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儿童英语读物 The Mystery of the Secret Message CHAPTER 10 The Surprise in the Statue

时间:2017-08-25 03:32:09

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(单词翻译)

Benny was the first to glimpse the flatbed truck.

“It’s here!” he cried.

All the people who worked around the town square were on hand for the return of the stolen statue. Dawn Wellington and Mrs. Turner waited with the Aldens. Even Mr. Kirby came out for the event.

A cheer went up as the truck bumped over the curb1 and on into the square. Grandfather and Henry directed the truck to park next to the statue’s granite2 block base.

Rick Bass3 hopped4 out of the passenger side of the truck. “We’ll set the statue on the pavement,” he told Grandfather. “We’re going to fix Josiah’s base eventually. But at least he’s here for the festival.”

“And just in time,” Benny added. “The festival is tomorrow!”

Jessie hugged her notebook. So much had happened in the last few hours! Sylvia Pepper had confessed to stealing the Minuteman statue. Then the police took Miss Pepper away for questioning.

Rick Bass had spotted5 the statue when a policeman stopped Sylvia’s accomplice6 after he’d run a red light. Rick had called for a truck to bring the statue to the square.

Now Josiah Wade7 was back in his rightful place.

Jessie watched as Mr. Kirby and Henry helped Rick and the driver unload the statue off the truck bed. She wondered if the town would vote to move the statue or keep it in the center of the square. The Alden children would find out later, when they helped Grandfather count the votes.

When the men were about to hoist8 the statue upright, Benny scooted forward.

“Can you tip it up?” he asked. “I want to look for something.”

“Good thinking!” Rick said. “No better time to check for Franklin’s surprise.”

The driver braced9 his end of the statue. “We can hold it for a few seconds.”

Benny knelt down. The statue was hollow inside, like a giant chocolate bunny. Grandfather handed him a small flashlight. Benny shined the light inside the statue.

“See anything?” Violet asked.

“No,” Benny replied, disappointed.

“Oh, well,” Rick said consolingly. “We were never really certain Franklin Bond put his gift inside the statue. We were just guessing.”

“Franklin Bond liked to play jokes,” Henry said. “Maybe he just pretended to put a secret compartment10 in the statue.”

But Benny had been so sure. The statue was the perfect place to hide something.

The men lowered the statue and stood it upright beside the granite base. Grandfather gave the driver a generous tip before he drove the truck out of the town square.

“Now the square looks normal again.” Dawn sighed. “It just wasn’t the same without Josiah standing11 there.”

“Let’s hope Greenfield feels the same way you do,” said Grandfather. “I have the ballot12 box in my car. Why don’t you and Rick come home with us and help count votes?”

“Great idea!” Violet said. She was so glad Dawn hadn’t turned out to be the Greenfield phantom13.

Rick glanced at Dawn. “I’d like to, but we hate to impose.”

“Mrs. McGregor loves company,” Jessie assured them.

The Aldens got into Grandfather’s car. Rick and Dawn followed in Rick’s battered14 station wagon15.

The housekeeper16 was delighted to set two extra places at the dining room table. “It’s pot roast night,” said Mrs. McGregor to the guests. “There’s more than enough.”

While they ate pot roast, mashed17 potatoes, and carrots, they discussed Sylvia Pepper’s theft.

“I don’t see how she thought she could get away with it,” said Dawn. “What was she going to do with the statue after she stole it?”

“She probably never thought that far ahead,” said Grandfather. “People behave strangely when they need money.”

“I guess she was desperate to keep her shop,” Rick added, helping18 himself to another biscuit. “The florist19 shop will close now, for sure.”

Jessie passed Rick the butter. “Do you think Franklin Bond really put a secret compartment in his statue?”

“It sure seemed that way on the drawing,” Rick allowed. “I guess Franklin changed his mind. Maybe he lost Josiah’s gift or sold it.”

Benny admired the young man’s appetite. Rick had eaten five biscuits, breaking Benny’s record of four!

