Lesson24  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. The English language possesses a vivid saying to describe this sort of situation. The terrible secret is called 'a skeleton in the cupboard '.

Skeleton 骷髅 骨骼标本 提纲

seemingly看来似乎, 表面上看 adv.

Even seemingly separate markets are attempting to steal each other's market share.

表面上看起来分开的市场也在企图夺取对方的市场分额

Respectable : 值得尊敬的 可敬的 showing or having standards acceptable to society.

He was respectable and no one questioned他受人景仰，毋庸置疑。

 

Respectful: feeling or showing respect

He behaves in a respectful way.他举止彬彬有礼。

We should be respectful of other cultures. 我们必须最终其他文化

Respected

He is well respected in the academic world. 他在学术界广受到认同。

 

Possess=have 更加书面 正式划

Conceal 隐藏 隐瞒 遮住 

I did not conceal anything from him. 我对他什么也不隐瞒。

Vivid栩栩如生的生动的  mimic滑稽剧演员 模仿

The bright meteor was spotted across the UK, leaving a vivid green trail.

一颗闪亮的彗星在英国被目击，留下了一条亮绿色的彗尾。

 

 this sort of situation 指：respectable person or family has some terrible secret which has been concealed from strangers for years.

 

 

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

Dramatic 戏剧性的

Dramatic moment: 在这里指小说中负有戏剧性的转折点。

 

Known: adj. revealed

Reputation名气, 名声, 名誉 opinion held by others

The restaurant has a good reputation. 这家餐馆名声很好。

It this matter becomes known, it will ruin your reputation. 如果这件事情传出去，你就名誉扫地了。

 

Ruined: if sth is ruined, it still exists, but no longer in good quality. 损坏 毁坏

Spoil<ruin  His grandmother spoiled him. 他的祖母把他宠坏了。

Destroyed: it is damaged completely.  毁灭  

The school was destroyed by earthquake. 这所学校被地震摧毁了。

The rain ruined my holiday.这场雨回了我们的假期。

 

Sb’s hair stands on end 汗毛倒竖

We could tell you stories that would make your hair stand on end.

我能说一个让你毛骨耸然的故事

 

 

heroine女英雄, 女主角

the heroine in the novel is an artist. 小的女主角是位艺术家。

Mu Lan, a heroine of ancient China, bravely defended her country with superior martial arts. 木兰是中国古代的女英雄，她通过各种高端的战术本领成功的包围了自己的祖国。

The art of the war. 孙子兵法

 

兵者，国之大事，死生之地，存亡之道，不可不察也。

The art of war, is of vital importance to the state.

It is a matter of life and death, a road either to safety or to ruin. Hence it is a subject of inquiry which can on no account be neglected.

 

Subject 动机，原因，理由

Inquiry 探究,探索

on no account绝不, 切莫

 

heroin海洛因

He is a heroin addict. 他是个吸海洛因成瘾的人。

The heroine in the novel is a heroin addict. 小说的女主角是个吸海洛因成瘾的人。

 

 

It is all very well for such things to occur in fiction. To varying degrees, we all have secrets which we do not want even our closest friends to learn, but few of us have skeletons in the cupboard. The only person I know who has a skeleton in the cupboard is George Carlton, and he is very proud of the fact. George studied medicine in his youth. Instead of becoming a doctor, however, he became a successful writer of detective stories. I once spent an uncomfortable weekend which I shall never forget at his house.

 

It is all very well (but) 用让步的语气表示转折

“这种事发生在小说中是无可非议的”

 

就算… 即便… =even if such things can happen in fiction, but few of us have skeletons in the cupboard.

让步状语与从句：表示在从句表示的前提下，主句的情况依然出现。

 

Occur, happen, take place

take place: is used to describe sth planned or arranged.

Occur and happen, are used to describe sth unexpected.

 

 

To varying degrees= to different degrees. 在不同程度上

I agree with you to a degree /some/a certain

 

Learn 得知 获悉

Where did you learn the news？你从哪儿得知这条消息的。

 

Study (强调在一个教育体系中规律性的学习)

I’m now studying for my master degree. 我现在在攻读我的硕士学位

 

 

be proud of

Julian Assange is very proud of what he had accomplished.

