It's time to do another story on the podcast.

是時候在播客上再寫一篇報道了。

This time I'm going to be reading a story called The Escaped Man by an author called C.T.

這次我要讀的是一個叫 C.T. 的作家寫的一個叫《逃亡者》的故事。

Platt.

普拉特

The story is presented on Commerphil.com.

該報道在 Commerphil.com 上發佈。

Commerphil.com is a website where you can find short stories, fan fiction and other reading texts.

Commerphil.com 是一個可以找到短篇小說、同人小說和其他閱讀文本的網站。

And it's all presented in a nice and easy to read format.

所有內容都以簡潔易讀的格式呈現。

So this time the story is The Escaped Man and it's written by C.T.

這次的故事是《逃亡者》，作者是 C.T.。

Platt.

普拉特

And the way this is going to work is that I will read the story once and you can just try and follow it and understand it.

這樣做的好處是，我會把故事讀一遍，你們可以試著跟讀和理解。

And then I will summarize the story very quickly in plain English to make sure you've understood basically what happened.

然後，我會用通俗易懂的英語快速總結一下這個故事，以確保你們基本瞭解發生了什麼。

And then we will go through the story again line by line and I will break it down for language and I will teach you bits of vocabulary and bits of grammar.

然後，我們再逐行讀一遍故事，我會把它分解成語言，教你一些詞彙和文法。

I'll point them out for you.

我幫你指出來。

Not only can you enjoy hopefully an entertaining story but also we'll use it as a way to learn some English.

您不僅可以欣賞到一個有趣的故事，我們還可以利用這個故事學習英語。

Learning English through stories is a great idea and it tends to work because it places language in a vivid context and is generally quite entertaining and fun.

通過故事學習英語是一個很好的主意，它往往很有效，因為它將語言置於生動的語境中，而且通常相當有趣和好玩。

So listen to the story and then let me break all the language down for you bit by bit.

請先聽我講故事，然後讓我一點一點地為您解釋所有的語言。

So we're nearly ready to start reading the story.

所以，我們差不多可以開始讀故事了。

Just before I read it to you here are a few questions okay just to help you focus.

在我讀給你聽之前，先問你幾個問題，好讓你集中注意力。

So question number one is where does the story take place?

那麼第一個問題是，故事發生在哪裡？

Okay what do you think?

你覺得怎麼樣？

Where's the location of this story and how do you know?

這個故事的地點在哪裡，你是怎麼知道的？

And secondly is this American English or is this British English and how do you know?

其次，這是美式英語還是英式英語，你怎麼知道？

And thirdly the third question is simply what is going to happen next?

第三個問題是，接下來會發生什麼？

Can you try and guess what's going to happen next?

你能猜猜接下來會發生什麼嗎？

Okay right so if you're ready let's begin and I'm going to go to commerful.com now and start reading through The Escaped Man.

好的，如果你們準備好了，我們就開始吧，我現在就去 commerful.com 開始閱讀《逃亡者》。

So I want you to try and get into the right mood here.

所以，我希望你們能試著在這裡找到正確的情緒。

This is a sort of a mystery story and it's got a slightly dark atmosphere to it.

這是一個懸疑故事，氣氛略顯陰暗。

So here we go.

那麼，我們開始吧。

Imagine rain, rainfall.

想象一下下雨、降雨。

Imagine the rain.

想象一下下雨的情景。

The rain was falling heavily.

雨越下越大。

It was like driving through a thick curtain of water.

就像在厚厚的水幕中行駛一樣。

He eased off the accelerator a little.

他稍稍放鬆了油門。

Had to be careful driving on wild nights like these.

在這樣狂野的夜晚，開車必須小心翼翼。

The last thing you'd want is to have an accident or breakdown.

您最不希望發生事故或故障。

You just want to be at home on these stormy nights.

在這些風雨交加的夜晚，你只想待在家裡。

The thwack thwack of the windscreen wipers was hypnotic.