After dinner, they gathered in the living room to count the ballots20. Grandfather built a cozy21 fire. Mrs. McGregor brought in a tray of hot chocolate.

“I’ll help, too,” the housekeeper offered. “Many hands make light work, as my mother used to say.”

Benny emptied the ballot box on the floor. They all grabbed handfuls of ballots.

“We’ll make two piles,” said Grandfather. “One pile of votes to keep the statue in the square. And the other for votes to move it.”

With eight of them sorting ballots, the work went quickly.

When Grandfather tallied22 the last vote, he smiled. “The town voted by a wide margin23 to keep the statue in the square!”

“Yay!” Benny tossed ballots into the air like confetti.

Jessie giggled24 at her brother, then began picking up the slips of paper.

Violet remembered that Rick wanted the statue in his museum. “I hope you don’t feel bad,” she said to him.

“I’m glad,” Rick said. “Dawn’s right. Greenfield wouldn’t be Greenfield without Josiah in the square.”

“All of our problems are solved,” said Grandfather. “Except one.”

Jessie knew what he meant. “We still need a clown.”

Dawn grinned at Rick. “I bet that suit will fit you!”

“I’ve always wanted to wear a rubber nose,” Rick said. “We’d better go. Clowns need lots of beauty sleep.”

Grandfather showed them to the door. “See you at the festival!”

When their guests had left, the Alden children went upstairs to get ready for bed.

Benny dragged his fingers slowly along the handrail. He was glad the statue would stay in the square where it belonged. But he wondered about Franklin Bond’s secret compartment.

Did the sculptor25 have the last laugh on Greenfield after all?

“Smile!” Violet adjusted the focus on her camera, then snapped the picture.

The young father and his two children stepped away from the statue.

“Next!” called Benny. A couple of teenagers posed by Josiah Wade. Benny made sure they stood in the right spot, then signaled to Violet.

Crowds jammed the square. People had driven in from neighboring towns to buy cookies and pies from the bakery booth, play games, and listen to the high school marching band.

The Aldens’ souvenir photo booth was very busy. Henry collected the fee. Jessie filled out the order forms, so they would know where to send each photo after it was developed. Benny positioned people next to the statue, and Violet took the pictures.

Benny was glad they were busy. But he wished he had time to play one of the games. He wanted to win a prize.

Grandfather had already given his speech and announced the results of the vote. Everyone seemed happy that the statue would remain in the square.

Dawn ran up. “Mr. Kirby is watching my booth for a second. I just wanted to tell you that I’ve sold over seventy souvenir booklets!”

“That’s great!” Jessie said. “Violet’s sold a lot of pictures, too.”

Grandfather strolled over to the children’s booth. “Thanks to your help, the festival is a great success. We should have plenty of money to fix Josiah’s base.”

“So he can rule Greenfield Square for many more years,” Henry added.

Just then Rick Bass bounded over. All morning, he had danced around the square in the purple and green clown suit, entertaining little children.

“My feet are killing26 me,” he said, tugging27 off one of his huge, floppy28 clown shoes and handing it to Jessie.

Jessie laughed. With his big round nose and orange hair, Rick made a terrific clown.

“Will you take my picture?” Rick teased Violet. “How do I look?” He performed a wobbly handstand in front of Josiah Wade’s statue.

Violet was giggling29 so hard, she could barely push the shutter30. “This will be a terrific picture!”

“Watch out!” Benny cried, just as Rick’s legs toppled over.

Rick had landed upside down against the granite base of the statue. Henry and Jessie ran over and helped him up.

“Ow.” Rick winced31. “Uh-oh. Looks like I knocked off a few more stones.”

“It’s okay,” James Alden reassured32 him. “Just as long as you aren’t hurt.”

Benny was staring at a hole just beneath the brass33 plaque34. Rick’s fall had caused the stones to cave in, revealing a dark space.

“Hey!” he cried. “The statue has a secret after all!”

Rick gave a long, low whistle. “What do you know? We never thought of looking in the base!Benny, since you found it, you should do the honors.”

