jessie and Violet had a fireplace and a four-poster bed in their room. Henry and Benny shared a corner room with built-in beds and bookcases.

“This is like a ship’s cabin,” Henry said happily when he saw it.

The Aldens unpacked10 quickly, and before long they were following Seymour outside toward the barn.

On the way, they passed a long vegetable garden guarded by a scarecrow made from sticks and straw. He wore a flannel11 shirt, loose denim12 pants, and a black felt hat.

“This is a great scarecrow,” Benny remarked.

Seymour chuckled13. “He sure comes in handy in the summer when he keeps the crows from eating all our vegetables.”

One side of the old red barn was filled with hay and the other had stalls for two horses, three cows, and a goat named Elvira.

“You watch out for Elvira,” the farmer warned the Aldens. “She’ll eat anything in sight, even the shirt off your back, if you’re not careful.”

Benny giggled14.

“I’m serious,” Seymour said. “She’s been known to nibble15 on laundry that’s hanging outside to dry. And she eats everyone’s food.” Seymour shook his head and gave Elvira a playful pat.

“How often do you feed the animals?” Jessie wanted to know.

“Twice a day, now that winter’s coming on,” the farmer answered. “Early in the morning, and then again in the late afternoon. And sometimes they also get snacks during the day.” Seymour reached into his pocket for two cubes of sugar, which he handed to Benny.

“Here, son, you can give these to the horses. They’re outside,” Seymour said, leading the way out to the pasture.

Once outside, Benny walked over to look at the two horses who were grazing near the fence. “They don’t bite, do they?” Benny wanted to know.

“Nah, they’re tame as can be,” the farmer assured him. The horses moved closer to Benny, and Benny promptly16 took a few steps backward, away from the fence.

“No need to be afraid,” Seymour said. He reached through the fence to pat the white horse on the nose. “This one is called Hazel,” he told the Aldens.

“Hazel?” Violet asked, a little puzzled.

“Her eyes are hazel,” the farmer answered.

“And this one here” — Seymour pointed17 to her gray companion — “is Mister Mist.”

Violet put her hand through the fence to stroke Mister Mist’s mane.

“Now, Benny, if you want to feed Hazel, put the sugar on the palm of your hand and hold your hand flat.”

Benny followed the farmer’s instructions. “Oooh, she tickles,” said Benny, yanking his hand away after the horse had taken the sugar cube. Then he quickly gave Mister Mist his sugar, while Seymour gently nudged Hazel out of the way.

Benny did not want to leave the horses, but the others were eager to continue exploring the farm.

Seymour led the way to a long, low building. “This is a shed and junk room,” the farmer explained as he pulled open the wooden door and held it for the Aldens.

“Wow!” Henry exclaimed when his eyes had adjusted to the dim light.

Inside was a large wagon18. It was old and rusted19 now, but Seymour told them it had been used as a horse-drawn buggy. The wagon was piled high with old trunks, bundles of yellowed newspapers, and wooden crates20 filled with glass jars and old rusty21 tools.

Half the shed held modern farm equipment: tractors, ladders, buckets, hoses, pitchforks, fertilizers, and pesticides22. But it was the buggy that interested the Aldens the most.

“How old is it?” Henry wanted to know.

“What’s in all those trunks?” asked Benny.

“One question at a time,” Seymour advised, laughing. “That buggy dates back to Gideon’s time, I dare say. As for what’s in those trunks, I suggest that some rainy day you all have a look.”

“Oh, we’d love to do that,” Jessie answered for all of them.

“I’ve rummaged23 around in one or two of them,” Seymour continued. “As far as I can recall, I found some old clothes, some hats, and even some books. Just about all the Curtises are collectors. We never seem to throw anything away.”

“Is the secret passageway in this shed?” Benny wanted to know.

“Ah, young man, I was saving the best part for last,” Seymour said. “We need to go back up to the house to find the secret passageway.”

“Okay,” said Benny, racing24 outside.

Once in the house, Seymour led the Aldens downstairs to the basement — a long, low room with stone walls and a dirt floor.

The children looked all around the basement. The only door in any of the walls was one at the top of a short wooden staircase that obviously led to the outside.

“How can there be a secret door?” Henry asked. “It would have to be made out of this stone that’s in the walls, and that would be awfully25 heavy.”

