儿童英语读物 The Mystery of the Lake Monster CHAPTER 5 A Monster Hunt
时间:2018-12-06 作者:英语课 分类:62 The Mystery of the Lake Mon
“What was that?” asked Jessie after the sound had died away. “What kind of animal makes a sound like that?”
Dr. Lin looked very puzzled and surprised. “I don’t know,” she said. “I’ve never heard an animal call like that one.”
Benny was very excited. “Dr. Lin! Dr. Lin!” he exclaimed. “Do you think it could have been Lucy? The monster in the lake?”
“No, I don’t,” Dr. Lin answered firmly. “There is no such thing as a lake monster — not here, not in Lake Champlain, not in Loch Ness. It is scientifically impossible.”
“Then what made that sound?” asked Violet.
“I don’t know,” said Dr. Lin. “But whatever made it, I’m sure there is a simple explanation.” She tightened 1 the sash on her bathrobe and turned away again. “It’s late and I’m going to bed.”
She turned her flashlight onto the trail, following its beam through the trees. A few minutes later they heard the door of her cabin slam shut.
“Now, who could that be knocking at the door so early in the morning?” asked Grandfather Alden the next day.
The Aldens had just finished eating breakfast and were washing the dishes and putting them away. Benny dropped a handful of spoons in the drawer and said, “I’ll find out.”
A moment later he opened the door and Nicole burst in. “Did you hear it?” she gasped 2. “Did you hear that sound on the lake last night?”
“The bears calling to each other?” Jessie asked cautiously.
“No! I know what the bears sound like. This was a completely different sound. Kind of like a weird 3 cow,” said Nicole.
“Yes!” cried Benny. “We heard and Watch heard and Dr. Lin heard. Grandfather heard, too!”
Nicole clapped her hands together. “I knew it! I knew it! It’s got to be Lucy,” she said.
“Dr. Lin says it’s not really an animal. She said there’s some ‘simple explanation,’” Henry said, repeating what the biologist had said to them the night before.
“What we need to find out is what made that sound,” said Jessie.
“Or who,” said Violet.
Jessie nodded. Nicole said, “I know. Let’s see if we can take a canoe out on the lake. Maybe we can find something that way.”
“Even if we don’t, it sounds like fun,” said Henry.
“We have to go tell someone at the lodge 4 that we want to use the canoes,” said Nicole. “And get life jackets.”
When the Aldens and Nicole reached the lodge, Nora was at the registration 5 desk talking to a young man and woman holding suitcases. “I think you’ll like it here in the lodge. Your room is called Lakeview. It’s the second room on the right at the top of the stairs,” she said, handing the young woman a key.
“Thanks,” said the young woman. The couple went up the stairs.
Nora turned. “Hi,” she said, smiling. “What can I do for you kids?”
“We’d like to take out two of the canoes and we need life jackets,” said Jessie.
“Good idea. It’s a beautiful day for a paddle around the lake,” said Nora. “Come on. I keep the life jackets in our storage house.”
She led them out of the lodge to a low building next to it. Pushing open the door, she removed several life jackets in various sizes from hooks on the wall. The building was filled with all kinds of tools.
“Wow,” Henry said admiringly. “This is better than a hardware store.”
Nora laughed. “We’re a long way from any hardware store out here. Drew or I only go to town once a week, on Thursdays, for supplies. We have to be prepared to fix things ourselves. And you can’t do that without the proper tools.”
“Look at these old horns with the balloons on one end,” said Benny.
“Benny, wait,” Nora began, but it was too late. Benny had picked up one of the horns and squeezed it. A blast of sound made Benny drop the horn to cover his ears. Watch yelped 6 in surprise.
“Owww,” said Benny. “What was that?” He took his hands away from his ears.
Nora picked up the horn. “It’s an air horn, Benny,” she told him. “We have it in case we need to signal for someone out on the lake.
“And speaking of the right tools . . .” Nora went on. She reached up and took a very small life jacket off a hook. “We even have a life jacket for dogs.”
“Watch knows how to swim,” said Benny.
“Yes, and so do you, Benny, but you know that you are always supposed to wear your life jacket when you are in a boat,” Henry said.
“I know,” said Benny. “Come on, Watch. I’ll help you put your life jacket on.”
“By the way, you didn’t hear any noises coming from the lake last night, did you?” asked Jessie, trying to sound casual.
“No,” said Nora quickly — almost too quickly, Jessie thought. Nora added, “Well, you’d better get started if you want to enjoy paddling around the lake before it gets too hot. Just leave the life jackets on their hooks when you are finished. The door is usually unlocked.”
She turned and walked quickly back to the lodge. Jessie stared thoughtfully after her.
“What is it, Jessie?” asked Henry.
“Nora didn’t even ask what kind of noise, or when we might have heard it — or why I was asking,” said Jessie.
“Do you think she did hear the noise and doesn’t want anyone to know?” asked Violet.
