秘密花园.docx

秘密花园.docx

《秘密花园.docx》由会员分享，可在线阅读，更多相关《秘密花园.docx（26页珍藏版）》请在冰豆网上搜索。

秘密花园

1LittleMissMary

　　NobodyseemedtocareaboutMary．ShewasborninIndia，whereherfatherwasaBritishofficial．Hewasbusywithhiswork，andhermother，whowasverybeautiful，spentallhertimegoingtoparties．SoanIndianwoman，Kamala，waspaidtotakecareofthelittlegirl．Marywasnotaprettychild．Shehadathinangryfaceandthinyellowhair．ShewasalwaysgivingorderstoKamala，whohadtoobey．Maryneverthoughtofotherpeople，butonlyofherself．Infact，shewasaveryselfish，disagreeable，bad-temperedlittlegirl．

　　Oneveryhotmorning，whenshewasaboutnineyearsold，shewokeupandsawthatinsteadofKamalatherewasadifferentIndianservantbyherbed．

　　‘Whatareyoudoinghere？

’sheaskedcrossly．‘Goaway！

AndsendKamalatomeatonce！

’

　　Thewomanlookedafraid．‘I'msorry，MissMary，she—she—shecan'tcome！

’

　　Somethingstrangewashappeningthatday．Someofthehouseservantsweremissingandeverybodylookedfrightened．ButnobodytoldMaryanything，andKamalastilldidnotcome．SoatlastMarywentoutintothegarden，andplayedbyherselfunderatree．Shepretendedshewasmakingherownflowergarden，andpickedlargeredflowerstopushintotheground．Allthetimeshewassayingcrosslytoherself，

　　‘IhateKamala！

I'llhitherwhenshecomesback！

’

　　Justthenshesawhermothercomingintothegarden，withayoungEnglishman．Theydidnotnoticethechild，wholistenedtotheirconversation．

　　‘It'sverybad，isit？

’hermotheraskedtheyoungmaninaworriedvoice．

　　‘Verybad，’heansweredseriously．‘Peoplearedyinglikeflies．It'sdangeroustostayinthistown．Youshouldgotothehills，wherethere'snodisease．’

　　‘Oh，Iknow！

’shecried．‘Wemustleavesoon！

’

　　Suddenlytheyheardloudcriescomingfromtheservants’rooms，atthesideofthehouse．

　　‘What'shappened？

’criedMary'smotherwildly．

　　‘Ithinkoneofyourservantshasjustdied．Youdidn'ttellmethediseaseishere，inyourhouse！

’

　　‘Ididn'tknow！

’shescreamed．‘Quick，comewithme！

’Andtogethertheyranintothehouse．

　　NowMaryunderstoodwhatwaswrong．Theterriblediseasehadalreadykilledmanypeopleinthetown，andinallthehousespeopleweredying．InMary'shouseitwasKamalawhohadjustdied．Laterthatdaythreemoreservantsdiedthere．

　　Allthroughthenightandthenextdaypeopleraninandoutofthehouse，shoutingandcrying．NobodythoughtofMary．Shehidinherbedroom，frightenedbythestrangeandterriblesoundsthatsheheardaroundher．Sometimesshecriedandsometimessheslept．

　　Whenshewokethenextday，thehousewassilent．

　　‘Perhapsthediseasehasgone，’shethought，‘andeverybodyiswellagain．IwonderwhowilltakecareofmeinsteadofKamala？

Whydoesn'tsomeonebringmesomefood？

It'sstrangethehouseissoquiet．’

　　Butjustthensheheardmen'svoicesinthehall．

　　‘Howsad！

’saidone．‘Thatbeautifulwoman！

’

　　‘Therewasachildtoo，wasn'tthere？

’saidtheother．‘Althoughnoneofuseversawher．’

　　Marywasstandinginthemiddleofherroomwhentheyopenedthedoorafewminuteslater．Thetwomenjumpedbackinsurprise．

　　‘MynameisMaryLennox，’shesaidcrossly．‘Iwasasleepwheneveryonewasill，andnowI'mhungry．’

　　‘It'sthechild，theonenobodyeversaw！

’saidtheoldermantotheother．‘They'veallforgottenher！

’

