The Beetle A Mystery
 小说分类
选择字号：【大】【中】【小】
关灯
护眼
CHAPTER 37. WHAT WAS HIDDEN UNDER THE FLOOR

关注小说网官方公众号（noveltingroom），原版名著免费领。


 The cab pulled up in front of a tumbledown cheap ‘villa’ in an unfinished cheap neighbourhood,—the whole place a living monument of the defeat of the speculative1 builder.
 
Atherton leaped out on to the grass-grown rubble2 which was meant for a footpath3.
 
‘I don’t see Marjorie looking for me on the doorstep.’
 
Nor did I,—I saw nothing but what appeared to be an unoccupied ramshackle brick abomination. Suddenly Sydney gave an exclamation4.
 
‘Hullo!—The front door’s closed!’
 
I was hard at his heels.
 
‘What do you mean?’
 
‘Why, when I went I left the front door open. It looks as if I’ve made an idiot of myself after all, and Marjorie’s returned,—let’s hope to goodness that I have.’
 
He knocked. While we waited for a response I questioned him.
 
‘Why did you leave the door open when you went?’
 
‘I hardly know,—I imagine that it was with some dim idea of Marjorie’s being able to get in if she returned while I was absent,—but the truth is I was in such a condition of helter skelter that I am not prepared to swear that I had any reasonable reason.’
 
‘I suppose there is no doubt that you did leave it open?’
 
‘Absolutely none,—on that I’ll stake my life.’
 
‘Was it open when you returned from your pursuit of Holt?’
 
‘Wide open,—I walked straight in expecting to find her waiting for me in the front room,—I was struck all of a heap when I found she wasn’t there.’
 
‘Were there any signs of a struggle?’
 
‘None,—there were no signs of anything. Everything was just as I had left it, with the exception of the ring which I trod on in the passage, and which Lessingham has.’
 
‘If Miss Lindon has returned, it does not look as if she were in the house at present.’