擋風玻璃雨刷發出的 "噔噔噔 "聲令人如痴如醉。

He stared out into the glow of the headlights.

他凝視著車頭燈的光芒。

The rain sounded like white noise interference as it battered the car.

雨水敲打著汽車，聽起來就像白噪聲干擾。

He was reminded of the opening scenes of a Hitchcock film.

他想起了希區柯克電影的開場場景。

Through the wash of the rain he spotted a figure at the side of the road.

透過雨水的沖刷，他發現路邊有一個身影。

The person wore a green parka and had their thumb jerked out.

這個人穿著綠色大衣，大拇指被擼了出來。

Why on earth would anyone be hitchhiking tonight?

今晚究竟為什麼會有人搭便車呢？

Surely you would just stay put until the morning.

你肯定會一直待到天亮。

They must have been in a rush to get where they were going.

他們一定是急著趕路。

He signalled down and pulled over.

他向下發出信號，然後靠邊停車。

The hitchhiker climbed in.

搭便車的人爬上了車。

He shut the door quickly, glad to be out of the rain.

他趕緊關上門，很高興能避雨。

He pulled his hood back and sighed.

他拉回兜帽，嘆了口氣。

He was somewhere in his mid-twenties and had wild red hair and a thick beard.

他大約二十多歲，有著一頭狂野的紅髮和濃密的鬍鬚。

He was wearing a black shirt.

他穿著一件黑色襯衫。

Awful night, eh?

糟糕的夜晚，是嗎？

said the driver.

司機說。

The hitchhiker held his gaze for a long moment.

搭便車的人久久地凝視著他。

Drops of rain water trickled down his face.

雨水順著他的臉滴了下來。

Yes, yes it is.

是的，沒錯。

The driver pulled out and continued through the storm.

司機把車停了下來，繼續穿過暴風雨。

The hitchhiker glanced over his shoulder into the blackness behind them.

搭便車的人瞥了一眼他們身後的黑夜。

You OK?

你還好嗎？

The hitchhiker simply nodded.

搭車人只是點了點頭。

They drove on in silence for a short while, the BBC radio phone in blaring out from the car's speakers filled in for conversation.

他們在沉默中行駛了一小會兒，車內揚聲器裡播放的英國廣播公司（BBC）廣播電話代替了他們的談話。

They listened to the radio and their own thoughts as they moved on.

他們一邊聽著廣播，一邊想著自己的心事。

Where are you headed?

你要去哪裡？

asked the driver.

司機問道。

North.

北邊

The hitchhiker pointed.

搭便車的人指了指。

You travelling to visit friends?

你是去探望朋友嗎？

Hmm.

嗯

The driver couldn't tell if that hmm was a yes or a no.

司機分不清那聲嗯是 "是 "還是 "不是"。

He adjusted his tie nervously.

他緊張地調整了一下領帶。

The hitcher stared at him in his suit and tie.

打手盯著穿著西裝、打著領帶的他。

The hitcher seemed scruffy in comparison in his parka and pink Floyd t-shirt.

相比之下，穿著派克大衣和粉紅色弗洛伊德 T 恤衫的 hitcher 就顯得邋里邋遢了。

Do you work around here?

你在附近工作嗎？

asked the hitcher.

打獵者問道。

Yes, said the driver.

是的，司機說。

I was stuck late at the office you know how it is.

我在辦公室忙到很晚，你知道的。

No, not really.

不，不是真的。

Again they drifted into silence.

他們再次陷入沉默。

The talk show radio show carried on as they drove through the wind and rain.

在風雨中行駛時，脫口秀廣播節目仍在繼續。

The hitcher shifted in his seat and stared out of the windscreen.

打手在座位上晃了晃，盯著擋風玻璃外。

No music?

沒有音樂？

the hitcher asked.

獵人問道。

What?

什麼？

Is there no music we could listen to?

