 鲜花( 0)  鸡蛋( 0)
|
课文30 幽灵之死 E5 D4 k" }' m2 \
552. For years, villagers believed that Endley Farm was hunted.
P& i; Q# v7 K f4 | 多年来,村民们一直认为恩得利农场在闹鬼。: J# ^5 [2 X. X/ P! v1 U
553. The farm was owned by two brothers, Joe and Bob Cox.
% ^3 O' `& A9 D9 W 恩得利农场属于乔.考科斯和鲍勃.考科斯兄弟俩所有。
# O( R* U5 x+ D554. They employed a few farmhands, but no one was willing to work there long.
( v6 l/ I* j- N D) s! y 他们雇了几个农工,但谁也不愿意在那儿长期工作下去。# P7 f% u0 d3 A( B9 H
555. Every time a worker gave up his job, he told the same story./ J$ U: h. C: ~% x- Q
每次雇工辞职后都叙述着同样的故事。
" z4 ~6 |/ |* _1 f: F556. Farm labourers said that they always woke up to find that work had been done overnight.
3 a6 J0 C C+ A% P 雇工们说,常常一早起来发现有人在夜里把活干了,$ [0 J5 i3 f5 a% W, h
557. Hay had been cut and cowsheds had been cleaned.' i* \* V3 ]6 Q5 I' T$ C
干草已切好,牛棚也打扫干净了。$ `0 w; K( R: F2 c
558. A farm worker, who stayed up all night claimed to have seen a figure cutting corn in the moonlight.# }/ c, W4 K* E. ~ t
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 P: `) a& M. H0 Q+ z2 _% S1 J0 {
559. In time, it became an accepted fact the Cox brothers employed a conscientious ghost that did most of their work for them.
; E5 D" }8 S' d- Z/ 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。 a; G4 z8 ~6 g. s* v, d+ k
560. No one suspected that there might be someone else on the farm who had never been seen.
: | J3 y0 R6 }8 S8 f. ^ X4 Y 谁也没想到农场竟会有一个从未露面的人。8 e( f) `( p3 m8 p# w G
561. This was indeed the case.
/ t& r0 D& Q+ w" N V 但事实上确有此人。$ m6 D# r" I& v% m0 H7 L+ _
562. A short time ago, villagers were astonished to learn that the ghost of Endley had died.
& X* u( ~0 _5 ]$ g1 V `/ [ 不久之前,村民们惊悉恩得利农场的鬼死了。 F' n( o& y P& Y b* U2 ?. U( _2 K
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.4 @7 M0 ]/ L3 a6 H' r/ H+ }: A
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。
7 m% [7 I* h" q564. After the funeral, Joe and Bob revealed a secret which they had kept for over fifty years.
# c3 A/ v- u- F 葬礼之后,乔和鲍勃透露了他们保守了长达50多年的秘密。
* E+ S( u! r& E& ~" I$ H565. Eric had been the eldest son of the family, very much older than his two brothers.1 P# w1 F, _0 T4 \- f" t+ P
埃里克是这家长子。年龄比他两个弟弟大很多,# j+ d& L: B& g h( n
566. He had been obliged to join the army during the Second World War.5 X0 Y; {) @8 o
第二次世界大战期间被迫参军。( i& Y9 f/ V; ~, l! Y
567. As he hated army life, he decided to desert his regiment.4 p: u. \1 u/ B% d& V3 ^# H
他讨厌军旅生活,决定逃离所在部队。, E/ B$ H* G* b, v
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.
) o2 W, s" @% ]4 W2 O# J4 n: y) A 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。% Q$ W% I7 I- M+ J
569. Fearing the authorities, Eric remained in hiding after the war as well.8 x. |. X8 t$ z! l& U
由于害怕当局,埃里克战后继续深藏不露。
; b+ j5 _- H# g; x, c4 j9 r570. His father told everybody that Eric had been killed in action.
( Z) U s) ~/ F8 } 他的父亲告诉大家,埃里克在战争中被打死了。
8 P9 F% G* Q8 t. q571. The only other people who knew the secret were Joe and Bob.2 T$ C% A* G. ], z; t
除此之外,只有乔与鲍知道这个秘密。
8 @4 F* ~4 v5 U8 C572. They did not even tell their wives.1 Z4 q, w' a. J Z# ?4 P
但他俩连自己的妻子都没告诉。
' j) N q5 y) z! d/ _' C. v" F573. When their father died, they thought it their duty to keep Eric in hiding.
. @" e. G# Q3 f: e# N 父亲死后,他们兄弟俩认为有责任继续把埃里克藏起来。
- d+ U! u+ \5 q! ~& y: r' z* D574. All these years, Eric had lived as a recluse.9 a6 ]2 T: N. v7 T
这些年来,埃里克过着隐士生活,1 y5 i: J# f( G' J6 q7 h G9 u7 M
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.
' E E9 `7 m: f# C9 j) W. r 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。2 e5 `4 \: ]7 k3 J* W
576. When he died, however, his brothers found it impossible to keep the secret any longer.
2 C% d1 }1 M/ X5 d9 m! X! f( k 他死后,他的弟弟们才觉得无法再保守这个秘密了。 |
|