IT WAS ABOUT ELEVEN O'CLOCK in the morning,
mid1 October, with the sun not shining and a look of hard wet rain in the clearness of the foothills. I was wearing my powder-blue suit, with dark blue shirt, tie and display handkerchief, black brogues, black wool socks with dark blue clocks on them. I was neat, clean, shaved and sober, and I didn't care who knew it. I was everything the well-dressed private detective ought to be. I was calling on four million dollars. The main hallway of the Sternwood place was two stories high. Over the entrance doors, which would have let in a troop of Indian elephants, there was a broad stained-glass panel showing a
knight2 in dark armor rescuing a lady who was tied to a tree and didn't have any clothes on but some very long and convenient hair. The knight had pushed the vizor of his helmet back to be
sociable3, and he was
fiddling4 with the knots on the ropes that tied the lady to the tree and not getting anywhere. I stood there and thought that if I lived in the house, I would sooner or later have to climb up there and help him. He didn't seem to be really trying. There were French doors at the back of the hall, beyond them a wide sweep of emerald grass to a white garage, in front of which a slim dark young
chauffeur5 in shiny black leggings was dusting a
maroon6 Packard
convertible7. Beyond the garage were some
decorative8 trees trimmed as carefully as poodle dogs. Beyond them a large green house with a
domed9 roof. Then more trees and beyond everything the solid,
uneven10, comfortable line of the foothills. On the east side of the hall a free staircase, tile-paved, rose to a gallery with a wrought-iron railing and another piece of stained-glass romance. Large hard chairs with rounded red plush seats were backed into the vacant spaces of the wall round about. They didn't look as if anybody had ever sat in them. In the middle of the west wall there was a big empty fireplace with a
brass11 screen in four hinged panels, and over the fireplace a marble mantel with cupids at the corners. Above the mantel there was a large oil portrait, and above the portrait two bullet-torn or moth-eaten
cavalry12 pennants13 crossed in a glass frame. The portrait was a stiffly posed job of an officer in full regimentals of about the time of the Mexican war. The officer had a neat black Imperial, black mustachios, hot hard coalblack eyes, and the general look of a man it would pay to get along with. I thought this might be General Sternwood's grandfather. It could hardly be the General himself, even though I had heard he was pretty far gone in years to have a couple of daughters still in the dangerous twenties. I was still staring at the hot black eyes when a door opened far back under the stairs. It wasn't the butler coming back. It was a girl. She was twenty or so, small and delicately put together, but she looked
durable14. She wore pale blue slacks and they looked well on her. She walked as if she were floating. Her hair was a fine
tawny15 wave cut much shorter than the current fashion of pageboy tresses curled in at the bottom. Her eyes were slategray, and had almost no expression when they looked at me. She came over near me and smiled with her mouth and she had little sharp predatory teeth, as white as fresh orange pits and as shiny as
porcelain16. They
glistened17 between her thin too
taut18 lips. Her face lacked color and didn't look too healthy. "Tall, aren't you?" she said. "I didn't mean to be." Her eyes rounded. She was puzzled. She was thinking. I could see, even on that short acquaintance, that thinking was always going to be a bother to her.
"Handsome too," she said. "And I bet you know it." I
grunted19. "What's your name?" "Reilly," I said. "Doghouse Reilly." "That's a funny name." She bit her lip and turned her head a little and looked at me along her eyes. Then she lowered her
lashes20 until they almost cuddled her cheeks and slowly raised them again, like a theater curtain. I was to get to know that trick. That was supposed to make me roll over on my back with all four paws in the air. "Are you a prizefighter?" she asked, when I didn't. "Not exactly. I'm a sleuth." "A--a--" She tossed her head angrily, and the rich color of it glistened in the rather dim light of the big hall. "You're making fun of me." "Uh-uh." "What?" "Get on with you," I said. "You heard me." "You didn't say anything. You're just a big tease." She put a thumb up and bit it. It was a
curiously21 shaped thumb, thin and narrow like an extra finger, with no curve in the first
joint22. She bit it and sucked it slowly, turning it around in her mouth like a baby with a comforter. "You're
awfully23 tall," she said. Then she
giggled24 with secret merriment. Then she turned her body slowly and
lithely25, without lifting her feet. Her hands dropped limp at her sides. She
tilted26 herself towards me on her toes. She fell straight back into my arms. I had to catch her or let her crack her head on the tessellated floor. I caught her under her arms and she went rubber-legged on me instantly. I had to hold her close to hold her up. When her head was against my chest she screwed it around and giggled at me. "You're cute," she giggled. "I'm cute too." I didn't say anything. So the butler chose that convenient moment to come back through the French doors and see me holding her. It didn't seem to bother him. He was a tall, thin, silver man, sixty or close to it or a little past it. He had blue eyes as remote as eyes could be. His skin was smooth and bright and he moved like a man with very sound muscles. He walked slowly across the floor towards us and the girl jerked away from me. She flashed across the room to the foot of the stairs and went up them like a deer. She was gone before I could draw a long breath and let it out. The butler said tonelessly: "The General will see you now, Mr. Marlowe." I pushed my lower
jaw27 up off my chest and nodded at him. "Who was that?" "Miss Carmen Sternwood, sir." "You ought to wean her. She looks old enough." He looked at me with grave politeness and repeated what he had said.
