书名：The Monkey's Paw 《猴爪》
作者：W.W. Jacobs 雅各布斯
简介：
你可以许三个愿，你可以要世界上存在的三样东西，你的愿望将变为现实。你会说，“这在现实世界是不可能发生的。”那么，好好想想吧。你能要什么？你想要什么？
当你许愿的时候，这仅仅是个开始。当你改变了一样东西，接着你会改变世界上的每一样东西。一个变化引起另一个变化。谁又能知道这些变化又将在哪里结束？
在这个故事中，怀特一家可以许三个愿，但他们犯了一个小小的错误。他们的第一个愿望变成了现实。接着，顷刻间，他们的生活陷入了一场可怕的恶梦……
雅各布斯（1863—1943）是一位短篇小说作家。《猴爪》是他的最有名的小说之一。
Chapter 7
But they did not sleep. They waited and they listened. In the end Mr White got up to get a candle because the dark made him more afraid. He began to go downstairs, but suddenly he heard a noise at the front door. He stopped, and he listened. He could not move. Then the noise came again. This time he ran. He ran upstairs, back into the bedroom and he closed the door behind him. But again the noise came.
他们睡不着。他们在等、在听。最终，怀特先生还是起床点了一枝蜡烛，因为黑夜使他们更害怕。他开始下楼，突然，他听到前门有声音。他停住了，仔细地听。他没有动。接着，声音又响了起来，这次他跑上了楼，回到了卧室，关紧了他身后的门，但声音又传来了。
'What's that?' Mrs White cried, and she sat up in bed.
“那是什么？”怀特太太叫着从床上坐了起来。
'Nothing! GO to sleep again!' her husband answered.
“什么也没有，睡觉吧！”她丈夫告诉她。
But Mrs White listened-and the noise came again. 'It's Herbert! It's Herbert! she cried. 'I'm going to open the door for him.'
但怀特太太听到声音又响了起来。“是赫伯特，是赫伯特！我要去给他开门。”她说。
And she got out of bed and ran to the door of the bedroom. Mr White got there first and stopped her.
她起床跑向卧室的门，但怀特先生抢先挡住了她。
'No!' he cried. 'Think!'
“不要这样，要好好想一想。”他叫道。
'But it's my boy! It's Herbert, ' she answered.
“但他是我的孩子！他是赫伯特。”她说。
'No! Don't go! Don't…'her husband cried again.
“不，千万不要去……”他丈夫又叫了起来。
But Mrs White did not listen to him. She opened the bed room door and ran from the room. 'I'm coming, Herbert. I'm coming!' she called.
但怀特太太并不听他的，她打开卧室的门并从房间里跑了出来。“我来了，赫伯特，我来了。”她喊道。
Mr White ran after her. 'Stop!' he cried. 'Remember, Herbert died in the machinery! You don't want to see him!'
怀特先生跟在她后面跑，“站住，别忘了赫伯特是死在机器里！你并不想看到他！”
For a minute Mrs White stopped and looked at her husband, but then the noise came again and she began to run downstairs.
怀特太太停下来看了他的丈夫一会儿，这时，声音又响了起来，她又开始向楼下跑。
'Help me! Help me!' she called to her husband.
“帮帮我，帮帮我！”她叫她的丈夫。
But Mr White did not move. 'The paw!' he thought. 'Where's the monkey's paw?'
但怀特先生没有动。他想到了猴爪。“猴爪，猴爪放在哪儿了？”
He ran back into the bedroom. 'Quick!' he thought. 'Where is it?' At first he could not find it in the dark. Ah! There it was! He had it!
他跑回卧室。他心里在想，“快，猴爪在哪儿？”开始，在黑暗中他找不着，它在哪儿，他终于拿到了猴爪！
Just at that minute he heard his wife downstairs.
就在这时，他听到了楼下妻子的声音。
'Wait! Wait, Herbert! I'm coming!' she cried. She began to open the front door.
“等一等，赫伯特，我来啦！”她喊着，并开始开前面的门。
At the same time Mr White took the monkey's paw in his right hand and he made his third wish.
与此同时，怀特先生把猴爪放在右手里开始许第三个愿。
Mrs White gave a long unhappy cry and her husband ran down to her. She stood by the open door. Very afraid, Old Mr White looked out into the dark.
怀特太太发出一声长长的失望的叫声，她丈夫跑下楼找她，她正站在打开的门旁。老怀特先生看着外面黑漆漆的夜，非常恐惧。
马路很暗且静，一个人影也没有。
【词组学习】
1.get up
（使）起床；安排；举起；站起来
例：We usually get up at seven.
我们通常七点起床。
