雅思阅读练习：The Chaser

　　新东方在线雅思网为大家带来了雅思阅读练习：The Chaser。正文都做了贴心的注解，文章包含雅思词汇、例句讲解。希望以下内容能够为同学们的雅思备考提供帮助。新东方在线雅思网将第一时间为大家发布最新、最全、最专业的雅思报名官网消息和雅思考试真题及解析，供大家参考。

　　【导读】约翰·柯里尔(1901~1980)生于伦敦，家境非常贫寒，读完小学后，因为无力负担中学学费，只能回到家里接受教育。他很早就开始阅读安徒生童话，受其影响，他终生都对神话和传奇充满兴趣。另外一位对柯里尔产生极大影响的作家是乔纳森·斯威夫特(Jonathan Swift)，柯里尔作品中对人性复杂程度的洞察和怀疑态度据说来自这位讽刺文学大师。

　　《追爱人》原文不足1100字，情节非常简单：一个名叫艾伦·奥斯丁(Alan Austen)的小伙子为了博得心上人戴安娜(Diana)的青睐费尽心思，打探到有种神秘的怀春水可帮助他达到目的。于是，艾伦在一处破旧的房子里找到一位神秘老人，希望能买到这种药水，但老人避而不谈他想要的药水，反而推荐起另一种无色无味的昂贵药水。老人将这种药水称为富裕中年人的“生活清洁剂”，并暗示它有杀人不见血的功效。接着，在艾伦的强烈要求下，老人详细描述了他想买的那种怀春水的药效：这种药水能让艾伦彻底征服他正在追求的女孩，让她在身体上和精神上都毫无保留地归属于他，听命于他。当艾伦得知这种神奇的药水只需1元钱时，他兴奋异常。小说以艾伦和老人互相道别而结束。

　　【正文】

　　Alan Austen, as nervous as a kitten, went up certain dark and creaky stairs in the neighborhood of Pell Street, and peered about for a long time on the dime landing before he found the name he wanted written obscurely on one of the doors.

　　艾伦·奥斯丁紧张得像只小猫，瑟瑟索索地走进裴尔街附近一个黑黢黢的楼梯间，拾级而上，楼梯吱呀作响。他在昏暗的楼梯口眯着眼费力辨认了半天，才找到那扇门，门上写着他要找的名字，字迹模糊不清。

　　[2] He pushed open this door, as he had been told to do, and found himself in a tiny room, which contained no furniture but a plain kitchen table, a rocking-chair, and an ordinary chair. On one of the dirty buff-colored walls were a couple of shelves, containing in all perhaps a dozen bottles and jars. An old man satin the rocking-chair, reading a newspaper. Alan, without a word, handed him the card he had been given.

　　[2] 他按之前的吩咐，直接推开门。房间很小，几乎没什么家具，只有一张不起眼的餐桌、一把摇椅和一把普普通通的椅子。暗黄色的墙壁脏兮兮的，其中一面墙上钉了两三个隔板，上面放着约摸十多个瓶瓶罐罐。一位老人坐在摇椅上，正读着报纸。艾伦一声不响地把自己之前收到的那张卡片递给了老人。

　　[3] "Sit down, Mr. Austen," said the old man very politely. "I am glad to make your acquaintance."

　　"Is it true," asked Alan, "that you have a certain mixture that has…er…quite extraordinary effects?"

　　[3]“请坐，奥斯丁先生，”老人很有礼貌地说，“非常高兴结识您。”

　　“是真的吗?”艾伦问，“您真有那种……呃……效果非同寻常的药水吗?”

　　[4] "My dear sir," replied the old man, "my stock in trade is not very large—I don't deal in laxatives and teething mixtures—but such as it is, it is varied. I think nothing I sell has effects which could be precisely described as ordinary."

　　[4]“亲爱的先生，”老人答道，“我卖的药不是特别多——我可不卖泻药或者长牙药。话虽如此，我的药品种也不少。而且我觉得，我卖的这些药的效果，准确地说，哪一种都不是‘寻常’二字能描述得了的。”

　　[5] "Well, the fact is. . ." began Alan.

　　"Here, for example," interrupted the old man, reaching for a bottle from the shelf.

　　"Here is a liquid as colorless as water, almost tasteless, quite imperceptible in coffee, wine, or any other beverage. It is also quite imperceptible to any known method of autopsy."

　　"Do you mean it is a poison?" cried Alan, very much horrified.

　　"Call it a glove-cleaner if you like," said the old man indifferently. "Maybe it will clean gloves. I have never tried. One might call it a life-cleaner. Lives need cleaning sometimes."

