# 第三册 Lesson 58 A spot of bother 一点小麻烦

## 一、课文原文

The old lady was glad to be back at the block of flats where she lived. Her shopping had tired her and her basket had grown heavier with every step of the way home. In the lift her thoughts were on lunch and a good rest; but when she got out at her own floor, both were forgotten in her sudden discovery that her front door was open. She was thinking that she must reprimand her home help the next morning for such a monstrous piece of negligence, when she remembered that she had gone shopping after the home help had left and she knew that she had turned both keys in their locks. She walked slowly into the hall and at once noticed that all the room doors were open, yet following her regular practice she had shut them before going out. Looking into the drawing room, she saw a scene of confusion over by her writing desk. It was as clear as daylight then that burglars had forced an entry during her absence. Her first impulse was to go round all the rooms looking for the thieves, but then she decided that at her age it might be more prudent to have someone with her, so she went to fetch the porter from his basement. By this time her legs were beginning to tremble, so she sat down and accepted a cup of very strong tea, while he telephoned the police. Then, her composure regained, she was ready to set off with the porter's assistance to search for any intruders who might still be lurking in her flat.

They went through the rooms, being careful to touch nothing, as they did not want to hinder the police in their search for fingerprints. The chaos was inconceivable. She had lived in the flat for thirty years and was a veritable magpie at hoarding; and it seemed as though everything she possessed had been tossed out and turned over and over. At least sorting out the things she should have discarded years ago was now being made easier for her. Then a police inspector arrived with a constable and she told them of her discovery of the ransacked flat. The inspector began to look for fingerprints, while the constable checked that the front door locks had not been forced, thereby proving that the burglars had either used skeleton keys or entered over the balcony. There was no trace of fingerprints, but the inspector found a dirty red bundle that contained jewellery which the old lady said was not hers. So their entry into this flat was apparently not the burglars' first job that day and they must have been disturbed. The inspector then asked the old lady to try to check what was missing by the next day and advised her not to stay alone in the flat for a few nights. The old lady thought he was a fussy creature, but since the porter agreed with him, she rang up her daughter and asked for her help in what she described as a little spot of bother.

## 二、重点词汇详解

| 单词 | 音标 | 词性 | 释义 | 用法说明 |
|------|------|------|------|----------|
| reprimand | /ˈreprɪmɑːnd/ | v. | 训斥 | reprimand the home help 训斥保姆 |
| monstrous | /ˈmɒnstrəs/ | adj. | 骇人听闻的 | monstrous piece of negligence 骇人的疏忽 |
| negligence | /ˈneɡlɪdʒəns/ | n. | 疏忽 | piece of negligence 疏忽大意 |
| prudent | /ˈpruːdənt/ | adj. | 谨慎的 | more prudent 更谨慎 |
| composure | /kəmˈpəʊʒə/ | n. | 镇静 | composure regained 恢复了镇定 |
| lurk | /lɜːk/ | v. | 潜伏 | lurking in her flat 潜伏在她的公寓里 |
| inconceivable | /ˌɪnkənˈsiːvəbl/ | adj. | 不可思议的 | the chaos was inconceivable 混乱不堪 |
| veritable | /ˈverɪtəbl/ | adj. | 真正的，十足的 | a veritable magpie 真正的喜鹊（爱收藏的人） |
| hoard | /hɔːd/ | v. | 囤积 | hoarding things 囤积东西 |
| ransack | /ˈrænsæk/ | v. | 洗劫，翻遍 | the ransacked flat 被洗劫的公寓 |
| skeleton key | /ˈskelɪtən kiː/ | n. | 万能钥匙 | — |
| bundle | /ˈbʌndl/ | n. | 包裹 | a dirty red bundle 一个脏兮兮的红色包裹 |
| fussy | /ˈfʌsi/ | adj. | 大惊小怪的 | a fussy creature 大惊小怪的人 |

## 三、语法知识点

### 1. 独立主格/分词结构

> **Her composure regained**, she was ready to set off...

= After her composure was regained / Having regained her composure

### 2. as clear as daylight 一清二楚

> It was **as clear as daylight** that burglars had forced an entry during her absence.

