1 Little Miss Mary
Nobody seemed to care about Mary. She was born in India, where her father was a British official.
He was busy with his work, and her mother, who was very beautiful, spent all her time going to parties.
So an Indian woman, Kamala, was paid to take care of the little girl.Mary was not a pretty child.
She had a thin angry face and thin yellow hair. She was always giving orders to Kamala, who had to obey.
Mary never thought of other people, but only of herself. In fact, she was a very selfish, disagreeable, bad-tempered little girl.
One very hot morning, when she was about nine years old, she woke up and saw that instead of Kamala there was
a different Indian servant by her bed.
'What are you doing here?' she asked crossly. 'Go away! And send Kamala to me at once!'
The woman looked afraid. 'I'm sorry, Miss Mary, she she she can't come!'
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解释：
（1）Nobody seemed to care about Mary
seem + 动词不定式短语
seem + 名词性从句
关心某人，不能只用care，要用care about。
（2）She was born in India, where her father was a British official.
where引导的是：非限定性定语从句，修饰 in India
（3）He was busy with his work
be busy with：固定搭配，忙于做某事
（4）and her mother, who was very beautiful, spent all her time going to parties.
who..引导的是非限定性定语从句
spend all time doiing sth：固定用法，spend 后面用动名词。
go to party：去参加聚会。party是可数名词。
（5）So an Indian woman, Kamala, was paid to take care of the little girl.
Kamala：同位语
be paid to：被动语态。被花钱雇佣来...
take care of：照顾
=> Her parents paid an Indian woman to take care of the little girl.
（6）She had a thin angry face and thin yellow hair.
thin：注意两个thin的意思
（7）She was always giving orders to Kamala, who had to obey
give orders to sb：向某人发号施令
（8）Mary never thought of other people, but only of herself
think of：考虑
（9）she was a very selfish, disagreeable, bad-tempered little girl.
selfish：自私
disagreeable：讨人厌的
bad-tempered：坏脾气的
（10）she woke up and saw that instead of Kamala there was a different Indian servant by her bed.
instead of Kamala：介词短语
there was a different Indian servant by her bed.：宾语从句
（11）she asked crossly.
crossly： adv. having a bad temper. 不高兴地，执拗地。
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Something strange was happening that day. Some of the house servants were missing and everybody looked frightened.
But nobody told Mary anything, and Kamala still did not come. So at last Mary went out into the garden, and played by herself under a tree.
She pretended she was making her own flower garden, and picked large red flowers to push into the ground.
All the time she was saying crossly to herself,
'I hate Kamala! I'll hit her when she comes back!'
Just then she saw her mother coming into the garden, with a young Englishman. They did not notice the child, who listened to their conversation.
'It's very bad, is it?' her mother asked the young man in a worried voice.
'Very bad,' he answered seriously. 'People are dying like flies. It's dangerous to stay in this town. You should go to the hills, where there's no disease.'
'Oh, I know!' she cried. 'We must leave soon!'
Suddenly they heard loud cries coming from the servants' rooms, at the side of the house.
'What's happened?' cried Mary's mother wildly.
'I think one of your servants has just died. You didn't tell me the disease is here , in your house!'
'I didn't know!' she screamed. 'Quick, come with me!' And together they ran into the house.
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解释：
（1）Something strange was happening that day
strange ：做something的后置定语
（2）Some of the house servants were missing and everybody looked frightened.
missing：形容词，失踪的
（3）But nobody told Mary anything
因为nobody是否定，所以用anything。
（4） So at last Mary went out into the garden, and played by herself under a tree.
by herself：独自地
（5）She pretended she was making her own flower garden
pretend：假装，可以跟宾语从句。
（6）All the time she was saying crossly to herself
say to herself：自言自语
crossly：生气地 = angrily
（7）Just then she saw her mother coming into the garden, with a young Englishman.
coming into the garden：现在分词短语，做宾补。
（8）her mother asked the young man in a worried voice
in ... voice：用什么语气
（9）'Very bad,' he answered seriously.
bad：糟糕
seriously：严肃地
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Now Mary understood what was wrong. The terrible disease had already killed many people in the town, and in all the houses people were dying.
In Mary's house it was Kamala who had just died. Later that day three more servants died there.
All through the night and the next day people ran in and out of the house, shouting and crying. Nobody thought of Mary.
