英语听力：三怪客泛舟记.three.men.in.a.boat 06

　　Chapter 1 6 On the river

　　At Kingston our boat was waiting for us．Harris and I put all our things into it，and we moved off along the River Thames．Montmorency was at the front of the boat．We travelled along the river without any accidents．Well，there was only one little accident．That was when the boat hit the river bank，and Harris fell over backwards 2．When we came to Hamp-ton Court Palace，Harris asked me if I had ever been in the maze 3 there．He told me a story about it…

　　He went into the maze once，to show a friend the way．He had studied a map of the maze，and so he knew it was very easy to get out of it again．Harris said to his friend，'We'll just go in and walk around for ten minutes，and then we'll come out and get some lunch．It's easy，you see．You just keep taking the first turning to the right．'

　　Soon after they had gone in，they met some people．These people said that they had been there for three quarters of an hour．They said they wanted to get out．Harris said，'Follow me！I'm going out myself in about ten minutes．'

　　The people all said that Harris was very kind，and they began to follow him．

　　As they were going along，they collected other people who wanted to get out．In the end，all the people in the maze were following Harris．There were about twenty of them．Some of them had thought that they were never going to see their friends and their families again．One woman was carrying a baby．She held on to Harris's arm because she did not want to lose him．

　　Harris continued to turn to the right，but it seemed to be a long way．At last，Harris's friend said to him，'This must be a very big maze．'

　　'One of the biggest in Europe，'Harris answered．

　　'Yes，it must be，'his friend continued，'because we've walked about three kilometres already．'

　　Harris began to think that it was rather strange，but he went on．After some time，they came to a piece of cake on the ground．Harris's friend said that they had passed the piece of cake earlier．Harris replied，'No！lmpos-sible！'

　　The woman with the baby said，'No，I took it from the baby，and I threw it there myself．It was just before we met you．In fact，I wish I never had met you，'she added 4．

　　Harris got angry then，and he took out his map．He showed it to the people，but one man said，'A map's no good when you don't know where you are．'

　　So then Harris said that the best thing was to go back to the entrance and start again．Everybody agreed，and they all turned and followed Harris the other way．

　　After ten minutes they found themselves in the centre of the maze．Harris was going to pretend 5 that he wanted to be in the centre，but the crowd looked dangerous．So Harris decided 6 to say that it was an accjdent．

　　Anyway，now they knew where they were on the map，and it looked easy．So they all started off again for the third time．

　　And three minutes later，they were back in the centre again．

　　After that，every time they tried again，they arrived back in the centre．Harris took out his map again，but this made the crowd angry．They told him what to do with his map．Harris felt that the crowd was not very grateful 7 to him．

　　Then they all started to shout，and in the end the keeper 8 came．He climbed up a ladder，and he called to them，'Wait，there！l'll come and get you．'

　　But he was a young keeper，and he was new to the job，so when he got into the maze，he could not find them．

　　Then he got lost．From time to time，they saw him as he ran past，on the other side of the hedge 9．He shouted，'Wait there！I'm coming！'

　　Then，five minutes later，he appeared again in the same place．He asked them why they had moved．

　　They had to wait for one of the old keepers 10 to come back from lunch and let them out…

　　Harris said that it was a fine maze，and we agreed that we would try to get George into it on the way back．

　　6 在河上

　　船在金斯顿等我们。哈里斯和我把行李搬上船，然后沿着泰晤士河出发了，“元帅”站在船头。一路上没有什么意外。嗯，只有一个小小的意外：小船撞到了岸上，哈里斯仰面摔了一跤。当我们经过汉普顿宫，哈里斯问我有没有到过那里的迷宫，还给我讲起以前的故事……

　　他进过一次迷宫，是为了给朋友当向导。他曾经仔细研究过迷宫的地图，因此他以为走出来是件十分简单的事。他对朋友说：“咱们进去只消十分钟就能走出来去吃午饭。这没什么难的。你瞧，只要记住总是在第一个转弯处往右走就行了。”

　　他们一进去就遇到不少人。他们说已经在里面转了三刻钟，非常想出去。哈里斯说：“跟我来，我自己只消十分钟就能走出去。”

　　他们一听都说哈里斯心真好，大家便跟着他走。

　　他们一边绕，一路上又带上了不少人，也是想走出迷宫的。后来迷宫里所有的人都跟着哈里斯走，至少有二十人，其中有的人甚至担心今生今世再也见不到自己的朋友和家人了。一个妇女抱着孩子，紧紧揪着哈里斯的胳膊，生怕把他丢了。

　　哈里斯坚持向右转，可路看起来越走越长。后来哈里斯的朋友说：“这个迷宫实在大得很。”

　　“是全欧洲最大的呢！”哈里斯回答说。

　　“是，一点不错，”朋友接着说，“咱们差不多走了快三公里了。”

　　哈里斯也开始觉得有点奇怪，可是他还坚持这样走。走了一会儿，人们看到地上有块蛋糕，哈里斯的朋友说他们刚才曾经走过这里。哈里斯说：“不，不可能的！”

　　抱着孩子的女人说：“肯定是的。是我从孩子手里拿下来的，是我亲手扔在这儿的，就在刚遇到你之前。哼！我可真希望从来没碰上你！”她又加了一句。

　　哈里斯气坏了，拿出地图，给人们看。可一个人却说：“可你连咱们在哪儿都不知道，要地图又有什么用呢？”

　　因此哈里斯说最好的办法就是回到入口处重新开始。大家一致同意，便向后转，又跟着哈里斯向相反的方向走去。

　　十分钟以后，他们发现走到迷宫中间了。哈里斯本打算哄骗大家他是有意这样走的，可是他看到众怒难犯，哈里斯只好说这是个意外。

　　不管怎么说，大家总算知道自己现在在地图上什么位置了，那么一切简单多了，他们又第三次重新开始。

　　可是三分钟以后，他们又回到原来的中心。

　　后来，每一次努力都是以回到迷宫的中心而告终。哈里斯又拿出地图来看，这下子大家全火了，他们叫他拿了这幅地图见鬼去吧！哈里斯觉得这群人真不知道感恩戴德。

　　最后人们吵成一团，后来还是管理员来了。他爬上梯子，对人群叫道：“在那儿等着，我来帮你们出去。”

　　可是这个年轻人偏偏又是个新手，他进了迷宫找不到那群人，结果自己也迷了路。大家不时看见他在围墙那边跑来跑去，还大声叫喊着：“你们都别动，我来了！”

　　五分钟以后，他又在原来的老地方出现了，还问大家为什么又动了位置。

　　他们只好等着那位年老的管理员吃完中午饭回来，才把他们领出去。

　　哈里斯说那个迷宫的确很不错，我们一致同意回来的路上让乔治也进迷宫逛一逛。