“It’s possible,” said Jessie. “Especially if she thinks it could be bad for business.”
“There is only one thing to do,” Henry declared.
“What?” asked Nicole.
“Go find Lucy — or whatever was making that noise,” said Henry.
When the Aldens and Nicole got back to the beach, they saw Jason stretched out on a towel in the sand. He was wearing his bathing suit and reading. He had on dark glasses and a baseball hat pulled down over his eyes.
“Hi,” said Benny.
“Mmm,” said Jason without raising his gaze from his book.
“Want to come with us on a canoe trip around the lake?” asked Henry politely.
Jason glanced up. “Oh. Are you going to look for monsters?” He laughed.
Violet said, “Even if we don’t see Lucy, it will be fun.”
“Thanks anyway,” said Jason, “but I’ll stay here.” He pointed 7 to the camera that Nicole was holding and added, “When you take Lucy’s picture, tell her to smile.” He rolled over on one side and kept reading.
Henry, Benny, and Watch got into one canoe. Jessie, Nicole, and Violet took the other. They paddled out into the deep blue lake. The water was very still.
When they were in the middle of the lake, they heard the hum of a car motor from the direction of the lodge.
“Sound travels far across the water,” commented Jessie.
Violet raised the binoculars 8 she had brought along and trained them on the lodge. “Someone just drove up to the lodge,” she reported.
A door slammed.
“That’s Drew, coming out of the front door of the lodge. Now a woman in khaki pants and a plaid shirt is getting out of the car. She and Drew are shaking hands,” Violet said.
“It’s probably another guest,” said Nicole.
“I don’t see any luggage,” said Violet. “Wait! Nora just came out of the lodge. She’s got her hands on her hips 9. She looks angry. It looks as if she and Drew are arguing.”
Everyone in the canoe turned to squint 10 at the lodge. But although they could see the building, without the binoculars they couldn’t see much else.
A car door slammed. Then the lodge door slammed once, then again. The car motor started, then faded away.
“What happened now?” cried Benny.
“The woman in the plaid shirt gave Nora something and she threw it down. Then the woman got in her car and drove away, and Nora went back into the lodge. Drew followed her,” Violet said. She lowered the binoculars.
“Wow, it’s just like a play,” Nicole exclaimed.
“Only you couldn’t see it,” Benny said.
“Would you like to use the binoculars?” Violet asked Nicole.
“Yes,” said Nicole. “I think we should all take turns using them. We can keep a lookout 11 for Lucy.”
“Good idea,” Henry said.
They paddled on. They saw a squirrel drinking from the edge of the lake. They saw a hawk 12 circling high above. But although they paddled around the lake all morning, they didn’t see any sign of a lake monster.
The children put their life preservers back into the storage building. They were on their way to the cabin when Violet bent 13 down and picked up a small rectangle of ivory-colored paper. “Look,” she said.
“What is it, Violet?” asked Jessie.
“It’s a business card,” Violet told them.
“ ‘Mountain Home Real Estate,’ ” she read from the card. “ ‘Geena Bush, Broker 14.’ ”
“That must be who came to visit Drew and Nora,” said Nicole.
“I don’t think she came to visit Nora,” said Jessie thoughtfully. “Not if Nora was angry to see her.”
“You’re right,” said Henry. “Nora doesn’t want to sell Lucille Lodge. But Drew sounded as if he might when we overheard them arguing. Remember?”
“Did this broke lady get in trouble for coming to see Drew?” asked Benny.
“Broker, Benny,” said Violet. “Yes, it looks as if she did. This card must be what she tried to give Nora and what Nora threw down.”
Jessie said slowly, “If Lucy isn’t real — and we haven’t found any scientific proof that she is — do you suppose that Geena Bush could have something to do with the rumors 15 . . . and with the sounds we heard last night?”
“Or Drew?” suggested Henry.
“But if Geena Bush had driven up to the lake last night, we would have heard her car. Remember how sounds carry across the lake?” said Nicole.
“True,” said Jessie.
“What if Drew and Geena Bush are working together?” said Violet.
Henry nodded. “It could be. Maybe he sneaked 16 out last night and hiked to one side of the lake to make the sound.”
“What we need are more clues,” said Jessie. “But how do we find them?”
“We keep looking,” Benny said. “It’s a mystery and we’re good at solving mysteries. We will solve this one, too!”
The Aldens had finished dinner and were sitting on the screened porch of their cabin. A soft rain that had been falling for the last two hours had just stopped.
They were glad to sit on the cozy 17 porch and rest. It had been a long hard day, and they were a little discouraged because they were no closer to solving the mystery of the lake monster. No one was talking very much.
“Grrr,” Watch growled 18 suddenly.
“What is it, Watch?” asked Violet.
Watch pressed his nose against the screened porch and peered down into the darkness. “Grrr,” he growled again.
