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儿童英语读物 The Mystery in the Fortune Cookie CHAPTER 7 In the Cellar

时间:2017-11-08 06:39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)


“This fortune cookie mystery is getting weirder1 and weirder,” Violet said as they cleared the table after lunch.

“I’ll tell you what’s weird,” Benny said, putting the placemats away. “That name! Drum Keller, I mean.”

Jessie filled the sink with warm, soapy water. “I was thinking that, too,” she said. There was something oddly familiar about the name Drum Keller, but Jessie couldn’t quite put her finger on what it was. She tucked2 the thought in the back of her mind for the time being.

“So, what’s next?” Violet reached for a dish towel.

Henry was ready with an answer. “If you ask me, we should take another bike ride into town.” He stacked the soup bowls on the counter. “It’s time to find Drum Keller in — ”

“The cellar3,” said Jessie, finishing her older brother’s sentence. “The problem is, we don’t have a clue what cellar he’s in.

“And why on earth is he in a cellar?” put in Violet. “What’s that all about?”

“It’s a mystery,” said Henry. “That’s for sure.”

“We can handle it,” Benny insisted. As he dried his pink cup, he had a thought. “Maybe we should look in Albert’s Fruit and Vegetable Cellar!”

“Good idea, Benny!” Henry said as he wiped the counters. “Drum Keller would make a great name for a clown.”

“Yeah,” said Benny, getting excited.

“And that would explain why he’s in a cellar!” added Violet, who sounded just as excited as Benny.

After putting away the dishes and writing a note for Aunt Jane, the Aldens hopped4 on their bikes and pedaled5 as fast as they could into Elmford. Parking their bikes in the lot again, they quickly made their way to Albert’s Fruit and Vegetable Cellar.

Benny walked up to the man in the red rubber nose. “Excuse me.” He tugged6 on the clown’s polka-dotted sleeve. “Are you Drum Keller?”

“No, sirree!” The man handing out balloons shook his head. “You’re looking at the one and only Buttons the Clown.”

Benny was disappointed, but he wasn’t giving up so easily. He hurried over to the store owner, who was standing8 near the counter. “Excuse me, Mr. Albert,” Benny said. “I was wondering if there’s a Drum Keller around here.”

“A Drum Keller?” Mr. Albert was polishing an apple. He blinked9 in surprise. “What’s that?” he wanted to know. “Some new kind of onion?”

Benny sighed heavily. “No, Drum Keller’s not an onion. At least, I don’t think so. Thanks anyway.”

As they walked away Henry said, “Well, I guess that rules out Albert’s Fruit and Vegetable Cellar.”

Halfway10 down the block, Jessie suddenly directed their attention to a sign in the window of Wiggins Department Store. “Look. There’s a two-for-one sale!”

“But, Jessie,” said Violet, sounding puzzled, “we didn’t bring money to buy any — ”

Jessie broke in before Violet could finish. “The two-for-one sale is in Wiggins’ bargain basement!”

“And a basement is just like a cellar!” Henry was impressed. “Good thinking, Jessie.”

Benny’s frown disappeared. “Maybe this is where Drum Keller works!” he said, holding the door open for the others. “Let’s find out.”

“Yes, let’s,” Jessie agreed, quickening her step.

Downstairs, a smiling young woman asked them, “Are you looking for anything in particular?”

“We sure are,” Benny answered. “We’re looking for Drum Keller.”

“Drum Keller?” The young saleswoman looked puzzled. “Is that a new line of designer jeans?”

Violet had to bite her lip to keep from laughing. “No, we’re not looking for jeans,” she explained. “Drum Keller’s a person.”

Jessie added, “At least, that’s what we think.”

“Does anyone by that name work here?” Henry asked.

The salesclerk shook her head. “I’m afraid not.”

On the way out, Violet said, “How do you like that! First, Mr. Albert thinks Drum Keller’s an onion. Then the saleswoman thinks Drum Keller’s a new line of designer jeans.” She paused. “Maybe Drum Keller isn’t a person. Maybe Drum Keller’s a thing.”