She hid in her bedroom, frightened by the strange and terrible sounds that she heard around her. Sometimes she cried and sometimes she slept.
When she woke the next day, the house was silent.
'Perhaps the disease has gone,' she thought, 'and everybody is well again. I wonder who will take care of me instead of Kamala?
Why doesn't someone bring me some food? It's strange the house is so quiet.'
But just then she heard men's voices in the hall.
'How sad!' said one. 'That beautiful woman!'
'There was a child too, wasn't there?' said the other. 'Although none of us ever saw her.'
Mary was standing in the middle of her room when they opened the door a few minutes later. The two men jumped back in surprise.
'My name is Mary Lennox,' she said crossly. 'I was asleep when everyone was ill, and now I'm hungry.'
'It's the child, the one nobody ever saw!' said the older man to the other. 'They've all forgotten her!'
' Why was I forgotten?' asked Mary angrily. ' Why has nobody come to take care of me?'
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解释：
（1） it was Kamala who had just died.
强调句。
正常句：Kamala had just died。 为了强调，变成：it was Kamala who had just died
例如：MS killed the dog yestoday。 => It is MS who killed the dog yestoday
=> It is yestoday that MS killed the dog.
（2）All through the night
= whole the night
（3）She hid in her bedroom, frightened by the strange and terrible sounds that she heard around her
frightened by ：过去分词短语，做状语。
that：定语从句
（4）Perhaps the disease has gone
gone：消失
（5） I wonder who will take care of me instead of Kamala?
（6）The two men jumped back in surprise.
in surprise：方式状语
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The younger man looked at her very sadly. 'Poor child!' he said. 'You see, there's nobody left alive in the house. So nobody can come.'
In this strange and sudden way Mary learnt that both her mother and her father had died. The few servants who had not died had run away in the night.
No one had remembered little Miss Mary. She was all alone.
Because she had never known her parents well, she did not miss them at all. She only thought of herself, as she had always done.
'Where will I live?' she wondered. 'I hope I'll stay with people who'll let me do what I want.'
At first she was taken to an English family who had known her parents. She hated their untidy house and noisy children,
and preferred playing by herself in the garden.One day she was playing her favourite game, pretending to make a garden,
when one of the children, Basil, offered to help.
'Go away!' cried Mary. 'I don't want your help!'
For a moment Basil looked angry, and then he began to laugh. He danced round and round Mary,
and sang a funny little song about Miss Mary and her stupid flowers. This made Mary very cross indeed.
No one had ever laughed at her so unkindly.
'You're going home soon,' said Basil. 'And we're all very pleased you're leaving!'
'I'm pleased too,' replied Mary. 'But where's home?'
'You're stupid if you don't know that!' laughed Basil. 'England, of course! You're going to live with your uncle, Mr Archibald Craven.'
'I've never heard of him,' said Mary coldly.
'But I know about him because I heard Father and Mother talking,' said Basil. 'He lives in a big lonely old house,
and has no friends, because he's so bad-tempered. He's got a crooked back, and he's horrid!'
'I don't believe you!' cried Mary. But the next day Basil's parents explained that she was going to live with her uncle in Yorkshire,
in the north of England. Mary looked bored and cross and said nothing.
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解释：
（1）there's nobody left alive in the house
alive：活着的，后置定语，修饰nobody
=> there is nobody left in the house。
（2）The few servants who had not died had run away in the night.
who had not died：定语从句
in the night：特指那个晚上，一般都是用 at night
（3）She was all alone.
all alone：独自一人
all = completely：完全地，程度副词
（4）she did not miss them at all. She only thought of herself, as she had always done
at all：根本
think of：考虑
as：正如
（5）I hope I'll stay with people who'll let me do what I want
who'll let me do what I want：定语从句
what I want：宾语从句
（6）She hated their untidy house and noisy children, and preferred playing by herself in the garden.
untidy：不整洁的、凌乱的
noisy：嘈杂的、吵闹的
prefer：较喜欢、宁愿；+动名词，+动词不定式
（7）she was playing her favourite game, pretending to make a garden, when one of the children, Basil, offered to help.
pretending to：假装
（8）He danced round and round Mary, and sang a funny little song about Miss Mary and her stupid flowers.
round and round：围着
stupid：不好的、惹人讨厌的
（9）He's got a crooked back, and he's horrid
has got = has
a crooked back：驼背
horrid：形容词，讨厌的
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After the long sea journey, she was met in London by Mr Craven's housekeeper, Mrs Medlock. Together they travelled north by train.