　　[5]“哦，是这么回事……”艾伦打算切入正题。

　　“比如这个。”老人打断他的话头，手伸向架子上的一个瓶子。

　　“这种药和水一样没有颜色，几乎没有任何味道，掺进咖啡、葡萄酒和任何其他饮料都无法觉察，目前所有的验尸方法也都验不出来。”

　　“您的意思，那是毒药?”艾伦惊恐万分地叫了出来。

　　“你可以叫它手套清洗剂，”老人面无表情地说，“也许它能清洁手套，但我从没试过。也可以叫它生活清洁剂。有时候，生活也需要清洗清洗。”

　　[6] "I want nothing of that sort," said Alan.

　　"Probably it is just as well," said the old man. "Do you know the price of this? For one teaspoonful, which is sufficient, I ask five thousand dollars. Never less. Not a penny less."

　　"I hope all your mixtures are not as expensive," said Alan apprehensively.

　　[6]“我可不想买那种东西。”艾伦表示。

　　“也许不想买最好。”老人说，“你知道这药的价格吗?一茶匙的量就够用，这一茶匙药我收5000元，绝对不能少，一分也不能少。”

　　“希望您的药水不是都这么贵。”艾伦说，脸色忧虑。

　　[7] "Oh dear, no," said the old man. "It would be no good charging that sort of price for a love potion, for example. Young people who need a love potion very seldom have five thousand dollars. Otherwise they would not need a love potion."

　　"I am glad to hear that," said Alan.

　　"I look at it like this," said the old man. "Please a customer with one article, and he will come back when he needs another. Even if it is more costly. He will save up for it, if necessary."

　　[7]“噢，当然不是，”老人说，“比如怀春水，要那种价就不合适了。需要怀春水的年轻人极少有5000元，不然他们也不需要怀春水了。”

　　“听您这么说，我真高兴。”艾伦说。

　　“我是这么看的，”老人说，“用一种货让顾客开心，这样，他们需要另一种货时就会回来。即使这第二种货贵很多，只要是必需，他们省吃俭用也会买。”

　　[8] "So," said Alan, "you really do sell love potions?"

　　"If I did not sell love potions," said the old man, reaching for another bottle, "I should not have mentioned the other matter to you. It is only when one is in a position to oblige that one can afford to be so confidential."

　　[8]“那么，”艾伦说，“您这里真卖怀春水喽?”

　　“要是我不卖怀春水，”老人手伸向另一个瓶子，“我也不会跟你提刚才那种药。能效系铃之劳，方敢承解铃之密嘛。”

　　[9] "And these potions," said Alan. "They are not just…just…er…"

　　"Oh, no," said the old man. "Their effects are permanent, and extend far beyond the mere casual impulse. But they include it. Oh, yes they include it. Bountifully, insistently. Everlastingly."

　　"Dear me!" said Alan, attempting a look of scientific detachment. "How very interesting!"

　　[9]“那这些药水，”艾伦说，“它们不会只是……只是……呃……”

　　“噢，不会，”老人回答，“它们的药效是永久性的，远不止产生一时的冲动，不过也包括冲动，对，绝对包括冲动，而且是浓烈、持久、永恒的冲动。”

　　“天呐!”艾伦说，尽量摆出一副科学家般的冷静神色，“太有意思了!”

　　[10] "But consider the spiritual side," said the old man.

　　"I do, indeed," said Alan.

　　"For indifference," said the old man, “they substitute devotion. For scorn, adoration. Give one tiny measure of this to the young lady—its flavour is imperceptible in orange juice, soup, or cocktails—and however gay and giddy she is, she will change altogether. She will want nothing but solitude and you."

　　[10]“不过再想想精神方面的药效。”老人说。

　　“我在想，真的。”艾伦道。

　　“不再有冷漠，”老人说，“我的药把冷漠变成忠诚，把蔑视变成倾慕。只要拿小小一剂让那少女喝下——掺在橙汁、汤、鸡尾酒里，什么味道都觉察不到——不论她多么轻浮，多么轻佻，她都会彻底改变。她只想和你厮守一起，别无所求。”

　　[11] "I can hardly believe it," said Alan. "She is so fond of parties."

　　"She will not like them any more," said the old man. "She will be afraid of the pretty girls you may meet."

　　"She will actually be jealous?" cried Alan in a rapture. "Of me?"

　　"Yes, she will want to be everything to you."

　　"She is, already. Only she doesn't care about it."

　　"She will, when she has taken this. She will care intensely. You will be her sole interest in life."

