Cantwell Ghost - Bookworm. Oxford English-Chinese Bilingual Readers (Level 2 suitable for 8th and 9th graders)

Author: (English) Oscar Wilde
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-06-01
Features: When the American businessman, Mr. Hiram B. Otis, bought the estate called Canterville Castle, people told him he was doing something very dangerous. Everyone knew there was a ghost in that house. Lord Canterville himself told Mr. Otis everything about it. "We ourselves don’t want to live in that house," he said, "Many people in my family have seen the ghost. My wife’s grandmother, the Duchess of Bolton, is one of them. One night, when she was getting dressed to attend a party, two skeletal hands were placed on her shoulders. She fell ill and hasn’t recovered in years. My wife has never slept there at night because there are always strange noises."
"Lord Canterville," Mr. Otis replied, "I’m buying the house and the ghost too. I come from a modern country. In America, we can buy almost anything—but not ghosts. So, if there really is a ghost in the house, we’ll take it back to America, and people will pay to see it."
"I’m afraid there really is a ghost in the house," Lord Canterville said with a laugh. "Perhaps in your country there are no ghosts, but ours has been living in the house for 300 years, and it will always appear before someone in the family dies."
"Yes, the family doctor used to appear too, Lord Canterville. But ghosts don’t exist, sir, no matter which country you’re in—even in the famous traditional British family."
"Well then," Lord Canterville said, "if you’d like a ghost in your house, that’s fine. But just remember I warned you."
So, Mr. Hiram B. Otis bought the house, and a few weeks later, his family arrived at Canterville Castle by train. Mrs. Otis was a very beautiful woman, who looked just like a British woman. Americans and British were actually very similar—but their accents were different. The eldest son of Mr. and Mrs. Otis was named Washington, a handsome young man with a charming smile. His graceful dancing was well-known at the major balls in London. Miss Virginia E. Otis was a lovely girl of fifteen, with big blue eyes. She loved horseback riding and was even faster than many men. One day, the young Duke of Cheshire saw her riding and immediately asked her to marry him—but the next day, his family sent him back to school. After Virginia came a pair of twins—two lively, mischievous little boys. They were always laughing and playing tricks. P3-5