读英文 | The Naked Face 03

The Naked Face is the first novel (1970) written by Sidney Sheldon. It was nominated by the Mystery Writers of America for the Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best First Novel by an American Author.
——Wikipedia

▍Chapter Five & Six

Ⅰ. 词汇、表达：

There was nothing in the case histories of any of his patients that would cause someone to commit murder.

• case history [cn] 个人档案；（尤指）病历

The call from the hospital reporting the hit-and-run accident came through the police switchboard a few minutes after ten and was transferred to the Detective Bureau.

• hit-and-run [adj.] [only before noun] (of a road accident 交通事故) caused by a driver who does not stop to help 驾驶人肇事后逃逸的

Judd’s room was on the sixth floor at the end of a long, dreary corridor that had the sickly-sweet smell of all hospitals. The nurse who had phoned was escorting them to Judd’s room.
“What shape is he in, Nurse?” asked McGreavy.
“The doctor will have to tell you that,” she said primly. And then continued, compulsively. “It’s a miracle the man wasn’t killed. He has a possible concussion, some bruised ribs, and an injured left arm.”

• shape [un] the physical condition of sb / sth 状况；情况
  e.g. What sort of shape was the car in after the accident? 这车出过事故以后状况如何？
  He's in good shape for a man of his age. 作为那把年纪的人来说，他身体不错。
  I like to keep in shape (= keep fit). 我喜欢保持健康。
• concussion /kənˈkʌʃn/ [un] (在美式英语中只作可数名词。) 脑震荡
  e.g. (BrE) He was taken to hospital with concussion. 他因脑震荡被送进医院。
  (NAmE) He was taken to the hospital with a concussion. 他因脑震荡被送进医院。

“Yes. They sent him to the Matteawan State Hospital for mentally ill criminals.”
“Maybe he blames you for having him put away. I’ll check him out. Just to make sure he hasn’t escaped or been released. Give me a call in the morning.”

• put away 把……关进监狱；把……送进精神病院 If someone is put away, they are sent to prison or to a mental hospital for a long time.

“Everything hit the fan at once, didn’t it? I read about poor Carol.”

• hit the fan [informal] to cause a lot of anger and trouble
  — used especially to describe what happens when people find out about something that makes them very angry
  e.g. I don't want to be there when it hits the fan.
  — often used in the impolite phrase when the shit hits the fan 灾难临头；惹麻烦；走霉运

When she had first gone to Hollywood, she had landed a job as a waitress in a drive-in and used most of her wages to go to a third-rate dramatic coach.

• land (informal) to succeed in getting a job, etc.,especially one that a lot of other people want 成功得到，赢得，捞到（尤指许多人想得到的工作）
• drive-in [cn] 免下车餐馆；免下车电影院；免下车商业场所

He knew the agony she was going through, the bottomless despair of self-loathing, and his heart went out to her.

• self-loathing [un] 自我讨厌的；自我憎恨的 If someone feels self-loathing, they feel great dislike and disgust for themselves.

There was no response. Judd hung up. He stood there a moment, frowning. Wrong number, he decided. He turned out the office lights, locked the doors, and moved toward the bank of elevators. All the tenants were long since gone. It was too early for the night shift of maintenance workers, and except for Bigelow, the watchman, the building was deserted.

• long since at a time in the distant past, long ago
  e.g. questions that have long since been answered [=questions that were answered long ago]
  an animal that has long since disappeared from this region
  I long since gave up trying to change her mind.

Ⅱ. 段落摘录：

▏Angeli looked at Judd. “Dr. Stevens, if someone really wants to kill you, all the policemen in the world can’t stop them. If they don’t get you today, they’ll get you tomorrow. If they don’t get you here, they’ll get you somewhere else. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a king or a president, or just plain John Doe. Life is a very thin thread. It only takes a second to snap it.”

▏“I’ve told you that you don’t need my approval. The only one whose approval you need is you. Right and wrong are the rules we make up ourselves so that we can play in the game with other people. Without rules, there can’t be a game. But never forget—the rules are artificial.”

— END —