 鲜花( 0)  鸡蛋( 0)
|
课文30 幽灵之死( G8 F1 t0 s& D8 W
552. For years, villagers believed that Endley Farm was hunted.' g" T( Y5 V( ^% G1 z# i! \1 O8 `0 k
多年来,村民们一直认为恩得利农场在闹鬼。
" f, j0 k$ G' F# E& b; F553. The farm was owned by two brothers, Joe and Bob Cox.# y' Z1 I* a6 t: c; X# N
恩得利农场属于乔.考科斯和鲍勃.考科斯兄弟俩所有。
K( U4 K# @9 U& t554. They employed a few farmhands, but no one was willing to work there long.
4 \$ I. {% H' `! I5 I 他们雇了几个农工,但谁也不愿意在那儿长期工作下去。3 w3 T, i" F7 g9 b& r& H# i V# Z% q) f
555. Every time a worker gave up his job, he told the same story.
0 M" ^3 u# i9 |/ B, f8 d/ f; e 每次雇工辞职后都叙述着同样的故事。
8 z+ |, c. Z0 x; }556. Farm labourers said that they always woke up to find that work had been done overnight.
7 ^# j; i( o. e U, g 雇工们说,常常一早起来发现有人在夜里把活干了,
+ _: ?4 Q- @& @. b557. Hay had been cut and cowsheds had been cleaned.9 ^/ L2 Z- H0 w) m1 n
干草已切好,牛棚也打扫干净了。6 H. |* s* Z# H% Q9 ~& ]8 n
558. A farm worker, who stayed up all night claimed to have seen a figure cutting corn in the moonlight.
. V- a+ }! Q2 O( Q2 C% K4 g- E 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。
) e1 B i- D/ Q/ U+ k# j) Q9 F559. In time, it became an accepted fact the Cox brothers employed a conscientious ghost that did most of their work for them.3 J i- A- {6 O$ d! g- {; s' ~
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。
0 b' `+ q+ |5 o) U560. No one suspected that there might be someone else on the farm who had never been seen.
2 v. R8 s: ^3 b8 \+ @( L 谁也没想到农场竟会有一个从未露面的人。' B) ]4 ?$ Q, G& d! N
561. This was indeed the case.
: Z U# j9 }( W- K C( |) d 但事实上确有此人。
, p H2 C' B" V [+ s562. A short time ago, villagers were astonished to learn that the ghost of Endley had died.
5 V3 c0 \! Y( a/ K 不久之前,村民们惊悉恩得利农场的鬼死了。
) G+ f+ K% v0 \! X1 G# L2 ^563. 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.
1 z* r9 f8 O) P* G$ s7 i 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。$ \& ?, s* @3 O& v: D1 }$ H
564. After the funeral, Joe and Bob revealed a secret which they had kept for over fifty years.
! O: m1 v. R# I8 R5 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。
! C" k% `" {4 \2 X3 v( R) u. A; X+ i) U565. Eric had been the eldest son of the family, very much older than his two brothers.
3 }# g. H3 b/ c 埃里克是这家长子。年龄比他两个弟弟大很多,; L ]" x+ H9 |; G8 j; x9 M J2 k
566. He had been obliged to join the army during the Second World War.
& \- ~/ `+ E! ~; [% C8 [3 a 第二次世界大战期间被迫参军。$ F: y% f/ V" O) m
567. As he hated army life, he decided to desert his regiment.' U& V( ]/ D$ k7 ?
他讨厌军旅生活,决定逃离所在部队。
0 {) C; `) [' D0 `* R# z568. 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 B* ?; a' E- \; y6 R% u' a, p 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。
1 u8 w( B( `2 d8 v569. Fearing the authorities, Eric remained in hiding after the war as well.
. w0 v$ B' F9 Z6 I; ] 由于害怕当局,埃里克战后继续深藏不露。
, `# H9 o4 G( I9 Y7 Y570. His father told everybody that Eric had been killed in action.
2 j* z+ ?/ I. q1 j Z3 N 他的父亲告诉大家,埃里克在战争中被打死了。8 q' G$ M7 t5 R. n( [, @
571. The only other people who knew the secret were Joe and Bob.
9 G) L' @; D9 s7 _% C d; t. r1 M 除此之外,只有乔与鲍知道这个秘密。. D# H* r# y( ^
572. They did not even tell their wives.; X4 ]5 t) D* C, Y; d
但他俩连自己的妻子都没告诉。8 }! B+ }# ] d1 e
573. When their father died, they thought it their duty to keep Eric in hiding.7 u" d. J& L& C. L
父亲死后,他们兄弟俩认为有责任继续把埃里克藏起来。
: G0 ^9 V! p' G x. R+ X574. All these years, Eric had lived as a recluse.
1 p8 f9 @/ d; y) v# u8 @ 这些年来,埃里克过着隐士生活,
9 Y+ e/ Q% ^5 E; S% _7 p575. He used to sleep during the day and work at night, quite unaware of the fact that he had become the ghost of Endley.
' f) {1 d! V! p# a3 ^ }& W. W0 t 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。3 |& l( M1 C1 v2 O. F
576. When he died, however, his brothers found it impossible to keep the secret any longer.
1 @( ~1 J& \6 { 他死后,他的弟弟们才觉得无法再保守这个秘密了。 |
|