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Chapter 1 There Is No One Left
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When Mary Lennox was sent to Misselth waite Manorto live with her uncle everybody said she was the mostdisagreeable-looking child ever seen. It was true, too.

  She had a little thin face and a little thin body,thin light hair and a sour expression. Her hair was yellow,and her face was yellow because she had been born inIndia and had always been ill in one way or another.

  Her father had held a position under the EnglishGovernment and had always been busy and ill himself,and her mother had been a great beauty who cared onlyto go to parties and amuse herself with gay people.

  She had not wanted a little girl at all, and when Marywas born she handed her over to the care of an Ayah,who was made to understand that if she wished to pleasethe Mem Sahib she must keep the child out of sight as muchas possible. So when she was a sickly, fretful, ugly littlebaby she was kept out of the way, and when she becamea sickly, fretful, toddling1 thing she was kept out ofthe way also. She never remembered seeing familiarlyanything but the dark faces of her Ayah and the othernative servants, and as they always obeyed her and gaveher her own way in everything, because the Mem Sahibwould be angry if she was disturbed by her crying,by the time she was six years old she was as tyrannicaland selfish a little pig as ever lived. The young Englishgoverness who came to teach her to read and write dislikedher so much that she gave up her place in three months,and when other governesses came to try to fill it theyalways went away in a shorter time than the first one.

  So if Mary had not chosen to really want to know howto read books she would never have learned her letters at all.

  One frightfully hot morning, when she was about nineyears old, she awakened2 feeling very cross, and she becamecrosser still when she saw that the servant who stoodby her bedside was not her Ayah.

  "Why did you come?" she said to the strange woman.

  "I will not let you stay. Send my Ayah to me."The woman looked frightened, but she only stammeredthat the Ayah could not come and when Mary threw herselfinto a passion and beat and kicked her, she looked onlymore frightened and repeated that it was not possiblefor the Ayah to come to Missie Sahib.

  There was something mysterious in the air that morning.

  Nothing was done in its regular order and several of thenative servants seemed missing, while those whom Marysaw slunk or hurried about with ashy and scared faces.

  But no one would tell her anything and her Ayah did not come.

  She was actually left alone as the morning went on,and at last she wandered out into the garden and beganto play by herself under a tree near the veranda3.

  She pretended that she was making a flower-bed, and she stuckbig scarlet4 hibiscus blossoms into little heaps of earth,all the time growing more and more angry and mutteringto herself the things she would say and the names shewould call Saidie when she returned.

  "Pig! Pig! Daughter of Pigs!" she said, because to calla native a pig is the worst insult of all.

  She was grinding her teeth and saying this over and overagain when she heard her mother come out on the verandawith some one. She was with a fair young man and they stoodtalking together in low strange voices. Mary knew the fairyoung man who looked like a boy. She had heard that hewas a very young officer who had just come from England.

  The child stared at him, but she stared most at her mother.

  She always did this when she had a chance to see her,because the Mem Sahib--Mary used to call her that oftenerthan anything else--was such a tall, slim, pretty personand wore such lovely clothes. Her hair was like curlysilk and she had a delicate little nose which seemedto be disdaining5 things, and she had large laughing eyes.

  All her clothes were thin and floating, and Mary said theywere "full of lace." They looked fuller of lace than everthis morning, but her eyes were not laughing at all.

  They were large and scared and lifted imploringly6 to the fairboy officer's face.

  "Is it so very bad? Oh, is it?" Mary heard her say.

  "Awfully," the young man answered in a trembling voice.

  "Awfully, Mrs. Lennox. You ought to have gone to the hillstwo weeks ago."The Mem Sahib wrung7 her hands.

  "Oh, I know I ought!" she cried. "I only stayed to goto that silly dinner party. What a fool I was!"At that very moment such a loud sound of wailing8 brokeout from the servants' quarters that she clutched the youngman's arm, and Mary stood shivering from head to foot.

  The wailing grew wilder and wilder. "What is it? What is it?"Mrs. Lennox gasped9.

  "Some one has died," answered the boy officer. "You didnot say it had broken out among your servants.""I did not know!" the Mem Sahib cried. "Come with me!

  Come with me!" and she turned and ran into the house.

  After that, appalling10 things happened, and the mysteriousnessof the morning was explained to Mary. The cholera11 hadbroken out in its most fatal form and people were dyinglike flies. The Ayah had been taken ill in the night,and it was because she had just died that the servantshad wailed12 in the huts. Before the next day three otherservants were dead and others had run away in terror.

  There was panic on every side, and dying people in allthe bungalows14.

  During the confusion and bewilderment of the second day Maryhid herself in the nursery and was forgotten by everyone.

  Nobody thought of her, nobody wanted her, and strange thingshappened of which she knew nothing. Mary alternately criedand slept through the hours. She only knew that people wereill and that she heard mysterious and tightening15 sounds.