就沒有我們能聽的音樂了嗎？

I like the talk radio shows.

我喜歡脫口秀節目。

I'm not really a music fan.

我不是一個真正的樂迷。

The hitcher's eyes glazed over for a moment.

打獵者的眼睛瞬間瞪大了。

Then he spoke.

然後他開口了。

I like listening to music.

我喜歡聽音樂。

It calms me down.

它能讓我平靜下來。

The driver said nothing.

司機什麼也沒說。

Several miles down the road, the radio station, there was a news bulletin on the radio.

在幾英里外的廣播站，收音機里正在播報新聞。

The reporter tried to remain professional as she read the announcement.

記者在閱讀公告時努力保持專業水準。

We are getting reports that a patient has escaped from a Manchester psychiatric institution.

我們收到報告說，一名病人從曼徹斯特的一家精神病院逃跑了。

The man is said to be psychopathic and is said to have a history of murder.

據說此人精神變態，有殺人前科。

The hitcher jabbed a finger on the button on the radio panel.

打手用手指戳了戳無線電面板上的按鈕。

Tinny pop music blurted out from the speakers.

揚聲器裡突然傳出了刺耳的流行音樂。

The driver stared at his passenger, his question unasked.

司機盯著他的乘客，他的問題沒有問出口。

I hate the news, answered the hitcher.

我討厭新聞，打手回答道。

It's so depressing.

真讓人沮喪。

It brings me down.

這讓我很沮喪。

There's never any good news, is there?

從來就沒有好消息，不是嗎？

The driver didn't reply.

司機沒有回答。

Don't worry.

別擔心

I'm not the killer, said the hitcher, fidgeting with his coat.

我不是凶手，劊子手煩躁地擺弄著大衣說。

Don't worry.

別擔心

I'm not the killer.

我不是凶手

No, said the driver.

沒有，司機說。

I mean, no, of course you aren't.

我是說，不，你當然不是。

They drove on, listening to the crappy pop music and overexcited radio DJs.

他們聽著蹩腳的流行音樂和過於興奮的電臺 DJ，繼續往前開。

The rain pounded on the car.

雨點敲打著汽車。

What do you do for a living?

你靠什麼謀生？

asked the driver.

司機問道。

The hitcher was quiet for a moment.

打獵者沉默了一會兒。

Then he grinned.

然後他咧嘴一笑。

I'm a writer.

我是個作家

Really?

真的嗎？

How interesting.

真有意思

Have you had anything published?

您出版過什麼作品嗎？

No, as yet I'm an undiscovered artist.

不，我還是一個未被發現的藝術家。

I'm sure you'll make it.

我相信你會成功的。

What are you working on at the moment?

您目前在忙什麼？

I'm writing a novel.

我在寫小說

Oh, yes.

哦，是的。

It's about a serial killer.

這是一個關於連環殺手的故事。

The driver didn't speak.

司機沒有說話。

He flicked the radio station back on.

他又打開了廣播電臺。

A man was rambling on with himself about the change in days his wheelie bins were emptied.

一名男子喋喋不休地自言自語，說他的垃圾箱清空的日子變了。

Where can I drop you?

我在哪裡可以放下你？

asked the driver.

司機問道。

The passenger had his eyes closed.

乘客閉著眼睛。

He was either asleep or feigning slumber.

他不是睡著了，就是在假裝沉睡。

They drove on through the storm, down the snaking lanes.

他們冒著暴風雨，沿著蜿蜒的車道向前行駛。

An hour later the storm still growled and raged.

一小時後，暴風雨仍在咆哮肆虐。

The hitcher looked out of the window.

打獵者望向窗外。

The driver steered the car in silence.

司機默默地駕駛著汽車。

Another news bulletin came over the radio.

收音機裡又傳來了一則新聞。

We're getting more information on the escaped patient.

我們得到了更多關於逃逸病人的資訊。

The killer's name is Simon Hughes.