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收听单词发音
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1
mid
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| adj.中央的，中间的 |
参考例句： |
- Our mid-term exam is pending.我们就要期中考试了。
- He switched over to teaching in mid-career.他在而立之年转入教学工作。
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2
knight
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| n.骑士，武士；爵士 |
参考例句： |
- He was made an honourary knight.他被授予荣誉爵士称号。
- A knight rode on his richly caparisoned steed.一个骑士骑在装饰华丽的马上。
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3
sociable
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| adj.好交际的，友好的，合群的 |
参考例句： |
- Roger is a very sociable person.罗杰是个非常好交际的人。
- Some children have more sociable personalities than others.有些孩子比其他孩子更善于交际。
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4
fiddling
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| 微小的 |
参考例句： |
- He was fiddling with his keys while he talked to me. 和我谈话时他不停地摆弄钥匙。
- All you're going to see is a lot of fiddling around. 你今天要看到的只是大量的胡摆乱弄。 来自英汉文学 - 廊桥遗梦
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5
chauffeur
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| n.(受雇于私人或公司的)司机；v.为…开车 |
参考例句： |
- The chauffeur handed the old lady from the car.这个司机搀扶这个老太太下汽车。
- She went out herself and spoke to the chauffeur.她亲自走出去跟汽车司机说话。
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6
maroon
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| v.困住，使（人）处于孤独无助之境；n.逃亡黑奴；孤立的人；酱紫色，褐红色；adj.酱紫色的，褐红色的 |
参考例句： |
- Five couples were marooned in their caravans when the River Avon broke its banks.埃文河决堤的时候，有5对夫妇被困在了他们的房车里。
- Robinson Crusoe has been marooned on a desert island for 26 years.鲁滨逊在荒岛上被困了26年。
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7
convertible
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| adj.可改变的，可交换，同意义的；n.有活动摺篷的汽车 |
参考例句： |
- The convertible sofa means that the apartment can sleep four.有了这张折叠沙发，公寓里可以睡下4个人。
- That new white convertible is totally awesome.那辆新的白色折篷汽车简直棒极了。
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8
decorative
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| adj.装饰的，可作装饰的 |
参考例句： |
- This ware is suitable for decorative purpose but unsuitable for utility.这种器皿中看不中用。
- The style is ornate and highly decorative.这种风格很华丽，而且装饰效果很好。
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9
domed
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| adj. 圆屋顶的, 半球形的, 拱曲的
动词dome的过去式和过去分词形式 |
参考例句： |
- I gazed up at the domed ceiling arching overhead. 我抬头凝望着上方弧形的穹顶。
- His forehead domed out in a curve. 他的前额呈弯曲的半球形。
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10
uneven
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| adj.不平坦的，不规则的，不均匀的 |
参考例句： |
- The sidewalk is very uneven—be careful where you walk.这人行道凹凸不平—走路时请小心。
- The country was noted for its uneven distribution of land resources.这个国家以土地资源分布不均匀出名。
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11
brass
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| n.黄铜；黄铜器，铜管乐器 |
参考例句： |
- Many of the workers play in the factory's brass band.许多工人都在工厂铜管乐队中演奏。
- Brass is formed by the fusion of copper and zinc.黄铜是通过铜和锌的熔合而成的。
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12
cavalry
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| n.骑兵；轻装甲部队 |
参考例句： |
- We were taken in flank by a troop of cavalry. 我们翼侧受到一队骑兵的袭击。
- The enemy cavalry rode our men down. 敌人的骑兵撞倒了我们的人。
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13
pennants
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| n.校旗( pennant的名词复数 )；锦标旗；长三角旗；信号旗 |
参考例句： |
- Their manes streamed like stiff black pennants in the wind. 它们的鬃毛直立起来，在风中就像一面面硬硬的黑色三角旗。 来自互联网
- Bud ashtrays, bar towels, coasters, football pennants, and similar items were offered for sale. 同时它还制作烟灰缸、酒吧餐巾、杯垫子、杯托子、足球赛用的三角旗以及诸如此类的物品用于销售。 来自互联网