“Maybe.” Benny sighed. “I wonder if we’ll ever get to the bottom of this.”

“I’m sure we will.” Jessie sounded positive. Inside, though, she wasn’t sure they’d ever find Drum Keller.

Violet noticed that Henry had been very quiet. “Thinking about something, Henry?” she asked.

“What?” Henry had been deep in his own thoughts. “Oh, it’s just that something occurred to me,” he said slowly. “A cellar’s under the ground. Right?”

The others nodded. “Right.”

“Well — ” Henry began to say, but Jessie interrupted.

“The Underground Bookstore!” she cried. “That’s what you’re thinking, isn’t it, Henry?”

Henry nodded. “It’s worth checking out.”

Inside the bookstore, they found Dottie sorting through a pile of dusty old books.

“Hi, kids!” She smiled over at them. Then she pointed7 to the framed photograph hanging on the wall. “Thanks again for such a wonderful gift,” she said. “By the way, are you still on the case?”

Benny nodded. “We figured out the — ”

Henry poked11 him. Then Benny remembered they were not supposed to tell anyone about the mystery.

Dottie was instantly curious. “You figured out a clue?”

The children looked at one another. They didn’t want to lie, but they also knew it was best not to discuss the mystery just yet. Not until they’d figured a few things out on their own.

Henry quickly changed the subject. “Does anyone else work here, Dottie? Besides you and Martin, I mean.”

“Somebody by the name of Drum Keller,” Benny added.

Dottie’s smile faded. “What ... ?” She gave the children a sharp look. “Nobody else works here,” she said quickly. Then she turned her back, clearly not wanting to talk anymore.

Jessie and Henry exchanged glances. They were pretty sure that Dottie was covering something up.

After leading the others out of earshot, Henry suggested looking around for clues. So the Aldens split12 up and began to wander up and down the aisles13, keeping their eyes peeled for anything unusual.

After a few minutes of looking, Jessie walked over to her sister and said, “I haven’t found anything but books, have you, Violet?”

Violet didn’t answer. Her jaw14 had suddenly dropped.

“What is it, Violet?” asked Jessie.

“It ... it’s Drum Keller!” Violet almost yelled15, but stopped herself just in time.

Henry came rushing over. Benny was close behind.

“What’s going on?” asked Henry.

Violet was staring through the glass doors of a cabinet filled with old books. She turned halfway around and looked at the others. “It’s a mystery series,” she told them, her eyes huge. “And you won’t believe who wrote them!”

Jessie stepped closer and peered16 through the glass doors. “Oh!” She put one hand over her mouth in surprise. “Drum Keller!”

Violet nodded. “And the name of the series is — The Fortune Cookie Mysteries!”

Astounded17, the Aldens stood staring at the books for a moment. Then Benny said, “So Drum Keller is an author?”

Henry nodded. “Looks that way, Benny.” He thought for a moment. Then he said, “Remember the other night before dinner, when Martin got so mad at that customer?” The others nodded. “Weren’t the books in this case the ones Dottie was refusing to sell?”

“Yes,” Jessie said. Then she added, “She said she wouldn’t sell them for any price.”

“I wonder why,” said Violet.

Just then, Benny spotted18 something out of the corner of his eye. He looked closer and blinked in disbelief. “Is ... is that what I think it is?” he asked.

The others looked to where Benny was pointing. In a dark corner of one of the cabinet shelves was a fortune cookie!

“Do you think it’s part of the display?” Jessie wondered.

“Maybe,” said Henry. “But I doubt it. After all, the clues led us right here.” Henry opened the glass door. Reaching inside, he pulled out the little bow-shaped cookie.

“What does the fortune say?” Benny’s voice was high with excitement.

“Let’s look at it later,” Henry said, barely19 moving his lips. “Right now, just act casual. We’re being watched.”

Sure enough, Dottie was giving them a sideways glance.

“I think it’s time to go,” Jessie remarked, and no one argued.