凶手名叫西蒙-休斯。

He escaped from the Green Pastures Institute earlier this evening.

今天晚上早些時候，他從綠色牧場研究所逃了出來。

Simon Hughes made his escape by changing from his hospital-issue uniform into a suit and tie and pretending to be one of the medical staff.

西蒙-休斯換下醫院發放的制服，穿上西裝，打著領帶，假裝成醫務人員，成功逃脫。

He stole a car and drove off.

他偷了一輛車，然後開走了。

The hitcher turned to the driver.

打手轉向司機。

What did you say your name was?

你說你叫什麼名字？

My name's Simon.

我叫西蒙

The hitcher stared in shock.

打手震驚地瞪大了眼睛。

Simon grinned.

西蒙咧嘴一笑。

The headlights of a passing car glinted off the knife blade in Simon's hand.

一輛路過的汽車車燈照在西蒙手中的刀刃上，閃閃發光。

Dun-dun-dun...

咚--咚--咚

The End Okay, so that's The Escaped Man by C.

好了，這就是 C. 的《逃亡者》。

T.

T.

Platt.

普拉特

What were the questions I asked you?

我問了你哪些問題？

Where does this take place?

這是在哪裡發生的？

was the first one.

是第一個。

And the answer to that question is that the story takes place somewhere in the UK.

這個問題的答案是，故事發生在英國的某個地方。

I think it's England.

我認為是英格蘭。

And in fact, since the killer escaped from an institute in Manchester, I think it must take place in the north of England somewhere.

事實上，既然凶手是從曼徹斯特的一家研究所裡逃出來的，我想故事一定發生在英格蘭北部的某個地方。

British English or American English?

英式英語還是美式英語？

It's British English, as we will see in a moment as I go through the storyline by line.

這是英式英語，稍後我將逐行介紹故事情節。

I'll point out the things that show that it's British English.

我會指出哪些地方表明這是英式英語。

And thirdly, what is going to happen next?

第三，接下來會發生什麼？

Well, I just wanted to kind of keep you on your toes.

我只是想讓你保持警惕。

But did you see that twist coming?

但你預見到轉折了嗎？

Because there was a twist in the story.

因為故事有轉折。

That sort of thing is called a twist.

這種事情就叫轉折。

Did you see the twist coming?

你看到轉折了嗎？

Some of you will have seen it coming.

你們中的一些人可能已經預料到了。

The first time I read this, I have to be honest, I sort of saw it coming because the way the story was setting things up seemed a bit too obvious.

第一次讀這本書時，老實說，我有點預料到會發生這樣的事情，因為故事設置的情節似乎有點太明顯了。

And I thought, oh, there's going to be a twist here.

我想，哦，這裡面肯定有轉折。

Let me explain what happened then.

讓我來解釋一下當時的情況。

So a man was driving through the rainy streets of England somewhere and he sees a hitchhiker and it's raining very heavily.

一個人開車穿過英國某條下著雨的街道，他看到一個搭便車的人，雨下得很大。

So he lets the hitchhiker in.

於是，他讓搭便車的人上了車。

The hitchhiker behaves a little bit suspiciously and seems to be a bit disdainful or hateful towards the driver.

搭便車者的行為有些可疑，似乎對司機有些不屑或憎恨。

And it seems the way the characters are described, it sort of presents the driver as a much more normal person wearing a suit.

而且從對人物的描述來看，司機似乎更像一個穿著西裝的普通人。

They've been to work, just friendly, giving someone a ride in their car.

他們去上班，只是友好地送別人一程。

And the hitchhiker is presented as someone with wild red hair.

而搭便車的人則是一個有著狂野紅髮的人。

They do something a bit more unconventional in their work, writing a book about a serial killer.

他們的工作有點不走尋常路，寫了一本關於連環殺手的書。

He seems to be a bit sort of anti-establishment or anti-social in some way.

