2 Arrival of Gustavus

　　2
　　Arrival of Gustavus
　　The afternoon was spent in looking all over the house to see if any changes had been made, and inexploring the garden from end to end to see what flowers were out, what edible¹ things there were(only lettuces², alas³!) and to introduce Kiki to six new hens.
　　‘There’s a new carpet in the guest room,’ said Lucy-Ann. ‘But that’s all the changes there are.
　　I’m glad. I don’t like to come home and find anything changed. I suppose this small boy will sleepin the guest room, Aunt Allie?’
　　‘Yes,’ said Mrs Cunningham. ‘I’m getting it ready in a minute or two. Go and join the others inthe garden. You can pick a few daffodils, if you like – we want some in the hall.’
　　Lucy-Ann wandered off happily. The very first day of the holidays was always heavenly. All thefirst few days went slowly, and the thought of days and days of holiday ahead was one to dwell oncontentedly almost every minute.
　　‘Lucy-Ann! Come here! Kiki’s having the time of her life!’ called Jack⁴. ‘Look at her showingoff in front of the new hens!’
　　Kiki was sitting on a post in the hen run. The six hens were gathered admiringly around her.
　　‘Cluck-cluck-cluck,’ they said to one another, and one stretched herself on tiptoe and flappedher wings as if trying to fly. Kiki put her head on one side, stretched herself on tiptoe too, spreadher wings wide and took off. She sailed down to the surprised hens.
　　‘Cluck-luck-luck, urrrrrrk!’ she said, earnestly. ‘Cluck-luck-luck, urrrrrrk!’
　　‘Cluck-uck-uck, cluck!’ said the hens, in admiration⁵, and went nearer. One hen daringly peckedat one of the parrot’s tail feathers.
　　This was insolence⁶! Kiki danced round the alarmed hens, making a noise like an aeroplane introuble. The hens took to their heels and fled into the hen house, almost tumbling over one anotheras they tried to squeeze in at the narrow doorway⁷ two at a time.
　　Kiki waddled⁸ after them, clucking again. Mrs Cunningham called from a window.
　　‘Children! The hens will never lay us eggs if you let Kiki scare them.’
　　‘Kiki’s gone into the hen house – she’ll probably sit in a nesting box and try to lay an egg likethe hens!’ called Jack. ‘Come out, Kiki.’
　　Kiki came back and looked inquiringly out of the little doorway. ‘Polly put the kettle on,’ shesaid, peaceably, ‘cluck-luck-luck, urrrrrrk!’
　　She flew to Jack’s shoulder, and the hens looked at one another in relief. Was it safe to go outand wander round yet?
　　‘There’s the next-door cat,’ said Dinah. ‘Come to see what all the fuss is about, I expect! Hangon to Kiki, Jack.’
　　‘Oh, she’ll bark like a dog if the cat comes any nearer,’ said Jack. ‘Come on – let’s see what thegardener has got in the greenhouse.’
　　It was a pleasant sunny afternoon, and the four really enjoyed themselves ‘mooching about’ asJack called it. They all longed for Bill to arrive. Then the family would be complete – except, ofcourse, that it would have one too many, if he really brought the unexpected boy with him!
　　‘I’m going to watch at the gate for Bill,’ announced Lucy-Ann after tea.
　　‘We all will,’ said Philip. ‘Good old Bill! What luck for us that he’s not on one of his hush-hushjobs just now, and can come away with us!’
　　They went to hang over the front gate together. Kiki kept putting her crest⁹ up and downexcitedly. She knew quite well that Bill was coming.
　　‘Bill! Pay the bill!’ she kept saying. ‘Where’s Bill? Pop goes Bill!’
　　‘You’re a silly-billy,’ said Lucy-Ann, stroking the parrot’s soft neck. ‘That’s what you are!’
　　‘That’s an idiotic¹⁰ thing to call her,’ said Dinah. ‘Just as we’re expecting Bill! She’ll screech¹¹ out“Silly-Billy” to him now, I bet you she will!’
　　‘Silly-Billy, Billy-Silly!’ shouted Kiki. She always loved words that sounded the same. Jacktapped her on the head.
　　‘No, Kiki, stop it. Look, here’s a car coming. Perhaps it’s Bill’s.’
　　But it wasn’t. As it went by, Kiki hooted¹² loudly – parp-parp-parp – exactly like a car.
　　The driver was astonished. He could see no car in sight. He sounded his horn, thinking theremust be a hidden corner somewhere.
　　And then Lucy-Ann gave a squeal¹³. ‘Here’s Bill!’ she said. ‘A big black car, very sleek¹⁴ andshiny! Bill, Bill!’
　　She was right. It was Bill’s car. It drew up at the front gate, and Bill’s jolly face grinned at themas he looked out of the window. Somebody sat beside him. Was it the boy?
　　Bill opened the door and leapt out. The four children pounced¹⁵ on him. ‘Bill! Good old Bill!
　　How are you, Bill?’
　　‘Silly-Billy!’ screeched¹⁶ a voice.
　　‘Ah – good evening, Kiki,’ said Bill, as the parrot landed full on his shoulder. ‘Still the samerude old bird. Aha! You want me at home to teach you a few manners!’
　　Kiki cackled like an excited hen. ‘Now then – don’t you lay eggs down my neck!’ said Bill.
　　‘What are you cackling about? Where’s your mother, Dinah?’
