王小若1127
大学英语精读《midnight visitor》（深夜访客）是一个悬疑故事，是Phililppines（菲律宾）悬疑小说作家Robert A. Arthur Jr. (1909-1969) 的作品，它说的是特工Ausable接到一个任务，要将一份有关一些新型导弹的文件转交给政府部门，中途却遇到了不速之客Max要将报告拿走，Ausable巧用计谋将Max赶走的故事。
Ausable的计谋在于：
1、善于用外在形象伪装自己的特工身份
文中作者以Fowler的视角，描述了Ausable的形象特征。
“Ausable did not fit the description of any secret agent Fowler had ever read about . ”奥萨博与福勒所读过的书中关于特工的描述并不相副。
2、故意选了夜晚、酒店六层的狭小的房间，为后面的计谋作铺垫
“It was a small room on the sixth floor ,and hardly a setting for a romantic figure .”那是一个位于六层的小房间，这种环境很难与这样一位传奇人物联系起来。
3、遇到Max时，故意埋怨，将话题引到窗户，并说窗户下还有阳台可以上来
“This is the second time in a month that somebody has gotten into my room off that confounded balcony !““这已经是这个月第二次有人从那个该死的阳台上进入我的房间了。”
4、故意说敲门的是警察，引起max慌乱，
”that will be de police“应该是警察。
5、max慌乱中信以为窗户下真的有阳台，结果直接从六楼坠落。
”And then as he dropped，he screamed once ，shrilly“当跳下的时候，他发出凄厉的尖叫。
6、然而事实上确实根本没有警察，敲门只是酒店的服务员。
”There never were any police“Ausable sighed."Only Henry ，whom I was expecting".“根本没有什么警察。”奥萨博松了口气。“就只是亨利，我正在等的人。”
扩展资料
midnight visitor原文译文
1 奥萨博与福勒所读过的书中关于特工的描述并不相副。福勒很失望地跟着他一路走过阴暗的法国旅馆的走廊，在那里奥萨博租了一套房间。那是一个位于六层的小房间，这种环境很难与这样一位传奇人物联系起来。
2 令他失望的是，首先，奥萨博是一个胖子，而且非常胖。其次是他的口音，尽管他的法语和德语都还说的过去，但他仍然带有二十年前带到巴黎的新英格兰口音。
3 “你一定很失望”，奥萨博气喘吁吁的回过头说。“别人说我是一个特工，一名间谍，周旋于间谍和危险之间。你期望能见到我，因为你是一个年轻，浪漫的作家。你本来以为今天晚上回碰见神秘人物，枪声，放在酒里的迷药。”
4 “然而事情并不像你相象的那样，你在法国音乐餐厅同一个胖子度过了一个乏味的夜晚，而并没有黑眼睛的美女给他传递情报，只是打了个普通电话，将在他的房间里与人有个约会。你一定已经无聊及了。”胖男人边低声笑着边开门，并且站到一旁让他那位失望的客人进了房间。
5 “你的幻想破灭了，”奥萨博对他说。“但是我年轻的朋友振作起来。一会儿你就会看到一分文件，这份相当重要的文件曾让好几个人甘冒生命危险，送到我这儿后，我将把它转交给政府部门。很快这份文件就影响到历史的进程。有点戏剧化不是吗?”他边说边随后关上了门。然后打开灯。
6 当灯亮时，福勒这一天中第一次感到真正害怕了。因为在房间的中间站着一个男人，手里拿着一只小型自动手枪。
7 奥萨博眨眨眼睛楞了一会儿。
8 “马克思”，他喘着气说，“你真让我吃惊，我以为你在柏林呢。你在我房间里做什么?”