明喻结构，表示非常明显。

### 3. should have done 本应该做（但没做）

> Sorting out the things she **should have discarded** years ago was now being made easier for her.

should have done表示过去应该做但没做的事，带有批评意味。

### 4. as though 引导方式状语从句

> It seemed **as though** everything she possessed had been tossed out...

as though = as if，引导虚拟的方式状语从句。

## 四、重点句型分析

### 1. force an entry 强行进入
> Burglars had **forced an entry** during her absence.

### 2. set off 出发
> She was ready to **set off** with the porter's assistance.

### 3. a spot of bother 一点小麻烦
> She asked for her help in what she described as **a little spot of bother**.

英式英语中的委婉说法，把入室盗窃轻描淡写为"一点小麻烦"。

### 4. 长难句分析
> She was thinking that she must reprimand her home help the next morning for such a monstrous piece of negligence, when she remembered that she had gone shopping after the home help had left.

when意为"就在那时"；that引导宾语从句；after引导时间状语从句。整个句子展示了老太太从责怪保姆到意识到真相的心理转变。

## 五、课文翻译

老太太很高兴回到了她居住的公寓楼。购物使她疲惫不堪，回家的路上篮子越走越重。在电梯里，她想着午餐和好好休息；但当她走出电梯到了自己那层楼时，这两件事都被她突然发现前门开着的事抛到了脑后。她正想着第二天早上一定要训斥保姆如此严重的疏忽，这时她想起来她是在保姆离开后才去购物的，而且她记得自己把两把钥匙都锁上了。她慢慢走进门厅，立刻注意到所有房间的门都开着，而按照惯例她出门前都会把门关好。往客厅里一看，她看到写字台旁一片混乱。很明显，窃贼在她不在时闯入了。她的第一个冲动是到各个房间去找窃贼，但后来她觉得在她这个年纪还是找个人陪她更谨慎，于是她去地下室的门房找来了搬运工。这时她的腿开始发抖，于是她坐下来喝了一杯浓茶，同时他去打电话报警。然后，她恢复了镇定，准备在搬运工的陪同下去搜索可能仍潜伏在公寓里的入侵者。

他们走过各个房间，小心不碰任何东西，因为他们不想妨碍警察搜寻指纹。混乱的程度难以想象。她在这套公寓里住了三十年，是个十足的收藏癖；似乎她所有的东西都被翻了出来，颠三倒四的。至少现在替她把几年前就该扔掉的东西清理出来变得容易了。然后一位警察巡官带着一名警察来了，她告诉他们她发现公寓被洗劫了。巡官开始寻找指纹，警察则检查前门锁是否被撬过，从而证明窃贼要么使用了万能钥匙，要么是从阳台进入的。没有指纹的痕迹，但巡官发现了一个脏兮兮的红色包裹，里面有珠宝，老太太说不是她的。所以闯入这套公寓显然不是窃贼那天的第一次作案，他们一定是被打断了。巡官然后请老太太尽量在第二天之前查清丢失了什么，并建议她这几天不要独自住在公寓里。老太太觉得他是个大惊小怪的人，但既然门房也同意他的意见，她就给女儿打了电话，请她来帮忙处理她所说的"一点小麻烦"。

## 六、语言点精讲

### 写作手法
1. **心理描写**：从生气→疑惑→恐惧→镇定，心理变化细腻
2. **英式幽默**：把入室盗窃称为"一点小麻烦"，轻描淡写
3. **反讽**：清理旧物的机会反而让盗窃有了一丝"积极面"

### 文化背景
- 英国公寓楼通常有porter（门房/管理员）
- "home help"是英国对家政服务人员的称呼
- "a spot of bother"是英式英语中的经典委婉语

## 七、课后练习要点

1. **should have done**：本应该做但没做
2. **独立主格**：her composure regained
3. **词汇搭配**：force an entry, set off, a spot of bother
4. **写作练习**：以第一人称写一次意外经历的叙事

## 八、本课小结

本课讲述了老太太发现公寓被盗的经过，展现了从惊慌到镇定的心理过程。语法重点是should have done、独立主格和as though从句。词汇方面掌握reprimand、prudent、hoard、ransack、skeleton key等核心词。写作上学习心理描写和英式幽默。