(单词翻译:单击)
听力文本
Welcome to Words and Their Stories, a VOA Learning English program.
This week we continue learning about cold weather expressions with the story "Mystery at The Ice Castle Inn."
In the first part of our story, we met the characters: Madeline, the teacher; Vincent, the athlete; Sylvia, the actress; and Major Jack, the ex-military man.
They have all traveled to The Ice Castle Inn. This mountain inn is a popular vacation spot for birdwatchers.
However, a cold snap has blown through the mountains, snowing them in. This is an extreme and unexpected drop in temperature, so no one is prepared. They have been trapped inside the castle for several days.
When people are stuck inside together with nothing to do, they naturally begin talking about themselves.
Very quickly, small facts about a person snowball into a bigger picture of them. What this means is that these little facts collect more little facts -- like a snowball collecting more and more snow as it rolls downhill. Soon, it becomes a big ball of facts, rolling quickly down the hill, threatening to destroy everything in its path!
But I am getting ahead of myself.
One of these small facts is this: no one here is actually interested in birds.
Our four travelers gather inside by the fireplace. The inn's housekeeper puts a log into the fire. The group does not notice her as she pours more hot cocoa into their empty mugs. You see, they are the kind of people who never really notice the servants.
No one is talking. The four guests have avoided each other for several days. But now they are forced together by the warmth of the only working fireplace and the promise of hot cocoa.
After all, the inn is quite cold and uncomfortable. Only candles light the rooms. The rugs are so thin that the stone floor underneath shows. Some of the windows are cracked, letting the winter storm blow right through.
The castle looks the same way it did a hundred years ago. It is a place frozen in time.
Finally, Sylvia, the actress, breaks the ice by talking about the winter storm raging outside. Talking about the weather is a common ice-breaker that can bring strangers together. It gives them something to talk about.
"This cold snap is lasting a long time! When will we be able to leave?"
Sylvia says this to no one in particular. But the teacher, Madeline, responds. "Yes, when can we leave? I am tired of sitting around in this cold, drafty castle."
"I have an idea," Vincent, the handsome athlete, says to the young teacher. "Why don't you join me for a walk in the castle."
Madeline stares at him with her cold, green eyes and says, "That will happen when hell freezes over."
At that, the actress, Sylvia, laughs out loud. "Well, that is a much better way of saying ‘absolutely not!'"
Vincent realizes that he is now on thin ice with both women. He is not really in danger. Rather, he is now on very uncertain terms with them. The room suddenly drops a couple more degrees -- and not from the weather.
Major Jack feels sorry for Vincent after the women freeze him out, or make him feel unwelcome. So, the military man offers him a cigarette. Vincent shakes his head no. He says he quit cold turkey last year. The major says he admires the athlete's accomplishment. He adds that he has never been able to quit smoking all at once.
"Well, perhaps you don't have the mental strength that I do," Vincent says.
Major Jack regrets trying to help such a cold-hearted man.
He turns his attention to Sylvia. He tells her he likes her voice very much. Most women would melt at his words. But for Sylvia they cut no ice. His words have no effect. Her once-friendly voice turns to ice as she says, "What shall I do next, sing for you?"
He shudders, not from the temperature of the room but from her icy stare. He thinks to himself that the attractive actress can certainly be an ice queen when she wants to be.
At this point, it is fair to say that the conversations among the group are not going well. Outside, the temperature is dropping. Everything is frozen solid. Inside, the entire inn is in a different kind of deep freeze. Everyone sits in silence.
They stare at the fire as it makes crackling noises in the fireplace. Next to it, only a few logs of wood remain.
The treasure hunt
This is when the very quiet housekeeper breaks the stone cold silence. She straightens her back, takes off her apron and pushes her gray hair back into place.
"If I may have your attention," she says to the group. Her voice cuts through the coldness that hangs in the air.
"The owner of the inn has planned an interesting game for you, our special guests, to play."
Vincent quickly throws cold water on the idea. He laughs and says coldly, "I'm not a child. I don't play games."
"You may want to change your mind, young man. This game is a kind of treasure hunt," the housekeeper says.
She is standing in front of the group and no longer seems like "just" a servant. She now has control of the room. When they hear the word "treasure," they pay close attention to the housekeeper for the first time since their arrival.
She places a large wooden box on the table. It is labeled "Treasure Hunt."
She explains: "In this box are four envelopes marked with each person's name. In the envelope are clues. If you follow the clues correctly, you will find your treasure!"
