(单词翻译:单击)
课文
【课文】
Lesson 24 A skeleton in the cupboard家丑
Listen to the tape then answer the question below.
听录音，然后回答以下问题。
Who was Sebastian?
We often read in novels how a seemingly respectable person or family has some terrible secret which has been concealed from strangers for years. The English language possesses a vivid saying to describe this sort of situation. The terrible secret is called 'a skeleton in the cupboard'. At some dramatic moment in the story, the terrible secret becomes known and a reputation is ruined. The reader's hair stands on end when he reads in the final pages of the novel that the heroine a dear old lady who had always been so kind to everybody, had, in her youth, poisoned every one of her five husbands.
It is all very well for such things to occur in fiction. To varying degrees, we all have secrets which we do not want even our closest friends to learn, but few of us have skeletons in the cupboard. The only person I know who has a skeleton in the cupboard is George Carlton, and he is very proud of the fact. George studied medicine in his youth. Instead of becoming a doctor, however, he became a successful writer of detective stories. I once spend an uncomfortable weekend which I shall never forget at his house. George showed me to the guestroom which, he said, was rarely used. He told me to unpack my things and then come down to dinner. After I had stacked my shirts and underclothes in two empty drawers, I decided to hang one of the tow suits I had brought with me in the cupboard. I opened the cupboard door and then stood in front of two suits I had brought with me in the cupboard. I opened the cupboard door and then stood in front of it suits I had brought with me in the cupboard. I opened the cupboard door and then stood in front of it petrified. A skeleton was dangling before my eyes. The sudden movement of the door made it sway slightly and it gave me the impression that it was about to leap out at me. Dropping my suit, I dashed downstairs to tell George. This was worse than "a terrible secret'; this was a read skeleton! But George was unsympathetic. 'Oh, that,' he said with a smile as if he were talking about an old friend. 'That's Sebastian. You forget that I was a medical student once upon a time.'
参考译文
【参考译文】
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。英语中有一个生动的说法来形容这种情况。惊人的秘密称作柜中骷髅。在小说的某个戏剧性时刻，可怕的秘密泄漏出来，接着便是某人的声誉扫地。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。
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， 但我们当中极少有人有柜中骷髅。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。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。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。乔治把我领进客房，说这间很少使用。他让我打开行装后下楼吃饭。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。我打开柜门，站在柜门前一下惊呆了。一具骷髅悬挂在眼前，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。我扔下西服冲下楼去告诉乔治。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！但乔治却无动于衷。噢，是它呀！他笑着说道，俨然在谈论一位老朋友。那是塞巴斯蒂安。你忘了我以前是学医的了。
词汇讲解
1.skeleton n.骷髅
2.seemingly adv.表面上地
例句：A subtle resource can often solve the seemingly impossible problem.
一个巧妙的办法经常会使那种看起来很难对付的问题迎刃而解。
3.respectable adj.体面的，雅观的
例句：Theirs is a respectable family.
他们不是什么低三下四的人家。
4.conceal v.隐藏，隐瞒
例句：She couldn't conceal her envy of my success.
她掩饰不了对我成功的嫉妒。
5.vivid adj.生动的
例句：She described the earthquake's destruction in vivid detail.
她绘声绘色地描述了地震的破坏力。
6.dramatic adj.令人激动的，扣人心弦的
例句：one of the most dramatic moments in Polish history.
波兰历史上最激动人心的时刻之一。
7.ruin v.毁坏
例句：It led to a severe lack of food and economic ruin in many areas, especially in Africa.
这在很多地区，尤其是非洲，引发了严重的食物短缺和经济崩溃问题。
8.heroine n.女主人公
9.fiction n.小说
10.varying adj.不同的
11.medicine n.医学
12.guestroom n.（家庭中的）来客住房
13.unpack vt.（从箱中）取出
14.stack v.（整齐地）堆放，排放
15.underclothes n.内衣
16.drawer n.抽屉
17.petrify v.使惊呆
18.dangle v.悬挂
19.sway v.摇摆
例句：It was difficult to sway John over to our side because of his fierce loyalty to the boss.
让约翰倒向我们这边很不容易，他对自己的老板忠心耿耿。
20.unsympathetic adj.不表同情的，无动于衷的
21.medical adj. 医学的
课文讲解
【课文讲解】
1.We often read in novels how a seemingly respectable person or family has some terrible secret which has been concealed from strangers for years.
参考翻译：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。
讲解：这句话的主语和谓语是We read，in novels是状语。How引导的是宾语从句。which引导的是定语从句，修饰secret。seemingly是副词，表面上地。
2.The English language possesses a vivid saying to describe this sort of situation.
参考翻译：英语中有一个生动的说法来形容这种情况。
讲解：to describe this sort of situation动词不定式做后置定语，修饰saying。
3.The reader's hair stands on end when he reads in the final pages of the novel that the heroine a dear old lady who had always been so kind to everybody, had, in her youth, poisoned every one of her five husbands.
参考翻译：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。
讲解：(1)one's hair stands on end毛骨悚然 make sb's hair stand on end使某人感到毛骨悚然
on end 1. 竖着，直立着 2. 连续（不断）地，接连地
He was traveling around the world for months on end.
几个月来他马不停蹄地周游世界。
(2)when he reads……是状语从句。that the heroine……是宾语从句。a dear old lady和heroine是同位语。who had always been so kind是定语从句，修饰old lady。
4.It is all very well for such things to occur in fiction.