　　[11]“真不敢相信啊，”艾伦说，“她太喜欢聚会了。”

　　“以后她不会再喜欢聚会了，”老人说，“她会害怕你遇到漂亮女孩子。”

　　“她真的会吃醋?”艾伦抑制不住狂喜，叫出声来，“会因为我吃醋?”

　　“对，以后她会想成为你生活的全部。”

　　“她已经是我生活的全部了，只是她不在乎这一点。”

　　“只要她服了这剂药，她就会在乎。她会非常在乎。你会变成她生活里唯一关心的东西。”

　　[12] "Wonderful!" cried Alan.

　　"She will want to know all you do," said the old man. "All that has happened to you during the day. Every word of it. She will want to know what you are thinking about, why you smile suddenly, why your are looking sad."

　　[12]“太棒了!”艾伦叫道。

　　“将来她会想知道你每天做过的所有事情，”老人说，“还有你每天所有的遭遇，少讲一个字也不行。她要知道你在想什么，为什么突然笑了，为什么显得不开心。”

　　[13]"That is love!" cried Alan.

　　"Yes," said the old man. "How carefully she will look after you! She will never allow you to be tired, to sit in a draught, to neglect your food. If you are an hour late, she will be terrified. She will think you are killed, or that some siren has caught you."

　　"I can hardly imagine Diana like that!" cried Alan, overwhelmed with joy.

　　[13]“那就是爱啊!”艾伦叫道。

　　“对，”老人接着说，“将来她会照看你到无微不至的程度!她永远不会允许你疲倦，不允许你坐在穿堂风里，不会让你随随便便吃东西。如果你晚到一个钟头，她就会六神无主，想你是不是给人杀了，要不就是被哪个狐狸精抓走了。”

　　“戴安娜会那样吗，我真不敢想象!”艾伦叫道，心里充满了快乐。

　　[14] "You will not have to use your imagination," said the old man. "And, by the way, since there are always sirens, if by any chance you should, later on, slip a little, you need not worry. She will forgive you, in the end. She will be terribly hurt, of course, but she will forgive you—in the end."

　　"That will not happen," said Alan fervently.

　　"Of course not," said the old man. "But, if it did, you need not worry. She would never divorce you. Oh, no! And, of course, she will never give you the least, the very least, grounds for uneasiness."

　　[14]“你根本不需要想象，”老人继续说，“另外，世上总有狐狸精，因此万一以后有个行差踏错，你也不用担心。她肯定会原谅你，最后一定原谅你。当然，她肯定痛苦万分，不过她一定会原谅你——最后一定会。”

　　“绝对不会发生那样的事。”艾伦急切地说。

　　“当然不会，”老人说，“就是万一发生了，你也不用担心。她永远不会和你离婚。不，永远不会!她还绝不会给你一星半点儿不放心的理由。”

　　[15] "And how much," said Alan, "is this wonderful mixture?"

　　"It is not as dear," said the old man, "as the glove-cleaner, or life-cleaner, as I sometimes call it. No. That is five thousand dollars, never a penny less. One has to be older than you are, to indulge in that sort of thing. One has to save up for it."

　　"But the love potion?" said Alan.

　　"Oh, that," said the old man, opening the drawer in the kitchen table, and taking out a tiny, rather dirty-looking phial. "That is just a dollar."

　　[15]“这么神奇的药水，要多少钱?”艾伦问。

　　“不贵，”老人答道，“没有手套清洗剂那么贵，我有时候把那种药水称为生活清洁剂。清洁剂可贵了，要5000元，一分也不能少。人啊，得比你现在的年纪大一些后，才会离不开清洁剂那种东西。得存点钱才买得起。”

　　“那怀春水呢?”艾伦问。

　　“噢，那个呀，”老人打开餐桌的抽屉，拿出一个小玻璃瓶，特别小，看上去很脏，“那个就卖一元钱。”

　　[16] "I can't tell you how grateful I am," said Alan, watching him fill it.

　　"I like to oblige," said the old man. "Then customers come back, later in life, when they are better off, and want more expensive things. Here you are. You will find it very effective."

　　"Thank you again," said Alan. "Good-bye."

　　"Au revoir," said the man.

　　[16]“真是感激不尽。”艾伦说，看着老人把瓶子装满。

　　“乐意效劳，”老人说，“这样，顾客以后富足一些了，就会回来找我买更贵的东西。来，拿着，你会发现它是很有效的。”

　　“再次感谢，”艾伦说，“再见!”

　　“后会有期!”老人回答。