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儿童英语读物 The Secret of the Mask CHAPTER 10 The Thief Unmasked!

时间:2017-11-28 05:41:18

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(单词翻译)

The children pedaled so fast they were out of breath when they knocked on Grandma Belle1’s door. They waited, then knocked again. Nurse Rumple2 finally opened the door wearing rubber gloves and holding a giant bottle of cleaning spray. “Sssshh!” she said, smiling sweetly.

“We’ve come to see Grandma Belle,” said Jessie.

“The dear lady is napping.” The smell of cleaning spray and fresh popcorn3 drifted out of the house. “She mustn’t be disturbed. Please come back tomorrow.” She shut the door.

“Did you smell the popcorn?” asked Jessie.

“If she’s cleaning and Grandma Belle is napping, who is the popcorn for?” The children looked at each other.

Suddenly, Henry thought of something. “The popcorn isn’t for eating, it’s for packing! The nurse and the man in the truck are stealing from Grandma Belle!”

“I see,” said Jessie. “The nurse packs up all of Grandma Belle’s things and leaves them in the trash for the man in the orange truck to pick up.”

“We did see them talking on the street,” pointed4 out Violet.

“In front of the antique shop where we found Grandma Belle’s candleholder,” added Jessie.

“And we know the man in the truck isn’t a real junker,” said Benny.

Henry rang the bell again. It took Nurse Rumple a long while to answer. “You again?” she asked, a little less sweetly than before.

“We need to see Grandma Belle,” said Violet. “We have something very important we need to talk to her about.”

“I told you she’s napping.” Nurse Rumple sprayed and wiped the brass5 mailbox next to the front door. “And I sent her grandson to pick up some medicine.”

“We’ll wait,” said Jessie, trying to step inside. “We want to say goodbye to him.”

Nurse Rumple blocked the doorway6. “He won’t have time. As soon as he drops off the medicine, he’s catching7 a plane back to California.” She sprayed cleaning spray on the doorknob and door and then briskly rubbed them with a rag. “The new nurse arrives in a few hours. It would be better if you came back then. Right now, I am the only one here.” She held up the cleaning spray and sponge. “As you can see, I have work to do. I am very, very busy.” She began closing the door.

Jessie stopped it with her hand. “We need to borrow something,” she said. “Grandma Belle’s silver candleholder.”

Nurse Rumple’s face turned as white as her uniform. “I … I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“It’s big,” Jessie said, “and holds five candles.”

“I’ve certainly never seen anything like that. It’s probably out with all the other junk in the garage.”

“Then will you let us into the garage,” said Henry, “so we can look for it?”

“I … I don’t have the key. Grandma Belle’s grandson put it away someplace. Now, I have no time, no time at all. I insist you do not disturb us again.” This time, when she shut the door, they heard the loud click of the lock.

The children walked down the front steps, but they didn’t get on their bikes. “I don’t trust Nurse Rumple alone with all of Grandma Belle’s things,” said Violet. “I don’t want to leave here until her grandson comes back.”

“Follow me,” said Henry, walking quietly around the side of the house. “We need to take a look at that garage.”

They peeked8 in the garage window. Every inch of space was crammed9 with old tables and chairs, dishes and silverware. White boxes were stacked near the door. A black clay pot rested inside a box on a bed of popcorn. “That’s like the pot the woman was making at the powwow today,” said Violet.

Jessie burned with anger. “Nurse Rumple didn’t move these from the house because they were too much clutter10. She moved them so they’d be easier to steal!”

Suddenly, the back door to the house jerked open. “Quick!” Henry said, leading them across the alley11 where they hid behind a neighbor’s garage. They peeked out as Nurse Rumple hurried to the garage carrying a green garbage bag. She unlocked the garage door and disappeared inside.

“She does have the garage key,” said Benny. “She lied.”

A few minutes later, Nurse Rumple carried a white box out to a trash can and placed it gently inside. She went back into the garage and a minute later brought out two more white boxes to put in the trash. Pretty soon, the can was so full that the lid barely fit on the top of the can. Her cell phone rang.