“Thanks for letting us look around, Dottie,” said Violet as the Aldens waved goodbye and quickly walked to the door. Just outside, the four children stopped in their tracks at the sound of a familiar voice.

“No, no, no!” Martin was standing at the top of the stone steps that led up from The Underground. He sounded upset. “I don’t want her to have anything more to do with this business. She’s ruining everything.”

“I know things haven’t been working out the way you wanted.” This was Auntie Two speaking. She was standing with her back to the children.

“You can say that again!” interrupted Martin. “I can’t risk any more mix-ups.”

From where they were standing in the stairwell, the children could see Martin hand Auntie Two a small envelope.

“I’m counting on your help,” said Martin.

“Don’t worry,” said Auntie Two. She dropped the envelope into her purse without opening it. “Soon Howard will be the only name on the door to The Underground.” Auntie Two and Martin stepped out of sight, their voices fading away.

Henry crept up the steps and looked around. When he gestured that the coast was clear, the others followed.

“What was that all about?” Violet said.

“You got me!” Jessie responded as the Aldens walked back to their bikes. “But something’s definitely going on. That’s for sure.”

Benny, who was a few steps ahead, stopped and turned. “What do you think was in that envelope?” he asked.

“I don’t know,” replied Henry. “But Martin said he was counting on Auntie Two for something. I wonder what?”

“Remember what she said?” Benny asked, his voice becoming anxious. “She said, ‘Soon Howard will be the only name on the door to The Underground!’ ”

A horrifying20 thought came to Jessie. “What if Martin wants the bookstore all for himself?” she said.

“Oh, Jessie!” cried Violet. “You don’t really believe that, do you?”

Jessie’s eyebrows21 drew together as she frowned. “I don’t know what to believe,” she said. She couldn’t imagine Martin stealing Dottie’s half of the business. Martin and Dottie were such close friends, that did not seem possible. But what else could Auntie Two have meant?

Benny looked over at his brother and sisters. “Should we warn Dottie?”

Henry answered first. “Let’s not push the panic button yet. This is pretty suspicious22, but we’d better not say anything until we have more information.”

“Whatever is going on with Martin,” said Benny, “it’s connected somehow to the fortune cookie mystery. I’m sure of it.” He paused. Then he added, “That means there’s only one thing for us to do.”

The others looked at him. “What’s that?” said Violet.

“Solve the fortune cookie mystery,” Benny stated firmly. “And fast!”


