英语听力：雾都孤儿 14. The end of the mystery

14  The end of the mystery

The next day Oliver travelled with Mr  Brown low ，Dr Losberne，Mrs Maylie and Rose back to his birthplace．He had been told a little of his history，and knew that there would be more explanations at the end of this journey．He was anxious and uncertain，wondering what he would hear． But towards the end of the journey，he began to recognize familiar places，and in great excitement pointed² them out to Rose．There was the path he had taken when he had run away．There，across the fields，was the‘baby farm’．Then，as They drove into the town，he saw the house of Mr Sowerberry the undertaker，and the workhouse that had been his prison． They stopped at the biggest hotel in the town，and went in to their rooms．During dinner Mr  Brown low  stayed in a separate room，and the older members of the group went in and out with serious faces．Mrs Maylie came back with her eyes red from crying．All this made Rose and Oliver，who had not been told any new secrets，very nervous and uncomfortable． At nine o’clock Dr Losberne and Mr  Brown low  brought Monks³ into the room．Oliver was very surprised；this was the same man he had bumped⁴ into once outside a pub，and seen another time with Fagin，looking in at him through the window of the country cottage．Oliver was told that Monks was his half-brother，and the boy stared at him in shock and amazement⁵．Monks looked back at him with hatred⁶． ‘We have the whole story here in these papers，’said Mr  Brown low ，putting them on the table． ‘All we need now is for you to sign them，Monks．And to tell Oliver what happened．’ Monks started hesitantly． ‘My father had arrived in Italy to collect the money he had inherited，when suddenly he fell ill．When he died，we found two papers in his desk．One was a letter to his girl；the other was a will．’ ‘What was the letter？’asked Mr  Brown low ． ‘It was written when he was ill，telling the girl how ashamed he was that she was pregnant⁷．He asked her not to remember him as a bad man but as someone who had made a mistake．He reminded her of the day he’d given her the locket and ring．’ Oliver’s tears fell fast as he listened to the story of his father． ‘And what about the will？’asked Mr  Brown low ． Monks was silent． ‘The will，’continued Mr  Brown low ，speaking for him， ‘was in the same spirit as the letter．He talked of the misery⁸ of his marriage to his wife，and the evil⁹ character of you，Monks，his only son，who had been brought up by your mother to hate him．He left you and your mother an annual income of $800．The rest of his property he left to his girl Agnes and to their child，if it were born alive，and if it showed itself to be of a good，kind character．The money would only go to you，Monks，as the older son，if The younger turned out to be as evil as you．’ ‘My mother，’said Monks， ‘burnt this will，and never sent the letter．The girl Agnes left her home in secret，so that her pregnancy¹⁰ would not bring shame on her family．I swore to my mother，when she was dying，that if I ever found my half-brother，I would do him all the harm I could．He would feel my hatred like a whip¹¹鞭子抽打 on his back．I paid Fagin to trap Oliver into a life of crime．But then he escaped，and that stupid，interfering girl Nancy talked to you．If I’d had the chance，I would have finished what I’d begun．’Monks stared at Oliver，and his lips moved in a silent curse¹²． ‘And the locket and ring？’asked Mr  Brown low ． ‘I bought them from Mr and Mrs Bumble，who had stolen them from the nurse，who had stolen them from Agnes，the dead girl．I’ve already told you how I threw them into the river． Mr  Brown low  turned to Rose． ‘I have one more thing to explain，’he said to the girl． ‘I don’t know if I have the strength to hear it now，’she murmured， ‘having heard so much already．’ Mr  Brown low  put his hand  under her arm． ‘You have a great deal of courage，dear child，’he said kindly¹³．He turned to Monks． ‘Do you know this young lady，sir？’ ‘Yes．’ ‘I don’t know you，’said Rose faintly． ‘The father of poor Agnes had two daughters，’said Mr  Brown low ． ‘What happened to the other one，who was only a young child at the time？’ ‘When Agnes disappeared，’replied Monks， ‘her father changed his name and moved to a lonely place in Wales，where no one would know about the family shame．He died very soon afterwards，and this young daughter was taken in by some poor people．My mother hated Agnes and everybody connected with her．She hunted for this young sister，and made sure that her life would be unhappy．She told the poor people who had taken her in that the girl was illegitimate，and that she came from a bad family with an evil reputation．So the child led a life of miserable¹⁴ poverty-until Mrs Maylie saw her by chance，pitied her，and took her home．’