“Yes?” she snapped. “What! He’s done already? I thought I gave her grandson plenty of chores to keep him busy. All right, all right, get over here, now. Yes, right now! We have to get all of this stuff out of here before the new nurse comes. I’ll keep him busy in the house until you pick up the goods.” She hurried back up the walk to the house.

As soon as the back door closed, the children ran to the trash cans and peered inside. Every can was filled to the brim with white boxes. The trash cans smelled like fresh-popped corn.

“She’s been stealing Grandma Belle’s wonderful things,” said Violet. “We have to stop her.”

They ran around to the garage. In her hurry, Nurse Rumple had left the door unlocked. The children quickly ducked inside. They heard a truck rumble12 down the alley and stop outside the garage. Henry peered out the small window. “It’s the orange truck,” he whispered. “He and Nurse Rumple are working together.”

Jessie jumped up. “I’m going to call Officer Morgan.”

Henry grabbed her arm. “Tell him to get here right away.”

“Please hurry!” said Violet.

Jessie took off, running at top speed through the yard, cutting across to where they’d seen the mother and toddler out in front. The others watched, not daring to breathe until she was safely out of sight.

Benny climbed up on an old box, trying to see out the window. He watched the man with the beard climb out of the truck and walk to the trash cans. Suddenly, the box crumpled13 under him and Benny fell with a loud thud. The driver stopped, tilting14 his head, listening. The children ducked down, freezing like statues under the window.

What if the man came into the garage? What if he found them? Henry crawled to the door. He quietly pushed it closed, turning the lock good and tight. He crawled back under the window, and pressed his back against the wall to huddle15 down with the others.

Heavy footsteps. Someone brushed against the window! The children felt sure he could hear their hearts beating. Sunshine behind the man cast his shadow as he peered in. The shadow looked left, then right. After a few moments, it disappeared. The children stared at the doorknob. It jerked left and right, left and right. For a moment everything went still, then footsteps tramped back around the garage and out to the alley.

They listened to the clatter16 of trash can lids, the opening and closing of the pickup17 truck doors. “Do you think Jessie reached Officer Morgan?” whispered Violet. The truck engine roared, and the pickup drove off.

“Oh, no,” said Benny. “He’s getting away!” In a flash, Henry unlocked the door and yanked it open, just as Nurse Rumple banged a suitcase down the back stairs.

“What!” She gasped18, staring at Henry. “What are you doing here?”

“Hide,” Henry whispered to the others. Violet and Benny ducked behind an old chair. Henry stood guarding the doorway.

“Get out!” yelled Nurse Rumple, hurrying toward the garage, clacking the suitcase behind her. “Get out of my garage!”

“This is not your garage,” Henry said.

“Don’t you talk back to me, young man,” she said, wagging a finger in his face. “Don’t you—”

“Go!” shouted Henry. Violet and Benny jumped from behind the chair and dashed past Nurse Rumple, not stopping until they were inside Grandma Belle’s house. They quickly locked the door.

Nurse Rumple spun19 around, not sure where to turn first. “You … you little thieves. I’ll call the police. I’ll—”

“Yes,” said Henry. “Call the police. In fact, you don’t have to. My sister has already taken care of that.”

With that news, Nurse Rumple turned and ran across the backyard. In seconds, four Greenfield police cars—their sirens blaring—squealed up to the house with Officer Morgan’s car close behind. Henry dashed to the front. “She went that way!” he yelled as he directed the police through the backyard.

Benny ran to Officer Morgan. “You have to hurry,” he said. “The man in the orange truck is getting away.”

“An orange truck should be easy enough to find.” Officer Morgan phoned in an alert.

Grandma Belle’s grandson pulled into the driveway. He looked very frightened.

“What’s wrong? Why are the police here? Has something happened to Grandma?”