点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 speculative uvjwd     
adj.思索性的，暝想性的，推理的
参考例句：
  • Much of our information is speculative.我们的许多信息是带推测性的。
  • The report is highly speculative and should be ignored.那个报道推测的成分很大，不应理会。
2 rubble 8XjxP     
n.（一堆）碎石，瓦砾
参考例句：
  • After the earthquake,it took months to clean up the rubble.地震后，花了数月才清理完瓦砾。
  • After the war many cities were full of rubble.战后许多城市到处可见颓垣残壁。
3 footpath 9gzzO     
n.小路，人行道
参考例句：
  • Owners who allow their dogs to foul the footpath will be fined.主人若放任狗弄脏人行道将受处罚。
  • They rambled on the footpath in the woods.他俩漫步在林间蹊径上。
4 exclamation onBxZ     
n.感叹号，惊呼，惊叹词
参考例句：
  • He could not restrain an exclamation of approval.他禁不住喝一声采。
  • The author used three exclamation marks at the end of the last sentence to wake up the readers.作者在文章的最后一句连用了三个惊叹号，以引起读者的注意。
5 hospitable CcHxA     
adj.好客的；宽容的；有利的，适宜的
参考例句：
  • The man is very hospitable.He keeps open house for his friends and fellow-workers.那人十分好客，无论是他的朋友还是同事，他都盛情接待。
  • The locals are hospitable and welcoming.当地人热情好客。
6 wilderness SgrwS     
n.杳无人烟的一片陆地、水等，荒漠
参考例句：
  • She drove the herd of cattle through the wilderness.她赶着牛群穿过荒野。
  • Education in the wilderness is not a matter of monetary means.荒凉地区的教育不是钱财问题。
7 spoke XryyC     
n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说
参考例句：
  • They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
  • The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。
8 scrambled 2e4a1c533c25a82f8e80e696225a73f2     
v.快速爬行( scramble的过去式和过去分词 )；攀登；争夺；（军事飞机）紧急起飞
参考例句：
  • Each scrambled for the football at the football ground. 足球场上你争我夺。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
  • He scrambled awkwardly to his feet. 他笨拙地爬起身来。 来自《简明英汉词典》
9 clearance swFzGa     
n.净空；许可(证)；清算；清除，清理
参考例句：
  • There was a clearance of only ten centimetres between the two walls.两堵墙之间只有十厘米的空隙。
  • The ship sailed as soon as it got clearance. 那艘船一办好离港手续立刻启航了。
10 smoothly iiUzLG     
adv.平滑地，顺利地，流利地，流畅地
参考例句：
  • The workmen are very cooperative,so the work goes on smoothly.工人们十分合作，所以工作进展顺利。
  • Just change one or two words and the sentence will read smoothly.这句话只要动一两个字就顺了。
11 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。
12 slant TEYzF     
v.倾斜，倾向性地编写或报道；n.斜面，倾向
参考例句：
  • The lines are drawn on a slant.这些线条被画成斜线。
  • The editorial had an antiunion slant.这篇社论有一种反工会的倾向。
13 defective qnLzZ     
adj.有毛病的，有问题的，有瑕疵的
参考例句：
  • The firm had received bad publicity over a defective product. 该公司因为一件次品而受到媒体攻击。
  • If the goods prove defective, the customer has the right to compensation. 如果货品证明有缺陷， 顾客有权索赔。
14 pane OKKxJ     
n.窗格玻璃，长方块
参考例句：
  • He broke this pane of glass.他打破了这块窗玻璃。
  • Their breath bloomed the frosty pane.他们呼出的水气，在冰冷的窗玻璃上形成一层雾。
15 stuffy BtZw0     
adj.不透气的，闷热的
参考例句：
  • It's really hot and stuffy in here.这里实在太热太闷了。
  • It was so stuffy in the tent that we could sense the air was heavy with moisture.帐篷里很闷热，我们感到空气都是潮的。
16 momentary hj3ya     
adj.片刻的，瞬息的；短暂的
参考例句：
  • We are in momentary expectation of the arrival of you.我们无时无刻不在盼望你的到来。
  • I caught a momentary glimpse of them.我瞥了他们一眼。
17 concealed 0v3zxG     
a.隐藏的，隐蔽的
参考例句：
  • The paintings were concealed beneath a thick layer of plaster. 那些画被隐藏在厚厚的灰泥层下面。
  • I think he had a gun concealed about his person. 我认为他当时身上藏有一支枪。
18 flopped e5b342a0b376036c32e5cd7aa560c15e     
v.（指书、戏剧等）彻底失败( flop的过去式和过去分词 )；（因疲惫而）猛然坐下；（笨拙地、不由自主地或松弛地）移动或落下；砸锅
参考例句：
  • Exhausted, he flopped down into a chair. 他筋疲力尽，一屁股坐到椅子上。
  • It was a surprise to us when his play flopped. 他那出戏一败涂地，出乎我们的预料。 来自《简明英汉词典》
19 caper frTzz     
v.雀跃，欢蹦；n.雀跃，跳跃；续随子，刺山柑花蕾；嬉戏
参考例句：
  • The children cut a caper in the yard.孩子们在院子里兴高采烈地乱蹦乱跳。
  • The girl's caper cost her a twisted ankle.小姑娘又蹦又跳，结果扭伤了脚踝。
20 bum Asnzb     
n.臀部；流浪汉，乞丐；vt.乞求，乞讨
参考例句：
  • A man pinched her bum on the train so she hit him.在火车上有人捏她屁股，她打了那人。
  • The penniless man had to bum a ride home.那个身无分文的人只好乞求搭车回家。
21 chattering chattering     
n. （机器振动发出的）咔嗒声，(鸟等)鸣，啁啾 adj. 喋喋不休的，啾啾声的 动词chatter的现在分词形式
参考例句：
  • The teacher told the children to stop chattering in class. 老师叫孩子们在课堂上不要叽叽喳喳讲话。
  • I was so cold that my teeth were chattering. 我冷得牙齿直打战。
22 magpie oAqxF     
n.喜欢收藏物品的人，喜鹊，饶舌者
参考例句：
  • Now and then a magpie would call.不时有喜鹊的叫声。
  • This young man is really a magpie.这个年轻人真是饶舌。
23 perch 5u1yp     
n.栖木，高位，杆；v.栖息，就位，位于
参考例句：
  • The bird took its perch.鸟停歇在栖木上。
  • Little birds perch themselves on the branches.小鸟儿栖歇在树枝上。
24 sneak vr2yk     
vt.潜行(隐藏,填石缝)；偷偷摸摸做；n.潜行；adj.暗中进行
参考例句：
  • He raised his spear and sneak forward.他提起长矛悄悄地前进。
  • I saw him sneak away from us.我看见他悄悄地从我们身边走开。
25 reeks 2b1ce62478954fcaae811ea0d5e13779     
n.恶臭( reek的名词复数 )v.发出浓烈的臭气( reek的第三人称单数 )；散发臭气；发出难闻的气味 (of sth)；明显带有（令人不快或生疑的跡象）
参考例句：
  • His statement reeks of hypocrisy. 他的话显然很虛伪。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • His manner reeks prosperity. 他的态度表现得好象有钱的样子。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

分享到：


返回目录

英语听力 |  手机版  |  网页版
©英文小说网 2005-2010