绑架者很少对动物感兴趣，但他们最近对埃莉诺·拉姆齐太太的猫产生了极大的兴趣。
Kidnappers are rarely interested in animals, but they recently took considerable interest in Mrs. Eleanor Ramsay's cat.
埃莉诺·拉姆齐太太是一位非常富有的老太太，多年来一直与她的猫拉斯图斯同住一套公寓。
Mrs. Eleanor Ramsay, a very wealthy old lady, has shared a flat with her cat, Rastus, for a great many years.
拉斯图斯过着井井有条的生活。
Rastus leads an orderly life.
他通常在傍晚出去散一小会儿步，而且总是在七点之前回家。
He usually takes a short walk in the evenings and is always home by seven o'clock.
然而，某天傍晚，他没能回来。
One evening, however, he failed to arrive.
拉姆齐太太变得非常担忧。
Mrs. Ramsay got very worried.
她到处寻找它，但怎么也找不到。
She looked everywhere for him but could not find him.
拉斯图斯失踪三天后，拉姆齐太太收到了一封匿名信。
Three days after Rastus' disappearance, Mrs. Ramsay received an anonymous letter.
写信人声称拉斯图斯处于安全看护之下，如果拉姆齐太太支付1000英镑的赎金，将立即归还。
The writer stated that Rastus was in safe hands and would be returned immediately if Mrs. Ramsay paid a ransom of £1,000.
拉姆齐太太被指示把钱放进一个纸板箱，并将其放在她的门外。
Mrs. Ramsay was instructed to place the money in a cardboard box and to leave it outside her door.
起初，她决定去报警，但由于担心再也见不到拉斯图斯——信中已经把这一点说得非常清楚——她改变了主意。
At first, she decided to go to the police, but fearing that she would never see Rastus again--the letter had made that quite clear--she changed her mind.
她从银行取出了1000英镑，并按照绑架者的指示行事。
She withdrew £1000 from her bank and followed the kidnapper's instructions.
第二天早上，箱子不见了，但拉姆齐太太确信绑架者会信守诺言。
The next morning, the box had disappeared but Mrs. Ramsay was sure that the kidnapper would keep his word.
果然，拉斯图斯在那天傍晚七点准时回来了。
Sure enough, Rastus arrived punctually at seven o'clock that evening.
它看起来气色很好，尽管它相当渴，因为它喝了半瓶牛奶。
He looked very well, though he was rather thirsty, for he drank half a bottle of milk.
当拉姆齐太太告诉他们她所做的一切时，警察们大为震惊。
The police were astounded when Mrs. Ramsay told them what she had done.
她解释说拉斯图斯对她来说非常珍贵。
She explained that Rastus was very dear to her.
考虑到她支付的金额，它在不止一种意义上都是"珍贵/昂贵"的！
Considering the amount she paid, he was dear in more ways than one!