“I’m fine, dear, I’m fine.” Grandma Belle smiled, waving as Violet pushed her wheelchair onto the porch. “I napped right through all the excitement. Thank goodness these wonderful children were here.”

The police returned with the nurse in handcuffs. “Found her trying to escape down the alley on the next block,” one of them said, leading her away.

“Where are they taking Nurse Rumple?” asked the grandson.

“She’s no nurse,” said Benny. “She’s a thief!”

“That she is,” said Officer Morgan. “My friend has been on her trail all week.”

Violet stared at the man climbing out of Officer Morgan’s car, the man with the braid down his back and the silver bracelet20. “Children,” said Officer Morgan. “I’d like you to meet Ahote, chief detective of the Hopi tribal21 police.”

It was Benny’s idea to serve Nurse Rumple’s big bag of popcorn. “I know I can’t eat packing corn because it’s stale,” he said, “but this was just popped.” The children quickly arranged a picnic on Grandma Belle’s front porch. Violet poured everyone an ice-cold glass of water just as Grandma Belle’s grandson came out of the house.

“I’m staying for a few days,” he said, “just to be sure you’re all right.”

Ahote came around from the garage, pulling a wagon22 filled with Hopi treasures. He sat on the steps next to the children.

“You have done something very important, today,” he told them. “Rumple and her brother, the man in the orange truck, are wanted by police in eight states. She pretends to be a nurse and finds jobs taking care of people like Grandma Belle. Then she and her brother steal everything they can, and move on. She never left fingerprints23, so the police didn’t know who she was.”

“That’s why she was scrubbing everything,” said Jessie, “to erase24 her fingerprints.”

Ahote nodded. “I came to Greenfield for the powwow and saw one of our sacred masks in an antique shop window. The owner wouldn’t tell me where she got it until I showed her my police badge. She found the receipt but it had no name or address, just ‘Locust25 Street.’ The shop owner gave me the mask in a white box. I decided26 to drive along Locust, and I saw you pulling a white box in your wagon. I followed you.”

“You came to our yard sale looking for more masks,” said Benny.

“Yes. Your sister said you’d had a mask for sale but by the time I came it was gone. I thought you’d sold it.”

“No. I wanted to keep it,” said Benny. “I put it in the garage. But then it was stolen.”

“By the man in the orange truck,” Henry decided. “Watch, our dog, must have tried to stop him. He chased the thief around the garage, then into the alley. I think the thief threw the box with the popcorn at Watch to keep him busy long enough for him to escape.”

“Did you really think we were selling stolen kachinas?” asked Violet.

Ahote’s cheeks reddened. “The evidence did point that way. Luckily, you caught the real thief.”

“I feel so silly,” said Grandma Belle. She looked lovingly at the beautiful items in the wagon. “I never even suspected what was going on.”

“Rumple was very good at what she did,” said Officer Morgan. “She’s fooled many people over many years.”

Gently, Ahote took Grandma Belle’s hand. “Your father’s collection—the kachina masks and clay pots—did not belong to him. They belonged—they still belong—to the Hopi people.”

The old woman’s eyes grew wet with tears. “He didn’t know. He was just a young boy, playing in the land near his home. He found things the way any child might. My father was a good and honest man. He would never keep something that belonged to someone else. Nor would he want me to. She patted Ahote’s hand. “Please take back everything that is yours. And, tell the people from your tribe that we meant no harm.”

The powwow was one of the greatest days ever! Grandfather came, and Grandma Belle and her grandson. The children walked along with Officer Morgan, taking a taste of every food Benny brought them. Violet spent the afternoon making a beaded necklace, and Jessie learned to shoot a bow and arrow. Henry entered a footrace that went all around the park three times. He came in tenth place, which was very good for a boy of fourteen.

Finally, it grew dark. “I must go,” said Grandma Belle. “I’ve decided to live with my grandson in California.” She smiled at Henry. “When I saw how beautiful you made my garden, I realized my house needs young people to care for it. You are all invited to come for a visit as soon as you can.”

