英语 英语 日语 日语 韩语 韩语 法语 法语 德语 德语 西班牙语 西班牙语 意大利语 意大利语 阿拉伯语 阿拉伯语 葡萄牙语 葡萄牙语 越南语 越南语 俄语 俄语 芬兰语 芬兰语 泰语 泰语 泰语 丹麦语 泰语 对外汉语

儿童英语读物 The Mystery of the Wild Ponies CHAPTER 4 “Don’t Tell Grandfather!”

时间:2017-09-28 06:19来源:互联网 提供网友:qing   字体: [ ]
特别声明:本栏目内容均从网络收集或者网友提供,供仅参考试用,我们无法保证内容完整和正确。如果资料损害了您的权益,请与站长联系,我们将及时删除并致以歉意。
    (单词翻译:双击或拖选)

“I saw Magic,” Benny declared the next morning.

The other children stopped fixing breakfast and stared at him. Grandfather had left for an early-morning exercise class at the Seagull Resort.

“You saw what?” asked Henry.

“Magic, the ghost horse. He was on the beach. And I heard a cry.”

“The horse cried?” Violet set bowls of granola and sliced peaches on the table.

“No,” said Benny. “It sounded like a person. But I didn’t see anybody. Only the horse.”

Jessie frowned as she brought over a pitcher1 of cold milk. “Benny, are you sure you weren’t dreaming?”

“I got up to look at my sand castle. I saw a horse. It has to be the ghost horse Shad told us about,” he insisted.

“There’s one way to solve this,” said Henry. “After breakfast, we’ll go down to the beach and check for prints in the sand. If the tide’s right, they won’t have been washed away.”

Benny had never eaten so fast. He wanted to prove he had really seen the ghost horse.

When the bowls and glasses were rinsed2, the kids headed outside.

It was a great morning. The sun was shining brightly over the slate-blue ocean. A man with a metal detector3 swept the beach, looking for coins and jewelry4. Benny’s sand castle was still there, untouched.

Nearby, where Benny had wet the sand to build his castle, the kids saw the fresh shoe prints of a jogger.

Benny’s heart dropped. Suppose the jogger messed up the horse’s prints.

Then Violet exclaimed, “Look!” She pointed5 to a small, scooped6 impression in the sand.

Henry let out a low whistle. “Here’s another one. Benny was right. A horse was definitely on our beach.”

“I think we should call Officer Hyde,” said Jessie. “He’ll know for certain.”

They ran back to the cottage and phoned the lighthouse. Officer Hyde answered and said he would be there shortly.

Violet remembered Grandfather would be having a late breakfast at the Seagull Resort with the rest of his class.

“Let’s not mention it to Grandfather,” she said. “He said he wanted a vacation from mysteries anyway.”

“We didn’t go looking for this mystery,” Henry put in. “It found us!”

When Thomas Hyde arrived, he was eager to see the hoofprints. The children led him to the beach and the trail of prints.

The sanctuary7 officer knelt down to study the impressions. “These are definitely the tracks of a horse, maybe even a stallion,” he said. “And you said you saw the horse?”

“Last night,” Benny replied. “Maybe it was the ghost of that horse that was killed.”

Thomas straightened up with a sigh and a smile. “So you’ve heard the legend of Magic. Benny, I believe you saw a horse. But ghost horses wouldn’t leave tracks.”

“Benny heard someone cry, too,” added Violet. “But he didn’t see anyone.”

“Horses don’t cry,” said Officer Hyde. “I think one of the horses got out of the pen and came down here. He’s probably back in the herd8.”

When Officer Hyde left, the children discussed what they had learned.

“Our vacation won’t be mystery-free,” said Violet.

Benny squinted9 in the sun. He saw a man with a fishing pole standing10 knee-deep in water farther down the beach. “Isn’t that Shad?”

“Just the person we want to see,” said Henry. “Maybe he’ll tell us more about this ghost horse.”

They walked down the beach to meet Shad.