‘And do you see this young sister now？’asked Mr  Brown low ． ‘Yes．Standing¹⁵ by your side．’ Rose could hardly speak． ‘So…Oliver is my nephew？’ ‘I can never call you aunt，’cried Oliver． ‘You’ll always be my own dear sister！’ They ran into each other’s arms，both of them crying in their happiness．A father，sister and mother had been lost and gained，and it was too much for one evening．They stood for a long time in silence，and the others left them alone．The court was full of faces；from every corner，all eyes were on one man-Fagin．In front of him，behind，above，below -he seemed surrounded by staring eyes．Not one of the faces showed any sympathy towards him；all were determined¹⁶ that he should hang．At last，there was a cry of ‘Silence！’，and everyone looked towards the door．The jury¹⁷ returned，and passed close to Fagin．He could tell nothing from their faces；They could have been made of stone．Then there was complete stillness-not a whisper，not a breath…Guilty．The whole court rang with a great shout，echoing through all the rooms as the crowd ran out of the building to tell all the people waiting outside．The news was that he would die on Monday． Fagin thought of nothing but death that night．He began to remember all the people he had ever known who had been hung．He could hardly count them．They might have sat in the same prison cell as he was sitting in now．He thought about death by hanging-the rope，the cloth bag over the head，the sudden change from strong men to bundles¹⁸ of clothes，hanging at the end of a rope． As his last night came，despair seized Fagin’s evil soul．He could not sit still，and hurried up and down his small cell，gasping with terror，his eyes flashing with hate and anger．Then he lay trembling on his stone bed and listened to the clock striking¹⁹ the hours．Where would he be when those hours came round again？ In the middle of that Sunday night，Mr  Brown low  and Oliver were allowed to enter the prison．Several strong doors were unlocked，and eventually They entered Fagin’s cell．The old robber²⁰ was sitting on the bed，whispering to himself，his face more like a trapped animal’s than a human’s． ‘You have some papers，Fagin，’said Mr  Brown low  quietly， ‘which were given to you by Monks to look after．’ ‘It’s a lie！’replied Fagin，not looking at him． ‘I haven’t got any．’ ‘For the love of God，’said Mr  Brown low ，very seriously， ‘don’t lie to us now，on the night before your death．You know that Sikes is dead and Monks has confessed²¹．Where are the papers？’ ‘I’ll tell you，Oliver，’said Fagin． ‘Come here．’He whispered to him． ‘They’re in a bag up the chimney²² in the front room at the top of the house．But I want to talk to you，my dear．’ ‘Yes，’said Oliver． ‘Will you pray with me？’ ‘Outside，outside，’said Fagin，pushing the boy in front of him towards the door． ‘Say I’ve gone to sleep-They’ll believe you．You can take me out with you when you go．’The old man’s eyes shone with a mad light． ‘It’s no good，’said Mr  Brown low ，taking Oliver’s hand ． ‘He’s gone too far，and we can never reach him now．’ The cell door opened，and as the visitors left，Fagin started struggling and fighting with his guards，screaming so loudly that the prison walls rang with the sound． They left the prison building in the grey light of dawn．Outside in the street，huge crowds were already gathering，joking and laughing，and pushing to get the best places near the great black platform，where the rope hung ready for its morning’s work． Less than three months later，Rose married Harry²³ Maylie．For her sake，Harry had abandoned his political ambitions，and had become a simple man of the church．There was no longer any mystery about Rose’s birth，but even if there had been，Harry would not have cared．They lived next to the church in a peaceful village．Mrs Maylie went to live with them，and spent the rest of her days in quiet contentment． Mr  Brown low  adopted Oliver as his son．They moved to a house in the same quiet village，and were just as happy．Dr Losberne discovered suddenly that the air in Chertsey did not suit him．In less than three months he，too，had moved-to a cottage just outside the village，where he took up gardening and fishing with great energy and enthusiasm²⁴． Mr  Brown low  suggested that half the remaining money from the will should be given to Monks and the other half to Oliver，although by law it should all have gone to Oliver alone．O liver¹ was glad to accept the suggestion．Monks went off with his money to the other side of the world，where he spent it quickly and was soon in prison for another act of fraud²⁵．In prison he became ill and died．The remaining members of Fagin’s gang²⁶ died in similar ways in other distant countries，all except Charley Bates，who turned his back on his past life of crime and lived honestly，as a farmer． Noah Claypole was given a free pardon for telling the police about Fagin．He soon became employed as an informer for the police，spying on people and telling the police about anyone who had broken the law．Mr and Mrs Bumble lost their jobs and became poorer and poorer，eventually living in poverty in the same workhouse that They had once managed． In that quiet country village，The years passed peacefully．Mr Brown low  filled the mind of his adopted son with knowledge，and as he watched the boy grow up，he was reminded more and more of his old friend，Oliver’s father．The two orphans，Rose and Oliver，led lives that were truly happy．The hardships that They had once suffered had left no bitterness in their gentle souls，and all their lives they showed the mercy and kindness to others that God himself shows to all things that breathe ．

1 liver   

n.肝；肝脏

参考例句：

• He has a weak liver.他的肝脏不好。
• The largest organ in the body is the liver.人体最大的器官是肝脏。

2 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

3 monks   

n.修道士，僧侣( monk的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The monks lived a very ascetic life. 僧侣过着很清苦的生活。
• He had been trained rigorously by the monks. 他接受过修道士的严格训练。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 bumped   

凸起的，凸状的

参考例句：

• In the dark I bumped into a chair. 我在黑暗中撞上了一把椅子。
• I bumped against an old friend in town today. 我今天在城里偶然碰见了一个老朋友。

