【課文】
Kidnappers are rarely interested in animals, but they recently took considerable interest in Mrs. Eleanor Ramsay's cat. Mrs. Eleanor Ramsay, a very wealthy old lady, has shared a flat with her cat, Rastus, for a great many years. Rastus leads an orderly life. He usually takes a short walk in the evenings and is always home by seven o'clock. One evening, however, he failed to arrive. Mrs. Ramsay got very worried. She looked everywhere for him but could not find him.
Three days after Rastus' disappearance, Mrs. Ramsay received an anonymous letter. The writer stated that Rastus was in safe hands and would be returned immediately if Mrs. Ramsay paid a ransom of $1,000. Mrs. Ramsay was instructed to place the money in a cardboard box and to leave it outside her door. At first she decided to go to the police, but fearing that she would never see Rastus again -- the letter had made that quite clear -- she changed her mind. She withdrew $1000 from her bank and followed the kidnapper's instructions. The next morning, the box had disappeared but Mrs. Ramsay was sure that the kidnapper would keep his word. Sure enough, Rastus arrived punctually at seven o'clock that evening. He looked very well though he was rather thirsty, for he drank half a bottle of milk. The police were astounded when Mrs. Ramsay told them what she had done. She explained that Rastus was very dear to her. Considering the amount she paid, he was dear in more ways than one!
【課文翻譯】
綁架者很少對動物感興趣。近，綁架者卻盯上了埃莉諾.拉姆齊太太的貓。埃莉諾.拉姆齊太太是一個非常富有的老婦人，多年來，一直同她養(yǎng)的貓拉斯一起住在一所公寓里。拉斯特斯生活很有規(guī)律，傍晚常常出去溜達(dá)一會兒，并且總是在7點(diǎn)鐘以前回來?？墒?，有一天晚上，它出去后再也沒回來。拉姆齊太太急壞了，四處尋找，但沒有找著。
拉斯特斯失蹤3天后，拉姆齊太太收到一封匿名信。寫信人聲稱拉斯特斯安然無恙，只要拉姆齊太太愿意支付1,000 英鎊贖金，可以立即將貓送還。他讓拉姆齊太太把錢放在一個紙盒里，然后將紙盒放在門口。一開始拉姆齊太太打算報告警察，但又害怕再也見不到拉斯特斯——這點(diǎn)，信上說得十分明白——于是便改變了主意。她從銀行取出1,000 英鎊，并照綁架者的要求做了。第二天早晨，放錢的盒子不見了。但拉姆齊太太確信綁架者是會履行諾言的。果然，當(dāng)天晚上7點(diǎn)正，拉斯特斯準(zhǔn)時回來了。它看上去一切正常，只是口渴得很，喝了半瓶牛奶。拉姆齊太太把她所做的事告訴了警察，警察聽后大為吃驚。拉姆齊太太解釋說她心疼她的貓拉斯特斯。想到她所花的那筆錢，她的心疼就具有雙重意義了。
【生詞和短語】
dear adj. 親愛的，珍貴的;昂貴的
kidnapper n. 綁架者，拐騙者
considerable adj. 相當(dāng)大的
wealthy adj. 富的，有錢的
orderly adj. 有規(guī)律的
disappearance n. 失蹤
anonymous adj. 匿名的
ransom n. 贖金
cardboard n. 硬紙板
withdraw v. (從銀行)取錢
punctually adv. 準(zhǔn)時地
astound v. 使吃驚
【知識點(diǎn)】
詞匯
【dear】
例句：
1.Experience keeps a dear school, but fools learn in no other.
經(jīng)驗(yàn)學(xué)校學(xué)費(fèi)很高，而愚人成長別無他途。
2.He paid dear(ly) for his mistake.
他為自己的錯誤付出了昂貴的代價。
【wealthy】
還原：wealth→wealthy
例句：
1.Keep healthy first if you want to become wealthy.
如果你要變得富有，那么就先保持健康吧。
2.No nation, however large or small, wealthy or poor, can escape the impact of climate change.
無論大國還是小國、富國還是窮國，都不可能逃避氣候變化的影響。
【orderly】
還原：order→orderly
例句：
1.It is assumed that nature involves an orderly regulated system.
