A skeleton in the cupboard “家丑”
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 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 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.'
【New words and expressions】 生詞和短語
skeleton n. 骷髏
seemingly adv. 表面上地
respectable adj. 體面的，雅觀的
conceal v. 隱藏，隱瞞
vivid adj. 生動的
dramatic adj. 令人激動的，扣人心弦的
ruin v. 毀壞
heroine n. 女主人公
fiction n. 小說
varying adj. 不同的
medicine n. 醫(yī)學(xué)
guestroom n. (家庭中的)來客住房
unpack vt. (從箱中)取出
stack adj. (整齊地)堆放，排放
underclothes n. 內(nèi)衣
drawer n. 抽屜
petrify v. 使驚呆
dangle v. 懸掛
sway v. 搖擺
unsympathetic adj. 不表同情的，無動于衷的
medical adj. 醫(yī)學(xué)的
詞匯
1. skeleton n. 骷髏
詞句
a skeleton in the cupboard(英)
=a skeleton in the closet(美)
=a family skeleton 家丑
g:It’s time to bring a family skeleton out of the cupboard。
Eg:Every family has a skeleton in the cupboard.家家有本難念的經(jīng)。
skeleton key 萬能鑰匙
a walking skeleton 骨瘦如柴的人/reduced to a skeleton 瘦的皮包骨
He has nothing to eat for a couple of days so he has been reduced to a skeleton.
聯(lián)想記憶
Don’t wash your dirty linen(內(nèi)衣).別自爆其丑
2. respectable adj.體面的，恰當?shù)?，受人尊敬?BR> 詞句
He is the most respectable man.
比較記憶
The ② young man respects the ③ old man.
①respecting prep.關(guān)于(書面語)
②respectful(to/towards sb.)adj.尊重他人的
③respectable受人尊重的,可敬的
④respective 各自的
A respectable person is respectful to others.受人尊敬的人也會尊敬別人的。
Respecting your salary, we shall come to a decision.關(guān)于你的薪水，我們稍后會做出決定。
The classes went to their respective rooms. 同學(xué)們回到了各自的房間。
3. conceal v. 隱藏，隱瞞(hide, 比hide更加正式，語氣強烈)
詞句
Eg:He concealed the fact that he was married.
conceal sth. from sb.
Eg.: He concealed his disappointment from his friends.
He tried to conceal in a drawer. 藏在抽屜里的錄音機。
翻譯：當這位媽媽進來的時候，這位小女孩藏在了窗簾的后面。(hide? conceal?)
When the mother came in , the little girl hid behind the curtain.
4. vivid adj.栩栩如生的，活潑的，生動的
解釋
a. bright and strong : vivid blue碧藍色
b. creating ideas,ect in a lively way:
Eg: He is vivid with life.
c. producing strong clear pictures in mind:
Eg:The English language possesses a vivid saying to describe this sort of situation.
比較級：more vivid
級：most vivid
聯(lián)想記憶：
lesh-and-blood有血有肉的
├realistic真實的
├vivid生動的
├colorful多彩的
├lively /ai/ 鮮活的，生動的
└active活潑的
live broadcasting現(xiàn)場廣播
picturesque活靈活現(xiàn)的
5. dramatic adj.戲劇的，扣人心弦的
詞句
The dramatic thing is still vivid in his mind.
Her opening words were dramatic. 她的開場白十分動聽。
比較：
drastic：having strong effect; very serious
Drastic measures will have to be taken to restore order.
a drastic shortage of food
6. fiction (集體名詞)小說
區(qū)別
novel 某一部具體的小說
Eg: We often read in novels how a poor man succeeded in getting rich.
聯(lián)想記憶
┌detective story偵探小說
├essay散文
├novel小說
├poem詩
├article未發(fā)表的文章
└fiction小說
7. impression印象
詞句
I was deeply impressed by your perfect performance.很深印象
It gave me an impression that the guy is kind to everybody.表示給我一種印象，實際并非
leave sb. an impression留下真實的印象
He always lives under the impression that he is a saint(圣徒).
8. petrify =shock ,dumbfound 使驚呆
At the news ,I was petrified.聽到這個消息，我目瞪口呆。
9. Don’t keep me dangling.別吊我胃口
10. ┌guesthouse賓館
├inn客棧
├m(xù)otel汽車旅館
└Holiday Inn假日酒店
12. ┌underwear內(nèi)衣
├underclothes
└brief(男)內(nèi)衣，簡單明了
練習
Multiple choice questions
1. I was always afraid of something _____ out at me from behind the door.
A. leaping B. running C. walking
2. This _______ respectable lady turned out to be a murderer who had, in her youth, poisoned every one of her three husbands.
A. superficial B. surface C. seemingly
3. The baby ______ to the music in a funny way.
A. changed B. swayed C. shook
4. The Senator’s scandalous affair with the actress ______ not only his reputation but also his political prospects.
A. raided B. ruined C. stopped
5. She was so scared by the strange sound from the cave that her blood _____ for a moment.
A. ran cold B. frozen C. stood on end
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 她在這部戲里面扮演醫(yī)生的角色。
2. 使我們非常不快的是，她忘記了我們的誓言。
3. 一想到那次可怕的經(jīng)歷，他就害怕。
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 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 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.'
