牛津书虫系列一级猴爪

2024年3月15日发(作者：岳飞是哪个朝代的人)

简 介

你可以许三个愿，你可以要世界上存在的三样东西，你的愿望将变为现实。你会说，“这

在现实世界是不可能发生的。”那么，好好想想吧。你能要什么？你想要什么？

当你许愿的时候，这仅仅是个开始。当你改变了一样东西，接着你会改变世界上的每一

样东西。一个变化引起另一个变化。谁又能知道这些变化又将在哪里结束？

在这个故事中，怀特一家可以许三个愿，但他们犯了一个小小的错误。他们的第一个愿

望变成了现实。接着，顷刻间，他们的生活陷入了一场可怕的恶梦……

雅各布斯（1863—1943）是一位短篇小说作家。《猴爪》是他的最有名的小说之一。

Chapter 1

It was cold and dark out in the road and the rain did not stop for a minute．But in the little

living－room of number 12 Castle Road it was nice and warm．Old Mr White and his son，

Herbert， played chess and Mrs White sat and watched them． The old woman was happy becau

her husband and her son were good friends and they liked to be together．'Herbert's a good son，'

she thought．'We waited a long time for him and I was nearly forty when he was born， but we are

a happy family．' And old Mrs White smiled．

It was true．Herbert was young and he laughed a lot， but his mother and his father laughed

with him． They had not got much money， but they were a very happy little family．

The two men did not talk becau they played carefully． The room was quiet， but the noi

of the rain was wor now and they could hear it on the windows． Suddenly Old Mr White

looked up．'Listen to the rain！' he said．

'Yes， it's a bad night，' Herbert answered．'It's not a good night to be out． But is your friend，

Tom Morris，coming tonight？'

'Yes， that's right． He's coming at about ven o'clock，'the old man said．'But perhaps this

rain…'

Mr White did not finish becau just then the young man heard a noi．

'Listen！'Herbert said．'There's someone at the doornow．'

'I didn't hear a noi，' his father answered， but he got up from his chair and went to open the

front door． Mrs White got up too and began to put things away．

Mr White said，'Come in， come in， Tom． It's wonderful to e you again． What a bad

night！ Give me your coat and then come into the living－room． It's nice and warm in there．'

The front door was open， and in the living-room Mrs White and Herbert felt the cold． Then

Mr White came back into the living－room with a big，red-faced man．

'This is Tom Morris，' Mr White told his wife and son． 'We were friends when we were

young． We worked together

before Tom went to India． Tom， this is my wife and this is our son， Herbert．'

'Plead to meet you，' Tom Morris said．

'Plead to meet you， Mr Morris，' Mrs White answered．'Plea come and sit down．'

'Yes， come on， Tom，' Mr White said．'Over here．It's nice and warm．'

'Thank you，'the big man answered and he sat down．

'Let's have some whisky，'Old Mr White said．'You need something to warm you on a cold night．'

He got out a bottle of whisky and the two old friends began to drink and talk． The little family

listened with interest to this visitor from far away and he told them many strange stories．

1

外面的马路上又冷又黑，雨一直下个不停。但城堡路12号的一间小客厅里却满暖和。

老怀特先生和他的儿子赫伯特在下象棋，怀特太太坐在一旁看着他们。老妇人因她的丈夫和

儿子是好朋友并乐于在一起而高兴。“赫伯特是一个好孩子，我们等了很长时间才要到的孩

子，他出生的时俟我都快四十岁了，但我们的家庭很幸福。”老怀特太太想着、想着，脸上

露出了笑容。

这是事实，赫伯特年轻又爱笑，他的母亲和父亲也总跟着乐。他们并没有很多钱，但他

们有一个幸福的小家庭。

两个男人无言地下着棋。房间里很安静，但雨声现在更大了，他们能听到雨点打在窗上

的声音。突然，老怀特先生抬起头说，“听听雨声！”