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A Double-Dyed Deceiver
彻头彻尾的骗子
O Henry
Kid,
a
murder,
and
Thacker,
a
United
States
consul(
领事
),
planned
to
cheat
a
rich
old
couple
out
of
(
骗取某人的
….)
their
money.
How
did
they
plan
to
do
it?
Did
they
succeed
in their deception(
欺骗
)? Who
was the double-dyed deceiver
(
彻头彻尾的骗子
)?
Read
the story and find the answers.
It happened in
Laredo(
美国城市
) in a gambling
house(
赌场
). The players were
sitting at
a
poker(
纸牌
) game when a
row(
吵架
) began over some
cards.
A young fellow about
Kid?s age pulled out his
revolver(
拔出枪
), but just
missed(
没击中
)
Kid?s
right ear. When Kid?s turn came, he
shot(
击毙
) the young man and
ran away.
The
young
man?s
friends
overtook(
追上
)
him
at
the
station.
Kid
turned
and
aimed
his
revolver
at(
用枪瞄准
) them. He was a good
shot(
神枪手
). Seeing his
revolver(
枪
) they
stopped, turned and disappeared,
The same afternoon Kid took
a train, but at the next station he left it
because there were
telegraph
posts(
电线杆
) along the
line(
路线
) and Kid did not
trust electricity(
电
). He
felt
safer
on
horseback(
马背
).
He
knew
that
the
man
whom
he
had
shot
came
from
a
ranch(
大农场
) where
the people were
vengeful(
有复仇心的
).
There was a
store(
商店
) near the station
and Kid saw a saddled(
装了鞍的
)
horse among
the trees. He took it and
galloped on(
骑马奔驰
). After
three days he was on the sea shore.
The
same day he sailed on a steamer with a cargo of
timber and matches(
装载着木材和
导火线
的轮船
).
Thacker,
the
United
States
consul(
领事
)
at
Buenas
Tierras(
墨西哥城市
),
was
not
yet
drunk(
喝醉
). It was
only eleven o?clock in the morning and he was
never drunk until the
middle of the
afternoon. So, when he saw Kid standing at the
door of the
consulate(
领事
馆
),
he
was
still
in
a
condition
to
show
the
hospitality
of
a
representative
of
a
great
nation(
想表现一下自己作为一个大国的代表人的热情
).
“I?m sorry,” said Kid. “I
was told that people usually called on
yo
u before going to see
the
town. I have just come from Texas.”
“Glad to see you Mr. –”
said the consul.
“Dalton,” said Kid. “But they simply
call me Kid in the Rio
Grande
-
country.”
“My name?s Thacker,” said
the consul. “Take a
chair(
请坐
). If you want to
buy land or if
1
you are looking for a
concession(
购买或租赁土地
), I?ll be
very glad to help you. Besides,
they
speak Spanish here and you will need an
interpreter(
翻译
).”
“I am not buying anything,”
said Thacker
thoughtfully(
沉思地
).
He looked at Kid in
silence.
“You
look like a Spaniard(
西班牙人
),
too,” he continued, “and you can?t be more than
twenty or twenty-
one. Are
you brave?”
“What do you mean?” asked Kid, suddenly
rising and coming up to the consul.
“Are you ready to accept
any job?” asked Thacker.
“I must tell
you,” said Kid, “that I took part in a
little row(
争吵
) in Laredo and
killed a
man. As I was afraid that his
friends would avenge(
替
…
报仇
) his death, I was obliged
to(
迫不得已
)
leave
the
place
and
come
here.
So
you
see
that
I
am
ready
to
take
any
work.”
Thacker got up and closed
the door.
“Show me your
hand,” he said. He took Kid?s left hand and
examined the back of it very
carefully.
“I can do it,” he said,
“Your hand will heal(
愈合
) in
a week.”
“What
do you mean?” asked Kid.
Through the window Thacker pointed to a
rich white house standing among
tropical(
热带
的
)
trees.
“In that house,”
said Thacker, “an old gentleman and his wife are
waiting for you; they
will fill your
pockets with money. Old Santos Urique lives there.
He owns(
拥有
) half the
gold mines(
金矿
) in
the
country.”
“Are you drunk?” asked Kid.
“Sit down and I?ll tell you
everything.”
“Twelve years ago the old gentleman and
his wife lost their only son. He was eight years
old. Some Americans, who were looking
for gold and who often visited the Uriques, told
the
boy
a
lot
of
wonderful
things
about
the
States(
美国
);
and
a
month
later
the
boy
disappeared.
It
was
said
that
he
was
seen
once
in
Texas.
The
Uriques
looked
for
him
everywhere, they spent a lot of money,
but in vain(
徒劳
).”
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