　　‘WhywasIforgotten？

’askedMaryangrily．‘Whyhasnobodycometotakecareofme？

’

　　Theyoungermanlookedatherverysadly．‘Poorchild！

’hesaid．‘Yousee，there'snobodyleftaliveinthehouse．Sonobodycancome．’

　　InthisstrangeandsuddenwayMarylearntthatbothhermotherandherfatherhaddied．Thefewservantswhohadnotdiedhadrunawayinthenight．NoonehadrememberedlittleMissMary．Shewasallalone．

　　Becauseshehadneverknownherparentswell，shedidnotmissthematall．Sheonlythoughtofherself，asshehadalwaysdone．

　　‘WherewillIlive？

’shewondered．‘IhopeI'llstaywithpeoplewho'llletmedowhatIwant．’

　　AtfirstshewastakentoanEnglishfamilywhohadknownherparents．Shehatedtheiruntidyhouseandnoisychildren，andpreferredplayingbyherselfinthegarden．Onedayshewasplayingherfavouritegame，pretendingtomakeagarden，whenoneofthechildren，Basil，offeredtohelp．

　　‘Goaway！

’criedMary．‘Idon'twantyourhelp！

’

　　ForamomentBasillookedangry，andthenhebegantolaughHedancedroundandroundMary，andsangafunnylittlesongaboutMissMaryandherstupidflowers．ThismadeMaryverycrossindeed．Noonehadeverlaughedathersounkindly．

　　‘You'regoinghomesoon，’saidBasil．‘Andwe'reallverypleasedyou'releaving！

’

　　‘I'mpleasedtoo，’repliedMary．‘Butwhere'shome？

’

　　‘You'restupidifyoudon'tknowthat！

’laughedBasil．England，ofcourse！

You'regoingtolivewithyouruncle，MrArchibaldGraven．’

　　‘I'veneverheardofhim，’saidMarycoldly．

　　‘ButIknowabouthimbecauseIheardFatherandMothertalking，’saidBasil．‘Helivesinabiglonelyoldhouse，andhasnofriends，becausehe'ssobadtempered．He'sgotacrookedback，andhe'shorrid！

’

　　‘Idon'tbelieveyou！

’criedMary．ButthenextdayBasil'sparentsexplainedthatshewasgoingtolivewithheruncleinYorkshire，inthenorthofEngland．Marylookedboredandcrossandsaidnothing．

　　Afterthelongseajourney，shewasmetinLondonbyMrCraven'shousekeeper，MrsMedlock．Togethertheytravellednorthbytrain．MrsMedlockwasalargewoman，withaveryredfaceandbrightblackeyes．Marydidnotlikeher，butthatwasnotsurprising，becauseshedidnotusuallylikepeople．MrsMedlockdidnotlikeMaryeither．

　　‘Whatadisagreeablechild！

’thoughtthehousekeeper．‘ButperhapsIshouldtalktoher．’

　　‘Icantellyouabitaboutyouruncleifyoulike，’shesaidaloud．‘Helivesinabigoldhouse，alongwayfromanywhere．Therearenearlyahundredrooms，butmostofthemareshutandlocked．There'sabigparkroundthehouse，andallkindsofgardens．Well，whatdoyouthinkofthat？

’

　　‘Nothing，’repliedMary．‘Itdoesn'tmattertome．’

　　MrsMedlocklaughed．‘You'reahardlittlegirl！

Well，ifyoudon'tcare，MrCravendoesn'teither．Heneverspendstimeonanyone．He'sgotacrookedback，yousee，andalthoughhe'salwaysbeenrich，hewasneverreallyhappyuntilhemarried．’

　　‘Married？

’repeatedMaryinsurprise．

　　‘Yes，hemarriedasweet，prettygirl，andhelovedherdeeply．Sowhenshedied—’

　　‘Oh！

Didshedie？

’askedMary，interested．

　　‘Yes，shedid．Andnowhedoesn'tcareaboutanybody．Ifhe'sathome，hestaysinhisroomandseesnobody．Hewon'twanttoseeyou，soyoumuststayoutofhiswayanddowhatyou'retold．’