They all agree to play. They are thinking that finding some cold, hard cash would be a really nice treasure.
They pick their envelopes and read the clues carefully. Then, each person travels through the empty hallways and rooms of the otherwise deserted castle.
Three hours later, the sun sinks behind the cold mountains. The four treasure-seekers return to the fireplace. The housekeeper is waiting. She motions with her hand for them to sit by the fire. And, one by one, she asks them to reveal their treasure.
The "treasures"
Madeline is first. "My treasure is a framed termination letter? I don't understand. I am being fired for something?" The calm in her eyes is gone and for the first time she is nervous.
Vincent is not confused or nervous. He is simply angry. "My treasure a bride's white wedding veil." He throws the thin, white piece of fabric into the air.
Major Jack takes out what he found -- a military medal. He reads the writing on the front: "For brave service in battle." He looks as if he has seen a ghost.
Sylvia's "treasure" is a pink baby's rattle. With a haunted look on her face, she shakes it slowly and sadly.
Confusion and tension fill the room. Finally Sylvia, who is standing by the fire as if she were on stage, says what everyone is thinking.
"Okay this is too much! And it isn't funny! Why are we here? And who is teasing us with these so-called treasures?"
The housekeeper begins to speak, but suddenly she stops. A terrible sound - part human, part animal, howling from a room above them -- freezes their blood cold.
And that is we will leave part two of our story. Join us next week for the exciting conclusion of Mystery at The Ice Castle Inn on Words and Their Stories!
I'm Anna Matteo.
重点解析
1.when hell freezes over 地狱结冰的时候;绝不可能
I'll believe the story when hell freezes over.
我绝不相信这种事。
2.on thin ice 冒风险;如履薄冰
I had skated on thin ice and, so far, got away with it.
我曾经冒过很大风险，但目前为止侥幸没事。
3.cold turkey 冷火鸡；突然完全戒毒或戒烟；冷火鸡法
He said he realized he had an addictive personality and quit drinking cold turkey.
他说他意识到他曾沉迷于酒精中并且戒掉了这个不好的习惯。
4.cut no ice 美国口语不起作用；没有影响；没有意义
What you did cut no ice with your master.
你的话对你的师傅不起作用。
参考译文
a欢迎来到VOA学英语《词汇掌故》节目。
本周我们继续借用“冰雪旅店之谜”的故事学习关于寒冷天气的表达。
在故事的第一部分，我们知道了人物：教师玛德琳；运动员文森特；女演员西尔维娅；退伍军人少校杰克。
