Lesson 24 A skeleton in the cupboard “家丑”
Lesson 24 A skeleton in the cupboard“家丑”
Who was Sebastian?
We often read in novels how aseemingly respectable person or family has some terrible secret which has beenconcealed 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 heryouth, 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 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 two suits I had brought with me in the cupboard.
I opened the cupboard door and then stood in front of itpetrified.
A skeleton was dangling before my eyes.
The sudden movement of the door made itsway slightly and it gave me the impression that it was about toleap 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 smileas if he were talking about an old friend.
[ as if 引导的虚拟语气，be动词要用were]
'That's Sebastian. You forget that I was a medical studentonce upon a time.'
· Seeming-> from appearance alone 表面上： seemingly/ apparently/ ostensibly/ professedly
conceal-> hide; keep secret; keep sb./sth. from being seen
1) The tree concealed me from the view.那些树把我挡住了，别人看不见
2) He didn’t conceal anything from you.他对你什么都没有隐瞒
· A: You remember her ?
B: Vivid.
· respect
Ø respectable– well behaved; of good character正派的；文雅的；高尚的
He was respectable and no one questioned.他人格高尚，没人怀疑
Ø respected– admired by many people
He is well respected in the academic world.学术界
Ø respectful-well-mannered; showing respect 有礼貌的，尊敬的
He is respectful to his elders.
Ø respecting- relating to sth. ; concerning关于；至于
Respecting these facts , a special committee is to be appointed.鉴于这个问题，必须成立一个专门委员会
· possess---此处相当于have但是更加的书面化
possess- > possession
1) have, own possess a large fortune很有钱
2) occupy(the mind)占据
she is possessed with rage.她在盛怒之中
· dramatic–戏剧性的 Dramaticchanges have taken place in the past ten years.
· Known-在这里做形容词
· ruin –destroy – spoilruin, spoil毁坏spoil的程度比ruin轻,destroy则完全损坏，不复存在
The school was destroyed by fire. –学校被完全损坏了，不复存在了
The rain ruined my holiday. –这个holiday还是存在的
You ruined my whole life.
· it’s all very well(but)用让步的语气来表示转折
A: It' all right on paper. But in real life ...
B: In real life too. -- Round the World in Eighty Days
· occur - happen – take place , happen会更口语化,occur更书面化，takeplace则是经过安排而发生的;
而occur, happen则不是经过安排的
· to varying degrees = to different degrees
We are all involved, only to different degrees.
I agree with you to a/some/a certain degree
· learn 1)学习2）知道
· 与learn相比,study更侧重在一个系统中系统的学习
· Stand +adj.
· as if引导的句子要用虚拟语气，be动词一律用were。
He speaks English as fluently as if hewere an Englishman
he said with a smile as if he were talking about an old friend.
As if this were not enough to reduce you to tears,your husband arrives unexpectedly bringing three guests to dinner.—‘Lesson 33 A day to remember’
· petrify -> petrified
· dash ---破折号;冲 underscore 下划线
dash downstairs冲下楼
rush out冲出去