They promised they would, then went to meet Ahote and the Hopi elders around the great bonfire. “I’ll be right there,” said Henry, running to Grandfather’s car and returning with a large bag.

“Thank you for returning our treasures to us,” said Ahote. “The elders asked me to invite you to sit next to us.”

As the bonfire sparks flew up into the night sky, the children watched many dances and listened to beautiful songs. It was late when Grandfather said it was time to go.

“Just one minute,” said Violet. Although she was usually shy in crowds, she took the bag from Henry and stood in front of Ahote and the Hopi tribe. “We would like to give these gifts to you,” she said. And, with that, she opened the bag and took out the rain-sticks the children had made.

“These are wonderful gifts,” said Ahote. “We promise to use them. Back home in Arizona it has been a very dry season, even for the desert. We need rain.”

Benny jumped up. “Let me show you how they work,” he said, turning his rainstick slowly until the popcorn kernels27 fell down against the nails. “See, it sounds like rain.”

Suddenly, they heard the long low rumble of distant thunder.

“Oh,” said Benny. The others tried not to laugh as he quickly put down the rainstick. “M … m … maybe,” he said softly, “you should put these away until you get back home.”


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点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 belle MQly5     
n.靓女
参考例句:
  • She was the belle of her Sunday School class.在主日学校她是她们班的班花。
  • She was the belle of the ball.她是那个舞会中的美女。
2 rumple thmym     
v.弄皱,弄乱;n.褶纹,皱褶
参考例句:
  • Besides,he would tug at the ribbons of her bonnet and,no doubt,rumple her dress.此外,他还拉扯她帽子上的饰带,当然也会弄皱她的衣裙。
  • You mustn't play in your new skirt,you'll rumple it.你千万不要穿着新裙子去玩耍,你会把它弄皱的。
3 popcorn 8lUzJI     
n.爆米花
参考例句:
  • I like to eat popcorn when I am watching TV play at home.当我在家观看电视剧时,喜欢吃爆米花。
  • He still stood behind his cash register stuffing his mouth with popcorn.他仍站在收银机后,嘴里塞满了爆米花。
4 pointed Il8zB4     
adj.尖的,直截了当的
参考例句:
  • He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
  • She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。
5 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。
6 doorway 2s0xK     
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。
7 catching cwVztY     
adj.易传染的,有魅力的,迷人的,接住
参考例句:
  • There are those who think eczema is catching.有人就是认为湿疹会传染。
  • Enthusiasm is very catching.热情非常富有感染力。
8 peeked c7b2fdc08abef3a4f4992d9023ed9bb8     
v.很快地看( peek的过去式和过去分词 );偷看;窥视;微露出
参考例句:
  • She peeked over the top of her menu. 她从菜单上往外偷看。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • On two occasions she had peeked at him through a crack in the wall. 她曾两次透过墙缝窥视他。 来自辞典例句
9 crammed e1bc42dc0400ef06f7a53f27695395ce     
adj.塞满的,挤满的;大口地吃;快速贪婪地吃v.把…塞满;填入;临时抱佛脚( cram的过去式)
参考例句:
  • He crammed eight people into his car. 他往他的车里硬塞进八个人。
  • All the shelves were crammed with books. 所有的架子上都堆满了书。
10 clutter HWoym     
n.零乱,杂乱;vt.弄乱,把…弄得杂乱
参考例句:
  • The garage is in such a clutter that we can't find anything.车库如此凌乱,我们什么也找不到。
