英語小說閱讀

王琴

George’s Marvellous Medicine（14）

3．George Begins to Make the Medicine

(4)

On his mother's dressing-table in the bedroom, George found yet another lovely aerosol can. It was called HELGA'S HAIRSET. HOLD TWELVE INCHES AWAY FROMTHEHAIR AND SPRAY LIGHTLY. He squirted the whole lot into the saucepan. He did enjoy squirting these aerosols.

There was a bottle of perfume called FLOWERS OF TURNIPs. It smelled of old cheese. In it went. 

And in, too, went a large round box of POWDER. It was called PINKPLASTER. There was a powder-puff on top and he threw that in as well for luck.

He found a couple of LSTICKS. He pulled the greasy red things out of their little cases and added them to the mixture.

The bedroom had nothing more to offer, so George carried the enormous saucepan down- stairs again and trotted into the laundry-room where the shelves were full of all kinds of house- hold items.

The first one he took down was a large box of SUPERWHITE FOR AUTOMATIC WASHING- MACHINES. DIRT, it said, WILL DISAPPEAR LIKE MAGIC. George didn't know whether Grandma was automatic or not, but she was certainly a dirty old woman. 'So she'd better have it all,' he said, tipping in the whole boxful.

Then there was a big tin of WAXWELL FLOOR POLISH. IT REMOVES FILTH AND FOUL MESSES FROM YOUR FLOOR AND LEAVES EVERYTHING SHINY BRIGHT, it said. George scooped the orange-coloured waxy stuff out of the tin and plonked it into the pan.

There was a round cardboard carton labelled FLEA POWDER FOR DOGS. KEEP WELL AWAY FROM THE DOG'S FOOD, it said, BECAUSE THIS POWDER, IF EATEN, WILL MAKE THE DOG EXPLODE. 'Good,’ said George, pouring it all into the saucepan.

He found a box of CANARY SEED on the shelf. Perhaps it'll make the old bird sing,' he said, and in it went.

在臥室里，喬治在他母親的梳妝臺上發(fā)現(xiàn)了另一個可愛的噴霧罐。它叫做“海爾加的定型噴霧”。上面寫著“保持距離頭發(fā)十二英寸，輕輕噴灑”。他把整個噴霧都噴進了平底鍋里。他確實喜歡噴這些噴霧。

有一瓶香水，叫做“蕪菁之花”。它聞起來像舊奶酪。他也把它倒了進去。

還有一大盒“粉餅”。它叫做“粉紅石膏”。上面有一個粉撲，他也為了好運把它扔了進去。

他找到了幾根“口紅”。他把那些油膩的紅色東西從小盒子里拿出來，加進了混合物里。

臥室里再也沒有什么可用的了，于是喬治拿著巨大的平底鍋再次下樓，小跑進了洗衣房，那里的架子上擺滿了各種家用物品。

他拿下的第一個是一個大盒子“超級白自動洗衣機專用”。上面寫著“污垢將像魔法一樣消失”。喬治不知道奶奶是不是自動的，但她確實是個臟兮兮的老女人?！八运詈枚加蒙希彼f，把整盒都倒了進去。

然后是一大罐“蠟威爾地板蠟”。上面寫著“它能去除地板上的污垢和臟亂，讓一切光亮照人”。喬治把錫罐里的橙色蠟狀物舀出來，撲通一聲放進鍋里。

有一個圓形的紙板箱，上面寫著“狗狗用跳蚤粉”。上面寫著“遠離狗狗的食物，因為這種粉末如果被吃掉，會讓狗狗爆炸”。 “好，”喬治說，把跳蚤粉全倒進了平底鍋里。

他在架子上找到了一盒“金絲雀種子”。 “也許這會讓老鳥唱歌，”他說，然后把種子也倒了進去。

New words:

1. perfume：n.香水

2.mpowder-puff：粉撲

3.. lipsticks：n. 口紅

4. greasy：a. 油膩的

5.. Waxwell：蠟威爾（品牌名）

6. floor polish：地板蠟

7. filth：n. 污垢

8. foul messes：臟亂

9. cardboard carton：紙板箱

10. flea powder：跳蚤粉

11. Canary seed：金絲雀種子

Questions:

1. What did George find on his mother's dressing-table in the bedroom?

2. What was the name of the perfume bottle that George added to the saucepan, and how did it smell?

3. What did George add to the saucepan from the large round box of powder?

4. What household item did George take from the laundry-room shelves first, and what was its purpose?**

5. What did George use to remove filth and foul messes from the floor, and what did it leave behind?

6. What warning did the label on the flea powder for dogs have, and why did George think it was good to add to the saucepan?

7. What did George hope the canary seed would do for Grandma, and why did he add it to the mixture?

Key to questions:

1. George found another lovely aerosol can called HELGA'S HAIRSET on his mother's dressing-table in the bedroom.

2. The name of the perfume bottle was FLOWERS OF TURNIPS, and it smelled of old cheese.

3. George added a large round box of PINKPLASTER powder to the saucepan, along with the powder-puff on top.

4. The first household item George took from the laundry-room shelves was a large box of SUPERWHITE FOR AUTOMATIC WASHING-MACHINES, and its purpose was to remove dirt from clothes.

5. George used a big tin of WAXWELL FLOOR POLISH to remove filth and foul messes from the floor, and it left everything shiny bright.

6. The label on the flea powder for dogs warned to keep it well away from the dog's food because if eaten, it would make the dog explode. George thought it was good to add to the saucepan because it would have a similar effect on Grandma.

7. George hoped the canary seed would make Grandma, who he referred to as "the old bird," sing. He added it to the mixture in the hope of bringing some cheerfulness to her.