人們認(rèn)為自然界是一個有規(guī)律有條理的系統(tǒng)。
2.In reality, technological progress is rather less orderly.
事實(shí)上，技術(shù)的進(jìn)步很少有步調(diào)一致的情形。
【disappearance】
還原：disappear→disappearance
例句：
1.No one noticed his disappearance.
沒人注意到他失蹤了。
2.The study cites several reasons for the disappearance of languages, ranging from government policies, to disease and natural disaster.
該項(xiàng)研究列舉了一些造成語言消亡的原因，包括政府政策、疾病以及自然災(zāi)害等等。
【anonymous】
還原：anonym→anonymous
例句：
By Federation rules, all sponsors must remain anonymous-for their own protection.
根據(jù)協(xié)會的規(guī)章，為了避免麻煩，所有資助人必須隱名。
【withdraw】
例句：
1.When workers retire, they can withdraw money from the plan.
當(dāng)工人們退休了，他們能從計劃中收回金錢。
2.No central bank is about to withdraw any emergency measures.
沒有哪國央行即將撤回任何的應(yīng)急措施。
3.Some seek to withdraw from this situation, others to resist it.
一些人尋求躲之避之，另一些人則要斗之抗之。
【punctually】
還原：punctuality→punctual→punctually
例句：
1.You'll never see me again if you can't date me punctually!
如果你下次還不按時去約會就休想再見到我!
2.I am a civil servant and will definitely pay the rent punctually.
我是個公務(wù)員，一定會準(zhǔn)時交租的。
【astound】
例句：
1.The ease of use will astound you.
易用性將你震驚。
2.His practical grasp of affairs and his energy still astound me.
他對事物的實(shí)際掌握和他充沛的精力實(shí)在使我驚異。
3.If we did all the things we are capable of, we would literally astound ourselves.
如果我們所做的都是我們擅長的事情，我們終將使自己大吃一驚。
搭配
【take considerable interest in】
【lead an oderly life】
【take a short walk】
【look everywhere for】
【in safe hands】
【make sh. quite clear】
【change one's mind】
【follow instructions】
【keep one's word】
Kidnappers are rarely interested in animals, but they recently took considerable interest in Mrs. Eleanor Ramsay's cat. Mrs. Eleanor Ramsay, a very wealthy old lady, has shared a flat with her cat, Rastus, for a great many years. Rastus leads an orderly life. He usually takes a short walk in the evenings and is always home by seven o'clock. One evening, however, he failed to arrive. Mrs. Ramsay got very worried. She looked everywhere for him but could not find him.
Three days after Rastus' disappearance, Mrs. Ramsay received an anonymous letter. The writer stated that Rastus was in safe hands and would be returned immediately if Mrs. Ramsay paid a ransom of $1,000. Mrs. Ramsay was instructed to place the money in a cardboard box and to leave it outside her door. At first she decided to go to the police, but fearing that she would never see Rastus again -- the letter had made that quite clear -- she changed her mind. She withdrew $1000 from her bank and followed the kidnapper's instructions. The next morning, the box had disappeared but Mrs. Ramsay was sure that the kidnapper would keep his word. Sure enough, Rastus arrived punctually at seven o'clock that evening. He looked very well though he was rather thirsty, for he drank half a bottle of milk. The police were astounded when Mrs. Ramsay told them what she had done. She explained that Rastus was very dear to her. Considering the amount she paid, he was dear in more ways than one!
