Lesson24 “家丑”

The Skeleton in the Cupboard

 

 

在小说中，我们经常读到一个表面上受人尊重的人物或家庭，却有着某种多年不为人所知的骇人听闻的秘密。

 

 

 

In novel, we often read a respective person or family, having some horrible secrets which haven’t known by others for many years.

 

 

 

英语中有一个生动的说法来形容这种情况。

In English there was an active formulation   to describe this situation.

 

 

惊人的秘密称作“柜中骷髅”。

These astonishing secrets are called “the   Skeleton in the Cupboard”.

 

 

在小说的某个戏剧性时刻，

At some dramatic moments in the novel,

 

 

可怕的秘密泄漏出来，接着便是某人的声誉扫地。

horrible secrets reveals out, and then   someone’s reputation damaged.

 

 

当读者到小说最后几页了解到书中女主人公，那位一向待大家很好的可爱的老妇人年轻时一连毒死了她的5个丈夫时，不禁会毛骨悚然。

 

 

 

When readers noticed the female character, that cute woman who is always very kind to everyone,

had poisoned her five husbands in her youth in the last several pages, they will feel their hair standing on the end.

 

 

 

这种事发生在小说中是无可非议的。尽管我们人人都有各种大小秘密。连最亲密的朋友都不愿让他们知道，

 

 

 

These things are without rebuke in a novel. Though all of us have many secrets of all sizes, and don’t want even our most intimated friends to know.

 

 

 

但我们当中极少有人有柜中骷髅。

But seldom of us have a skeleton in the   cupboard.

 

 

我所认识的唯一的在柜中藏骷嵝的人便是乔治.卡尔顿，他甚至引以为自豪。

 

 

 

The only one I familiar with who having a skeleton in the cupboard is George Carleton, and he even be proud of this.

 

 

 

乔治年轻时学过医。然而，他后来没当上医生，却成了一位成功的侦探小说作家。

 

 

 

George had studied iatrology in his youth. But he didn’t be a doctor afterwards, but be a successful

detective novel writer.

 

 

 

有一次，我在他家里度周末，过得很不愉快。这事我永远不会忘记。

 

 

 

Once, I spent my weekend very unhappy in his house. I will never forget this thing.

 

 

 

乔治把我领进客房，说这间很少使用。

George leaded me into the spare room,   saying this room was seldom used.

 

 

他让我打开行装后下楼吃饭。

He let me went downstairs to have the   dinner after opened my package.

 

 

我将衬衫、内衣放进两个空抽屉里，然后我想把随身带来的两套西服中的一套挂到大衣柜里去。

 

 

 

I put my shirt and underwear in two empty drawers, and want to put one of my two suits into the big wardrobe.

 

 

 

我打开柜门，站在柜门前一下惊呆了。

 

I opened the robe’s door and stunned in a   sudden standing before it.

 

一具骷髅悬挂在眼前。

A skeleton hanged before me.

 

 

由于柜门突然打开，它也随之轻微摇晃起来，让我觉得它好像马上要跳出柜门朝我扑过来似的。

 

 

 

Because its door was opened unexpectedly, it started swaying slightly, which made me feeling that it seems to jump out of the door and pouncing to me immediately.

 

 

 

我扔下西服冲下楼去告诉乔治。

 

I thrown away my suit and rush understais   to tell George.

 

这是比“骇人听闻的秘密”更加惊人的东西，这是一具真正的骷髅啊！

 

This is what more astonished than “Skeletons   in the cupboard”, it’s a real skeleton!

T

 

但乔治却无动于衷。

But George was aloof and indifferent.

 

 

“噢，是它呀！他笑着说道，俨然在谈论一位老朋友。

“Oh, it’s him!”He said with a smile on   his face, just like discussing an old friend.

 

 

“那是塞巴斯蒂安。你忘了我以前是学医的了。”

“He is Sebastian. You have forgotten that   I used to study medical science.”