“Hey,” he said, giving the traditional island greeting. “How are y’all this mornin’?”

“Fine,” answered Jessie. “Catch anything yet?”

“Naw. Blues11 are runnin’, but they don’t like me today!” He gave his gruff laugh.

“Guess what,” said Benny. “I saw a horse last night.”

Shad’s eyes widened. “You don’t say. On the beach? It must have been Magic.”

“We found hoofprints in the sand,” added Henry. “The sanctuary officer saw them, too.”

“That young horse fella?” Shad frowned. “He’s okay. But I wish they’d forget about that fence nonsense and let the horses roam free like they used to.”

“But they get hit by cars,” said Violet. “That’s what happened to Magic.”

“Get rid of the cars,” Shad said simply.

“Make people take a ferry here and walk or ride a bicycle anyplace they want to go.”

“Benny also heard a cry, like a person,” Henry said.

“That bridge connecting us to the mainland has ruined this island,” Shad said. He shook his head. “It brings in too many people, too many cars.”

Henry realized they weren’t going to find out more from the fisherman. Shad was only interested in talking about the island. “We’ve got to go,” he said.

“See you around,” Shad said with a wave. “Come visit me on the dock anytime. If I’m not there, I’ll be on the beach.”

As the Aldens crossed over the dune12, Jessie made a suggestion.

“Let’s talk to our neighbors. Maybe Winifred Gorman or the college boys saw Benny’s horse,” she said.

“Ms. Gorman’s light was on last night!” said Benny, remembering.

Winifred Gorman was sitting on her deck, having a cup of tea. She didn’t seem pleased to see them.

“May we come up?” Henry asked.

“Might as well,” the artist replied.

The children climbed the deck steps. Winifred didn’t offer them a seat at her umbrella table, so they stood by the rail.

“We wanted to ask you a question,” said Jessie.

“Ask away.” The woman seemed irritated.

“Did you see a horse last night?” said Benny. “On the beach?”

Winifred stared at him from under her hat brim. “A horse on the beach? How could I see that? I was in bed.”

“I saw your light on,” Benny said.

“So? Lots of people leave lights on. That doesn’t mean I was up looking at horses or whatever.”

From where she was standing, Violet was able to see in the wide sliding glass doors. A painting rested on an easel in Winifred’s airy living room.

The painting showed a black stallion on a dune.

“Is that all?” Winifred was saying. “If you don’t mind, I have work to do.”

“Thanks,” Henry said, leading them off the deck. “We won’t bother you anymore.”

On the way to the college boys’ house, Violet told the others what she had seen.

“Where did that painting come from?” Jessie wanted to know. “Yesterday she was mad because none of the horses showed up to model for her. Could she have seen what Benny saw?”

“Maybe she copied the horse from a picture,” Violet said. “Artists do that sometimes. But how did she paint it so fast?”

Those were questions the children couldn’t answer. Maybe the boys next door would have more information.

Jeremy Ross was rinsing13 sand off his bodysurfing board. He turned the hose off when he saw the Aldens.

“Hey there,” he said, glad to see them. “I was just going in for a snack. Want to join me?”

The kids followed him into the kitchen. Jessie muffled14 a giggle15 when she saw the mess. Empty pizza boxes, soda16 cans, and chips bags littered the counter. It didn’t take a detective to see three messy college kids lived here!

“Where are Drew and Paul?” asked Henry.

“Still surfing. I’m afraid they’re going to get waterlogged,” said Jeremy. He pulled a loaf of bread and a jar of mayonnaise from the refrigerator. A bowl of bananas sat on the counter. The Aldens watched Jeremy make peanut butter, mayonnaise, and banana sandwiches.

“Hey! That’s my favorite!” Benny exclaimed. And, he thought, that was the same sandwich that disappeared from their deck.

“Mine, too,” said Jeremy. “Guys come into my dorm room all the time for a Ross Special. That’s what they call it.”

