这本书是丁丁历险记的第三本，讲述了丁丁对抗跨国贩毒集团的故事。跨国贩毒集团把毒品藏在了雪茄中，利用海运进行走私，在丁丁和国际刑警的联合行动中，这个跨越埃及，阿拉伯和印度的贩毒网络终被摧毁
毒品是一个很严重的国际问题。我曾在金三角旅居，附近有一间戒毒所，近距离接触过正在戒毒和戒毒成功人士，留下深刻印象。虽然金三角的毒品种植规模比以前少了很多，但是至今无法根除，原因有很多，土地贫瘠，战乱不断，民族构成复杂，当地政府为获得税收而监管放松等等，但是本质的问题是，如何让当地人民获得较高收入来替代对罂粟的依赖。
这本书中，这个跨国贩毒集团在印度和英国殖民政府沆瀣一气，也为下一本书《蓝莲花》中，丁丁为追查贩毒集团踪迹，来到上海法租界英租界调查埋下伏笔。
下面看一下p1-p12地道表达：
1. a deadly bore
deadly=very=terribly
2. go ashore
3. I'd settle for Marlin-spike
to accept sth less ideal or satisfactory than one desire.
狗狗白雪的意思是海上旅行真无聊，我勉强接受待在船长的大房子里
4. fall overboard
5. why doesn't someone fall overboard to brighten things up?
brighten up:to become happier in mood
eg:Your mother really brightened up when she got the flowers you sent.
白雪想有没有人掉水里，让心情开心一下，想法有点坏哦哈哈
6. we're in business
有人在求救，这下有事可干了，类似：none of your business不关你事
7. what are you up to？
就是what are you doing？
8. sth is terribly important
terribly = very
9. what an observant young man you are!
10. let go of sth
放开丢掉 eg：Please let go of me—you're hurting my arm
11. scores of Egyptologists
scores of =many
著名的Dr. Sophocles Sarcophagus登场了，刚刚他的纸丢掉了，他却一点都不着急了，不慌不忙的拿出一份纸草书，他是一位埃及考古学家，带着丁丁找到了失落的墓穴。
12. that queer symbol
queer = strange = odd=peculiar 这个奇怪的符号，圆圈里竖直插入一个波浪形线条
13. the royal cipher
cipher = code
14. mistake you for a ventilator
mistake~for~: to confuse someone or something for someone or something else.eg：I often mistake Linda for her sister.They are identical twins.
15. bump sb on purpose
16. Impudent young whipper-snapper!
an impudent person is bold ,sassy and shameless.
Rastapopoulos登场了，一看就是一个大反派，他气势汹汹地责怪博士，他究竟是做什么的呢？这个人物会贯穿整套丁丁系列，让我们拭目以待。
17.I want him dispose of before he gets ashore
to get rid of someone or something or deal with something so that the matter is finished.
eg:How did they dispose of the body?
eg:It took only five minutes for the world champion to dispose of his opponent
一封神秘的信件想要把丁丁和博士铲除，他们究竟得罪了谁呢？
18. in the name of the law
大名鼎鼎的国际刑警Thomson和Thompson登场了，他们一上来就逮捕“罪犯”丁丁，整本书都在和丁丁缠斗不休，到底怎么回事呢？
19. tip sb the wink
give sb a piece of secret or private information 送情报
居然有人为了诬陷丁丁，在他房间里面放了narcotic和heroin，并且偷偷通知了国际刑警，来个人赃并获，看来丁丁一定得罪道上的了。
20. could have planted drugs
could have done 可能做~~
21. Smells fishy!
fishy:suspicious people and situation are called fishy
22. just a cable's length from the quay
23. they're begining to disembark
disembark=go ashore,leave any type of vehicle
24. take us ashore
25. he gave the police the slip
to escape sb, to get away from sb
丁丁逃脱了两位警察的控制，成功上岸，逃过一劫，陷害他的人发出下一步指令：把他们在开罗干掉！下面的落款正是那个神秘符号。这个符号和这个隐藏的神秘人，和法老墓穴究竟是什么关系呢？
26. emblem = symbol
eg:A national emblem is often shown on flags or official documents such as passports.
27. make of = explain
eg:what do you make of this letter?
28. in the world=on earth
29. what's up=what happened
30. violate the tomb
violate:describes actions that show no respect for people。
eg:people violate your privacy when they eavesdrop on your personal conversations.
31. pay dearly for their knowledge
dearly=expensivly
32. one of his successors
The successor takes over when someone gives up a position or title.
predecessor
33. be trapped by
34. be identical with = the same
eg: they're identical with the one I picked up outside.
35. there's the caravan
a group of people travelling together
36. at nightfall = at dusk
37. lower the boat / raise the anchor
38. just my lousy luck!
lousy=terrible
38. the coastguards would have nabbed me otherwise.
When you nab someone, you catch the person in the act of doing something wrong.
39. would have done
could have done
sth was possible in past可能已经发生,对过去的假设
40. they've been dumped
dump=throw
eg: they dumped their old car in the town dump
41. not a hope of picking them up
42. shouting myself hoarse
沙哑 People get hoarse when they are calling in sick to work.
43. pull us apart
44. It's certainly a whopper
whopper:something especially big
45. retrieve one coffin with occupant SS.
When you retrieve something, you bring it back
46. break off search / go on searching
break off=interrupt
47. proceed to/towards sw
move ahead