他似乎在某種程度上有點反體制或反社會。

He seems like a slightly scary character.

他看起來是個有點可怕的角色。

And then we hear on the radio that a serial killer has escaped from an institute.

然後我們從收音機裡聽到一個連環殺手從研究所裡逃了出來。

An institute would be a hospital or something like that.

研究所就是醫院之類的地方。

And so naturally, we think that it's the hitchhiker with his crazy appearance and his scruffy look and his kind of serious, slightly psychotic behavior.

是以，我們自然而然地認為，這個搭便車的人有著瘋狂的外表、邋里邋遢的樣子以及嚴肅而略帶神經質的行為。

But then it turns out that the serial killer is the driver of the car because the next news bulletin explains that the psychotic killer escaped from a hospital, changed their clothes into a suit and stole a car.

但後來發現，連環殺手才是汽車的駕駛員，因為接下來的新聞簡報解釋說，這個精神失常的殺手從醫院逃出來，換了一身衣服，偷了一輛汽車。

And the name is Simon Hughes.

他的名字叫西蒙-休斯。

And this person's wearing a suit, the driver, and he's in a car.

這個人穿著西裝，是個司機，坐在車裡。

And so the hitchhiker sort of gets shocked and realizes that this could be the killer.

於是搭便車的人有點震驚，意識到這可能就是凶手。

And it turns out that the driver is also called Simon.

原來，司機也叫西蒙。

And then at the end, they've got a knife.

最後，他們還拿了一把刀。

A traffic light or another light from a car reflects off the blade of the knife, which shows that the driver is going to kill the hitchhiker, the next victim.

紅綠燈或汽車發出的其他光線會反射到刀刃上，這表明司機要殺死搭便車的人，也就是下一個受害者。

So there you go.

就是這樣。

That was the twist, that it was the driver that was the killer, not the hitchhiker.

這就是轉捩點，司機才是凶手，而不是搭便車的人。

I wonder how many of you noticed that twist before it happened.

不知道有多少人在這之前就注意到了這一轉折。

Okay, now it's time to get into the English teaching side of this.

好了，現在該談談英語教學方面的問題了。

And so I'm now going to break the story down line by line.

所以，我現在要把故事逐條分析。

And what we're looking for, what I'm looking for are bits of vocabulary.

我們正在尋找的，我正在尋找的是一些詞彙。

So this could be phrases or any outstanding bits of vocabulary that I think are likely to be a bit more difficult.

是以，這可能是短語或任何我認為可能比較難的詞彙。

The standard stuff I think that most people will understand at an intermediate level or something.

我認為大多數人在中級水準或其他水準上就能理解標準內容。

We're looking for phrases and bits of language that are a bit beyond that kind of level.

我們要找的是超出這種水準的短語和語言片段。

And anything else that I think is worth pointing out.

以及其他我認為值得指出的內容。

Okay, right.

好吧

So here we go.

那麼，我們開始吧。

The Escaped Man by C.T.

逃亡者》，C.T. 著

Platt.

普拉特

The rain was falling begin with past continuous.

雨越下越大。

This is past continuous.

這是過去進行時。

The rain was falling heavily.

雨越下越大。

In fact, it's a bit of a cliche that stories begin with the rain falling.

事實上，"故事從下雨開始 "已經是老生常談了。

You know, it's a sort of a cliched way to begin a mysterious story.

你知道，這是一個神祕故事的老套開頭。

It's just to say that it was raining heavily.

只能說當時雨下得很大。

The rain was falling heavily.

雨越下越大。

Now, stories often begin with past continuous because we use past continuous like this.

現在，故事通常以過去進行時開頭，因為我們是這樣使用過去進行時的。

That's the verb be in the past, that's was or were, plus an ing form.

這是動詞 be 的過去式，即 was 或 were，再加上一個 ing 形式。

We use this to set the context in which the main events of the story happen.

我們用它來設定故事主要事件發生的背景。