一個(gè)星期四的下午,屢報(bào)假警的醉漢比利來到愛丁堡倫敦路警局,說自己在卡爾頓山上殺了一個(gè)人。洛根督察判斷比利又在無理取鬧,于是把他放走了。接著,洛根接到一個(gè)電話,得知有人在卡爾頓山上發(fā)現(xiàn)一具年輕女子的尸體。這一次,比利被列為重點(diǎn)懷疑對象……
“劍橋雙語分級閱讀·小說館”是一套從劍橋大學(xué)出版社引進(jìn)的面向非英語國家英語學(xué)習(xí)者的分級系列讀物,由英語語言教學(xué)專家及小說作家合力創(chuàng)作。創(chuàng)作過程歷時(shí)二十余年,出版后受到世界各地英語教師和英語學(xué)習(xí)者的喜愛,許多讀本再版十余次,二十余年來暢銷不衰,成為全球英語學(xué)習(xí)者首選的優(yōu)秀讀本。
本系列讀物具有以下突出的特色:
1.它是原創(chuàng)英語讀物,而非改編自普通作品的讀物。因此,閱讀本系列讀物,我們讀到的是原汁原味的原創(chuàng)英語,而非人為改編過的二手英語。
2.它是當(dāng)代優(yōu)秀短篇小說,而非上個(gè)或上上個(gè)世紀(jì)的小說。因此,閱讀本系列讀物,我們讀到的是當(dāng)今活的、學(xué)了就能用的英語,而非穿越時(shí)空的、學(xué)了難以用的英語,了解的是與我們同時(shí)代英語國家人們的、而非隔代人的生活、文化、風(fēng)土人情和價(jià)值觀。
3.它是專為非英語國家的英語學(xué)習(xí)者量身定制的讀物,而非為英語母語者而寫的大眾讀物。因此,本系列讀物是最適合英語學(xué)習(xí)的讀物。
4.它是英美知名小說家和英語語言教學(xué)專家合力創(chuàng)作的讀物,小說家保障了讀物的可讀性與可欣賞性,英語語言教學(xué)專家保障了讀物語言作為英語習(xí)得材料的科學(xué)性與可學(xué)性。本系列中的很多小說都曾獲得國際廣泛閱讀教育學(xué)會頒發(fā)的“語言學(xué)習(xí)者文學(xué)獎(Language Learner Literature Award)”。因此,閱讀本系列讀物,我們會在欣賞小說的同時(shí),自然而然地、有效地提高自己的英語水平。
5.它的故事題材豐富多樣,包括偵探、情感、歷險(xiǎn)、懸疑、人文、科幻、喜劇等,讀者可以隨心選擇自己喜歡的類別進(jìn)行閱讀;它的故事內(nèi)容生動有趣,故事情節(jié)引人人勝、扣人心弦,一旦開始閱讀,就想一口氣讀完,使閱讀真正升華到“悅讀”。
6.隨書附贈的音頻材料內(nèi)容精彩——它不是普通英語母語者的朗讀錄音,而是專業(yè)配音員的演繹再創(chuàng)作。聽著它,我們猶如在聽廣播劇、聽評書,又仿佛是在聽電影、聽話劇……這種聆聽英語的享受將徹底掃除學(xué)生對英語聽力的畏難心理。
7.讀本中所使用的語言,既有英式英語,也有美式英語,對應(yīng)的音頻材料也相應(yīng)分為英音和美音。讀者可根據(jù)自己的喜好來選擇。
8.本系列一百多本讀物根據(jù)“歐洲共同語言參考框架(CEF)”和“劍橋大學(xué)外語考試部(ESOL)”的標(biāo)準(zhǔn)來確定級別劃分,是建立在科學(xué)研究和實(shí)踐基礎(chǔ)之上的分級。全套共分七個(gè)級別(與中國學(xué)生英語基礎(chǔ)水平的大致對應(yīng)關(guān)系,請參見圖書封底表格),讀者可根據(jù)自己的英語基礎(chǔ)選擇相應(yīng)級別的讀本來學(xué)習(xí)。
Richard MacAndrew(理查德·麥克安德魯),作家、英語語言教育專家,從事英語教學(xué)與研究工作三十余年,曾在不同國家任教。他先后為劍橋大學(xué)出版社創(chuàng)作了十余部英語學(xué)習(xí)小說。在“劍橋雙語分級閱讀·小說館”系列中,他創(chuàng)作了《檳城檔案》《加勒比檔案》《新西蘭檔案》《女督察洛根》《洛根的選擇》《牛津兇案》《黑珍珠項(xiàng)鏈》《血鉆》《危險(xiǎn)拍檔》《罪案追兇》等偵探、懸疑、歷險(xiǎn)主題的讀本。
故事中的人物
故事中的地點(diǎn)
讀前思考
Chapter 1 比利·馬爾說的是實(shí)話嗎?