With everyone watching intently, Benny reached into the compartment. His fingers closed around a small metal box.

“Should I open it?” he asked.

Grandfather nodded.

Holding his breath, Benny unlatched the box and lifted the lid. Inside was a ball of wrinkled yellow paper.

“That’s parchment,” Rick said. “It’s very old.”

Benny unfolded the paper. A small object rolled into his palm.

“A button,” he said, puzzled. “Franklin Bond put a button in his secret compartment?”

“Let me see that.” Rick rubbed the button on the sleeve of his clown costume. Black streaks35 marked the purple satin. “It’s genuine silver.”

“There’s something engraved36 on it,” Jessie said. “ ‘G. W.’ ”

“I wonder what that could stand for,” Violet said.

But Henry knew. He had read about the Revolutionary War. “George Washington!” he exclaimed.

“Good guess!” Rick said. “General George Washington was head of the Colonial army.”

Dawn frowned. “But why would the sculptor hide one of George Washington’s buttons inside the base of his statue?”

“We know that Josiah Wade carried secret messages in his jacket buttons during the war,” Rick said. “Maybe General Washington gave Josiah one of his own buttons. Maybe as a reward.”

“And Josiah gave the button to Franklin Bond,” Jessie concluded. “Who hid it in the base of his statue of Josiah Wade. It all makes sense!”

Grandfather inspected the button. “This will be a nice addition to the Greenfield museum.”

“A new artifact!” Benny declared.

He was thrilled he had discovered the statue’s secret. That was better than a prize any day.

Violet was happy, too. The Winter Festival was a success and the Aldens had solved another mystery.

“Smile!” she said, snapping a photo of the Alden family. She knew the picture would turn out just great.


