 鲜花( 0)  鸡蛋( 0)
|
课文30 幽灵之死
5 X: w7 U4 S: z L0 W5 s$ M552. For years, villagers believed that Endley Farm was hunted.4 U k) X, G. S1 ]9 T4 ]- ^$ Y
多年来,村民们一直认为恩得利农场在闹鬼。) N0 H! E& M- o2 N2 D/ a
553. The farm was owned by two brothers, Joe and Bob Cox.7 p( \6 ]' }/ D+ a5 t
恩得利农场属于乔.考科斯和鲍勃.考科斯兄弟俩所有。3 k8 ^; k6 I9 E
554. They employed a few farmhands, but no one was willing to work there long.7 }1 P9 A5 P! o; Z7 f, u( Q
他们雇了几个农工,但谁也不愿意在那儿长期工作下去。; {0 E* Y$ ^4 ~- a+ }
555. Every time a worker gave up his job, he told the same story.1 \/ ~ p) J: x1 N$ C) d
每次雇工辞职后都叙述着同样的故事。$ r3 G- X8 V& _1 {
556. Farm labourers said that they always woke up to find that work had been done overnight.
. B% C/ a6 E J2 }% j5 i3 L3 I3 Z 雇工们说,常常一早起来发现有人在夜里把活干了,& G6 j4 \# m) B$ T" l- b
557. Hay had been cut and cowsheds had been cleaned.0 J" d: j" k+ q, g* H/ F
干草已切好,牛棚也打扫干净了。
2 Y) d& [ @6 }& ]7 X# z8 X+ A558. A farm worker, who stayed up all night claimed to have seen a figure cutting corn in the moonlight. ~) s% ^3 L( }& {' |$ n8 o% S
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。
0 u6 I4 c3 `8 A& J, a$ f559. In time, it became an accepted fact the Cox brothers employed a conscientious ghost that did most of their work for them.& Z4 e2 _2 S0 o1 G) ?7 n
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。
: ?" j$ U' c/ F# r. f560. No one suspected that there might be someone else on the farm who had never been seen.- B2 q9 c; `, B1 E% ]
谁也没想到农场竟会有一个从未露面的人。
$ ^9 y& h+ K! Q- ]: ]* v1 E$ {" J( L2 y561. This was indeed the case.4 F# t8 r6 f/ T( x7 S
但事实上确有此人。6 X" K. ], T% x# O" `1 }
562. A short time ago, villagers were astonished to learn that the ghost of Endley had died.
# E' c# I* @3 k/ y/ @ 不久之前,村民们惊悉恩得利农场的鬼死了。
8 V# y- r- W' j) `1 Z# J8 t3 v563. 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.* N) \& `- u. @+ e1 W
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。& t3 g1 S3 a# d. M* \
564. After the funeral, Joe and Bob revealed a secret which they had kept for over fifty years., n* J+ \8 V" g+ C1 x0 q6 B
葬礼之后,乔和鲍勃透露了他们保守了长达50多年的秘密。
7 C0 l$ k3 H( H6 J565. Eric had been the eldest son of the family, very much older than his two brothers.
/ a$ M t1 @. x8 P* L 埃里克是这家长子。年龄比他两个弟弟大很多,
7 n u+ z2 x" q; c8 k ?( H566. He had been obliged to join the army during the Second World War.
5 V, R/ r# g" ^ 第二次世界大战期间被迫参军。
% Z- ^ v/ \. N3 [567. As he hated army life, he decided to desert his regiment.
; y% G6 L- r9 B! j& [ 他讨厌军旅生活,决定逃离所在部队。. v4 V; [* S3 R8 j
568. 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.3 n9 f& R# U) O/ v* T0 G/ t8 l
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。' D' C. I" O0 v8 L5 s/ U$ _4 Z+ d
569. Fearing the authorities, Eric remained in hiding after the war as well.5 d( K9 U- E: W$ W( w7 j& x6 j
由于害怕当局,埃里克战后继续深藏不露。
8 F0 i! `% ^" A1 _+ g570. His father told everybody that Eric had been killed in action.
8 R- B3 D. O* r* }1 o6 f6 E, f \ 他的父亲告诉大家,埃里克在战争中被打死了。3 Y0 x" A' p4 i, U- q
571. The only other people who knew the secret were Joe and Bob.
. v* U/ e- R3 B& o 除此之外,只有乔与鲍知道这个秘密。
0 N' R0 E1 c. ?572. They did not even tell their wives.
0 x. q3 S7 _7 l: } 但他俩连自己的妻子都没告诉。6 Y+ Q; N! m6 r
573. When their father died, they thought it their duty to keep Eric in hiding.
* ]9 m/ {: B# D) k! R 父亲死后,他们兄弟俩认为有责任继续把埃里克藏起来。" d+ k1 e# p' S+ p
574. All these years, Eric had lived as a recluse.
0 \& \; f4 k8 a0 c, N5 j8 n4 [6 O9 A 这些年来,埃里克过着隐士生活,5 G# o2 `7 D. Y( S0 m4 @7 Z
575. He used to sleep during the day and work at night, quite unaware of the fact that he had become the ghost of Endley.1 G8 Z% w- h% Y2 }
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。5 j2 `$ w( o' k) |4 A% f
576. When he died, however, his brothers found it impossible to keep the secret any longer.( o" z2 {4 a5 U7 E9 l* E8 @7 h
他死后,他的弟弟们才觉得无法再保守这个秘密了。 |
|