Chapter 2 卡爾頓山上的發(fā)現(xiàn)
Chapter 3 和比利·馬爾的另一番談話
Chapter 4 學(xué)生生活
Chapter 5 克萊爾·盧瑟福的導(dǎo)師
Chapter 6 獲得幫助
Chapter 7 另一名學(xué)生失蹤了
Chapter 8 希望街的聚會
Chapter 9 和戴維·巴爾弗的另一番談話
Chapter 10 穿過城市
Chapter 11 一項(xiàng)緩慢的調(diào)查
Chapter 12 梅多斯綠地的一晚
Chapter 13 計(jì)算機(jī)技術(shù)
Chapter 14 洛根督察去哪兒了?
Chapter 15 格蘭特和格雷厄姆的調(diào)查
Chapter 16 抓捕兇手
Chapter 17 比利·馬爾實(shí)際上做了什么
讀后活動
學(xué)習(xí)指導(dǎo)
參考譯文
《劍橋雙語分級閱讀·小說館(第4級):校園謎案》:
The road to the top of Calton Hill goes up behind the old Royal High School, a beautiful building that in Logan's opinion should have been used to house the new Scottish government. Instead, millions of pounds had been wasted on a new building. About halfway up the hill Logan pulled her car over to the side of the road behind two police cars and an old blue Volvo. She recognised Helen Robertson, the police doctor, among a group of police officers near a wall some metres below the level of the road. As she got out of her car, Logan turned and looked up towards the Nelson Monument and the City Observatory. She thought that the view from the top of Calton Hill was one of the best over the city - well, it was when there wasn't a dead body on the side of the hill.
Walking down through the long grass by the side of the road, Logan could see the body of the young woman,lying half on her side with her back against the wall.Helen Robertson, who had been bending over the body examining it, stood up when she saw Logan arrive.
Robertson had dark hair and was wearing black trousers and a light blue blouse. She and Logan had worked together before on a number of cases and had always got on well.
‘Jenny, hi!' she said. She took a deep breath. 'It's ari unpleasant one, I'm afraid.'
Logan said nothing. She just looked down and studied the body and its position. She waited for Robertson to speak.
‘Young woman, blonde, mid-twenties, possibly a bit younger. I don't know who she is. She's been strangled but it wasn't done here.'
Logan looked up sharply when Robertson mentioned how the woman had died.
‘The body was brought here sometime after death,' continued Robertson. 'She was also hit on the head at sometime, and her hands have been tied.'
Logan bent down to have a closer look at the woman's body. She was wearing a pink T-shirt and a dark blue skirt.
‘A sex attack?' asked Logan.
‘I don't think so, but I can't be sure until I've done some scientific tests,' replied Helen. 'There don't seem to be any cuts or marks on the lower part ofher body.'
‘What about the time of death?' asked Logan.
‘Again, I'll know more when I've done some tests,'said Robertson, 'but at a guess I'd say about eighteen to twenty hours ago.'
Logan looked at her watch. It was five o'clock.
‘So sometime between ten and midnight last night, then.'
‘That sounds right,' said Robertson. 'Look, I'll do the tests and the scientific examination first thing in the morning, and ifl find anything interesting I'll give you a call.'
‘Great,' said Logan, and she put her hand lightly on Robertson's arm in thanks.
Robertson bent down again and started to pack her things into a small black bag.
……