参考翻译：这种事发生在小说中是无可非议的。
讲解：It形式主语
5.To varying degrees, we all have secrets which we do not want even our closest friends to learn, but few of us have skeletons in the cupboard.
参考翻译：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， 但我们当中极少有人有柜中骷髅。
讲解：To varying degrees不同程度地 which we do not……引导宾语从句，修饰secrets。
6.The only person I know who has a skeleton in the cupboard is George Carlton, and he is very proud of the fact.
参考翻译：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。
讲解：who has a skeleton……是定语从句，修饰The only person。I know是定语从句，也是修饰The only person。
7.The sudden movement of the door made it sway slightly and it gave me the impression that it was about to leap out at me.
参考翻译：一具骷髅悬挂在眼前，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。
讲解：同位语从句，指代 impression。
8. Dropping my suit, I dashed downstairs to tell George.
参考翻译：我扔下西服冲下楼去告诉乔治。
讲解：Dropping my suit是现在分词作伴随状语。
语法点
【语法点】
同位语从句
同位语从句的基本用法
在复合句主句中名词性成分之后与该名词性成分并列， 补充说明该名词性成分的有关情况的名词性从句， 被称为同位语从句。同位语从句的先行词通常为answer, hope, fact, truth, belief, news, idea, promise, information, conclusion, order, suggestion, problem, question, thought, report, belief, decision, doubt, opinion, theory等抽象名词。例如： The news that his heath is failing made us sad. 他健康状况不佳的消息使我们很难过。// I have no idea where they are spending their holidays. 我不知道他们在哪里度假。// The question who should do the work requires consideration.谁该干这项工作的问题需要考虑。// There is no doubt that he will come here again.他会再来这里， 这是毫无疑问的。// He was tortured by the doubt whether he would accept their presents.他被是否接受他们的礼物这个疑虑所折磨着。
掌握同位语从句的用法要注意以下两个问题：
1. 同位语从句有时可以不紧跟在它所说明的名词后面， 而是被别的词隔开， 以使得整个句子的结构显得平衡。例如：
He got the news from Mary that the sports meeting was put off. 他从玛丽那里获知了运动会被推迟的消息。// Word came that Hussein had been captured. 侯赛因已被捕的消息传来。
2. 同位语从句和定语从句结构相似， 通常位于某一名词或代词后面， 但两者存在明显区别： 同位语从句对名词性成分加以补充说明， 是该名词性成分具体内容的体现(相当于名词的作用)。 that引导的同位语从句中引导词that不在该同位语从句中充当句子成分， 但不能被省略， 同位语从句还可以用whether、 how等连词引导(定语从句则不能)。定语从句对先行词加以限制或修饰、 说明先行词的性质或特征(相当于形容词的作用)， 定语从句的引导词均在该定语从句中充当特定的句子成分(that在其引导的限定性定语从句中充当主语、 宾语或者表语， 充当定语从句中宾语的that经常可被省略)。注意体会以下四组例句：
(1) 第一组例句：
① We can’t solve the problem how we can travel faster than light.我们解决不了如何才能超过光的速度这个问题。
(how引导的从句表示其前面的名词the problem的具体内容， 属于同位语从句)
② I can’t remember the problem that they have.我记不得他们的问题了。
(引导词that就是that引导的从句中have的宾语， the problem的具体内容也没有得到说明， 故本句中that引导的从句是修饰problem的定语从句)
(2) 第二组例句：
① I won’t believe the fact that he lied to his mother.我不愿相信他对母亲撒谎的事实。
(that引导同位语从句对fact的具体内容进行说明， that在其中不充当具体的句子成分)
② I won’t believe the fact (that) he told me.我不愿相信他告诉我的事实。
(that引导定语从句对fact进行限定， that在该从句中充当宾语)
(3) 第三组例句：
① The news that Tom would go abroad is told by him.汤姆将出国的消息是他讲的。
(that引导同位语从句对news的具体内容进行说明， that在其中不充当具体的句子成分)
② The news that he told me is that Tom would go abroad next year. 他告诉我的消息是汤姆来年将出国。
(句中的第一个that引导定语从句限定先行词news， 第二个that引导表语从句)
(4) 第四组例句：
① We have no idea at all where he has gone.我们根本不知道他去哪里了。
(where引导同位语从句说明idea的具体内容)
② That’s the place where he was born.那是他出生的地方。
(where引导定语从句限定先行词place)
经典句子
【经典句子】
1、 We often read in novels how a seemingly respectable person of family has someterrible secret which has been concealed fromstrangers for years.
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。
2、 The English language possessesa vivid saying to describe this sort of situation.
英语中有一个生动的说法来形容这种情况。
3、 The reader’s hair stands on end when he reads in the final pages ofthe novel that he heroine, a dear old lady who had always been so kind to everybody, had, in her youth, poisoned every one of her five husbands.
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。
4、 To varyingdegrees, we all have secrets which we do not want evenour closest friends to learn, but few of us have skeletons in the cupboard.
我们在不同程度上艘有一些甚至连最亲密的朋友也不想让他们知道的秘密，但是却极少有人有橱中骷髅。
5、 I opened the cupboard door andthen stood in front of it petrified.
我打开柜门，站在柜门前一下惊呆了。
6、 Dropping my suit, I dashed downstairs to tell George.
我扔下西服冲下楼去告诉乔治。
相关flash和视频讲解
