Lesson 24 A skeleton in the cupboard
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 spent an uncomfortable week-end 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 in the cupboard one of the two suits I had brought with me. 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 real 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.’
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。”
- when we talk about something or some person is not what it really is.
seemingly [‘si:mɪŋli]adv. 看似，表面上
Running a mile under 4 minutes was a seemingly impossible task.
on the surface
Mike was very pleasant on the surface, but he had a nasty temper.
seem / appear to do
running a mile under 4 minutes, an impossible task
Running a mile under 4 minutes seemed / appeared to be an impossible task.
Mike, very pleasant, but he had a nasty temper.
Mike seemed / appeared to be very pleasant, but he had a nasty temper.
It seem / appear that …
running a mile under 4 minutes, an impossible task
It seemed / appeared that running a mile under 4 minutes was an impossible task.
Mike, very pleasant, but he had a nasty temper.
It seemed / appeared that Mike was very pleasant, but he had a nasty temper.
seeming / superficial
In spite of his seeming / superficial friendship, he gave me no help.
respectable [rɪ’spektəbl]
adj. 体面的，正派的
a respectable citizen
a respectable family
He is a bit too respectable for my taste.
respected
a highly respected surgeon
respectful
You should be more respectful of other people’s points of view.
respective
After the party we all went back to our respective homes.
respecting
concerning
regarding
造句:在这篇有关科学家的文章中，作者特别尊重那些不但是体面正派的公民，而且在各自的领域中都深受敬仰的专家。
In the article respecting scientists, the writer is particularly respectful of those who are not only respectable citizens, but respected experts in their respective fields.
conceal[kən’si:l]v. 隐瞒，隐藏
- conceal … from …
- hide … from …
- reveal … to …
- disclose … to …
- expose … to …
fiction [‘fɪkʃn] n. 小说
novel fiction
poem poetry
myth mythology
scene scenery
jewel jewellery (jewelry)
machine machinery
leaf foliage
table / chair … furniture
pen / pencil … stationery
trunk / suitcase … luggage / baggage
unpack [ʌn’pæ k]v. (从箱中)取出
pack unpack
load unload
lock unlock
fasten unfasten
screw unscrew
petrify [‘petrɪfaɪ]v. 使……惊呆
Medusa
horrify terrify
frighten scare
be frightened / scared / afraid of …
Many girls are frightened / scared / afraid of cockroaches.
dangle [‘dæ ŋgl]
v. 悬挂(并摆动)
A hanger dangled on the rope.
suspend hang sway swing
unsympathetic
[ʌnsɪmpə’θetɪk]adj. 不同情的，无动于衷的
sympathize with …
sympathetic
apathetic
unsympathetic
pathetic
sympathize
sympathy
show sympathy
win sympathy
out of sympathy
Out of sympathy, I gave the beggar some change.
But George didn’t sympathize with me.
But George had / showed no sympathy for me.
a skeleton in the cupboard
a skeleton in the closet
a family skeleton
wash one’s dirty linen
air one’s dirty laundry
The divorce has meant washing their dirty linen / airing their dirty laundry in court.
Some person at the door is asking to see you.
造句:我们常常在报纸上会读到一个表面上很体面的名人 (personality) 是如何因为偷税漏 税 (tax evasion) 而被起诉的 (be charged with …)，而这种行为他们对公众 (the public) 隐瞒 了很多年。
We often read in newspapers how a seemingly respectable personality was charged with tax evasion which had been concealed from the public for years.
saying:proverb/adage 谚语;格言
The Chinese language possesses a vivid saying ‘God favors the diligent’.
As an old Chinese saying goes, ‘God favors the diligent’.
At the climax of the story, …
造句:这个道貌岸然的官员 (official) 贪污 (embezzle) 了巨额公款 (enormous government funds)。现在这个秘密已经公开了，他也名声扫地。
The seemingly respectable official embezzled enormous government funds. Now the secret becomes known and his reputation is ruined.
make one’s hair stand on end
Wait until I tell you about the murder—it’ll make your hair stand on end.
make one’s blood run cold
frighten / scare the life out of sb.
frighten / scare the hell out of sb.
Lynette? Honey? Are you home? Three months.
God, you scared the hell out of me!
in one’s youth
in one’s childhood
in one’s early years
in one’s adolescence
in one’s middle age
in one’s old age
造句:当我在电视剧 (TV drama) 的最后一集 (the final episode) 看到主人公，那个对每个人 都很友善的体面的 (respectable) 律师，原来竟是个 (turn out to be) 残忍的谋杀犯时 (a savage murderer)，被吓得毛骨悚然。
My hair stood on end when I watched in the final episode of the TV drama that the hero, a respectable lawyer who had been so kind to everybody, turned out to be a savage murderer.
It is all very well for such things to occur in fiction, but in real life it is barely credible.
It is all very well for … to …, but … it is barely … .
造句:你在家里穿睡衣 (pajamas) 是无可厚非的，但是在公共场合就不太体面了。
It is all very well for you to wear pajamas in your own home, but in public it is barely respectable.
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.
to varying degrees
Racism still exists to varying degrees.
The water of rivers, lakes and reservoirs in China was universally polluted to varying degrees.
closest friend; intimate friend
bosom friend
fair-weather friend
pen pal / friend
internet pal / friend
不在同一层次上的双重定语从句
第一个定语从句修饰前面的名词或短语，第二个定语从句修饰“名词或短语+第一个定语从 句”两个定语从句之间没有并列连词连接。第一个定语从句的关系词(一般是关系代词作宾 语)可省略。
The only person I know who has a skeleton in the cupboard is George Carlton, and he is very proud of the fact.
You’re the only person I’ve ever met who could do it.
He’s the best man I can find who can mend it within an hour.
be proud of…
take pride in …
pride oneself on …
Much as we may pride ourselves on our good taste, we are no longer free to choose the things we want, for advertising exerts a subtle influence on us.
instead of doing …, however, …
Instead of becoming a doctor, however, Lu Xun became China’s foremost modern writer of satirical essays.
transferred epithet 移就
a sad letter
a lonely night
平林漠漠烟如织
寒山一带伤心碧
自春来、
惨绿愁红，
芳心是事可可。
show=lead 领某人去某地
Aleko denied taking it and led Dimitri into his back yard.
unpack my things / belongings
unpack my suitcase
形容词作主语补足语
She came home sick.
Only the good die young.
好人活不长，坏人活千年。
Inevitably you arrive at your destination almost exhausted.
However you decide to spend your time, one thing is certain: you will arrive at your destination fresh and uncrumpled.
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.
give sb. the impression that …
have / get the impression that …
be under the impression that …
… and I had / got the impression that it was about to leap out …
… and I was under the impression that it was about to leap out …
Though the crew were at first under the impression that the lost ship had been found, the contents of the chest proved them wrong.
be about to do…
be on the point of doing …
It was on the point of leaping out at me.
leap jump bounce
That’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind. — Neil Armstrong
by leaps and bounds: very quickly
(A) He’s growing very quickly.
(B) He’s the tallest of three boys.
(C) He can jump high.
(D) He has to leave today at there.
M: Your little nephew is growing by leaps and bounds.
W: Yes. He must be at least three feet tall already.
Q: What do the speakers say about the woman’s nephew? Answer: (A) He’s growing very quickly.
Don’t act as if you were the only pebble on the beach.
You don’t matter.
别把自己当回事。
medical staff
medical ethics