Violet spotted26 a tall wooden cabinet that stood against one wall near a corner. “Is the door behind this cabinet?” she asked.

Seymour chuckled. “You’re pretty darn close!” he answered as he walked over to the cabinet and opened it. There was little inside it besides two flashlights and an old kerosene27 lamp on the top shelf.

Seymour moved the lamp aside, handed one flashlight to Henry, and switched on the other. Holding it in one hand, he took hold of one shelf, jiggled it slightly, then pushed on it.

To the Aldens’ amazement28, all the shelves and the back of the cabinet swung backward like a door, revealing a narrow opening. A cold draft blew out at them.

“The secret passageway!” shouted Benny.


点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 chuckling e8dcb29f754603afc12d2f97771139ab     
轻声地笑( chuckle的现在分词 )
参考例句:
  • I could hear him chuckling to himself as he read his book. 他看书时,我能听见他的轻声发笑。
  • He couldn't help chuckling aloud. 他忍不住的笑了出来。 来自汉英文学 - 骆驼祥子
2 eyebrows a0e6fb1330e9cfecfd1c7a4d00030ed5     
眉毛( eyebrow的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • Eyebrows stop sweat from coming down into the eyes. 眉毛挡住汗水使其不能流进眼睛。
  • His eyebrows project noticeably. 他的眉毛特别突出。
3 jewelry 0auz1     
n.(jewllery)(总称)珠宝
参考例句:
  • The burglars walked off with all my jewelry.夜盗偷走了我的全部珠宝。
  • Jewelry and lace are mostly feminine belongings.珠宝和花边多数是女性用品。
4 perked 6257cbe5d4a830c7288630659113146b     
(使)活跃( perk的过去式和过去分词 ); (使)增值; 使更有趣
参考例句:
  • The recent demand for houses has perked up the prices. 最近对住房的需求使房价上涨了。
  • You've perked up since this morning. 你今天上午精神就好多了。
5 secrecy NZbxH     
n.秘密,保密,隐蔽
参考例句:
  • All the researchers on the project are sworn to secrecy.该项目的所有研究人员都按要求起誓保守秘密。
  • Complete secrecy surrounded the meeting.会议在绝对机密的环境中进行。
6 pruning 6e4e50e38fdf94b800891c532bf2f5e7     
n.修枝,剪枝,修剪v.修剪(树木等)( prune的现在分词 );精简某事物,除去某事物多余的部分
参考例句:
  • In writing an essay one must do a lot of pruning. 写文章要下一番剪裁的工夫。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
  • A sapling needs pruning, a child discipline. 小树要砍,小孩要管。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
7 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。
8 unpack sfwzBO     
vt.打开包裹(或行李),卸货
参考例句:
  • I must unpack before dinner.我得在饭前把行李打开。
  • She said she would unpack the items later.她说以后再把箱子里的东西拿出来。
9 belongings oy6zMv     
n.私人物品,私人财物
参考例句:
  • I put a few personal belongings in a bag.我把几件私人物品装进包中。
  • Your personal belongings are not dutiable.个人物品不用纳税。
10 unpacked 78a068b187a564f21b93e72acffcebc3     
v.从(包裹等)中取出(所装的东西),打开行李取出( unpack的过去式和过去分词 );拆包;解除…的负担;吐露(心事等)
参考例句:
  • I unpacked my bags as soon as I arrived. 我一到达就打开行李,整理衣物。
  • Our guide unpacked a picnic of ham sandwiches and offered us tea. 我们的导游打开装着火腿三明治的野餐盒,并给我们倒了些茶水。 来自辞典例句
11 flannel S7dyQ     
n.法兰绒;法兰绒衣服
参考例句:
  • She always wears a grey flannel trousers.她总是穿一条灰色法兰绒长裤。
  • She was looking luscious in a flannel shirt.她穿着法兰绒裙子,看上去楚楚动人。
12 denim o9Lya     
n.斜纹棉布;斜纹棉布裤,牛仔裤
参考例句:
  • She wore pale blue denim shorts and a white denim work shirt.她穿着一条淡蓝色的斜纹粗棉布短裤,一件白粗布工作服上衣。
  • Dennis was dressed in denim jeans.丹尼斯穿了一条牛仔裤。
13 chuckled 8ce1383c838073977a08258a1f3e30f8     