　　‘There she is,’ said Dinah, as Mrs Cunningham came running to the gate. Bill was about to callto her when an extremely loud cough came from the car – a cough that was meant to be noticed.
　　‘Oh – I completely forgot for the moment,’ said Bill. ‘I’ve brought a visitor. Did you tell them,Allie?’
　　‘Yes, I did,’ said Mrs Cunningham. ‘Where is he? Oh, in the car. Bring him out, Bill.’
　　‘Come on out,’ said Bill, and in the midst of a dead silence the owner of the loud cough slid outof the car in as dignified¹⁷ a manner as he could.
　　Everyone stared at him. He was about eleven, and certainly very foreign-looking. His blue-black hair was curly and rather longer than usual. His eyes were as black as his hair, and he hadthicker lashes¹⁸ than either of the girls. And he certainly had magnificent manners.
　　He went to Mrs Cunningham, and took the hand she held out to him. But instead of shaking ithe bowed over it and touched it with his lips. Mrs Cunningham couldn’t help smiling. The fourchildren stared in amusement.
　　‘My thanks to you, dear lady,’ he said, in a very foreign accent.
　　‘That’s all right,’ said Mrs Cunningham. ‘Have you had any tea?’
　　But before the boy chose to answer this question he had to make a further display of manners.
　　He went to Dinah, and before she knew what he meant to do, he took her hand and bent¹⁹ over it.
　　She gave a squeal and snatched it away.
　　‘Don’t!’ she said. Lucy-Ann put her hands firmly behind her back. She didn’t want them kissedeither. What an extraordinary boy!
　　‘Gus, old fellow – we just shake hands, you know,’ said Bill, trying to hide his amusement atthe sight of the two girls’ indignant faces. ‘Er – this is Gustavus Barmilevo, Allie. He will be withus for the next few weeks, as his uncle has asked me to keep an eye on him.’
　　Gustavus Barmilevo bowed very low, but did not attempt any more hand- kissing. Billintroduced the rest.
　　‘Dinah – Lucy-Ann – Jack – and Philip. I – er – hope you’ll soon all be good friends.’
　　The two boys shook hands with Gus, eyeing him with much disfavour. Goodness! Were they toput up with this little foreigner all the holidays?
　　Gus did a funny little bow each time he shook hands. ‘Plizzed to mit you,’ he said. ‘What is zisbird? How you call it?’
　　‘It’s a Kiki-bird,’ said Jack, solemnly. ‘Gus, meet Kiki. Kiki, meet Gus!’
　　Kiki held out her left foot as usual, to shake hands. Gus looked extremely surprised, but hismanners remained perfect. He held out his hand to Kiki’s foot. Unfortunately Kiki dug her talonsinto his fingers, and he gave a loud yell.
　　‘What a noise, what a noise!’ said Kiki, severely²⁰. ‘Wipe your feet and blow your nose. Fetch thedoctor!’
　　‘My finger’s blidding,’ said the boy with tears in his voice. ‘It blids, look.’
　　‘Fetch the doctor, Polly’s got a cold, fetch the doctor,’ chanted Kiki, enjoying herself. The boysuddenly realized that it was the parrot who was talking. He forgot his ‘blidding’ and stared atKiki in amazement²¹.
　　‘It spiks!’ he announced in awe²². ‘It spiks. It spiks words. It sees my blidding finger, and spiks tofetch the doctor. I never haf seen a Kiki-bird before.’
　　‘Come along in, and I’ll put a bit of bandage on your finger,’ said Mrs Cunningham, gettingtired of all this.
　　‘Yes. It blids,’ said Gus, mournfully, watching a minute drop of blood fall to the ground. Helooked as if he was going to cry. Then he said a most extraordinary thing.
　　‘This bird,’ he said, looking at Kiki suddenly, ‘the bird – it must be in a cage. I order it.’
　　‘Don’t be a fathead,’ said Jack, after a moment’s silence of astonishment²³. ‘Come on, Aunt Allie– let’s go indoors. Gus might “blid” to death!’
　　This was a most alarming thought, and Gus rushed into the house at once. The others followedslowly. What an extraordinary boy!
　　‘Bit dippy,’ said Dinah in a low voice, and they all nodded. Bill’s voice hailed them.
　　‘Hey! What about a spot of help with the luggage?’
　　‘Oh, Bill. Sorry, we weren’t thinking,’ said Jack, and ran back at once. ‘Gus rather took ourbreath away. What nationality is he?’
　　‘Oh, he’s a bit of a mixture, I think,’ said Bill. ‘Don’t bother him about his family or his home,or he’ll probably burst into tears. Sorry to inflict²⁴ him on you like this. He’ll be better when he’sshaken down a bit. I believe he got on quite all right at the English school he was at. Anyway – I’lltake him off your hands as much as I can, I promise you, as it’s my friend who asked me to keepan eye on him!’
　　‘We’ll help, Bill,’ said Lucy-Ann. ‘I expect he’s shy. Oh dear – I was so afraid he’d kiss myhand! What would the girls at school say?’
　　‘Well, I should hardly think they’d know anything about it,’ said Bill. ‘You take that bag, Jack –and you that box, Philip. Well – it’s nice to see you all home again! And Kiki, too, you old rascal²⁵.
　　How dare you call me Silly-Billy?’
　　‘Pop goes Billy, pop goes Billy!’ screeched Kiki in delight, and flew down to his shoulder tonibble his ear. ‘Pop-pop-pop!’