9 马克思很单薄，个子不高，脸上的表情回让人想到狐狸。要不是那支枪，他看上去并不是太危险。
10 “那分报告”，他低声说道。“今天晚上将送到你手里的那分报告是有关一些新型导弹的。我想我要把它从你手里拿走，在我手里比在你手里安全。”
11 奥萨博缓慢走到扶手椅，重重地坐在上面。“这次我要对管理人员不客气了，真是令我生气，”他阴着脸说。“这已经是这个月第二次有人从那个该死的阳台上进入我的房间了。”福勒的眼睛看向房里的唯一的窗户。这只是一扇普通的窗户，现在夜色已经给它蒙上了一层黑暗。
12 “阳台”马克思好奇地问。“不，我有万能钥匙。我不知道什么阳台。如果我要是知道的话，可能就少了许多麻烦。”
13 “那不是我的阳台”奥萨博生气地解释说。“它属于隔壁房间。”他看了福勒一眼解释说。“要知道，”他说，“这个房间是一个大套间的一部分，那扇门进去的隔壁房间曾经是卧室。卧室有阳台，并且现在延伸到我的窗户下。
你可以从隔壁的空房间站到上面，上个月就有人这么做了。管理人员答应把隔壁房间锁上。但是可见他们并没有那么做。”
14 马克思看了看此时正僵硬地站在里奥萨博几英尺远的福勒，并晃晃枪做出一个命令的手势。“坐下吧，”他说。“我想我们还得等半个小时。”
15 “31分钟，”奥萨博不快地说道。“约定时间是12点30分。马克思，我很想知道你是怎么知道那分报告的。”
16 那个小个子间谍邪恶地笑着。“我到是想知道你的人是怎么得到那分报告的。不过，好在一切平安无事。今天晚上我就可以再拿回来。什么事?睡在门口?”
17 突然的敲门声使福勒惊跳起来。奥萨博只是笑笑，“一定是警察，”他说。“我认为这么一分重要的文件应该优点特别的保护。我告诉他们来检查一下以确保一切正常。”
18 马克思不安地咬着嘴唇。敲门声又响起。
19 “现在你怎么办，马克思?”奥萨博问。“如果我不开门的话，他们也会想尽办法进来的。门没锁。他们会毫不犹豫的开枪。”
20 马克思的脸气得发青，随之快速地向窗户后退，回过手打开窗户，并把一条腿伸到外面。“把他们打发走!”他警告说。“我在阳台上等着。把他们打发走，否则我就会开枪，我会冒一下险的。”
21 门外的敲门声更响了，一个声音大叫着:“奥萨博先生!奥萨博先生!”
22 马克思扭动着身体，使他的枪一直瞄准胖男人和他的客人，他侧着身子把另一条腿也抬起上来，跨过窗台。
23 门把手扭动了。马克思快速地用左手推了下窗台，放开自己，跳向阳台。当跳下的时候，他发出凄厉的尖叫。
24 门开了，一个侍者站在门外，手里拿者一个托盘，上面有一个瓶子和两个玻璃杯。“这是你要的酒，先生。”他把托盘放在桌上，打开瓶子并离开房间。
25 福勒被吓着脸色苍白，全身发抖，盯着他走出去。“可是……可是……怎么办……警察呢?他结结巴巴地说着。
26 “根本没有什么警察。”奥萨博松了口气。“就只是亨利，我正在等的人。”
27 “可是阳台上那个人怎么办?”福勒又不安起来。
28 “没必要了”奥萨博说，“他再也不会回来了。
amy20060207
A heated discussion about whether men are braver than women is settled in a rather unexpected way.
The Dinner Party
I first heard this tale in India, where is told as if true -- though any naturalist would know it couldn't be. Later someone told me that the story appeared in a magazine shortly before the First World War. That magazine story, and the person who wrote it, I have never been able to track down.
The country is India. A colonial official and his wife are giving a large dinner party. They are seated with their guests -- officers and their wives, and a visiting American naturalist -- in their spacious dining room, which has a bare marble floor, open rafters and wide glass doors opening onto a veranda.
A spirited discussion springs up between a young girl who says that women have outgrown the jumping-on-a-chair-at-the-sight-of-a-mouse era and a major who says that they haven't.