轻声地笑( chuckle的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • She chuckled at the memory. 想起这件事她就暗自发笑。
  • She chuckled softly to herself as she remembered his astonished look. 想起他那惊讶的表情,她就轻轻地暗自发笑。
14 giggled 72ecd6e6dbf913b285d28ec3ba1edb12     
v.咯咯地笑( giggle的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • The girls giggled at the joke. 女孩子们让这笑话逗得咯咯笑。
  • The children giggled hysterically. 孩子们歇斯底里地傻笑。 来自《简明英汉词典》
15 nibble DRZzG     
n.轻咬,啃;v.一点点地咬,慢慢啃,吹毛求疵
参考例句:
  • Inflation began to nibble away at their savings.通货膨胀开始蚕食他们的存款。
  • The birds cling to the wall and nibble at the brickwork.鸟儿们紧贴在墙上,啄着砖缝。
16 promptly LRMxm     
adv.及时地,敏捷地
参考例句:
  • He paid the money back promptly.他立即还了钱。
  • She promptly seized the opportunity his absence gave her.她立即抓住了因他不在场给她创造的机会。
17 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。
18 wagon XhUwP     
n.四轮马车,手推车,面包车;无盖运货列车
参考例句:
  • We have to fork the hay into the wagon.我们得把干草用叉子挑进马车里去。
  • The muddy road bemired the wagon.马车陷入了泥泞的道路。
19 rusted 79e453270dbdbb2c5fc11d284e95ff6e     
v.(使)生锈( rust的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • I can't get these screws out; they've rusted in. 我无法取出这些螺丝,它们都锈住了。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
  • My bike has rusted and needs oil. 我的自行车生锈了,需要上油。 来自《简明英汉词典》
20 crates crates     
n. 板条箱, 篓子, 旧汽车 vt. 装进纸条箱
参考例句:
  • We were using crates as seats. 我们用大木箱作为座位。
  • Thousands of crates compacted in a warehouse. 数以千计的板条箱堆放在仓库里。
21 rusty hYlxq     
adj.生锈的;锈色的;荒废了的
参考例句:
  • The lock on the door is rusty and won't open.门上的锁锈住了。
  • I haven't practiced my French for months and it's getting rusty.几个月不用,我的法语又荒疏了。
22 pesticides abb0488ed6905584ea91347395a890e8     
n.杀虫剂( pesticide的名词复数 );除害药物
参考例句:
  • vegetables grown without the use of pesticides 未用杀虫剂种植的蔬菜
  • There is a lot of concern over the amount of herbicides and pesticides used in farming. 人们对农业上灭草剂和杀虫剂的用量非常担忧。 来自《简明英汉词典》
23 rummaged c663802f2e8e229431fff6cdb444b548     
翻找,搜寻( rummage的过去式和过去分词 ); 已经海关检查
参考例句:
  • I rummaged through all the boxes but still could not find it. 几个箱子都翻腾遍了也没有找到。
  • The customs officers rummaged the ship suspected to have contraband goods. 海关人员仔细搜查了一艘有走私嫌疑的海轮。
24 racing 1ksz3w     
n.竞赛,赛马;adj.竞赛用的,赛马用的
参考例句:
  • I was watching the racing on television last night.昨晚我在电视上看赛马。
  • The two racing drivers fenced for a chance to gain the lead.两个赛车手伺机竞相领先。
25 awfully MPkym     
adv.可怕地,非常地,极端地
参考例句:
  • Agriculture was awfully neglected in the past.过去农业遭到严重忽视。
  • I've been feeling awfully bad about it.对这我一直感到很难受。
26 spotted 7FEyj     
adj.有斑点的,斑纹的,弄污了的
参考例句:
  • The milkman selected the spotted cows,from among a herd of two hundred.牛奶商从一群200头牛中选出有斑点的牛。
  • Sam's shop stocks short spotted socks.山姆的商店屯积了有斑点的短袜。
27 kerosene G3uxW     
n.(kerosine)煤油,火油
参考例句:
  • It is like putting out a fire with kerosene.这就像用煤油灭火。
  • Instead of electricity,there were kerosene lanterns.没有电,有煤油灯。
28 amazement 7zlzBK     
n.惊奇,惊讶
参考例句:
  • All those around him looked at him with amazement.周围的人都对他投射出惊异的眼光。
  • He looked at me in blank amazement.他带着迷茫惊诧的神情望着我。
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