新概念英语美音版第三册:Lesson 19 A very dear cat

Lesson 19 A very dear cat
一只贵重的宝贝猫
Listen to the tape then answer the question below.
听录音，然后回答以下问题。
Why was Rastus 'very dear' in more ways than one?
Kidnappers are rarely interested in animals, but they recently took considerable interest in Mrs. Eleanor Ramsay's cat.
绑架者很少对动物感兴趣。最近，绑架者却盯上了埃莉诺.拉姆齐太太的猫。
Mrs. Eleanor Ramsay, a very wealthy old lady, has shared a flat with her cat, Rastus, for a great many years.
埃莉诺.拉姆齐太太是一个非常富有的老妇人，多年来，一直同她养的猫拉斯一起住在一所公寓里。
Rastus leads an orderly life.
拉斯特斯生活很有规律，
He usually takes a short walk in the evenings and is always home by seven o'clock.
傍晚常常出去溜达一会儿，并且总是在7点钟以前回来。
One evening, however, he failed to arrive.
可是，有一天晚上，它出去后再也没回来。
Mrs. Ramsay got very worried.
拉姆齐太太急坏了，
She looked everywhere for him but could not find him.
四处寻找，但没有找着。
Three days after Rastus' disappearance, Mrs. Ramsay received an anonymous letter.
拉斯特斯失踪3天后，拉姆齐太太收到一封匿名信。
The writer stated that Rastus was in safe hands and would be returned immediately if Mrs. Ramsay paid a ransom of $1,000.
写信人声称拉斯特斯安然无恙，只要拉姆齐太太愿意支付1,000 英镑赎金，可以立即将猫送还。
Mrs. Ramsay was instructed to place the money in a cardboard box and to leave it outside her door.
他让拉姆齐太太把钱放在一个纸盒里，然后将纸盒放在门口。
At first, she decided to go to the police,
一开始拉姆齐太太打算报告警察，
but fearing that she would never see Rastus again -- the letter had made that quite clear -- she changed her mind.
但又害怕再也见不到拉斯特斯了 --这点，信上说得十分明白--于是便改变了主意。
She withdrew $1000 from her bank and followed the kidnapper's instructions.
她从银行取出1,000 英镑，并照绑架者的要求做了。
The next morning, the box had disappeared but Mrs. Ramsay was sure that the kidnapper would keep his word.
第二天早晨，放钱的盒子不见了。但拉姆齐太太确信绑架者是会履行诺言的。
Sure enough, Rastus arrived punctually at seven o'clock that evening.
果然，当天晚上7点正，拉斯特斯准时回来了。
He looked very well, though he was rather thirsty, for he drank half a bottle of milk.
它看上去一切正常，只是口渴得很，喝了半瓶牛奶。
The police were astounded when Mrs. Ramsay told them what she had done.
拉姆齐太太把她所做的事告诉了警察，警察听后大为吃惊。
She explained that Rastus was very dear to her.
拉姆齐太太解释说她心疼她的猫拉斯特斯。
Considering the amount she paid, he was dear in more ways than one!
想到她所花的那笔钱，她的心疼就具有双重意义了。