~ CBS Radio Mystery Theater, The Lady Was a Tiger, Act 1, Scenes 4-8 — In Grave Danger ~ A femme fatale double agent frames an unemployed reporter for homicide in Paris. Running Smoothly Like Clockwork Larry and Dave have made it to France. Larry goes off to play his part by interviewing Professor Teal. During the interview, he is handed the slip of paper, the map, as planned. Everything seems to be going fine, running smoothly like clockwork. Les Deux Magots Dave Wilson waits for him at a café called Les Deux Magots. This is a very famous café on the Left Bank of the Seine river. It opened in 1885 and is still in Paris to this day. The name of the cafe means "The Two Mandarins" -- an old name for Chinese government officials. Inside the cafe there are two carved statues of Chinese Mandarins which likely date back to the 1880s when the building was a novelty shop, not a café. The café kept the name of the former shop. It was quite a fitting name as Mandarins had to pass an exam to get their government position. They were intellectuals, and the café attracted intellectuals, writers and artists. Les Deux Magot is a cafe in Paris where intellectuals, writers, and artists met. [Dinkum: Wikimedia.org]   The two Mandarins oversee the cafe. [Donar Reiskoffer: Wikimedia.org] The best laid plans... As Dave sits at a cafe table waiting, he is approached by a strikingly beautiful woman with a phoney accent. She has a warning for him. Dave Wilson: And just what is it that you’re seeking? Carol Johnson: [Breathy] To warn you that you are in grave danger! [Victoria Andreas: Bigstock.com] When Larry gets back to meet Dave at the café, everything falls apart and he finds himself involved in a crime scene protesting his innocence.       Keywords: back out: (n) to withdraw, especially from a commitment or a contest 反悔；知難而退 The wedding’s off! The groom got cold feet and backed out at the last minute. sleek: (v) to do sth in a smooth, polished, elegant manner; to ace it 做得很流暢、做得很熟練地 I really expected to be nervous, but I sleeked the interview. I think they were impressed. grave: (adj) serious, critical 嚴重 You’d better do as he says, or there will be grave consequences! phony: (n., adj.) (Br. phoney) a sham; fake, bogus, artificial, not genuine 假、假的、虛假 She’s not really from France. She’s just putting on a phony accent. pass out: (n) to fall unconscious (from getting drunk, or from being hit on the head, etc) 暈、暈倒 After downing the whole bottle of vodka, he passed out on the sofa. stab to death: (v) to kill by forcing a sharp instrument, like a knife, into someone’s body 刺死、砍死 The attractive woman lured him to her room where he was stabbed to death. pick the lock: (v+o) to open a lock with something other than a key (i.e., with a wire) 撬鎖 The thief got in by picking the lock to the back door. equip: (v) provide with the necessary materials, tools, or supplies; have a particular ability; prepared for a particular activity or problem 準備、預備 He came equipped for the hike with a bottle of water and a walking stick. skeleton key: (n) a simple key that can open many different low quality locks, (somewhat like a master key) 萬能鑰匙 This door needs a better lock. Anyone could open this one with a skeleton key. make a (big) scene: to behave in a very noticeable way; to do something that attracts attention 撒賴、大吵大鬧、瞎鬧、胡鬧 In an effort to get his own way, the youngster made quite the scene. The embarrassed parents finally gave in. testimony: (n) a statement of what you heard or saw that is used as evidence in court 證詞、證言 He swore to tell the truth and then gave his testimony in court. to have been had: to have been fooled, to have been taken in, to have been deceived 受騙 I was so angry when I realized I’d been had. I went to the police, but they wouldn’t help me, and the Better Business Bureau