He asked if they were hungry and quickly slapped together five gooey sandwiches. Benny bit into his with delight.

“By the way,” Jessie began, “did you happen to see a horse last night?”

Jeremy poured them all glasses of milk. “A horse? The only thing I saw was the inside of my eyelids,” he joked. “I was asleep.”

“We were just wondering.” Henry finished his sandwich.

Jeremy didn’t seem interested. “Did I ever tell you guys about the big stunt17 I pulled last semester?”

Benny shook his head. “What was it?”

“I’m surprised you didn’t read about it in the papers,” the older boy crowed. “It was that great.”

“What did you do?” asked Violet, curious.

Jeremy grinned teasingly. “Tell you someday.”

Jessie picked up their plates and glasses. Jeremy obviously liked to tease. “We should go,” she told him. “Our grandfather will be home soon.”

“Come back anytime,” Jeremy said, opening the door. “Maybe I’ll tell you about the Greatest Stunt in the World.”

“He’s fun,” said Violet as they crossed the wooden walkway. “I wonder what he did.”

“I bet Jeremy is still pulling stunts,” observed Henry. “He could have taken Ms. Gorman’s towel.”

“And my sandwich,” Benny added. “We both like the same kind.”

Jessie wasn’t listening. She was watching a boy with hair so blond it was nearly white. The boy carried a beach chair down the road. Stenciled18 on the blue canvas back was a bird. She’d seen that bird somewhere.

“Look at that boy,” she said to the others. “Where could he be going with a chair?”

Henry shaded his eyes. “That bird design looks familiar.”

“It’s just like the sign at the Seagull Resort,” Violet said. Last night she’d practiced drawing a bird with one line.

“Violet’s right!” said Jessie. “But where is he going? The resort is down the road. Why would he carry a chair all the way up here?”

“Maybe it got washed up on the beach,” Benny offered.

Henry shook his head. “The current brings things south, not north. The chair would have been found south of here and he’s walking from the north. Whoever he is, he didn’t find that chair around here.”