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点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 curb LmRyy     
n.场外证券市场,场外交易;vt.制止,抑制
参考例句:
  • I could not curb my anger.我按捺不住我的愤怒。
  • You must curb your daughter when you are in church.你在教堂时必须管住你的女儿。
2 granite Kyqyu     
adj.花岗岩,花岗石
参考例句:
  • They squared a block of granite.他们把一块花岗岩加工成四方形。
  • The granite overlies the older rocks.花岗岩躺在磨损的岩石上面。
3 bass APUyY     
n.男低音(歌手);低音乐器;低音大提琴
参考例句:
  • He answered my question in a surprisingly deep bass.他用一种低得出奇的声音回答我的问题。
  • The bass was to give a concert in the park.那位男低音歌唱家将在公园中举行音乐会。
4 hopped 91b136feb9c3ae690a1c2672986faa1c     
跳上[下]( hop的过去式和过去分词 ); 单足蹦跳; 齐足(或双足)跳行; 摘葎草花
参考例句:
  • He hopped onto a car and wanted to drive to town. 他跳上汽车想开向市区。
  • He hopped into a car and drove to town. 他跳进汽车,向市区开去。
5 spotted 7FEyj     
adj.有斑点的,斑纹的,弄污了的
参考例句:
  • The milkman selected the spotted cows,from among a herd of two hundred.牛奶商从一群200头牛中选出有斑点的牛。
  • Sam's shop stocks short spotted socks.山姆的商店屯积了有斑点的短袜。
6 accomplice XJsyq     
n.从犯,帮凶,同谋
参考例句:
  • She was her husband's accomplice in murdering a rich old man.她是她丈夫谋杀一个老富翁的帮凶。
  • He is suspected as an accomplice of the murder.他涉嫌为这次凶杀案的同谋。
7 wade nMgzu     
v.跋涉,涉水;n.跋涉
参考例句:
  • We had to wade through the river to the opposite bank.我们只好涉水过河到对岸。
  • We cannot but wade across the river.我们只好趟水过去。
8 hoist rdizD     
n.升高,起重机,推动;v.升起,升高,举起
参考例句:
  • By using a hoist the movers were able to sling the piano to the third floor.搬运工人用吊车才把钢琴吊到3楼。
  • Hoist the Chinese flag on the flagpole,please!请在旗杆上升起中国国旗!
9 braced 4e05e688cf12c64dbb7ab31b49f741c5     
adj.拉牢的v.支住( brace的过去式和过去分词 );撑牢;使自己站稳;振作起来
参考例句:
  • They braced up the old house with balks of timber. 他们用梁木加固旧房子。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The house has a wooden frame which is braced with brick. 这幢房子是木结构的砖瓦房。 来自《简明英汉词典》
10 compartment dOFz6     
n.卧车包房,隔间;分隔的空间
参考例句:
  • We were glad to have the whole compartment to ourselves.真高兴,整个客车隔间由我们独享。
  • The batteries are safely enclosed in a watertight compartment.电池被安全地置于一个防水的隔间里。
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 ballot jujzB     
n.(不记名)投票,投票总数,投票权;vi.投票
参考例句:
  • The members have demanded a ballot.会员们要求投票表决。
  • The union said they will ballot members on whether to strike.工会称他们将要求会员投票表决是否罢工。
13 phantom T36zQ     
n.幻影,虚位,幽灵;adj.错觉的,幻影的,幽灵的
参考例句:
  • I found myself staring at her as if she were a phantom.我发现自己瞪大眼睛看着她,好像她是一个幽灵。
  • He is only a phantom of a king.他只是有名无实的国王。
14 battered NyezEM     
adj.磨损的;v.连续猛击;磨损
参考例句:
  • He drove up in a battered old car.他开着一辆又老又破的旧车。
  • The world was brutally battered but it survived.这个世界遭受了惨重的创伤,但它还是生存下来了。
15 wagon XhUwP     
n.四轮马车,手推车,面包车;无盖运货列车
参考例句:
  • We have to fork the hay into the wagon.我们得把干草用叉子挑进马车里去。
  • The muddy road bemired the wagon.马车陷入了泥泞的道路。
16 housekeeper 6q2zxl     
n.管理家务的主妇,女管家
参考例句:
  • A spotless stove told us that his mother is a diligent housekeeper.炉子清洁无瑕就表明他母亲是个勤劳的主妇。
  • She is an economical housekeeper and feeds her family cheaply.她节约持家,一家人吃得很省。
17 mashed Jotz5Y     
a.捣烂的
参考例句:
  • two scoops of mashed potato 两勺土豆泥
  • Just one scoop of mashed potato for me, please. 请给我盛一勺土豆泥。
18 helping 2rGzDc     
n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的,辅助的
参考例句:
  • The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
  • By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。
19 florist vj3xB     
n.花商;种花者
参考例句:
  • The florist bunched the flowers up.花匠把花捆成花束。
  • Could you stop at that florist shop over there?劳驾在那边花店停一下好不好?
20 ballots 06ecb554beff6a03babca6234edefde4     
n.投票表决( ballot的名词复数 );选举;选票;投票总数v.(使)投票表决( ballot的第三人称单数 )
