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简介“咱俩差不多，”本·威瑟斯塔夫老头对玛丽说。“长得丑，脾气也不好。”可怜的玛丽！谁都不要她，也没人喜欢她。父母去世以后，她被人从印度送回英国的约克郡，住在她舅舅的家里。那是一幢旧房子，很大，差不多有上百个房间，可大部分都关得严严实实，还上了锁。玛丽住在那儿，情绪很坏，她感到厌烦、孤独，整天没事可做，除了园丁本·威瑟斯塔夫老头，没人跟她说说话。不过后来玛丽听说了有关秘密花园的事。那花园的门紧锁着，钥匙也不知哪儿去了。10年了，除了那只能够飞过围墙的知更鸟，没有一个人进过那园子。玛丽望着知更鸟，琢磨着钥匙会在哪儿……再后来，夜里房子中什么地方传来奇怪的哭声，听起来像是个孩子……弗朗西丝·霍奇森·伯内特生于1849年，卒于1924年。从16岁起她大部分时间住在美国，但经常回英格兰。她是一位终身作家，写了很多书，《秘密花园》是她的代表作。1LittleMissMaryNobodyseemedtocareaboutMary．ShewasborninIndia，whereherfatherwasaBritishofficial．Hewasbusywithhiswork，andhermother，whowasverybeautiful，spentallhertimegoingtoparties．SoanIndianwoman，Kamala，waspaidtotakecareofthelittlegirl．Marywasnotaprettychild．Shehadathinangryfaceandthinyellowhair．ShewasalwaysgivingorderstoKamala，whohadtoobey．Maryneverthoughtofotherpeople，butonlyofherself．Infact，shewasaveryselfish，disagreeable，bad-temperedlittlegirl．Oneveryhotmorning，whenshewasaboutnineyearsold，shewokeupandsawthatinsteadofKamalatherewasadifferentIndianservantbyherbed．‘Whatareyoudoinghere？’sheaskedcrossly．‘Goaway！AndsendKamalatomeatonce！’Thewomanlookedafraid．‘I'msorry，MissMary，she—she—shecan'tcome！’Somethingstrangewashappeningthatday．Someofthehouseservantsweremissingandeverybodylookedfrightened．ButnobodytoldMaryanything，andKamalastilldidnotcome．SoatlastMarywentoutintothegarden，andplayedbyherselfunderatree．Shepretendedshewasmakingherownflowergarden，andpickedlargeredflowerstopushintotheground．Allthetimeshewassayingcrosslytoherself，‘IhateKamala！I'llhitherwhenshecomesback！’Justthenshesawhermothercomingintothegarden，withayoungEnglishman．Theydidnotnoticethechild，wholistenedtotheirconversation．‘It'sverybad，isit？’hermotheraskedtheyoungmaninaworriedvoice．‘Verybad，’heansweredseriously．‘Peoplearedyinglikeflies．It'sdangeroustostayinthistown．Youshouldgotothehills，wherethere'snodisease．’‘Oh，Iknow！’shecried．‘Wemustleavesoon！’Suddenlytheyheardloudcriescomingfromtheservants’rooms，atthesideofthehouse．‘What'shappened？’criedMary'smotherwildly．‘Ithinkoneofyourservantshasjustdied．Youdidn'ttellmethediseaseishere，inyourhouse！’‘Ididn'tknow！’shescreamed．‘Quick，comewithme！’Andtogethertheyranintothehouse．NowMaryunderstoodwhatwaswrong．Theterriblediseasehadalreadykilledmanypeopleinthetown，andinallthehousespeopleweredying．InMary'shouseitwasKamalawhohadjustdied．Laterthatdaythreemoreservantsdiedthere．Allthroughthenightandthenextdaypeopleraninandoutofthehouse，shoutingandcrying．NobodythoughtofMary．Shehidinherbedroom，frightenedbythestrangeandterriblesoundsthatsheheardaroundher．Sometimesshecriedandsometimessheslept．Whenshewokethenextday，thehousewassilent．‘Perhapsthediseasehasgone，’shethought，‘andeverybodyiswellagain．IwonderwhowilltakecareofmeinsteadofKamala？Whydoesn'tsomeonebringmesomefood？It'sstrangethehouseissoquiet．’Butjustthensheheardmen'svoicesinthehall．‘Howsad！’saidone．‘Thatbeautifulwoman！’‘Therewasachildtoo，wasn'tthere？’saidtheother．‘Althoughnoneofuseversawher．’Marywasstandinginthemiddleofherroomwhentheyopenedthedoorafewminuteslater．Thetwomenjumpedbackinsurprise．‘MynameisMaryLennox，’shesaidcrossly．‘Iwasasleepwheneveryonewasill，andnowI'mhungry．’‘It'sthechild，theonenobodyeversaw！’saidtheoldermantotheother．‘They'veallforgottenher！’‘WhywasIforgotten？’askedMaryangrily．‘Whyhasnobodycometotakecareofme？’Theyoungermanlookedatherverysadly．‘Poorchild！’hesaid．‘Yousee，there'snobodyleftaliveinthehouse．Sonobodycancome．’InthisstrangeandsuddenwayMarylearntthatbothhermotherandherfatherhaddied．Thefewservantswhohadnotdiedhadrunawayinthenight．NoonehadrememberedlittleMissMary．Shewasallalone．Becauseshehadneverknownherparentswell，shedidnotmissthematall．Sheonlythoughtofherself，asshehadalwaysdone．‘WherewillIlive？’shewondered．‘IhopeI'llstaywithpeoplewho'llletmedowhatIwant．’AtfirstshewastakentoanEnglishfamilywhohadknownherparents．Shehatedtheiruntidyhouseandnoisychildren，andpreferredplayingbyherselfinthegarden．Onedayshewasplayingherfavouritegame，pretendingtomakeagarden，whenoneofthechildren，Basil，offeredtohelp．‘Goaway！’criedMary．‘Idon'twantyourhelp！’ForamomentBasillookedangry，andthenhebegantolaughHedancedroundandroundMary，andsangafunnylittlesongaboutMissMaryandherstupidflowers．ThismadeMaryverycrossindeed．Noonehadeverlaughedathersounkindly．‘You'regoinghomesoon，’saidBasil．‘Andwe'reallverypleasedyou'releaving！’‘I'mpleasedtoo，’repliedMary．‘Butwhere'shome？’‘You'restupidifyoudon'tknowthat！’laughedBasil．England，ofcourse！You'regoingtolivewithyouruncle，MrArchibaldGraven．’‘I'veneverheardofhim，’saidMarycoldly．‘ButIknowabouthimbecauseIheardFatherandMothertalking，’saidBasil．‘Helivesinabiglonelyoldhouse，andhasnofriends，becausehe'ssobadtempered．He'sgotacrookedback，andhe'shorrid！’‘Idon'tbelieveyou！’criedMary．ButthenextdayBasil'sparentsexplainedthatshewasgoingtolivewithheruncleinYorkshire，inthenorthofEngland．Marylookedboredandcrossandsaidnothing．Afterthelongseajourney，shewasmetinLondonbyMrCraven'shousekeeper，MrsMedlock．Togethertheytravellednorthbytrain．MrsMedlockwasalargewoman，withaveryredfaceandbrightblackeyes．Marydidnotlikeher，butthatwasnotsurprising，becauseshedidnotusuallylikepeople．MrsMedlockdidnotlikeMaryeither．‘What