点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 weirder cd9463d25463f72eab49f2343155512f     
怪诞的( weird的比较级 ); 神秘而可怕的; 超然的; 古怪的
参考例句:
  • Actually, things got a little weirder when the tow truck driver showed up. 事实上,在拖吊车司机出现后,事情的发展更加怪异。
2 tucked 33959fcef78ea8033c2079d9ef67ff32     
塞进( tuck的过去式和过去分词 ); 翻折; 盖住; 卷起
参考例句:
  • She tucked up her skirt and waded into the river. 她撩起裙子蹚水走进河里。
  • She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ears. 她把一缕散发夹到了耳后。
3 cellar JXkzo     
n.地窖,地下室,酒窖
参考例句:
  • He took a bottle of wine from the cellar.他从酒窖里拿出一瓶酒。
  • The little girl hid away in the cellar.小姑娘藏在地下室里。
4 hopped 91b136feb9c3ae690a1c2672986faa1c     
跳上[下]( hop的过去式和过去分词 ); 单足蹦跳; 齐足(或双足)跳行; 摘葎草花
参考例句:
  • He hopped onto a car and wanted to drive to town. 他跳上汽车想开向市区。
  • He hopped into a car and drove to town. 他跳进汽车,向市区开去。
5 pedaled cf570c9c2cdf9b44332328334780988b     
vt.& vi.踩自行车的踏板(pedal的过去式与过去分词形式)
参考例句:
  • She pedaled her bicycle slowly up the hill. 她骑自行车慢慢上山。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
  • With these instructions, he straddled his bike once again and pedaled off. 小伙子在她身后跨上车子,边说边飞快地骑跑了。 来自汉英文学 - 散文英译
6 tugged 8a37eb349f3c6615c56706726966d38e     
v.用力拉,使劲拉,猛扯( tug的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • She tugged at his sleeve to get his attention. 她拽了拽他的袖子引起他的注意。
  • A wry smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. 他的嘴角带一丝苦笑。 来自《简明英汉词典》
7 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。
8 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。
9 blinked e3d1093d7e443918dc1306c875f2f46b     
眨眼睛( blink的过去式 ); 闪亮,闪烁
参考例句:
  • He blinked in the bright sunlight. 他在强烈的阳光下直眨眼睛。
  • The boy blinked up at me in some surprise. 那男孩有些吃惊地眨着眼看我。
10 halfway Xrvzdq     
adj.中途的,不彻底的,部分的;adv.半路地,在中途,在半途
参考例句:
  • We had got only halfway when it began to get dark.走到半路,天就黑了。
  • In study the worst danger is give up halfway.在学习上,最忌讳的是有始无终。
11 poked 87f534f05a838d18eb50660766da4122     
v.伸出( poke的过去式和过去分词 );戳出;拨弄;与(某人)性交
参考例句:
  • She poked him in the ribs with her elbow. 她用胳膊肘顶他的肋部。
  • His elbow poked out through his torn shirt sleeve. 他的胳膊从衬衫的破袖子中露了出来。 来自《简明英汉词典》
12 split avXwG     
n.劈开,裂片,裂口;adj.分散的;v.分离,分开,劈开
参考例句:
  • Who told you that Mary and I had split up?谁告诉你玛丽和我已经离婚了?
  • The teacher split the class up into six groups.老师把班级分成6个小组。
13 aisles aisles     
n. (席位间的)通道, 侧廊
参考例句:
  • Aisles were added to the original Saxon building in the Norman period. 在诺曼时期,原来的萨克森风格的建筑物都增添了走廊。
  • They walked about the Abbey aisles, and presently sat down. 他们走到大教堂的走廊附近,并且很快就坐了下来。
14 jaw 5xgy9     
n.颚,颌,说教,流言蜚语;v.喋喋不休,教训
参考例句:
  • He delivered a right hook to his opponent's jaw.他给了对方下巴一记右钩拳。
  • A strong square jaw is a sign of firm character.强健的方下巴是刚毅性格的标志。
15 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》
16 peered 20df74dd9059112f4ef8506d8ece8b43     
去皮的
参考例句:
  • He peeled away the plastic wrapping. 他去掉塑料包装。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The paint on the wall has peeled off. 墙上涂料已剥落了。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
17 astounded 7541fb163e816944b5753491cad6f61a     
v.使震惊(astound的过去式和过去分词);愕然;愕;惊讶
参考例句:
  • His arrogance astounded her. 他的傲慢使她震惊。
  • How can you say that? I'm absolutely astounded. 你怎么能说出那种话?我感到大为震惊。
18 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。
19 barely gyFz0w     
adv.仅仅,几乎没有,几乎不
参考例句:
  • The male bird is barely distinguishable from the female.雄鸟和雌鸟几乎无法辨别。
  • He took barely enough money to keep the children in bread.他赚很少的钱仅够孩子们勉强糊口。
20 horrifying 6rezZ3     
a.令人震惊的,使人毛骨悚然的
参考例句:
  • He went to great pains to show how horrifying the war was. 他极力指出战争是多么的恐怖。
  • The possibility of war is too horrifying to contemplate. 战争的可能性太可怕了,真不堪细想。
21 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。
22 suspicious DrLw1     
adj.可疑的,容易引起怀疑的,猜疑的,疑心的
参考例句:
  • A man was hanging about the house in a suspicious manner.一个男人在房子周围可疑地荡来荡去。
  • He's so suspicious he would distrust his own mother.他这个人疑心太重,连自己的母亲也不相信。
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