他们都去了冰雪城堡旅店。这座山上的旅店是一个受观鸟者欢迎的度假胜地。
然而，一股突如其来的寒流经此山峰，他们被雪困住了。这是一场出乎意料的大降温，因此，没有人有所防备。他们已经被困城堡几天了。
当人们聚集在一起无事可做的时候，他们很自然就彼此交谈起来。
很快，关于每个人的事实的片段慢慢积攒成大一点的画面。这意味着这些零星的事实聚集起更多的事实，下一个不断滚动的雪球积聚了越来越多的雪。不久，就形成了一个关于事实的“大雪球”，快速滚下山坡，危及毁灭其途经的一切！
但我要提前申明一点。
其中一个事实就是：实际上没人对观鸟感兴趣。
我们的四位旅客聚集在壁炉旁。旅店的管家给壁炉添了一根柴火。这群人没有注意到管家给他们空了的马克杯添了热可可。你知道，他们是一群从不关注服务人员的那类人。
没人说话。这四位客人已经数天避见彼此。但是现在，他们因为唯一可以取暖的壁炉和应允的热可可而不得不聚集在一起。
毕竟，这家旅店特别冷且没有舒适感。只有蜡烛点亮着房间。地毯单薄到能看见下面的石头地板。一些窗户破败了，冷风正好从这些裂缝里吹进来。
这座城堡看起来和几百年前一样。这是一个仿佛时间静止的地方。
最后，演员西尔维娅打破了沉寂（break the ice），她聊起了外面肆虐的暴风雪。谈论天气是让陌生人熟络起来的常见破冰手段，给他们提供了可聊的话题。
“这股寒流持续时间好长啊！什么时候我们才能离开这里呢？”
西尔维娅这话不是特地对谁说的，但教师玛德琳答了话：“是的，什么时候能离开？我已经厌倦了在这座寒冷透风的城堡闲坐了。”
“我有个主意，”帅气的运动员文森特对这位年轻的教师说道。“何不你和我一起在这城堡里散散步。”
玛德琳用她那清冷的碧眸凝视着他，说道：“除非地狱结冰（那绝不可能）。”
西尔维娅对此大声笑了出来。“好吧，这比说'绝不'要好得多！”
文森特意识到他现在和这两个女人的关系都如履薄冰。他没有真得很危险。然而，他现在和她们的相处关系极其不确定。这个房间的气氛突然又降了几度，不是说天气方面。
在女人们冷落文森特或者说让文森特觉得自己不受欢迎之后，少校杰克替他感到难过。所以，这位军人递给他一根烟。文森特摇头以示拒绝。他说他去年彻底戒烟（cold turkey）了。少校说他钦佩运动员能戒烟成功。他还说他绝做不到立马戒烟。
“嗯，也许你没有我的意志力，”文森特说道。
少校后悔帮助这个冷漠的男人了。
他把注意力转移到了西尔维娅身上。他告诉西尔维娅他很喜欢他的声音。大多数女人会被他的话打动。但对于西尔维娅来说，这话丝毫没用。他的话没有效果。她那一度亲切的语调变得冷冰冰，她说道：“那接下来我得唱首歌给你听？”
他颤抖了，不是因为房间的温度，而是她那冰冷犀利的眼神令他害怕。他心想：这位迷人的演员绝对可以在任何她想的时候变成冰雪女王。
基于这些，可以说这小群人之间的交谈进行得不太顺利。屋外，气温还在下降。一切都冻得坚硬。屋内，整座城堡正处于另一种不同程度的低温。每个人都静静地坐着。
他们都望着壁炉里的火苗发出噼里啪啦的声音。在火旁，只剩下几根木柴。
寻宝
这时，安静的管家打破了冰冷的沉默。她挺直了背，脱下围裙，把灰白的头发理回原处。
“请允许我打扰一下，”她对这群人说道。她的声音划破了空气中的寂寥。
“旅店的主人为我们的特别来宾们准备了一个有趣的游戏。”
文森特立刻对这个主意泼冷水（throw cold water）。他笑了并冷冷地说道：“我不是小孩，我不玩游戏。”
“你也许会想改变主意的，年轻人。这是个寻宝类的游戏，”管家说。
她站在这群人的前面，看起来似乎不仅仅是一个侍者。她现在控制了整个房间。当他们听见“宝物”这个词，他们向这位管家投向了自他们住进来之后的第一次关注的目光。
她在桌上放了一个大木盒子。上面有个标签写着“寻宝游戏”。
她解释道：“在这个盒子里，有四个信封分别写着每个人的名字。信封里有线索。如果你正确地遵循线索，你就会找到你的宝物！”
他们都同意玩这个游戏。他们都认为找到一些突现的现金会是不错的宝物。
他们打开看他们的信封，仔细阅读了线索。然后，每个人都穿过空旷的走廊和城堡里余下的空无一人的房间。
三个小时之后，冷山后的太阳落下去了。四位寻宝人回到了壁炉旁。管家正在等着他们的到来。她用手示意他们坐在火边。然后，一个接一个，她让他们展示他们的宝物。
宝物
玛德琳是第一个。我的宝物是一封装裱好的辞退信？我不明白。我为什么被炒了？”她眼里的镇定第一次消失了，她很紧张。
文森特没有困惑亦或紧张。他只是很生气。“我的宝物是一个新娘的白色头纱。”他把那薄薄的白色织物扔向了空中。
少校杰克拿出了他发现的东西——一枚军章。他读了下前面的字：“英勇作战之奖”。他看着这枚军章像见了鬼似的。
西尔维娅的“宝物”是一只粉色的婴儿拨浪鼓。她神情迷离，悲伤地摇动着拨浪鼓。
疑惑与紧张的氛围弥漫着整个房间。最后西尔维娅，站在壁炉旁仿若站在舞台上的西尔维娅说出了大家都在思索的话。
“好了，这太过分了！这一点也不好玩！我们为什么会来到这里？谁拿这些所谓的宝贝来戏弄我们？”
管家欲言又止。一个可怕的声音——半人半兽的声音，在他们楼上的房间里哀嚎，这声音令他们毛骨悚然（freeze their blood cold）。
故事的第二部分先到这里。收听我们下周《词汇掌故》令人兴奋的“冰雪旅店之谜”结局吧！
我是安娜•马特奥。