　　Marystaredoutofthetrainwindowatthegreyskyandtherain．Shewasnotlookingforwardtolifeatheruncle'shouse．

　　Thetrainjourneylastedallday，anditwasdarkwhentheyarrivedatthestation．Thentherewasalongdrivetogettothehouse．Itwasacold，windynight，anditwasrainingheavily．AfterawhileMarybegantohearastrange，wildnoise．Shelookedoutofthewindow，butcouldseenothingexceptthedarkness．

　　‘What'sthatnoise？

’sheaskedMrsMedlock．‘It's—It'snotthesea，isit？

’

　　‘No，that'sthemoor．It'sthesoundthewindmakes，blowingacrossthemoor．’

　　‘Whatisamoor？

’

　　‘It'sjustmilesandmilesofwildland，withnotreesorhouses．Youruncle'shouseisrightontheedgeofthemoor．’

　　Marylistenedtothestrange，frighteningsound．‘Idon'tlikeit，’shethought．‘Idon'tlikeit．’Shelookedmoredisagreeablethanever．

2MaryinYorkshire

　　Theyarrivedataverylargeoldhouse．Itlookeddarkandunfriendlyfromtheoutside．Inside，Marylookedaroundthebigshadowyhall，andfeltverysmallandlost．Theywentstraightupstairs．Marywasshowntoaroomwheretherewasawarmfireandfoodonthetable．

　　‘Thisisyourroom，’saidMrsMedlock．‘Gotobedwhenyou'vehadsomesupper．Andremember，youmuststayinyourroom！

MrCravendoesn'twantyoutowanderalloverthehouse！

’

　　WhenMarywokeupthenextmorning，shesawayoungservantgirlcleaningthefireplace．Theroomseemeddarkandratherstrange，withpicturesofdogsandhorsesandladiesonthewalls．Itwasnotachild'sroomatall．Fromthewindowshecouldnotseeanytreesorhouses，onlywildland，whichlookedlikeakindofpurplesea．

　　‘Whoareyou？

’sheaskedtheservantcoldly．

　　‘Martha，miss，’answeredthegirlwithasmile．

　　‘Andwhat'sthatoutside？

’Marycontinued．

　　‘That'sthemoor，’smiledMartha．‘Doyoulikeit？

’

　　‘No，’repliedMaryimmediately．‘Ihateit．’

　　‘That'sbecauseyoudon'tknowit．Youwilllikeit．Iloveit．It'slovelyinspringandsummerwhenthereareflowers．Italwayssmellssosweet．Theair'ssofresh，andthebirdssingsobeautifully．Ineverwanttoleavethemoor．’

　　Marywasfeelingverybadtempered．‘You'reastrangeservant，’shesaid．‘InIndiawedon'thaveconversationswithservants．Wegiveorders，andtheyobey，andthat'sthat．’

　　MarthadidnotseemtomindMary'scrossness．

　　‘IknowItalktoomuch！

’shelaughed．

　　‘Areyougoingtobemyservant？

’askedMary．

　　‘Well，notreally．IworkforMrsMedlock．I'mgoingtocleanyourroomandbringyouyourfood，butyouwon'tneedaservantexceptforthosethings．’

　　‘Butwho'sgoingtodressme？

’

　　Marthastoppedcleaning，andstaredatMary．

　　‘Tha’canna'dressthysen？

’sheasked，shocked．

　　‘Whatdoyoumean？

Idon'tunderstandyourlanguage！

’

　　‘Oh，Iforgot．WeallspeaktheYorkshiredialecthere，butofcourseyoudon'tunderstandthat．Imeanttosay，can'tyouputonyourownclothes？

’

　　‘Ofcoursenot！

Myservantalwaysusedtodressme．’

　　‘Well！

Ithinkyoushouldlearntodressyourself．Mymotheralwayssayspeopleshouldbeabletotakecareofthemselves，evenifthey'rerichandimportant．’

　　LittleMissMarywasfuriouswithMartha．‘It'sdifferentinIndiawhereIcomefrom！

Youdon'tknowanythingaboutIndia，oraboutservants，oraboutanything！

You…yo