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14
durable
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| adj.持久的，耐久的 |
参考例句： |
- This raincoat is made of very durable material.这件雨衣是用非常耐用的料子做的。
- They frequently require more major durable purchases.他们经常需要购买耐用消费品。
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15
tawny
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| adj.茶色的，黄褐色的；n.黄褐色 |
参考例句： |
- Her black hair springs in fine strands across her tawny,ruddy cheek.她的一头乌发分披在健康红润的脸颊旁。
- None of them noticed a large,tawny owl flutter past the window.他们谁也没注意到一只大的、褐色的猫头鹰飞过了窗户。
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16
porcelain
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| n.瓷；adj.瓷的，瓷制的 |
参考例句： |
- These porcelain plates have rather original designs on them.这些瓷盘的花纹很别致。
- The porcelain vase is enveloped in cotton.瓷花瓶用棉花裹着。
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17
glistened
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| v.湿物闪耀，闪亮( glisten的过去式和过去分词 ) |
参考例句： |
- Pearls of dew glistened on the grass. 草地上珠露晶莹。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
- Her eyes glistened with tears. 她的眼里闪着泪花。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
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18
taut
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| adj.拉紧的，绷紧的，紧张的 |
参考例句： |
- The bowstring is stretched taut.弓弦绷得很紧。
- Scarlett's taut nerves almost cracked as a sudden noise sounded in the underbrush near them. 思嘉紧张的神经几乎一下绷裂了，因为她听见附近灌木丛中突然冒出的一个声音。
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19
grunted
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| （猪等）作呼噜声( grunt的过去式和过去分词 )； （指人）发出类似的哼声； 咕哝着说 |
参考例句： |
- She just grunted, not deigning to look up from the page. 她只咕哝了一声，继续看书，不屑抬起头来看一眼。
- She grunted some incomprehensible reply. 她咕噜着回答了些令人费解的话。
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20
lashes
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| n.鞭挞( lash的名词复数 )；鞭子；突然猛烈的一击；急速挥动v.鞭打( lash的第三人称单数 )；煽动；紧系；怒斥 |
参考例句： |
- Mother always lashes out food for the children's party. 孩子们聚会时，母亲总是给他们许多吃的。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- Never walk behind a horse in case it lashes out. 绝对不要跟在马后面，以防它突然猛踢。 来自《简明英汉词典》
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21
curiously
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| adv.有求知欲地；好问地；奇特地 |
参考例句： |
- He looked curiously at the people.他好奇地看着那些人。
- He took long stealthy strides. His hands were curiously cold.他迈着悄没声息的大步。他的双手出奇地冷。
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22
joint
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| adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合 |
参考例句： |
- I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
- We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。
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23
awfully
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| adv.可怕地，非常地，极端地 |
参考例句： |
- Agriculture was awfully neglected in the past.过去农业遭到严重忽视。
- I've been feeling awfully bad about it.对这我一直感到很难受。
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24
giggled
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| v.咯咯地笑( giggle的过去式和过去分词 ) |
参考例句： |
- The girls giggled at the joke. 女孩子们让这笑话逗得咯咯笑。
- The children giggled hysterically. 孩子们歇斯底里地傻笑。 来自《简明英汉词典》
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26
tilted
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| v. 倾斜的 |
参考例句： |
- Suddenly the boat tilted to one side. 小船突然倾向一侧。
- She tilted her chin at him defiantly. 她向他翘起下巴表示挑衅。
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27
jaw
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| 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。
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