Mrs Medlock was a large woman, with a very red face and bright black eyes. Mary did not like her, but that was not surprising,
because she did not usually like people. Mrs Medlock did not like Mary either.
'What a disagreeable child!' thought the housekeeper. 'But perhaps I should talk to her.'
'I can tell you a bit about your uncle if you like,' she said aloud. 'He lives in a big old house, a long way from anywhere. There are nearly a hundred rooms,
but most of them are shut and locked. There's a big park round the house, and all kinds of gardens. Well, what do you think of that?'
'Nothing,' replied Mary. 'It doesn't matter to me.'
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解释：
（1）Together they travelled north by train.
north：向北。副词。
（2）I can tell you a bit about your uncle if you like
a bit：=a little
if you like：如果你想的话 = if you like to do sth
（3）she said aloud
aloud：副词，大声地 = loudly
（4）He lives in a big old house, a long way from anywhere
a long way from anywhere：定语。修饰 house。距离任何地方都很远
（5） 'It doesn't matter to me.'
介词to
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Mrs Medlock laughed. 'You're a hard little girl! Well, if you don't care, Mr Craven doesn't either. He never spends time on anyone.
He's got a crooked back, you see, and although he's always been rich, he was never really happy until he married.'
'Married?' repeated Mary in surprise.
'Yes, he married a sweet, pretty girl, and he loved her deeply. So when she died '
'Oh! Did she die?' asked Mary, interested.
'Yes, she did. And now he doesn't care about anybody. If he's at home, he stays in his room and sees nobody.
He won't want to see you , so you must stay out of his way and do what you're told.'
Mary stared out of the train window at the grey sky and the rain. She was not looking forward to life at her uncle's house.
The train journey lasted all day, and it was dark when they arrived at the station. Then there was a long drive to get to the house.
It was a cold, windy night, and it was raining heavily. After a while Mary began to hear a strange, wild noise. She looked out of the window,
but could see nothing except the darkness.
'What's that noise?' she asked Mrs Medlock. 'It's It's not the sea, is it?'
'No, that's the moor. It's the sound the wind makes, blowing across the moor.'
'What is a moor?'
'It's just miles and miles of wild land, with no trees or houses. Your uncle's house is right on the edge of the moor.'
Mary listened to the strange, frightening sound. 'I don't like it,' she thought. 'I don't like it.' She looked more disagreeable than ever.
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解释：
（1）You're a hard little girl
hard：不好相处
（2）He never spends time on anyone.
spend time on sb：介词on
spend time doiing sth：动名词
（3）repeated Mary in surprise
in surprise：惊讶地。介词 in
（4）And now he doesn't care about anybody
care about：关照，在乎，照顾
（5）so you must stay out of his way and do what you're told.
out of his way：离他远远地
（6）Mary stared out of the train window at the grey sky and the rain
stare at：盯着看
（7）She was not looking forward to life at her uncle's house
look forward to：盼望、期望
（8）Then there was a long drive to get to the house
a long drive：drive可数名词，一个很长的车程
（9）but could see nothing except the darkness
except：介词，除了。
（10）No, that's the moor. It's the sound the wind makes, blowing across the moor
moor：沼泽地
the wind makes：定语从句，修饰 the sound
blow：吹风
（11）It's just miles and miles of wild land
miles and miles of ：绵延数公里的
（12）Your uncle's house is right on the edge of the moor.
right：恰好、刚好。=exactly; directly 正好；恰好；直接地
on the edge of the moor：介词短语
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词汇：
official n. a person holding office or engaged in official duties. 官员。
disagreeable adj. unpleasant; rude. 让人讨厌的，不友善的。
crossly adv. having a bad temper. 不高兴地，执拗地。
pretend v. behave in a particular way because you want someone to believe that something is true when it is not. 假装，装作。
untidy adj. not neat and tidy. 不整洁的。
crooked adj. not straight. 驼的，弯的。
Yorkshire n. a former county of England. 约克郡（英国一个郡）。
explain v. to tell someone something in a way that helps them understand it better. 解释，说明。
housekeeper n. a person employed to manage a household. 管家。
look forward to hope; expect. 盼望，期待。
moor n. a large area of high land covered with grass, bushes, with soil that is not good for growing crops. 荒原。
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