商业周刊:火车模型劫持案(2)

These model trains often require decades to build and are considered priceless by their owners.

这些火车模型往往需要几十年才能建成，被主人认为是无价之宝。

At market, they can fetch tens of thousands of pounds. And though they're small, one-twelfth the scale of a normal train, they're not that small.

在市场上，它们能卖到几万英镑。虽然它们很小，是普通火车的十二分之一，但它们并没有那么小。

The locomotives—which burn model-train-sizebricks of coal, carried in model-train-scale tenders and fed with tiny shovels—weigh hundreds of pounds each.

这些机车烧的是火车模型大小的煤砖，装在火车模型的煤水车上，用小铲子铲，每辆机车重数百磅。

They're powerful enough to pull eight children, who ride, straddling passenger cars, around a special narrow-gauge track at 8 mph.

它们的动力足以拉动八个孩子，他们可以跨坐在乘用车上，绕着一个特殊的窄轨轨道，以每小时8英里的速度前行。

The burglars scoured¹ the grounds, which belong, along with the locomotives, to members of the Gravesend Model Marine² & Engineering Society (GMMES), a 66-year-old British railway club.

窃贼们搜查了这块地，这块土地和火车机车一起都归属于格雷芬德海洋与工程模型协会（Gravesend Model Marine & Engineering Society），该协会是一家拥有66年历史的英国铁路俱乐部。

They found a hoist³, a wheelbarrow, and a set of the club's walkie-talkies. Lifting the Mayflower onto the wheelbarrow, they rolled her to the fences.

他们找到了一台升降机、一辆独轮手推车，还有一套俱乐部的对讲机。他们把五月花号机车抬到手推车上，把她推到篱笆边。

Using the hoist, they lifted her over the wood railing, lowered her back into the wheelbarrow on the other side,

用起重机把它抬过木栏杆，放回到另一边的手推车里，一路推过农场，

and huffed her through the farm toward the van, where they had to heave the train over the final fence to reach the curb⁴.

朝着货车走去。他们不得不把火车吊过最后一道栅栏，才能到达路缘。

They returned at least three more times that night, plundering⁵ engines and other club valuables.

他们当晚至少又返回三次，把引擎和俱乐部中其他贵重物品也都抢跑了。

In the darkness, the thieves, presumably sapped yet unquestionably successful, piled back into the getaway van and disappeared into the night.

小偷们在黑暗中大概已经精疲力尽了，但毫无疑问，他们成功了。他们坐回逃跑用的面包车里，消失在夜色中。

The following morning, around 9 a.m., Derek Williams and his wife, Sheila, were walking their spaniel by the Leisure Centre.

第二天早上9点左右，德里克·威廉姆斯和妻子希拉在休闲中心遛狗。

Williams, a retiree who's been a GMMES member for the past 19 years, strolled by leafless trees, then saw the mangled⁶ doors of the shipping⁷ containers.

威廉斯已经退休，他19年来一直是该协会的成员。他在树叶已经落光的大树旁漫步，随后看到集装箱破损的大门。

Alarmed, Sheila phoned the police, while Derek dialed the only person he knew who could actually help:

希拉惊慌失措，打电话报警，德里克则拨通了他认识的唯一一个真正能帮忙的人：

Tricia Filley, the club's indefatigable⁸ secretary, who was just sitting down at home to cereal with her husband, Alan.

俱乐部中那位不知疲倦的秘书特里西亚·菲利，她正和丈夫艾伦坐在家里吃麦片粥。

"Trish," Williams said. "We've been burgled!"

“崔西，”威廉姆斯说。“我们被偷了！”

1 scoured   

走遍（某地）搜寻（人或物）( scour的过去式和过去分词 )； （用力）刷； 擦净； 擦亮

参考例句：

• We scoured the area for somewhere to pitch our tent. 我们四处查看，想找一个搭帐篷的地方。
• The torrents scoured out a channel down the hill side. 急流沿着山腰冲刷出一条水沟。

2 marine   

adj.海的；海生的；航海的；海事的；n.水兵

参考例句：

• Marine creatures are those which live in the sea. 海洋生物是生存在海里的生物。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

3 hoist   

n.升高，起重机，推动；v.升起，升高，举起

参考例句：

• By using a hoist the movers were able to sling the piano to the third floor.搬运工人用吊车才把钢琴吊到3楼。
• Hoist the Chinese flag on the flagpole,please!请在旗杆上升起中国国旗！

4 curb   

n.场外证券市场，场外交易；vt.制止，抑制

参考例句：

• I could not curb my anger.我按捺不住我的愤怒。
• You must curb your daughter when you are in church.你在教堂时必须管住你的女儿。

5 plundering   

掠夺，抢劫( plunder的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The troops crossed the country, plundering and looting as they went. 部队经过乡村，一路抢劫掳掠。
• They amassed huge wealth by plundering the colonies. 他们通过掠夺殖民地聚敛了大笔的财富。

6 mangled   

vt.乱砍（mangle的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• His hand was mangled in the machine. 他的手卷到机器里轧烂了。
• He was off work because he'd mangled his hand in a machine. 他没上班，因为他的手给机器严重压伤了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 shipping   

n.船运（发货，运输，乘船）

参考例句：

• We struck a bargain with an American shipping firm.我们和一家美国船运公司谈成了一笔生意。
• There's a shipping charge of ￡5 added to the price.价格之外另加五英镑运输费。

8 indefatigable   

adj.不知疲倦的，不屈不挠的

参考例句：

• His indefatigable spirit helped him to cope with his illness.他不屈不挠的精神帮助他对抗病魔。
• He was indefatigable in his lectures on the aesthetics of love.在讲授关于爱情的美学时，他是不知疲倦的。