On Valentine’s Day 1900, most of the small student body and staff of Appleyard College, a private girls’ boarding school in Victoria State, Australia, are going on a day long picnic to nearby Hanging Rock. Two people who will not be going are Mrs. Appleyard, the school’s owner and proprietress, and Sara, a student who is being punished for a situation outside of her control. Later that evening, the picnickers arrive back to the college later than expected minus four people: teacher Miss McCraw, and students Miranda, Irma and Marion, all of whom have gone missing. The three girls plus a tag-along student, Emily, went exploring up the rock, when Emily came rushing off the rock by herself in a frightened panic, with several cuts and bruises and her dress torn. By that time, no one had noticed that Miss McCraw had also gone missing. Emily cannot remember anything about the incident beyond seeing Miss McCraw off in the distance climbing up the rock when she herself was heading down. As the authorities go on an exhaustive search for the missing four, their disappearance elicits different reactions from people involved. Michael Fitzhubert, a young well off man, who, along with his valet Albert, saw the four girls climbing up the rock, and feels compelled to find them. Sara, who idolized Miranda, is quietly affected as she keeps several secrets about herself and what Miranda told her earlier that day. And Miss Appleyard, although concerned about the welfare of the missing four, seems more concerned about the possibly tarnished reputation of the school, to which her name is attached, and the affect the scandal may have on its viability.
—Huggo
参考翻译：
1900年情人节那天，澳大利亚维多利亚州私立女子寄宿学校Appleyard College的大部分小学生和教职员工将前往附近的悬挂岩进行为期一天的野餐。有两个人不会去，他们是学校的老板兼老板阿普尔亚德夫人，还有一个学生萨拉，她因为无法控制的情况而受到惩罚。那天晚上晚些时候，野餐者们比预期的晚些时候回到学校，少了四个人：老师麦克劳小姐，学生米兰达、伊尔玛和马里恩，他们都失踪了。三个女孩加上一名随行的学生艾米莉去岩石上探险，艾米莉惊恐地一个人从岩石上跑下来，身上有几处伤口和瘀伤，衣服也被撕破了。那时，没有人注意到麦克劳小姐也失踪了。艾米莉除了在远处看到麦考夫小姐爬上岩石时自己正在往下走外，对这件事什么都记不起来了。随着当局对四名失踪者进行彻底搜索，他们的失踪引起了相关人员的不同反应。迈克尔·菲特朱伯特是一位年轻的富裕男子，他和他的贴身男仆阿尔伯特一起看到四个女孩爬上岩石，感到必须找到她们。萨拉是米兰达的偶像，她对自己和米兰达那天早些时候对她说的话保持着一些秘密，这让她默默地受到了影响。阿普尔亚德小姐虽然担心四名失踪者的福祉，但似乎更担心这所学校可能受损的声誉，以及丑闻可能对其生存能力产生的影响。-雨果
重点词汇释义：
most of大多数
boarding school寄宿学校
going on进行; 发生; “go on”的现在分词
will not会; 要; 总是; 往往; 谈及将来; 烦劳别人做事时用; 命令时用; 意志; 意愿; 遗嘱; 毅力; 愿意; 决心; 想要; 希望
all of一共; 足足; 至少
by herself独自