1 edible   

n.食品，食物；adj.可食用的

参考例句：

• Edible wild herbs kept us from dying of starvation.我们靠着野菜才没被饿死。
• This kind of mushroom is edible,but that kind is not.这种蘑菇吃得，那种吃不得。

2 lettuces   

n.莴苣，生菜（ lettuce的名词复数 ）；生菜叶

参考例句：

• My lettuces have gone to seed. 我种的莴苣已结子。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Are these lettuces home-grown or did you buy them in the market? 这些生菜是自家种的呢，还是你在市场上买的？ 来自辞典例句

3 alas   

int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等)

参考例句：

• Alas!The window is broken!哎呀！窗子破了！
• Alas,the truth is less romantic.然而，真理很少带有浪漫色彩。

4 jack   

n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克

参考例句：

• I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。
• He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。

5 admiration   

n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕

参考例句：

• He was lost in admiration of the beauty of the scene.他对风景之美赞不绝口。
• We have a great admiration for the gold medalists.我们对金牌获得者极为敬佩。

6 insolence   

n.傲慢；无礼；厚颜；傲慢的态度

参考例句：

• I've had enough of your insolence, and I'm having no more. 我受够了你的侮辱，不能再容忍了。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• How can you suffer such insolence? 你怎么能容忍这种蛮横的态度？ 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 doorway   

n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径

参考例句：

• They huddled in the shop doorway to shelter from the rain.他们挤在商店门口躲雨。
• Mary suddenly appeared in the doorway.玛丽突然出现在门口。