【New words and expressions】 生詞和短語
skeleton n. 骷髏
seemingly adv. 表面上地
respectable adj. 體面的，雅觀的
conceal v. 隱藏，隱瞞
vivid adj. 生動的
dramatic adj. 令人激動的，扣人心弦的
ruin v. 毀壞
heroine n. 女主人公
fiction n. 小說
varying adj. 不同的
medicine n. 醫(yī)學(xué)
guestroom n. (家庭中的)來客住房
unpack vt. (從箱中)取出
stack adj. (整齊地)堆放，排放
underclothes n. 內(nèi)衣
drawer n. 抽屜
petrify v. 使驚呆
dangle v. 懸掛
sway v. 搖擺
unsympathetic adj. 不表同情的，無動于衷的
medical adj. 醫(yī)學(xué)的
詞匯
1. skeleton n. 骷髏
詞句
a skeleton in the cupboard(英)
=a skeleton in the closet(美)
=a family skeleton 家丑
g:It’s time to bring a family skeleton out of the cupboard。
Eg:Every family has a skeleton in the cupboard.家家有本難念的經(jīng)。
skeleton key 萬能鑰匙
a walking skeleton 骨瘦如柴的人/reduced to a skeleton 瘦的皮包骨
He has nothing to eat for a couple of days so he has been reduced to a skeleton.
聯(lián)想記憶
Don’t wash your dirty linen(內(nèi)衣).別自爆其丑
2. respectable adj.體面的，恰當?shù)?，受人尊敬?BR> 詞句
He is the most respectable man.
比較記憶
The ② young man respects the ③ old man.
①respecting prep.關(guān)于(書面語)
②respectful(to/towards sb.)adj.尊重他人的
③respectable受人尊重的,可敬的
④respective 各自的
A respectable person is respectful to others.受人尊敬的人也會尊敬別人的。
Respecting your salary, we shall come to a decision.關(guān)于你的薪水，我們稍后會做出決定。
The classes went to their respective rooms. 同學(xué)們回到了各自的房間。
3. conceal v. 隱藏，隱瞞(hide, 比hide更加正式，語氣強烈)
詞句
Eg:He concealed the fact that he was married.
conceal sth. from sb.
Eg.: He concealed his disappointment from his friends.
He tried to conceal in a drawer. 藏在抽屜里的錄音機。
翻譯：當這位媽媽進來的時候，這位小女孩藏在了窗簾的后面。(hide? conceal?)
When the mother came in , the little girl hid behind the curtain.
4. vivid adj.栩栩如生的，活潑的，生動的
解釋
a. bright and strong : vivid blue碧藍色
b. creating ideas,ect in a lively way:
Eg: He is vivid with life.
c. producing strong clear pictures in mind:
Eg:The English language possesses a vivid saying to describe this sort of situation.
比較級：more vivid
級：most vivid
聯(lián)想記憶：
lesh-and-blood有血有肉的
├realistic真實的
├vivid生動的
├colorful多彩的
├lively /ai/ 鮮活的，生動的
└active活潑的
live broadcasting現(xiàn)場廣播
picturesque活靈活現(xiàn)的
5. dramatic adj.戲劇的，扣人心弦的
詞句
The dramatic thing is still vivid in his mind.
Her opening words were dramatic. 她的開場白十分動聽。
比較：
drastic：having strong effect; very serious
Drastic measures will have to be taken to restore order.
a drastic shortage of food
6. fiction (集體名詞)小說
區(qū)別
novel 某一部具體的小說
Eg: We often read in novels how a poor man succeeded in getting rich.
聯(lián)想記憶
┌detective story偵探小說
├essay散文
├novel小說
├poem詩
├article未發(fā)表的文章
└fiction小說
7. impression印象
詞句
I was deeply impressed by your perfect performance.很深印象
It gave me an impression that the guy is kind to everybody.表示給我一種印象，實際并非
leave sb. an impression留下真實的印象
He always lives under the impression that he is a saint(圣徒).
8. petrify =shock ,dumbfound 使驚呆
At the news ,I was petrified.聽到這個消息，我目瞪口呆。
9. Don’t keep me dangling.別吊我胃口
10. ┌guesthouse賓館
├inn客棧
├m(xù)otel汽車旅館
└Holiday Inn假日酒店
12. ┌underwear內(nèi)衣
├underclothes
└brief(男)內(nèi)衣，簡單明了
練習
Multiple choice questions
1. I was always afraid of something _____ out at me from behind the door.
A. leaping B. running C. walking
2. This _______ respectable lady turned out to be a murderer who had, in her youth, poisoned every one of her three husbands.
A. superficial B. surface C. seemingly
3. The baby ______ to the music in a funny way.
A. changed B. swayed C. shook
4. The Senator’s scandalous affair with the actress ______ not only his reputation but also his political prospects.
A. raided B. ruined C. stopped
5. She was so scared by the strange sound from the cave that her blood _____ for a moment.
A. ran cold B. frozen C. stood on end
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 她在這部戲里面扮演醫(yī)生的角色。
2. 使我們非常不快的是，她忘記了我們的誓言。
3. 一想到那次可怕的經(jīng)歷，他就害怕。