---
url: https://gaojian.site/new-concept/book-3/19-a-very-dear-cat.md
description: 新概念英语第三册：A Very Dear Cat。精读、词块回忆、双向译练、句法、逻辑与FSRS复习。
---

# 19 · 一只贵重的宝贝猫

### 第1段

Kidnappers are rarely interested in animals, but they recently took considerable interest in Mrs. Eleanor Ramsay's cat. Mrs. Eleanor Ramsay, a very wealthy old lady, has shared a flat with her cat, Rastus, for a great many years. Rastus leads an orderly life. He usually takes a short walk in the evenings and is always home by seven o'clock. One evening, however, he failed to arrive. Mrs. Ramsay got very worried. She looked everywhere for him but could not find him.
Three days after Rastus' disappearance, Mrs. Ramsay received an anonymous letter. The writer stated that Rastus was in safe hands and would be returned immediately if Mrs. Ramsay paid a ransom of £1,000. Mrs. Ramsay was instructed to place the money in a cardboard box and to leave it outside her door. At first she decided to go to the police, but fearing that she would never see Rastus again—the letter had made that quite clear—she changed her mind. She withdrew £1,000 from her bank and followed the kidnapper's instructions. The next morning, the box had disappeared but Mrs. Ramsay was sure that the kidnapper would keep his word. Sure enough, Rastus arrived punctually at seven o'clock that evening. He looked very well, though he was rather thirsty, for he drank half a bottle of milk. The police were astounded when Mrs. Ramsay told them what she had done. She explained that Rastus was very dear to her. Considering the amount she paid, he was dear in more ways than one!

中文理解：绑匪很少对动物感兴趣，可最近，他们却盯上了埃莉诺·拉姆齐太太的猫。拉姆齐太太是一位非常富有的老太太，多年来一直和爱猫拉斯特斯住在同一套公寓里。拉斯特斯的生活十分规律，每天傍晚通常会出去溜达一小会儿，七点前总会回家。然而有一天晚上，它却没有回来。拉姆齐太太急坏了，四处寻找，却始终不见它的踪影。
拉斯特斯失踪三天后，拉姆齐太太收到一封匿名信。写信人说，猫在他们那里很安全，只要她交出1,000英镑赎金，就马上归还。信里要求她把钱装进纸盒，放在自家门外。她起初打算报警，可又担心从此再也见不到拉斯特斯，信中的威胁对此说得再明白不过了，于是改变了主意。她从银行取出1,000英镑，照着绑匪的要求做了。第二天早上，纸盒已经不见了，但她相信绑匪会守信。果然，当晚七点，拉斯特斯准时回来了。它看起来很好，只是相当口渴，一口气喝了半瓶牛奶。警方听拉姆齐太太讲完自己的做法，十分震惊。她解释说，拉斯特斯是自己心爱的宝贝。看看她付出的赎金，这只猫可不仅让她“爱得很”，也实实在在地“贵得很”！

* **interested in**：对……感兴趣；用in连接兴趣对象；interesting描述事物有趣。

* **leads an orderly life**：过着有规律的生活；用 lead 搭配生活方式，不说 make a life 表达此义。

* **takes a short walk**：散一小会儿步；take a walk 表散步，short 限定时长或距离。

* **failed to**：未能做到；客观说未能做到，不一定意味着能力不足。

* **received an anonymous letter**：收到一封匿名信；anonymous 指不署名，不是内容一定虚假。

* **in safe hands**：得到可靠照料；强调受到可靠照看，不只是手里安全。

* **changed her mind**：改变了主意；用 mind 单数，物主代词随人称变化。

* **followed the kidnapper's instructions**：照绑架者的指示做；follow someone's instructions，所有格位置可换成其他信息来源。

* **keep his word**：遵守他的诺言；与 break one's word 违背诺言对照。

* **Sure enough**：果然；回扣前面的预期，适合叙事验证。

* **looked very well**：看起来身体很好；well 在此可作健康的表语，不只作方式副词。

* **in more ways than one**：在不止一个方面；常在结尾呼应双关；本课 dear 同时指珍爱与昂贵。

#### 原文注释 · Kidnappers are rarely interested in animals, but they recently took considerable interest in Mrs. Eleanor Ramsay's cat.

注释：①rarely = seldom。②considerable = a great deal of,相当大规模的，而considerate 是体贴的。③wealthy = rich。④home 在这里是副词作表语。⑤worried = concerned。

#### 原文注释 · Three days after Rastus' disappearance, Mrs. Ramsay received an anonymous letter.

注释：①stated = said。②changed her mind = altered her opinion。③word = promise。 Word 表诺言时用单数，as good as one's word 守信用，强调结果，go back on one's word 食言。这里be sure that 从句的情况，已于第11课讨论。④considering，介词短语，考虑到，就什么而言，作原因状语。⑤dear 一语双关，既指心爱、珍贵，又指昂贵，所以这里的he 指的是猫咪，而不是拉姆齐太太。

#### Summary 摘要

Mrs. Ramsay received an anonymous letter three days after her cat's disappearance.The writer of the letter demaded £1,000 for the return of the cat, and warned she would never see him again if she went to the police. She had to put the money in a cardboard box and leave it outside her door. After drawing £1,000 from her bank, she acted on the kidnapper's instructions.The money disappeared the following morning, and Rastus returned at seven o'clock that evening. (80 words)

#### Composition 作文

In a bar one night, Mr. X was talking to a workman who told him that he often worked in Mrs. Ramsay's flat.The workman added that Mrs. Ramsay was wealthy and she lived alone with her cat. Every day, Mr. X stood outside Mrs. Ramsay's block of flats. As the cat took a short walk every evening, he saw that it had regular habits. He found out as much as he could about Mrs. Ramsay and learnt that she loved this cat very much. One evening, as the cat was leaving the block of flats, he kidnapped it. He took the cat to a secret address. During the next three days, he walked past Mrs. Ramsay's flat on several occasions(多次) and noticed that no other cat ever appeared. Now he was sure he had the right cat, so he wrote a letter in which(介词+关系代词引导的定语从句) he stated his demands. (150 words)

## 学完这一课

转述一项有条件的承诺，标明是谁声称的。

[Nce · 本册复习台](/new-concept/book-3/review) · [三册选择地图](/new-concept/)

*译文依据整理稿，由本站按中文表达重新校订；解析据吴应时、何景霖整理资料及首轮审校稿；词伙与练习提示为本站学习设计。原PDF第65—66页，2022年2月第3版。*