"A woman's reaction in any crisis," the major says, "is to scream. And while a man may feel like it, he has that ounce more of control than a woman has. And that last ounce is what really counts."
The American does not join in the argument but watches the other guests. As he looks, he sees a strange expression come over the face of the hostess. She is staring straight ahead, her muscles contracting slightly. She motions to the native boy standing behind her chair and whispers something to him. The boy's eyes widen: he quickly leaves the room.
Of the guests, none except the American notices this or sees the boy place a bowl of milk on the veranda just outside the open doors.
The American comes to with a start. In India, milk in a bowl means only one thing -- bait for a snake. He realizes there must be a cobra in the room. He looks up at the rafters -- the likeliest place -- but they are bare. Three corners of the room are empty, and in the fourth the servants are waiting to serve the next course. There is only one place left -- under the table.
His first impulse is to jump back and warn the others, but he knows the commotion would frighten the cobra into striking. He speaks quickly, the tone of his voice so commanding that it silences everyone.
"I want to know just what control everyone at this table has. I will count three hundred -- that's five minutes -- and not one of you is to move a muscle. Those who move will forfeit 50 rupees. Ready?"
The 20 people sit like stone images while he counts. He is saying "...two hundred and eighty..." when, out of the corner of his eye, he sees the cobra emerge and make for the bowl of milk. Screams ring out as he jumps to slam the veranda doors safely shut.
"You were right, Major!" the host exclaims. "A man has just shown us an example of perfect self-control."
"Just a minute," the American says, turning to his hostess. "Mrs. Wynnes, how did you know that cobra was in the room?"
A faint smile lights up the woman's face as she replies: "Because it was crawling across my foot."
heated
a. with strong, excited, and often angry feelings 热烈的;激烈的
unexpected
a. not expected 意外的
naturalist
n. one who makes a special study of plants or animals outdoors 博物学家(尤指直接观察动植物者)
shortly
ad. Soon; (in) a little time 不久，马上
colonial]
a. of or related to a colony or colonies 殖民地的`
spacious
a. big; having much space 广阔的;宽阔的
dining
n. 餐厅
bare
a. not covered (with a carpet); empty 不铺地毯的;赤裸的;光秃的
marble
n. 大理石
rafter
n. one of the sloping beams that support 椽
onto
prep. to a position or point on 到...之上; 向...之上
veranda
n. 阳台
spirited
a. full of spirit; lively
outgrow
vt. leave behind, as one grows older or more mature 长大得使...不再适用; 成长得不再要
mouse
n. 鼠
era
n. 时代，年代
major
n. 少校
crisis
n. time of difficulty, danger, etc. 危机
ounce
n. 盎司;少量
argument
n. discussion by persons who disagree; dispute 争论;辩论
hostess
n. 女主人
muscle
n. 肌肉
contract
vi. become shorter or smaller 收缩
contraction
n.
slightly
ad. a little 稍微地
slight
a.
motion
vi. give a signal by moving the hand or head 打手势;点(或摇)头示意
widen
v. make or become wider
bait
n. food used to attract fish, animals, or birds so that they may be caught 诱饵
cobra
n. poisonous snake found in India and Africa 眼镜蛇
likely
a. probable 可能的
impulse
n. sudden wish to do sth. 冲动
commotion
n. noisy confusion or excitement 混乱;骚动
tone
n. quality of voice or music 语气;音调
commanding
a. authoritative 威严的
forfeit
vt. suffer the loss of (sth.) as a punishment (作为惩罚而)失去
rupee
n. monetary unit of India, Pakistan, etc. 卢比
image
n. statue 雕像
emerge
vi. come or appear (from somewhere)
emergence
n.
slam
vt. shut loudly and with force 砰地关上
host
n. man who receives guests 男主人
faint
a. weak, indistinct 微弱的;不明显的
crawl
vi move slowly by pulling the body along the ground 爬行
