正文说明：

1.a skeleton in the cupboard无法教养的家丑

英式英语的壁橱是cupboard

美国英语的壁橱是closet

A skeleton in the closet不能提出的家丑

a家族斯凯尔顿家丑恶

wash one的迪特里线(内衣)自毁形象

=air(干燥)one's dirty laundry

eg . the divorce has meant washing their dirty linen in court .

=the divorce has meant airing their dirty laundry in court。

离婚使他们在法庭上自己暴露了家里的丑态。

2. We often read in novels how a seemingly respectable person or family has some terrible secret which has been concealed from strangers for years.（划线部份作read的宾语，which是secret的定语从句）

Some修饰可数名词复数是“一些”，如some people，一些人；

修饰可数名词单数，指某一个，如some person,某一个人；

修饰数量词，如some one hundred people, 大约100人。

Some person at the door is asking to see you.

门口有个人想见您。

造句：我们常常在报纸上会读到一个表面上很体面的名人(personality) 是如何因为偷税漏税(tax evasion) 而被起诉的(be charged with …)，而这种行为他们对公众(the public) 隐瞒了很多年。

We often read in newspapers how a seemingly respectable personality was charged with tax evasion which had been concealed from the public for years.

3. The English language possesses a vivid saying to describe this sort of situation.

saying: proverb/ adage谚语；格言

The Chinese language possesses a vivid saying ‘God favors the diligent’.

=As an old Chinese saying goes, ‘God favors the diligent’.

4. At some dramatic moment in the story, the terrible secret becomes known and a reputation is ruined.

At some dramatic moment（戏剧性的时刻） in the story

=At the climax of the story, … 在故事的高潮阶段

造句：这个道貌岸然的官员(official) 贪污(embezzle) 了巨额公款(enormous government funds)。现在这个秘密已经公开了，他也名声扫地。

The seemingly respectable official embezzled enormous government funds. Now the secret becomes known and his reputation is ruined.

5. The reader's hair stands on end when he reads in the final pages of the novel that the heroine, a dear old lady who had always been so kind to everybody, had, in her youth, poisoned every one of her five husbands.

When作时间状语从句，从句中 in the final pages of the novel是状语，that至句末是作read的宾语，宾语从句中的who是作lady的定语从句。

make one’s hair stand on end 把某人吓坏了

Wait until I tell you about the murder—it'll make your hair stand on end.

等会我给你讲下谋杀案，它会使你毛骨悚然。

make one’s blood run cold 吓得某人手脚冰凉

frighten/ scare the life out of sb. 吓某人一大跳

=frighten/ scare the hell out of sb.

A :Lynette? Honey? Are you home?

B: Three months.

A: God, you scared the hell out of me!

in one’s youth 在某人年轻的时候

in one’s childhood 在某人童年时期

in one’s early years在某人童年时期

in one’s adolescence 在某人青春期

in one’s middle age 在某人中年时期

in one’s old age 在某人晚年

造句：当我在电视剧(TV drama) 的最后一集(the final episode) 看到主人公，那个对每个人都很友善的体面的(respectable) 律师，原来竟是个(turn out to be) 残忍的谋杀犯时(a savage murderer)，被吓得毛骨悚然。

My hair stood on end when I watched in the final episode of the TV drama that the hero, a respectable lawyer who had been so kind to everybody, turned out to be a savage murderer.

6. It is all very well for such things to occur in fiction.

It is all very well for such things to occur in fiction, but in real life it is barely credible.但在现实生活中就不大可信了。

It is all very well for … to …, but … it is barely … …..是无可厚非的，但在…时就不太…..

造句：你在家里穿睡衣(pajamas) 是无可厚非的，但是在公共场合就不太体面了。

It is all very well for you to wear pajamas in your own home, but in public it is barely respectable.

7. To varying degrees, we all have secrets which we do not want even our closest friends to learn, but few of us have skeletons in the cupboard.

to varying degrees 在不同程度上

Racism still exists to varying degrees. 种族歧视在不同程度上依然存在。

The water of rivers, lakes and reservoirs in China was universally polluted to varying degrees.

closest friend 挚友 intimate friend 密友

bosom friend 知心朋友

fair-weather friend 酒肉朋友

pen pal/pen friend 笔友

internet pal/ friend 网友

8. The only person I know who has a skeleton in the cupboard is George Carlton, and he is very proud of the fact.

The only person I know who has a skeleton in the cupboard, I know是the only person的定语从句，后面的who引导的定语从句修饰的是前面的名词短语the only person I know:

不在同一层次上的双重定语从句

第一个定语从句修饰前面的名词或短语，第二个定语从句修饰“名词或短语+第一个定语从句”两个定语从句之间没有并列连词连接。第一个定语从句的关系词(一般是关系代词作宾语)可省略。

You’re the only person I’ve ever met who could do it.

He’s the best man I can find who can mend it within an hour.

be proud of …对…很骄傲/自豪

=take pride in …

=pride oneself on …

Much as we may pride ourselves on our good taste, we are no longer free to choose the things we want, for advertising exerts a subtle influence on us.

9. Instead of becoming a doctor, however, he became a successful writer of detective stories.

Instead of doing …, however, …本该做某事，然而…..

Instead of becoming a doctor, however, Lu Xun became China’s foremost modern writer of satirical essays.

10. I once spend an uncomfortable weekend which I shall never forget at his house.

transferred epithet 移就

a sad letter

a lonely night

11. George showed me to the guestroom which, he said, was rarely used.

show = lead 领某人去某地

Aleko denied taking it and led Dimitri into his back yard.

12. He told me to unpack my things and then come down to dinner.

unpack my things/ belongings ; unpack后面的宾语可以是箱子也可以是箱子里的东西；

unpack my suitcase

13. I opened the cupboard door and then stood in front of it petrified.

Petrified是形容词作主语补足语

Eg. She came home sick.

Only the good die young.

Inevitably you arrive at your destination almost exhausted.

However you decide to spend your time, one thing is certain: you will arrive at your destination fresh and unrumpled.

14. The sudden movement of the door made it sway slightly and it gave me the impression that it was about to leap out at me.

Give sb. the impression that … 使某人觉得…

have/ get the impression that … 使某人觉得….

be under the impression that ...误以为…..

原文可以替换成… and I had/ got the impression that it was about to leap out …

或… and I was under the impression that it was about to leap out …

Eg. Though the crew were at first under the impression that the lost ship had been found, the contents of the chest proved them wrong.

be about to do …正要做某事….

=be on the point of doing …

Eg: It was on the point of leaping out at me.

Leap蹦，用力往远处蹦，立定跳远，

jump 跳，上下左右均可

bounce 弹跳

That’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.

—Neil Armstrong

by leaps and bounds: very quickly

15. But George was unsympathetic.

Unsympathetic换成名词形式：

But George didn’t sympathize with me.

But George had/ showed no sympathy for me.

16. he said with a smile as if he were talking about an old friend.

As if从句是虚拟语气；

Eg. Don’t act as if you were the only pebble on the beach. 不要自恃太高。

17. You forget that I was a medical student（学医的学生） once upon a time.

medical staff 全体医护人员

medical ethics 医德医风