  Once she crept into the dining-room and found it empty,though a partly finished meal was on the table and chairsand plates looked as if they had been hastily pushedback when the diners rose suddenly for some reason.

  The child ate some fruit and biscuits, and being thirstyshe drank a glass of wine which stood nearly filled.

  It was sweet, and she did not know how strong it was.

  Very soon it made her intensely drowsy16, and she went backto her nursery and shut herself in again, frightened by criesshe heard in the huts and by the hurrying sound of feet.

  The wine made her so sleepy that she could scarcely keep hereyes open and she lay down on her bed and knew nothing morefor a long time.

  Many things happened during the hours in which she sleptso heavily, but she was not disturbed by the wails17 and thesound of things being carried in and out of the bungalow13.

  When she awakened she lay and stared at the wall.

  The house was perfectly18 still. She had never knownit to be so silent before. She heard neither voicesnor footsteps, and wondered if everybody had got well ofthe cholera and all the trouble was over. She wonderedalso who would take care of her now her Ayah was dead.

  There would be a new Ayah, and perhaps she would knowsome new stories. Mary had been rather tired of theold ones. She did not cry because her nurse had died.

  She was not an affectionate child and had never cared muchfor any one. The noise and hurrying about and wailingover the cholera had frightened her, and she had been angrybecause no one seemed to remember that she was alive.

  Everyone was too panic-stricken to think of a littlegirl no one was fond of. When people had the cholerait seemed that they remembered nothing but themselves.

  But if everyone had got well again, surely some one wouldremember and come to look for her.

  But no one came, and as she lay waiting the house seemedto grow more and more silent. She heard something rustlingon the matting and when she looked down she saw a littlesnake gliding19 along and watching her with eyes like jewels.

  She was not frightened, because he was a harmless littlething who would not hurt her and he seemed in a hurryto get out of the room. He slipped under the door as shewatched him.

  "How queer and quiet it is," she said. "It sounds asif there were no one in the bungalow but me and the snake."Almost the next minute she heard footsteps in the compound,and then on the veranda. They were men's footsteps,and the men entered the bungalow and talked in low voices.

  No one went to meet or speak to them and they seemedto open doors and look into rooms. "What desolation!"she heard one voice say. "That pretty, pretty woman!

  I suppose the child, too. I heard there was a child,though no one ever saw her."Mary was standing20 in the middle of the nursery when theyopened the door a few minutes later. She looked an ugly,cross little thing and was frowning because she wasbeginning to be hungry and feel disgracefully neglected.

  The first man who came in was a large officer she had onceseen talking to her father. He looked tired and troubled,but when he saw her he was so startled that he almostjumped back.

  "Barney!" he cried out. "There is a child here! A childalone! In a place like this! Mercy on us, who is she!""I am Mary Lennox," the little girl said, drawing herselfup stiffly. She thought the man was very rude to call herfather's bungalow "A place like this!" "I fell asleep wheneveryone had the cholera and I have only just wakened up.

  Why does nobody come?""It is the child no one ever saw!" exclaimed the man,turning to his companions. "She has actually been forgotten!""Why was I forgotten?" Mary said, stamping her foot.

  "Why does nobody come?"The young man whose name was Barney looked at her very sadly.

  Mary even thought she saw him wink21 his eyes as if to winktears away.

  "Poor little kid!" he said. "There is nobody left to come."It was in that strange and sudden way that Mary foundout that she had neither father nor mother left;that they had died and been carried away in the night,and that the few native servants who had not died also hadleft the house as quickly as they could get out of it,none of them even remembering that there was a Missie Sahib.

  That was why the place was so quiet. It was true that therewas no one in the bungalow but herself and the littlerustling snake.