5 amazement   

n.惊奇，惊讶

参考例句：

• All those around him looked at him with amazement.周围的人都对他投射出惊异的眼光。
• He looked at me in blank amazement.他带着迷茫惊诧的神情望着我。

6 hatred   

n.憎恶，憎恨，仇恨

参考例句：

• He looked at me with hatred in his eyes.他以憎恨的眼光望着我。
• The old man was seized with burning hatred for the fascists.老人对法西斯主义者充满了仇恨。

7 pregnant   

adj.怀孕的，怀胎的

参考例句：

• She is a pregnant woman.她是一名孕妇。
• She is pregnant with her first child.她怀了第一胎。

8 misery   

n.痛苦，苦恼，苦难；悲惨的境遇，贫苦

参考例句：

• Business depression usually causes misery among the working class.商业不景气常使工薪阶层受苦。
• He has rescued me from the mire of misery.他把我从苦海里救了出来。

9 evil   

n.邪恶，不幸，罪恶；adj.邪恶的，不幸的，有害的，诽谤的

参考例句：

• We pray to God to deliver us from evil.我们祈求上帝把我们从罪恶中拯救出来。
• Love of money is the root of all evil.爱钱是邪恶的根源。

10 pregnancy   

n.怀孕，怀孕期

参考例句：

• Early pregnancy is often accompanied by nausea.怀孕早期常有恶心的现象。
• Smoking during pregnancy increases the risk of miscarriage.怀孕期吸烟会增加流产的危险。

11 whip   

n.鞭子，鞭打，奶油甜食，车夫，组织秘书；vt.抽出，鞭打，捆扎，搅拌，打败；vi.突然移动，飘浮

参考例句：

• The cruel man lashed the horse with his whip.那个粗暴的人用鞭子抽马。
• The cruel master beat his slaves with a whip.残酷的主人鞭打他的奴隶。

12 curse   

n.祸因，祸根；诅咒，咒骂；骂人话

参考例句：

• His wealth proved a curse to him.他的财富成了祸根。
• The rabbits are a curse in this part of the country.兔子在这一带农村是一种祸害。

13 kindly   

adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地

参考例句：

• Her neighbours spoke of her as kindly and hospitable.她的邻居都说她和蔼可亲、热情好客。
• A shadow passed over the kindly face of the old woman.一道阴影掠过老太太慈祥的面孔。

14 miserable   

adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的

参考例句：

• It was miserable of you to make fun of him.你取笑他，这是可耻的。
• Her past life was miserable.她过去的生活很苦。

15 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

16 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

17 jury   

n.陪审团，评委会；adj.临时用的；vt.挑选

参考例句：

• These twelve men are believed to compose the jury.据信，陪审团是由这12人组成的。
• The members of the jury were discharged from their duties.陪审员们被解除了职务。

18 Bundles   

n. 捆, 束, 一批, 一大笔钱 vt. 捆, 匆匆送走, 附赠 vi. 匆忙

参考例句：

• The goods are done up in bundles for shipment. 货物已打包以备装船。
• The books were tied up in bundles of twenty. 那些书被捆成20本一捆。

19 striking   

adj.显著的，惹人注目的，容貌出众的

参考例句：

• There is a striking difference between Jane and Mary.简和玛丽之间有显著的差异。
• What is immediately striking is how resourceful the children are.最令人注目的是孩子们的机智聪明。

20 robber   

n.抢劫者，强盗，盗贼

参考例句：

• The robber told the woman to come across with her purse.拦路抢劫者勒令那个女人把钱包交出来。
• The robber tried to run away but a man tackled him.强盗企图逃跑，但一个人把他抓住了。

21 confessed   

adj. 众所周知的，公认的 动词confess的过去式和过去分词形式

参考例句：

• She confessed to the murder. 她供认犯了谋杀罪。
• He confessed to a priest that he had sinned. 他向神父忏悔他犯了罪。

22 chimney   

n.烟囱，烟筒；玻璃罩

参考例句：

• The chimney blew out a cloud of black smoke.烟囱里喷出一团黑烟。
• His father is a chimney sweeper.他的父亲是一位扫烟囱的工人。

23 harry   

vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼

参考例句：

• Today,people feel more hurried and harried.今天，人们感到更加忙碌和苦恼。
• Obama harried business by Healthcare Reform plan.奥巴马用医改掠夺了商界。

24 enthusiasm   

n.热情，激情；巨大兴趣；热衷的事物

参考例句：

• We set about our task at once with great enthusiasm.我们立刻兴致勃勃地干起来。
• A team which is full of enthusiasm is more likely to win.情绪高涨的球队更可能获胜。

25 fraud   

n.骗子，欺骗，欺诈，诡计

参考例句：

• We will introduce legal safeguards against fraud.我们将推行防止欺诈的法律条款。
• The prosecutor accused the defendant of fraud.原告控告被告犯有欺诈罪。

26 gang   

n.一伙，一帮；结伴的朋友

参考例句：

• The gang live abroad,beyond reach of the British police.这帮匪徒住在国外，英国警方鞭长莫及。
• Some gang came in and shot the place up.有股匪帮进来对这个地方开枪扫射。