约翰是位成功的电视制作人，在做一档口碑颇佳的奇闻轶事栏目，这次，他想做一期关于搭便车的故事。然而他惊讶地发现，所有讲述者的故事都有着类似的情节，而且这些故事和他自己的经历是那么相似，他开始担心自己的亲人自己的生活，故事越来越清晰自己却越来越迷茫。

　　“剑桥双语分级阅读·小说馆”是一套从剑桥大学出版社引进的面向非英语国家英语学习者的分级系列读物，由英语语言教学专家及小说作家合力创作。创作过程历时二十余年，出版后受到世界各地英语教师和英语学习者的喜爱，许多读本再版十余次，二十余年来畅销不衰，成为全球英语学习者首选的优秀读本。
　　本系列读物具有以下突出的特色：
　　1.它是原创英语读物，而非改编自普通作品的读物。因此，阅读本系列读物，我们读到的是原汁原味的原创英语，而非人为改编过的二手英语。
　　2.它是当代优秀短篇小说，而非上个或上上个世纪的小说。因此，阅读本系列读物，我们读到的是当今活的、学了就能用的英语，而非穿越时空的、学了难以用的英语，了解的是与我们同时代英语国家人们的、而非隔代人的生活、文化、风土人情和价值观。
　　3.它是专为非英语国家的英语学习者量身定制的读物，而非为英语母语者而写的大众读物。因此，本系列读物是最适合英语学习的读物。
　　4.它是英美知名小说家和英语语言教学专家合力创作的读物，小说家保障了读物的可读性与可欣赏性，英语语言教学专家保障了读物语言作为英语习得材料的科学性与可学性。本系列中的很多小说都曾获得国际广泛阅读教育学会颁发的“语言学习者文学奖（Language Learner Literature Award）”。因此，阅读本系列读物，我们会在欣赏小说的同时，自然而然地、有效地提高自己的英语水平。
　　5.它的故事题材丰富多样，包括侦探、情感、历险、悬疑、人文、科幻、喜剧等，读者可以随心选择自己喜欢的类别进行阅读；它的故事内容生动有趣，故事情节引人人胜、扣人心弦，一旦开始阅读，就想一口气读完，使阅读真正升华到“悦读”。
　　6.随书附赠的音频材料内容精彩——它不是普通英语母语者的朗读录音，而是专业配音员的演绎再创作。听着它，我们犹如在听广播剧、听评书，又仿佛是在听电影、听话剧……这种聆听英语的享受将彻底扫除学生对英语听力的畏难心理。
　　7.读本中所使用的语言，既有英式英语，也有美式英语，对应的音频材料也相应分为英音和美音。读者可根据自己的喜好来选择。
　　8.本系列一百多本读物根据“欧洲共同语言参考框架（CEF）”和“剑桥大学外语考试部（ESOL）”的标准来确定级别划分，是建立在科学研究和实践基础之上的分级。全套共分七个级别（与中国学生英语基础水平的大致对应关系，请参见图书封底表格），读者可根据自己的英语基础选择相应级别的读本来学习。

　　Colin Campbell（科林·坎贝尔），英语语言教育专家，拥有近三十年的一线英语教学经历，在欧洲各国担任英语教师、教师培训师和顾问。他在意大利和波兰创办语言学校，在意大利一家电视台主持英语学习节目，创作过多部英语学习小说。在“剑桥双语分级阅读·小说馆”系列中，他创作了《彩票风波》《熨衣人》《平行世界》等喜剧、悬疑主题的读本。

故事中的人物
故事中的地点
读前思考
Chapter 1 光明与黑暗
Chapter 2 生日快乐
Chapter 3 白衣女人
Chapter 4 失控
Chapter 5 回忆之旅
Chapter 6 警察的讲述——事故
Chapter 7 约翰的故事
Chapter 8 爱尔兰——平和与回忆
Chapter 9 在水池边入睡
Chapter 10 没说出的梦和说出的梦
Chapter 11 停下来！停下来！
Chapter 12 不要回头看
读后活动
学习指导
参考译文

　　《剑桥双语分级阅读·小说馆（第4级）：神秘搭车人》：
　　‘You haven't forgotten the birthday this week,' said Rachel the moment she recognised his voice on the phone.
　　John didn't reply immediately. It was not that he had forgotten Patrick's birthday, more that he was surprised and pleased by the sound of her voice. She sounded happy, she sounded exated. She didn't sound worried. It was her old voice, her beautiful soft voice, and it felt to him like a ghost from the past, a very welcome ghost. His shoulders relaxed, he breathed out deeply and he smiled at the phone. He almost wanted to say 6welcome back',but he didn't want to talk about the last few weeks. He was afraid this moment might change, that by talking about it the worries and fears of the last few weeks might
　　come back. Instead he said: ‘Our son's first birthday, how could I forget that? What kind of father do you think I am?' His voice was light, cheerful as he continued. ‘I just wasn't sure what to do for his birthday. I mean, this is a special day, for him, for all of us, and I just wanted to do something special and...'
　　The idea came to him as he spoke to her. Of course, it would be perfect.
　　‘And I have an idea. Let's go to Ireland for a little holiday. Let's go back to our place, to the little island. I can't think of a better place to spend Patrick's birthday.'
　　‘Wow! Are you serious? Can we? Can you really get time off work? When do we go?'
　　He laughed at her questions. One moment she didn't believe him, the next moment she was organising it all.
　　‘Yes. Yes. Yes, my boss loves me. At the end of the week.' John answered the questions in turn and then added, 'l'll book tickets now and I'll tell you why my boss loves me later, when I get home.'
　　Ireland, the cliffs and the tiny island off the west coast.They had gone there for their first ever holiday together.A holiday where they had danced together at the top of the Cliffs of Moher, cliffs that stood straight out of the sea to a height of over one hundred metres. They had danced to the music he sang in her ear. Rachel was wearing a light white summer dress and he changed the words of a popular song and sang instead to his 'lady in white'.
　　‘Ireland will be cold,' he had warned her. But he was happy to be wrong and he had held her close and felt her warm and soft against him. On that holiday they had decided to get married, and Patrick had been born less than nine months after the holiday. And so they called him Patrick, an Irish name. Yes, Ireland was a very special place for them.
　　‘And you really can get time off work?'
　　‘Yes, yes, yes. I told you, my boss loves me. I'm just going to have lunch with Jenny now and then I'll come home and we can plan our trip.'
　　‘Let's hire a car when we get there and then we can drive around a bit.'
　　A car. It was her suggestion. She had seemed afraid of cars for the last few weeks and now she had suggested hiring one. She really was herself again, thought John,and he felt very pleased.
　　……