“Watch hears something, don’t you, boy?” asked Henry. He patted Watch’s head. Watch wagged his tail, but he growled again.
“Maybe it’s a bear,” said Violet, sounding a little scared.
“I doubt that,” Grandfather Alden said. “It is unlikely a bear would come this close to the cabin. More likely it is a raccoon or opossum. Or it could just be rain dripping from the leaves.”
“But you have to stay inside, Watch, whatever it is,” said Jessie. She paused. Then she said softly, “What if it is Lucy?”
Watch ran to the other end of the porch. He pressed his nose against the screen and peered intently into the night. He uttered a short, sharp bark and looked over his shoulder as if to say, C’mon!
Henry walked back through the cabin and picked up the largest flashlight from the table by the door. He went back to the porch and clicked it on, throwing a powerful beam out into the night.
In the beam of the flashlight, they could see trees and a glint of water and the lighter 19 color of the lakeshore. But nothing was moving.
Henry turned the beam in the direction that Watch was now peering. No one could see anything.
“There’s nothing in that direction, Watch, except the other cabins and the lodge,” said Henry.
Watch stood on guard for a long moment after that. Then he turned and trotted 20 back to Jessie and jumped up onto her lap. Henry clicked the flashlight off.
“Whatever it was, it’s gone now,” said Grandfather. He stood up and stretched and yawned. “Time for bed. I’m going to do a little fishing tomorrow and I want to get an extra-early start so I can be back in time for a late breakfast with you all.”
“Yes, and we have work to do, too,” said Benny.
“That’s right, Benny,” said Jessie. The Aldens went back into Black Bear Cabin to get ready for bed. Benny was the last one to leave the porch. He stared out through the screen, trying to see through the night to the lake.
“Benny,” Henry called. “Come on. It’s time for bed.”
“Coming,” answered Benny. He leaned close to the screen. “Good night, Lucy,” he said softly before going inside to join his family.
- The rope holding the boat suddenly tightened and broke. 系船的绳子突然绷断了。
- His index finger tightened on the trigger but then relaxed again. 他的食指扣住扳机,然后又松开了。
- She gasped at the wonderful view. 如此美景使她惊讶得屏住了呼吸。
- People gasped with admiration at the superb skill of the gymnasts. 体操运动员的高超技艺令人赞叹。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
- From his weird behaviour,he seems a bit of an oddity.从他不寻常的行为看来,他好像有点怪。
- His weird clothes really gas me.他的怪衣裳简直笑死人。
- Is there anywhere that I can lodge in the village tonight?村里有我今晚过夜的地方吗?
- I shall lodge at the inn for two nights.我要在这家小店住两个晚上。
- Marriage without registration is not recognized by law.法律不承认未登记的婚姻。
- What's your registration number?你挂的是几号?
- He yelped in pain when the horse stepped on his foot. 马踩了他的脚痛得他喊叫起来。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
- A hound yelped briefly as a whip cracked. 鞭子一响,猎狗发出一阵嗥叫。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- 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。
- He watched the play through his binoculars.他用双筒望远镜看戏。
- If I had binoculars,I could see that comet clearly.如果我有望远镜,我就可以清楚地看见那颗彗星。
- She stood with her hands on her hips. 她双手叉腰站着。
- They wiggled their hips to the sound of pop music. 他们随着流行音乐的声音摇晃着臀部。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- A squint can sometimes be corrected by an eyepatch. 斜视有时候可以通过戴眼罩来纠正。
- The sun was shinning straight in her eyes which made her squint. 太阳直射着她的眼睛,使她眯起了眼睛。
- You can see everything around from the lookout.从了望台上你可以看清周围的一切。
- It's a bad lookout for the company if interest rates don't come down.如果利率降不下来,公司的前景可就不妙了。
- The hawk swooped down on the rabbit and killed it.鹰猛地朝兔子扑下来,并把它杀死。
- The hawk snatched the chicken and flew away.老鹰叼了小鸡就飞走了。
- He was fully bent upon the project.他一心扑在这项计划上。
- We bent over backward to help them.我们尽了最大努力帮助他们。
- He baited the broker by promises of higher commissions.他答应给更高的佣金来引诱那位经纪人。
- I'm a real estate broker.我是不动产经纪人。
- Rumors have it that the school was burned down. 有谣言说学校给烧掉了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- Rumors of a revolt were afloat. 叛变的谣言四起。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- I sneaked up the stairs. 我蹑手蹑脚地上了楼。
- She sneaked a surreptitious glance at her watch. 她偷偷看了一眼手表。
- I like blankets because they are cozy.我喜欢毛毯,因为他们是舒适的。
- We spent a cozy evening chatting by the fire.我们在炉火旁聊天度过了一个舒适的晚上。
- \"They ought to be birched, \" growled the old man. 老人咆哮道:“他们应受到鞭打。” 来自《简明英汉词典》
- He growled out an answer. 他低声威胁着回答。 来自《简明英汉词典》