点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 pitcher S2Gz7     
n.(有嘴和柄的)大水罐;(棒球)投手
参考例句:
  • He poured the milk out of the pitcher.他从大罐中倒出牛奶。
  • Any pitcher is liable to crack during a tight game.任何投手在紧张的比赛中都可能会失常。
2 rinsed 637d6ed17a5c20097c9dbfb69621fd20     
v.漂洗( rinse的过去式和过去分词 );冲洗;用清水漂洗掉(肥皂泡等);(用清水)冲掉
参考例句:
  • She rinsed out the sea water from her swimming-costume. 她把游泳衣里的海水冲洗掉。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The clothes have been rinsed three times. 衣服已经洗了三和。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
3 detector svnxk     
n.发觉者,探测器
参考例句:
  • The detector is housed in a streamlined cylindrical container.探测器安装在流线型圆柱形容器内。
  • Please walk through the metal detector.请走过金属检测器。
4 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。
5 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。
6 scooped a4cb36a9a46ab2830b09e95772d85c96     
v.抢先报道( scoop的过去式和过去分词 );(敏捷地)抱起;抢先获得;用铲[勺]等挖(洞等)
参考例句:
  • They scooped the other newspapers by revealing the matter. 他们抢先报道了这件事。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The wheels scooped up stones which hammered ominously under the car. 车轮搅起的石块,在车身下发出不吉祥的锤击声。 来自《简明英汉词典》
7 sanctuary iCrzE     
n.圣所,圣堂,寺庙;禁猎区,保护区
参考例句:
  • There was a sanctuary of political refugees behind the hospital.医院后面有一个政治难民的避难所。
  • Most countries refuse to give sanctuary to people who hijack aeroplanes.大多数国家拒绝对劫机者提供庇护。
8 herd Pd8zb     
n.兽群,牧群;vt.使集中,把…赶在一起
参考例句:
  • She drove the herd of cattle through the wilderness.她赶着牛群穿过荒野。
  • He had no opinions of his own but simply follow the herd.他从无主见,只是人云亦云。
9 squinted aaf7c56a51bf19a5f429b7a9ddca2e9b     
斜视( squint的过去式和过去分词 ); 眯着眼睛; 瞟; 从小孔或缝隙里看
参考例句:
  • Pulling his rifle to his shoulder he squinted along the barrel. 他把枪顶肩,眯起眼睛瞄准。
  • I squinted through the keyhole. 我从锁眼窥看。
10 standing 2hCzgo     
n.持续,地位;adj.永久的,不动的,直立的,不流动的
参考例句:
  • After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
  • They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。
11 blues blues     
n.抑郁,沮丧;布鲁斯音乐
参考例句:
  • She was in the back of a smoky bar singing the blues.她在烟雾弥漫的酒吧深处唱着布鲁斯歌曲。
  • He was in the blues on account of his failure in business.他因事业失败而意志消沉。
12 dune arHx6     
n.(由风吹积而成的)沙丘
参考例句:
  • The sand massed to form a dune.沙积集起来成了沙丘。
  • Cute Jim sat on the dune eating a prune in June.可爱的吉姆在六月天坐在沙丘上吃着话梅。
13 rinsing cc80e70477186de83e96464130c222ba     
n.清水,残渣v.漂洗( rinse的现在分词 );冲洗;用清水漂洗掉(肥皂泡等);(用清水)冲掉
参考例句:
  • Pablo made a swishing noise rinsing wine in his mouth. 巴勃罗用酒漱着口,发出咕噜噜噜的声音。 来自辞典例句
  • The absorption of many molecular layers could be reestablished by rinsing the foils with tap water. 多分子层的吸附作用可用自来水淋洗金属箔而重新实现。 来自辞典例句
14 muffled fnmzel     
adj.(声音)被隔的;听不太清的;(衣服)裹严的;蒙住的v.压抑,捂住( muffle的过去式和过去分词 );用厚厚的衣帽包着(自己)
参考例句:
  • muffled voices from the next room 从隔壁房间里传来的沉闷声音
  • There was a muffled explosion somewhere on their right. 在他们的右面什么地方有一声沉闷的爆炸声。 来自《简明英汉词典》
15 giggle 4eNzz     
n.痴笑,咯咯地笑;v.咯咯地笑着说
参考例句:
  • Both girls began to giggle.两个女孩都咯咯地笑了起来。
  • All that giggle and whisper is too much for me.我受不了那些咯咯的笑声和交头接耳的样子。
16 soda cr3ye     
n.苏打水;汽水
参考例句:
  • She doesn't enjoy drinking chocolate soda.她不喜欢喝巧克力汽水。
  • I will freshen your drink with more soda and ice cubes.我给你的饮料重加一些苏打水和冰块。
17 stunt otxwC     
n.惊人表演,绝技,特技;vt.阻碍...发育,妨碍...生长
参考例句:
  • Lack of the right food may stunt growth.缺乏适当的食物会阻碍发育。
  • Right up there is where the big stunt is taking place.那边将会有惊人的表演。
18 stenciled 5723a85c1d035a10b9c39078da8fd54e     
v.用模板印(文字或图案)( stencil的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • To transfer(a stenciled design) with pounce. 以印花粉印用印花粉末转印(镂空模板花样) 来自互联网
  • L: Cardboard cartons, with stenciled shipping marks. 李:刷有抬头的硬纸板箱。 来自互联网
本文本内容来源于互联网抓取和网友提交,仅供参考,部分栏目没有内容,如果您有更合适的内容,欢迎点击提交分享给大家。
------分隔线----------------------------
顶一下
(0)
0%
踩一下
(0)
0%
最新评论 查看所有评论
发表评论 查看所有评论
请自觉遵守互联网相关的政策法规,严禁发布色情、暴力、反动的言论。
评价:
表情:
验证码:
听力搜索
推荐频道
论坛新贴