 鲜花( 0)  鸡蛋( 0)
|
课文30 幽灵之死
' ?2 ?( q8 g. x5 h* c. }552. For years, villagers believed that Endley Farm was hunted.
: N/ z7 h% q4 H9 H0 q0 m" e" T 多年来,村民们一直认为恩得利农场在闹鬼。
" i4 w2 o2 H, t R$ Z ]1 ]1 y. l553. The farm was owned by two brothers, Joe and Bob Cox.7 {; S) Q9 S% d+ h, N; L4 M
恩得利农场属于乔.考科斯和鲍勃.考科斯兄弟俩所有。
. p0 d# h" J6 N$ l6 a% N/ F554. They employed a few farmhands, but no one was willing to work there long.
3 q- E; }5 v& l! a8 I, Q" a) _/ \ 他们雇了几个农工,但谁也不愿意在那儿长期工作下去。
, ?3 E w) g4 i. n& J' E555. Every time a worker gave up his job, he told the same story.9 L) j; `+ s5 Z5 m/ L }
每次雇工辞职后都叙述着同样的故事。8 a6 x% D b) z x$ m R _
556. Farm labourers said that they always woke up to find that work had been done overnight.
( V) g2 v# |! p. v% f5 f: ` 雇工们说,常常一早起来发现有人在夜里把活干了,' }3 s8 @& c3 L0 v2 c
557. Hay had been cut and cowsheds had been cleaned.
8 X. f! |4 f7 }8 @ 干草已切好,牛棚也打扫干净了。
6 A1 q; j$ n* Y, s% U558. A farm worker, who stayed up all night claimed to have seen a figure cutting corn in the moonlight.! |& |( }: [1 x8 a$ @% c
有一个彻夜未眠的雇工还声称他看见一个人影在月光下收割庄稼。 x1 ]7 ]* V1 c7 J3 J: o. J" u
559. In time, it became an accepted fact the Cox brothers employed a conscientious ghost that did most of their work for them.# U- `* S# c! w& R- W
随着时间的流逝,考科斯兄弟雇了一个尽心尽责的鬼,他们家的活大部分都让鬼给干了,这件事成了公认的事实。; o. M. S! v3 o( l' E1 y: n
560. No one suspected that there might be someone else on the farm who had never been seen.& o2 @# d7 L8 d( ^+ |0 M0 Q
谁也没想到农场竟会有一个从未露面的人。
! s# F$ R$ p2 a _: L5 V+ r+ q; K y. r561. This was indeed the case.) U7 J; f# o* `4 p- k
但事实上确有此人。, F: M% L: L6 |* X
562. A short time ago, villagers were astonished to learn that the ghost of Endley had died., H6 U& w: [ m4 @: T, B
不久之前,村民们惊悉恩得利农场的鬼死了。
0 H# p3 i% ^1 |9 j4 m563. Everyone went to the funeral, for the 'ghost' was none other than Eric Cox, a third brother who was supposed to have died as a young man.
( ~" J) Y e u 大家都去参加了葬礼,因为那“鬼”不是别人,正是农场主的兄弟埃里克.考科斯。人们以为埃里克年轻时就死了。' N4 t" l4 \2 u# F
564. After the funeral, Joe and Bob revealed a secret which they had kept for over fifty years.
) ?6 S, H! ?6 ]# I b9 U- ~( d* \) D 葬礼之后,乔和鲍勃透露了他们保守了长达50多年的秘密。
5 b A0 t, _5 E# @565. Eric had been the eldest son of the family, very much older than his two brothers.
6 C- |) @, Q4 B& x7 `7 g 埃里克是这家长子。年龄比他两个弟弟大很多,) V$ ?% Y9 @( \' o$ B% l2 }8 g/ h
566. He had been obliged to join the army during the Second World War.
) y6 C7 m( v7 m$ \ E" a 第二次世界大战期间被迫参军。
$ h7 e% x _' ^567. As he hated army life, he decided to desert his regiment.& o( j A1 T( w, {
他讨厌军旅生活,决定逃离所在部队。
6 y& Z7 B* x; B568. When he learnt that he would be sent abroad, he returned to the farm and his father hid him until the end of the war.
$ ^8 k9 O# n; m" O/ q8 }0 ` 当他了解自己将被派遣出国时,他逃回农场,父亲把他藏了起来,直到战争结束。' O/ O5 n/ e8 {
569. Fearing the authorities, Eric remained in hiding after the war as well.5 \( X5 D6 y$ a
由于害怕当局,埃里克战后继续深藏不露。
2 H' q7 A. w/ s7 e: H570. His father told everybody that Eric had been killed in action.+ J, l% K( O9 y
他的父亲告诉大家,埃里克在战争中被打死了。3 P( A- }- M x, `: i8 t w4 _
571. The only other people who knew the secret were Joe and Bob.9 g9 N9 F7 n- `- ?4 z, b
除此之外,只有乔与鲍知道这个秘密。# B. @& c9 r( h5 x y
572. They did not even tell their wives.
/ B( B6 F5 q$ P; l# i) ^: y0 m 但他俩连自己的妻子都没告诉。
5 W8 p% ], b; @0 E8 E573. When their father died, they thought it their duty to keep Eric in hiding.! B* n! y& j/ h p( G+ w, j
父亲死后,他们兄弟俩认为有责任继续把埃里克藏起来。
{( x4 V- X) i: m574. All these years, Eric had lived as a recluse.. l7 g8 a/ }( F+ M M C
这些年来,埃里克过着隐士生活,
D z4 r0 B% q1 C5 _6 ?" i3 K# c575. He used to sleep during the day and work at night, quite unaware of the fact that he had become the ghost of Endley.
6 O) {4 E/ A9 Q4 e( d+ [ 白天睡觉,夜里出来干活,一点不知道自己已成了恩得利家场的活鬼。
9 Q4 G) |8 x, ~1 f3 E! U5 ]576. When he died, however, his brothers found it impossible to keep the secret any longer.) H q( M0 I I8 T3 L, J
他死后,他的弟弟们才觉得无法再保守这个秘密了。 |
|