《英语流行话题阅读:语境识词4500》06 Lost and Found

　　Unit 6
Lost and Found
The weekend was over, and Begbie had returned to town, restless, and strangely unhappy. There was within him a curious sense of something lost. He unpacked¹ his suitcase listlessly, compared its contents with the catalogue of his weekend needs. Everything was there, from hairbrush to dinner coat -- yet that sense of something left behind still oppressed him. A second time he went over the list and compared it with his possessions, to find that nothing was missing; then on a sudden moment there flashed across his mind a full realization² of what the lost object was. "That's it!" he said with a sigh of relief, "I'll write at once to my hostess and ask her to return it." Action followed the resolution, and, seating himself at his desk, Begbie wrote:
My Dear Mrs. Shelton,
Upon my return from the never-to-be-forgotten series of golden hours at Sea Cliff, after the habit of the departing guest, I have left at least one of my possessions behind me. It is of value perhaps to nobody but myself, but poor as it is, I cannot very well do without it. It is my heart. If by some good chance you have found it, and it is of no use to you, will you be good enough to return to me? Or, if by some good fortune you find it worth retaining, will you please tell me so, that I may know it is in your custody³ and is not lying somewhere cold and neglected? It is the only one I have, and it has never passed out of my keeping before.Harrison Begbie
The following morning, Begbie received a letter postmarked Sea Cliff, and addressed in the familiar handwriting of his hostess. Excitedly he tore it open and found the following:
My dear Mr. Begbie,
What careless creatures you men are! I have found ten such articles as you described in my house during the past ten days, and out of so vast and varied⁴ a number I cannot quite decide which one is yours. Some of them are badly cracked; some are battered⁵ hopelessly, and only one of them is in first-class condition. I'm hoping it is yours, but I don't know. In any event on receipt of this won't you come down here at once and we can run over them together? I'll meet you on the arrival of the 12:15 at Wavecrest station. Meanwhile, knowing how indispensable a part of the human mechanism⁶ a heart truly is, I send you mine to take the place of the other. You may keep it until your own is returned to you.
P.S. Telegraph me if you'll be on the 12:15 train.
Mary Shelton
Ten minutes later the following rush message sped over the wire:
Mrs. Shelton:
Haven't time to telegraph you of arrival on 12:15. Am rushing to catch the 9:05.
Harrison

1 unpacked   

v.从（包裹等）中取出（所装的东西），打开行李取出( unpack的过去式和过去分词 )；拆包；解除…的负担；吐露（心事等）

参考例句：

• I unpacked my bags as soon as I arrived. 我一到达就打开行李，整理衣物。
• Our guide unpacked a picnic of ham sandwiches and offered us tea. 我们的导游打开装着火腿三明治的野餐盒，并给我们倒了些茶水。 来自辞典例句

2 realization   

n.实现；认识到，深刻了解

参考例句：

• We shall gladly lend every effort in our power toward its realization.我们将乐意为它的实现而竭尽全力。
• He came to the realization that he would never make a good teacher.他逐渐认识到自己永远不会成为好老师。

3 custody   

n.监护，照看，羁押，拘留

参考例句：

• He spent a week in custody on remand awaiting sentence.等候判决期间他被还押候审一个星期。
• He was taken into custody immediately after the robbery.抢劫案发生后，他立即被押了起来。

4 varied   

adj.多样的，多变化的

参考例句：

• The forms of art are many and varied.艺术的形式是多种多样的。
• The hotel has a varied programme of nightly entertainment.宾馆有各种晚间娱乐活动。

5 battered   

adj.磨损的；v.连续猛击；磨损

参考例句：

• He drove up in a battered old car.他开着一辆又老又破的旧车。
• The world was brutally battered but it survived.这个世界遭受了惨重的创伤,但它还是生存下来了。

6 mechanism   

n.机械装置；机构，结构

参考例句：

• The bones and muscles are parts of the mechanism of the body.骨骼和肌肉是人体的组成部件。
• The mechanism of the machine is very complicated.这台机器的结构是非常复杂的。