麦哲伦英语 第 94 课： A Tip for Readers Living Alone 送给独居读者的建议

For years my Great Aunt Maud lived alone in a remote cottage beside a road in the Welsh hills. 我的莫德姑婆曾独自一人住在威尔士山区路边的一座偏僻房子里多年，

Yet she was never afraid of being attacked or robbed because she had devised a unique way of protecting herself. 但是她从来就不担心被袭击或者被抢劫，因为她设计了一种独特的方式来保护自己。

Hanging in the lobby of her house, and visible from the front door was a policeman's hat. 她把一顶警官的帽子挂在房子的门厅里，从前门就可以看到。

Naturally anyone calling at the house immediately noticed the hat and assumed that there was a policeman living there. 自然地，拜访这座房子的人立刻就能注意到这顶帽子，就会认为这里住着一位警官。

Aunt Maud never had any trouble from doorstep dodgers or people calling at the house to try and find out if it was worth burgling. She felt quite safe. 莫德姑婆从来就没有受到门前踩点的歹徒的滋扰，这些人通常会来到房子门口探测这家是否可以盗窃。她感到很安全。

After her death, her cottage was cleared out, and the policeman's hat was packed away in a suitcase and forgotten. 她去世后，她的房子给清空了，那顶警官帽子被打包装进了手提箱内，被大家遗忘了。

Just the other day I came across it, and remembering Aunt Maud's idea, 几天前，我偶然又看到了这顶帽子，想起了莫德姑婆的方法。

I hung it on a peg in the hall for any caller to see as soon as the door opens. I really feel safe and snug now that it's there! 我把它挂在大厅里的木栓上，门一开来访者就能看到。有帽子在这儿，我确实感到安全有了保障。