  • We'll have to clear up all this clutter.我们得把这一切凌乱的东西整理清楚。
11 alley Cx2zK     
n.小巷,胡同;小径,小路
参考例句:
  • We live in the same alley.我们住在同一条小巷里。
  • The blind alley ended in a brick wall.这条死胡同的尽头是砖墙。
12 rumble PCXzd     
n.隆隆声;吵嚷;v.隆隆响;低沉地说
参考例句:
  • I hear the rumble of thunder in the distance.我听到远处雷声隆隆。
  • We could tell from the rumble of the thunder that rain was coming.我们根据雷的轰隆声可断定,天要下雨了。
13 crumpled crumpled     
adj. 弯扭的, 变皱的 动词crumple的过去式和过去分词形式
参考例句:
  • She crumpled the letter up into a ball and threw it on the fire. 她把那封信揉成一团扔进了火里。
  • She flattened out the crumpled letter on the desk. 她在写字台上把皱巴巴的信展平。
14 tilting f68c899ac9ba435686dcb0f12e2bbb17     
倾斜,倾卸
参考例句:
  • For some reason he thinks everyone is out to get him, but he's really just tilting at windmills. 不知为什么他觉得每个人都想害他,但其实他不过是在庸人自扰。
  • So let us stop bickering within our ranks.Stop tilting at windmills. 所以,让我们结束内部间的争吵吧!再也不要去做同风车作战的蠢事了。
15 huddle s5UyT     
vi.挤作一团;蜷缩;vt.聚集;n.挤在一起的人
参考例句:
  • They like living in a huddle.他们喜欢杂居在一起。
  • The cold wind made the boy huddle inside his coat.寒风使这个男孩卷缩在他的外衣里。
16 clatter 3bay7     
v./n.(使)发出连续而清脆的撞击声
参考例句:
  • The dishes and bowls slid together with a clatter.碟子碗碰得丁丁当当的。
  • Don't clatter your knives and forks.别把刀叉碰得咔哒响。
17 pickup ANkxA     
n.拾起,获得
参考例句:
  • I would love to trade this car for a pickup truck.我愿意用这辆汽车换一辆小型轻便卡车。||The luck guy is a choice pickup for the girls.那位幸运的男孩是女孩子们想勾搭上的人。
18 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》
19 spun kvjwT     
v.纺,杜撰,急转身
参考例句:
  • His grandmother spun him a yarn at the fire.他奶奶在火炉边给他讲故事。
  • Her skilful fingers spun the wool out to a fine thread.她那灵巧的手指把羊毛纺成了细毛线。
20 bracelet nWdzD     
n.手镯,臂镯
参考例句:
  • The jeweler charges lots of money to set diamonds in a bracelet.珠宝匠要很多钱才肯把钻石镶在手镯上。
  • She left her gold bracelet as a pledge.她留下她的金手镯作抵押品。
21 tribal ifwzzw     
adj.部族的,种族的
参考例句:
  • He became skilled in several tribal lingoes.他精通几种部族的语言。
  • The country was torn apart by fierce tribal hostilities.那个国家被部落间的激烈冲突弄得四分五裂。
22 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。
23 fingerprints 9b456c81cc868e5bdf3958245615450b     
n.指纹( fingerprint的名词复数 )v.指纹( fingerprint的第三人称单数 )
参考例句:
  • Everyone's fingerprints are unique. 每个人的指纹都是独一无二的。
  • They wore gloves so as not to leave any fingerprints behind (them). 他们戴着手套,以免留下指纹。 来自《简明英汉词典》
24 erase woMxN     
v.擦掉;消除某事物的痕迹
参考例句:
  • He tried to erase the idea from his mind.他试图从头脑中抹掉这个想法。
  • Please erase my name from the list.请把我的名字从名单上擦去。
25 locust m8Dzk     
n.蝗虫;洋槐,刺槐
参考例句:
  • A locust is a kind of destructive insect.蝗虫是一种害虫。
  • This illustration shows a vertical section through the locust.本图所示为蝗虫的纵剖面。
26 decided lvqzZd     
adj.决定了的,坚决的;明显的,明确的
参考例句:
  • This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
  • There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。
27 kernels d01b84fda507090bbbb626ee421da586     
谷粒( kernel的名词复数 ); 仁; 核; 要点
参考例句:
  • These stones contain kernels. 这些核中有仁。
  • Resolving kernels and standard errors can also be computed for each block. 还可以计算每个块体的分辨核和标准误差。

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