第19课

旁白 neutral

Kidnappers are rarely interested in animals, but they recently took considerable interest in Mrs. Eleanor Ramsay's cat.

绑架者极少对动物感兴趣，但他们最近却对埃莉诺·拉姆齐夫人的猫产生了极大兴趣。

旁白 neutral

Mrs. Eleanor Ramsay, a very wealthy old lady, has shared a flat with her cat, Rastus, for a great many years.

埃莉诺·拉姆齐夫人，一位非常富有的老太太，与她的猫拉斯特斯共同住在一个公寓里已经很多年了。

旁白 neutral

Rastus leads an orderly life.

拉斯特斯过着有规律的生活。

旁白 neutral

He usually takes a short walk in the evenings and is always home by seven o'clock.

它通常在傍晚散步一小会儿，总是在7点钟前到家。

旁白 neutral

One evening, however he failed to arrive.

然而，一天晚上，它没有回来。

旁白 neutral

Mrs. Ramsay got very worried.

拉姆齐夫人非常焦急。

旁白 neutral

She looked everywhere for him but could not find him.

她到处寻找，但没有找到它。

旁白 neutral

Three days after Rastus' disappearance, Mrs. Ramsay received an anonymous letter.

拉斯特斯失踪3天后，拉姆齐夫人收到一封匿名信。

旁白 neutral

The writer stated that Rastus was in safe hands and would be returned immediately if Mrs. Ramsay paid a ransom of £1,000.

写信人称拉斯特斯很安全，如果拉姆齐夫人支付1000英镑赎金，它将立即被送回。

旁白 neutral

Mrs.Ramsay was instructed to place the money in a cardboard box and to leave it outside her door.

拉姆齐夫人被指示将钱放进一个纸箱，并将其放在门外。

旁白 neutral

At first, she decided to go to the police,

最初，她决定报警，

旁白 neutral

but fearing that she would never see Rastus again--the letter had made that quite clear--she changed her mind.

但由于担心再也见不到拉斯特斯——信中已把这一点说得一清二楚——她改变了主意。

旁白 neutral

She withdrew £1000 from her bank and followed the kidnapper's instructions.

她从银行取出1000英镑，按照绑架者的指示做了。

旁白 neutral

The next morning, the box had disappeared but Mrs.Ramsay was sure that the kidnapper would keep his word.

第二天早上，箱子不见了，但拉姆齐夫人确信绑架者会遵守诺言。

旁白 neutral

Sure enough, Rastus arrived punctually at seven o'clock that evening.

果不其然，拉斯特斯那天晚上7点准时回来了。

旁白 neutral

He looked very well, though he was rather thirsty, for he drank half a bottle of milk.

它看上去很好，只是有点渴，喝了半瓶牛奶。

旁白 neutral

The police were astounded when Mrs. Ramsay told them what she had done.

当拉姆齐夫人告诉警察她所做的一切时，警察都惊呆了。

旁白 neutral

She explained that Rastus was very dear to her.

她解释说拉斯特斯对她来说非常宝贵。

旁白 neutral

Considering the amount she paid, he was dear in more ways than one!

考虑到她所支付的金额，它在多方面都确实很“名贵”！