朱利安·阿桑奇为自己所做出的成就感到非常自豪。

http://designmind.frogdesign.com/files/blog/brian/Julian_Assange.jpg

uncomfortable不舒服的；感到难受的

 

George showed me to the guestroom which, he said, was rarely used. He told me to unpack my things and then come down to dinner. After I had stacked my shirts and underclothes in two empty drawers, I decided to hang one of the two suits I had brought with me in the cupboard.

guestroom (私人住宅的)客房

George showed me to the guestroom which was rarely used.

Unpack 打开行李取出

Pack打包, 收拾行李

stack堆积

underclothes内衣underwear

drawer抽屉

hang悬, 挂,

 

I opened the cupboard door and then stood in front of it petrified. A skeleton was dangling before my eyes. 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. Dropping my suit, I dashed downstairs to tell George. This was worse than 'a terrible secret'; this was a real skeleton ! But George was unsympathetic. 'Oh, that,' he said with a smile as if he were talking about an old friend. 'That's Sebastian. You forget that I was a medical student once upon a time.'

 

 

Stand+过去分词变成的形容词

Stand+adj stand 用作系动词

系动词，亦称连系动词（Link Verb）。作为系动词，它本身有词义，但不能单独用作谓语，后边必须跟表语，亦称补语（形容词），构成系表结构说明主语的状况、性质、特征等情况。

1）状态系动词

用来表示主语性质或状态，只有be一词，例如：

　　He is a teacher. 他是一名教师。（表示主语的身份－－性质）

　　He is ill. 他病了。（表示主语的状态）

2）持续系动词

　　用来表示主语继续或保持一种状况或态度，主要有keep, rest, remain, stay, lie, stand, 例如：

　　He always kept silent at meeting. 他开会时总保持沉默。

　　This matter rests a mystery. 此事仍是一个谜。

3）表像系动词

　　用来表示"看起来像"这一概念，主要有seem, appear, look, 例如：

　　He looks tired. 他看起来很累。

　　He seems (to be) very sad. 他看起来很伤心。

4）感官系动词

　　感官系动词主要有feel, smell, sound, taste, 例如：

　　This kind of cloth feels very soft.

　　这种布手感很软。

　　This flower smells very sweet.

　　这朵花闻起来很香。

5）变化系动词

　　这些系动词表示主语变成什么样，变化系动词主要有become, grow, turn, fall, get, go, come, run.

　　例如：

　　He became mad after that. 自那之后，他疯了。

　　She grew rich within a short time. 她没多长时间就富了。

6）终止系动词

　　表示主语已终止动作，主要有prove, turn out, 表达"证实"，"变成"之意，例如：

　　The rumor proved false. 这谣言证实有假。

　　The search proved difficult. 搜查证实很难。

　　His plan turned out a success. 他的计划终于成功了。（turn out表终止性结果）

 

 

要注意系动词的固定搭配。常见的有come true, fall asleep, fall ill, go bad, come right, run wild, wear thin, turn nasty等。　

 

 

  

Petrified(使)石化使吓呆; 使惊呆

At first I was afraid I was petrified. Kept thinkin' I could never live without you by my side

 

Hansen: So how about it, Nash? Are you scared?
Nash: Terrified... mortified... petrified... stupefied... by you.

 

Terrified很害怕的,极度惊慌的,吓坏了的

Mortified使受辱 羞愧的 无地自容的

Petrified被吓呆,使麻木

stupefied使发呆 使惊讶

 

dangling悬挂的, 悬浮的, 悬摆的

 

sway (使)摇摆 说服

sway the minds of men动摇人心

 It has long leaves that sway in the wind like slim fingers reaching to touch something

它那修长的树叶在风中摇动，好象伸出纤细的手指去触摸什么东西似的。

 

His speech failed to sway his colleagues into supporting the plan.

他的一番话没能使他的同事支持这项计划。

leap out跳 跳跃 猛涨

 

you can expect to see a big leap in gas prices. 估计你可以看见燃气价格的猛涨。

 

 

Increase raise surge boost soar

Fall Drop plummet plunge

 

 

Dropping my suit, I dashed downstairs to tell George. This was worse than 'a terrible secret'; this was a real skeleton ! But George was unsympathetic. 'Oh, that,' he said with a smile as if he were talking about an old friend. 'That's Sebastian. You forget that I was a medical student once upon a time.'

 

Dash冲; 猛冲

A skeleton in the cupboard

 

 

Unsympathetic不同情的,冷漠无情的

an unsympathetic response/reaction.冷淡的反应

Sebastian [si:ˈbæstjən] 宗教色彩的人物名字

 

once upon a time从前 很久以前