点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 toddling 5ea72314ad8c5ba2ca08d095397d25d3     
v.(幼儿等)东倒西歪地走( toddle的现在分词 );蹒跚行走;溜达;散步
参考例句:
  • You could see his grandson toddling around in the garden. 你可以看到他的孙子在花园里蹒跚行走。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • She fell while toddling around. 她摇摇摆摆地到处走时摔倒了 来自辞典例句
2 awakened de71059d0b3cd8a1de21151c9166f9f0     
v.(使)醒( awaken的过去式和过去分词 );(使)觉醒;弄醒;(使)意识到
参考例句:
  • She awakened to the sound of birds singing. 她醒来听到鸟的叫声。
  • The public has been awakened to the full horror of the situation. 公众完全意识到了这一状况的可怕程度。 来自《简明英汉词典》
3 veranda XfczWG     
n.走廊;阳台
参考例句:
  • She sat in the shade on the veranda.她坐在阳台上的遮荫处。
  • They were strolling up and down the veranda.他们在走廊上来回徜徉。
4 scarlet zD8zv     
n.深红色,绯红色,红衣;adj.绯红色的
参考例句:
  • The scarlet leaves of the maples contrast well with the dark green of the pines.深红的枫叶和暗绿的松树形成了明显的对比。
  • The glowing clouds are growing slowly pale,scarlet,bright red,and then light red.天空的霞光渐渐地淡下去了,深红的颜色变成了绯红,绯红又变为浅红。
5 disdaining 6cad752817013a6cc1ba1ac416b9f91b     
鄙视( disdain的现在分词 ); 不屑于做,不愿意做
参考例句:
6 imploringly imploringly     
adv. 恳求地, 哀求地
参考例句:
  • He moved his lips and looked at her imploringly. 他嘴唇动着,哀求地看着她。
  • He broke in imploringly. 他用恳求的口吻插了话。
7 wrung b11606a7aab3e4f9eebce4222a9397b1     
绞( wring的过去式和过去分词 ); 握紧(尤指别人的手); 把(湿衣服)拧干; 绞掉(水)
参考例句:
  • He has wrung the words from their true meaning. 他曲解这些字的真正意义。
  • He wrung my hand warmly. 他热情地紧握我的手。
8 wailing 25fbaeeefc437dc6816eab4c6298b423     
v.哭叫,哀号( wail的现在分词 );沱
参考例句:
  • A police car raced past with its siren wailing. 一辆警车鸣着警报器飞驰而过。
  • The little girl was wailing miserably. 那小女孩难过得号啕大哭。
9 gasped e6af294d8a7477229d6749fa9e8f5b80     
v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 );喘息;倒抽气;很想要
参考例句:
  • 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》
10 appalling iNwz9     
adj.骇人听闻的,令人震惊的,可怕的
参考例句:
  • The search was hampered by appalling weather conditions.恶劣的天气妨碍了搜寻工作。
  • Nothing can extenuate such appalling behaviour.这种骇人听闻的行径罪无可恕。
11 cholera rbXyf     
n.霍乱
参考例句:
  • The cholera outbreak has been contained.霍乱的发生已被控制住了。
  • Cholera spread like wildfire through the camps.霍乱在营地里迅速传播。
12 wailed e27902fd534535a9f82ffa06a5b6937a     
v.哭叫,哀号( wail的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • She wailed over her father's remains. 她对着父亲的遗体嚎啕大哭。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
  • The women of the town wailed over the war victims. 城里的妇女为战争的死难者们痛哭。 来自辞典例句
13 bungalow ccjys     
n.平房,周围有阳台的木造小平房
参考例句:
  • A bungalow does not have an upstairs.平房没有上层。
  • The old couple sold that large house and moved into a small bungalow.老两口卖掉了那幢大房子,搬进了小平房。
14 bungalows e83ad642746e993c3b19386a64028d0b     
n.平房( bungalow的名词复数 );单层小屋,多于一层的小屋
参考例句:
  • It was a town filled with white bungalows. 这个小镇里都是白色平房。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • We also seduced by the reasonable price of the bungalows. 我们也确实被这里单层间的合理价格所吸引。 来自互联网
15 tightening 19aa014b47fbdfbc013e5abf18b64642     
上紧,固定,紧密
参考例句:
  • Make sure the washer is firmly seated before tightening the pipe. 旋紧水管之前,检查一下洗衣机是否已牢牢地固定在底座上了。
  • It needs tightening up a little. 它还需要再收紧些。
16 drowsy DkYz3     
adj.昏昏欲睡的,令人发困的
参考例句:
  • Exhaust fumes made him drowsy and brought on a headache.废气把他熏得昏昏沉沉,还引起了头疼。
  • I feel drowsy after lunch every day.每天午饭后我就想睡觉。
17 wails 6fc385b881232f68e3c2bd9685a7fcc7     
痛哭,哭声( wail的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • The child burst into loud wails. 那个孩子突然大哭起来。
  • Through this glaciated silence the white wails of the apartment fixed arbitrary planes. 在这冰封似的沉寂中,公寓的白色墙壁构成了一个个任意的平面。 来自英汉非文学 - 科幻
18 perfectly 8Mzxb     
adv.完美地,无可非议地,彻底地
参考例句:
  • The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。
  • Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。
19 gliding gliding     
v. 滑翔 adj. 滑动的
参考例句:
  • Swans went gliding past. 天鹅滑行而过。
  • The weather forecast has put a question mark against the chance of doing any gliding tomorrow. 天气预报对明天是否能举行滑翔表示怀疑。
20 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。
21 wink 4MGz3     
n.眨眼,使眼色,瞬间;v.眨眼,使眼色,闪烁
参考例句:
  • He tipped me the wink not to buy at that price.他眨眼暗示我按那个价格就不要买。
  • The satellite disappeared in a wink.瞬息之间,那颗卫星就消失了。


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