【課文翻譯】
綁架者很少對動物感興趣。近，綁架者卻盯上了埃莉諾.拉姆齊太太的貓。埃莉諾.拉姆齊太太是一個非常富有的老婦人，多年來，一直同她養(yǎng)的貓拉斯一起住在一所公寓里。拉斯特斯生活很有規(guī)律，傍晚常常出去溜達(dá)一會兒，并且總是在7點(diǎn)鐘以前回來?？墒?，有一天晚上，它出去后再也沒回來。拉姆齊太太急壞了，四處尋找，但沒有找著。
拉斯特斯失蹤3天后，拉姆齊太太收到一封匿名信。寫信人聲稱拉斯特斯安然無恙，只要拉姆齊太太愿意支付1,000 英鎊贖金，可以立即將貓送還。他讓拉姆齊太太把錢放在一個紙盒里，然后將紙盒放在門口。一開始拉姆齊太太打算報告警察，但又害怕再也見不到拉斯特斯——這點(diǎn)，信上說得十分明白——于是便改變了主意。她從銀行取出1,000 英鎊，并照綁架者的要求做了。第二天早晨，放錢的盒子不見了。但拉姆齊太太確信綁架者是會履行諾言的。果然，當(dāng)天晚上7點(diǎn)正，拉斯特斯準(zhǔn)時回來了。它看上去一切正常，只是口渴得很，喝了半瓶牛奶。拉姆齊太太把她所做的事告訴了警察，警察聽后大為吃驚。拉姆齊太太解釋說她心疼她的貓拉斯特斯。想到她所花的那筆錢，她的心疼就具有雙重意義了。
【生詞和短語】
dear adj. 親愛的，珍貴的;昂貴的
kidnapper n. 綁架者，拐騙者
considerable adj. 相當(dāng)大的
wealthy adj. 富的，有錢的
orderly adj. 有規(guī)律的
disappearance n. 失蹤
anonymous adj. 匿名的
ransom n. 贖金
cardboard n. 硬紙板
withdraw v. (從銀行)取錢
punctually adv. 準(zhǔn)時地
astound v. 使吃驚
【知識點(diǎn)】
詞匯
【dear】
例句：
1.Experience keeps a dear school, but fools learn in no other.
經(jīng)驗(yàn)學(xué)校學(xué)費(fèi)很高，而愚人成長別無他途。
2.He paid dear(ly) for his mistake.
他為自己的錯誤付出了昂貴的代價。
【wealthy】
還原：wealth→wealthy
例句：
1.Keep healthy first if you want to become wealthy.
如果你要變得富有，那么就先保持健康吧。
2.No nation, however large or small, wealthy or poor, can escape the impact of climate change.
無論大國還是小國、富國還是窮國，都不可能逃避氣候變化的影響。
【orderly】
還原：order→orderly
例句：
1.It is assumed that nature involves an orderly regulated system.
人們認(rèn)為自然界是一個有規(guī)律有條理的系統(tǒng)。
2.In reality, technological progress is rather less orderly.
事實(shí)上，技術(shù)的進(jìn)步很少有步調(diào)一致的情形。
【disappearance】
還原：disappear→disappearance
例句：
1.No one noticed his disappearance.
沒人注意到他失蹤了。
2.The study cites several reasons for the disappearance of languages, ranging from government policies, to disease and natural disaster.
該項(xiàng)研究列舉了一些造成語言消亡的原因，包括政府政策、疾病以及自然災(zāi)害等等。
【anonymous】
還原：anonym→anonymous
例句：
By Federation rules, all sponsors must remain anonymous-for their own protection.
根據(jù)協(xié)會的規(guī)章，為了避免麻煩，所有資助人必須隱名。
【withdraw】
例句：
1.When workers retire, they can withdraw money from the plan.
當(dāng)工人們退休了，他們能從計劃中收回金錢。
2.No central bank is about to withdraw any emergency measures.
沒有哪國央行即將撤回任何的應(yīng)急措施。
3.Some seek to withdraw from this situation, others to resist it.
一些人尋求躲之避之，另一些人則要斗之抗之。
【punctually】
還原：punctuality→punctual→punctually
例句：
1.You'll never see me again if you can't date me punctually!
如果你下次還不按時去約會就休想再見到我!
2.I am a civil servant and will definitely pay the rent punctually.
我是個公務(wù)員，一定會準(zhǔn)時交租的。
【astound】
例句：
1.The ease of use will astound you.
易用性將你震驚。
2.His practical grasp of affairs and his energy still astound me.
他對事物的實(shí)際掌握和他充沛的精力實(shí)在使我驚異。
3.If we did all the things we are capable of, we would literally astound ourselves.
如果我們所做的都是我們擅長的事情，我們終將使自己大吃一驚。
搭配
【take considerable interest in】
【lead an oderly life】
【take a short walk】
【look everywhere for】
【in safe hands】
【make sh. quite clear】
【change one's mind】
【follow instructions】
【keep one's word】