参考例句:
  • They're counting the ballots. 他们正在计算选票。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The news of rigged ballots has rubbed off much of the shine of their election victory. 他们操纵选票的消息使他们在选举中获得的胜利大为减色。 来自《简明英汉词典》
21 cozy ozdx0     
adj.亲如手足的,密切的,暖和舒服的
参考例句:
  • I like blankets because they are cozy.我喜欢毛毯,因为他们是舒适的。
  • We spent a cozy evening chatting by the fire.我们在炉火旁聊天度过了一个舒适的晚上。
22 tallied 61a1841ec60066b24767ba76be257ac1     
v.计算,清点( tally的过去式和过去分词 );加标签(或标记)于;(使)符合;(使)吻合
参考例句:
  • The girl tallied them with her eyes for a moment. 新娘用目光把这些化妆品清点了一下。 来自教父部分
  • His account of the accident tallied with hers. 他对事故的陈述和她的相吻合。 来自辞典例句
23 margin 67Mzp     
n.页边空白;差额;余地,余裕;边,边缘
参考例句:
  • We allowed a margin of 20 minutes in catching the train.我们有20分钟的余地赶火车。
  • The village is situated at the margin of a forest.村子位于森林的边缘。
24 giggled 72ecd6e6dbf913b285d28ec3ba1edb12     
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》
25 sculptor 8Dyz4     
n.雕刻家,雕刻家
参考例句:
  • A sculptor forms her material.雕塑家把材料塑造成雕塑品。
  • The sculptor rounded the clay into a sphere.那位雕塑家把黏土做成了一个球状。
26 killing kpBziQ     
n.巨额利润;突然赚大钱,发大财
参考例句:
  • Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
  • Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。
27 tugging 1b03c4e07db34ec7462f2931af418753     
n.牵引感v.用力拉,使劲拉,猛扯( tug的现在分词 )
参考例句:
  • Tom was tugging at a button-hole and looking sheepish. 汤姆捏住一个钮扣眼使劲地拉,样子显得很害羞。 来自英汉文学 - 汤姆历险
  • She kicked him, tugging his thick hair. 她一边踢他,一边扯着他那浓密的头发。 来自辞典例句
28 floppy xjGx1     
adj.松软的,衰弱的
参考例句:
  • She was wearing a big floppy hat.她戴了顶松软的大帽子。
  • Can you copy those files onto this floppy disk?你能把那些文件复制到这张软盘上吗?
29 giggling 2712674ae81ec7e853724ef7e8c53df1     
v.咯咯地笑( giggle的现在分词 )
参考例句:
  • We just sat there giggling like naughty schoolchildren. 我们只是坐在那儿像调皮的小学生一样的咯咯地傻笑。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • I can't stand her giggling, she's so silly. 她吃吃地笑,叫我真受不了,那样子傻透了。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
30 shutter qEpy6     
n.百叶窗;(照相机)快门;关闭装置
参考例句:
  • The camera has a shutter speed of one-sixtieth of a second.这架照像机的快门速度达六十分之一秒。
  • The shutter rattled in the wind.百叶窗在风中发出嘎嘎声。
31 winced 7be9a27cb0995f7f6019956af354c6e4     
赶紧避开,畏缩( wince的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • He winced as the dog nipped his ankle. 狗咬了他的脚腕子,疼得他龇牙咧嘴。
  • He winced as a sharp pain shot through his left leg. 他左腿一阵剧痛疼得他直龇牙咧嘴。
32 reassured ff7466d942d18e727fb4d5473e62a235     
adj.使消除疑虑的;使放心的v.再保证,恢复信心( reassure的过去式和过去分词)
参考例句:
  • The captain's confidence during the storm reassured the passengers. 在风暴中船长的信念使旅客们恢复了信心。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
  • The doctor reassured the old lady. 医生叫那位老妇人放心。 来自《简明英汉词典》
33 brass DWbzI     
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。
34 plaque v25zB     
n.饰板,匾,(医)血小板
参考例句:
  • There is a commemorative plaque to the artist in the village hall.村公所里有一块纪念该艺术家的牌匾。
  • Some Latin words were engraved on the plaque. 牌匾上刻着些拉丁文。
35 streaks a961fa635c402b4952940a0218464c02     
n.(与周围有所不同的)条纹( streak的名词复数 );(通常指不好的)特征(倾向);(不断经历成功或失败的)一段时期v.快速移动( streak的第三人称单数 );使布满条纹
参考例句:
  • streaks of grey in her hair 她头上的绺绺白发
  • Bacon has streaks of fat and streaks of lean. 咸肉中有几层肥的和几层瘦的。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
36 engraved be672d34fc347de7d97da3537d2c3c95     
v.在(硬物)上雕刻(字,画等)( engrave的过去式和过去分词 );将某事物深深印在(记忆或头脑中)
参考例句:
  • The silver cup was engraved with his name. 银杯上刻有他的名字。
  • It was prettily engraved with flowers on the back. 此件雕刻精美,背面有花饰图案。 来自《简明英汉词典》

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