8 waddled   

v.（像鸭子一样）摇摇摆摆地走( waddle的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• A family of ducks waddled along the river bank. 一群鸭子沿河岸摇摇摆摆地走。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The stout old man waddled across the road. 那肥胖的老人一跩一跩地穿过马路。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

9 crest   

n.顶点；饰章；羽冠；vt.达到顶点；vi.形成浪尖

参考例句：

• The rooster bristled his crest.公鸡竖起了鸡冠。
• He reached the crest of the hill before dawn.他于黎明前到达山顶。

10 idiotic   

adj.白痴的

参考例句：

• It is idiotic to go shopping with no money.去买东西而不带钱是很蠢的。
• The child's idiotic deeds caused his family much trouble.那小孩愚蠢的行为给家庭带来许多麻烦。

11 screech   

n./v.尖叫；(发出)刺耳的声音

参考例句：

• He heard a screech of brakes and then fell down. 他听到汽车刹车发出的尖锐的声音,然后就摔倒了。
• The screech of jet planes violated the peace of the afternoon. 喷射机的尖啸声侵犯了下午的平静。

12 hooted   

（使）作汽笛声响，作汽车喇叭声( hoot的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• An owl hooted nearby. 一只猫头鹰在附近啼叫。
• The crowd hooted and jeered at the speaker. 群众向那演讲人发出轻蔑的叫嚣和嘲笑。

13 squeal   

v.发出长而尖的声音；n.长而尖的声音

参考例句：

• The children gave a squeal of fright.孩子们发出惊吓的尖叫声。
• There was a squeal of brakes as the car suddenly stopped.小汽车突然停下来时，车闸发出尖叫声。

14 sleek   

adj.光滑的，井然有序的；v.使光滑，梳拢

参考例句：

• Women preferred sleek,shiny hair with little decoration.女士们更喜欢略加修饰的光滑闪亮型秀发。
• The horse's coat was sleek and glossy.这匹马全身润泽有光。

15 pounced   

v.突然袭击( pounce的过去式和过去分词 )；猛扑；一眼看出；抓住机会（进行抨击）

参考例句：

• As soon as I opened my mouth, the teacher pounced on me. 我一张嘴就被老师抓住呵斥了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The police pounced upon the thief. 警察向小偷扑了过去。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

16 screeched   

v.发出尖叫声( screech的过去式和过去分词 )；发出粗而刺耳的声音；高叫

参考例句：

• She screeched her disapproval. 她尖叫着不同意。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The car screeched to a stop. 汽车嚓的一声停住了。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

17 dignified   

a.可敬的，高贵的

参考例句：

• Throughout his trial he maintained a dignified silence. 在整个审讯过程中，他始终沉默以保持尊严。
• He always strikes such a dignified pose before his girlfriend. 他总是在女友面前摆出这种庄严的姿态。

18 lashes   

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》

19 bent   

n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的

参考例句：

• 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。

20 severely   

adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地

参考例句：

• He was severely criticized and removed from his post.他受到了严厉的批评并且被撤了职。
• He is severely put down for his careless work.他因工作上的粗心大意而受到了严厉的批评。

21 amazement   

n.惊奇，惊讶

参考例句：

• All those around him looked at him with amazement.周围的人都对他投射出惊异的眼光。
• He looked at me in blank amazement.他带着迷茫惊诧的神情望着我。

22 awe   

n.敬畏，惊惧；vt.使敬畏，使惊惧

参考例句：

• The sight filled us with awe.这景色使我们大为惊叹。
• The approaching tornado struck awe in our hearts.正在逼近的龙卷风使我们惊恐万分。

23 astonishment   

n.惊奇，惊异

参考例句：

• They heard him give a loud shout of astonishment.他们听见他惊奇地大叫一声。
• I was filled with astonishment at her strange action.我对她的奇怪举动不胜惊异。

24 inflict   

vt.(on)把…强加给，使遭受，使承担

参考例句：

• Don't inflict your ideas on me.不要把你的想法强加于我。
• Don't inflict damage on any person.不要伤害任何人。

25 rascal   

n.流氓；不诚实的人

参考例句：

• If he had done otherwise,I should have thought him a rascal.如果他不这样做，我就认为他是个恶棍。
• The rascal was frightened into holding his tongue.这坏蛋吓得不敢往下说了。