 鲜花( 0)  鸡蛋( 0)
|
课文30 幽灵之死
! j( _7 o! O0 q, _8 V3 L2 W( [7 k552. For years, villagers believed that Endley Farm was hunted.5 R; `! k- W, P
多年来,村民们一直认为恩得利农场在闹鬼。
5 x9 |6 q, L$ Y B553. The farm was owned by two brothers, Joe and Bob Cox.
: J' [+ D9 B9 U 恩得利农场属于乔.考科斯和鲍勃.考科斯兄弟俩所有。
* n; e. C9 i0 i& i554. They employed a few farmhands, but no one was willing to work there long.: o! ~+ h/ A/ n G4 g9 b1 m
他们雇了几个农工,但谁也不愿意在那儿长期工作下去。" T; d8 H9 [8 @. g
555. Every time a worker gave up his job, he told the same story.& h- x* N8 i; k% s7 j6 h7 q
每次雇工辞职后都叙述着同样的故事。+ C/ G2 d) `! |$ W# X4 f5 @
556. Farm labourers said that they always woke up to find that work had been done overnight.% A: ~7 F+ h0 @$ o& V% y) }* W
雇工们说,常常一早起来发现有人在夜里把活干了,5 Y ?: w4 C4 ~9 s9 ^
557. Hay had been cut and cowsheds had been cleaned.) U$ [! G+ _9 `
干草已切好,牛棚也打扫干净了。$ |! H; m( H: u* c
558. A farm worker, who stayed up all night claimed to have seen a figure cutting corn in the moonlight.
/ l' r4 h3 f4 H3 D: O* K! d 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。/ A" C( M. u- P- I9 G4 F
559. In time, it became an accepted fact the Cox brothers employed a conscientious ghost that did most of their work for them.$ w2 a+ u/ t8 J3 c, x, {; k
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。
$ E2 r+ }7 \. Q8 G# K+ ?560. No one suspected that there might be someone else on the farm who had never been seen.. {0 }; p3 B( F# n+ t- w m
谁也没想到农场竟会有一个从未露面的人。$ }5 \& Q) Q4 B" _7 t
561. This was indeed the case.
6 p" k. y% m& T 但事实上确有此人。
1 O# O/ I' _8 t# o2 h562. A short time ago, villagers were astonished to learn that the ghost of Endley had died.
' i! R3 w( O% e) O 不久之前,村民们惊悉恩得利农场的鬼死了。/ j2 s6 P0 V+ X+ @" s/ V \( L* q3 v/ I
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.9 J% e w4 J. W" `+ o
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。' Y5 o8 c7 S4 c$ `
564. After the funeral, Joe and Bob revealed a secret which they had kept for over fifty years.0 l! }, ]8 f( D( E4 Y- l
葬礼之后,乔和鲍勃透露了他们保守了长达50多年的秘密。
* q" f) }& J: f* M# q+ I/ V6 C3 S9 i6 k565. Eric had been the eldest son of the family, very much older than his two brothers.
! f. R* p, x# i$ X# a 埃里克是这家长子。年龄比他两个弟弟大很多,( p( u6 {. E% ? j
566. He had been obliged to join the army during the Second World War.
! ]& ]5 }# j* v5 `7 U: X* b1 [! H: N 第二次世界大战期间被迫参军。8 b7 e8 {( r3 \! L; `! \# A" w/ F
567. As he hated army life, he decided to desert his regiment.# ?" c6 Y) W. Z6 ]2 L: H1 H
他讨厌军旅生活,决定逃离所在部队。
* M( \( t$ i {. 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.
! k$ k: K7 u 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。: C: z% `- M* X" \
569. Fearing the authorities, Eric remained in hiding after the war as well.! A+ e0 J1 c- L. ]0 _
由于害怕当局,埃里克战后继续深藏不露。
1 b8 O9 q$ I: [3 J7 n! e8 F570. His father told everybody that Eric had been killed in action.- Q5 E! j. N; a6 }+ Q" v* Y
他的父亲告诉大家,埃里克在战争中被打死了。
) G8 t e( p2 c1 w+ q571. The only other people who knew the secret were Joe and Bob.
( x+ M( L D8 m; K2 T0 n( t 除此之外,只有乔与鲍知道这个秘密。
# D ^( t# T F572. They did not even tell their wives.- l% m. m" T$ U% `- T$ d
但他俩连自己的妻子都没告诉。& F2 Y$ X, C( p7 y; H
573. When their father died, they thought it their duty to keep Eric in hiding.
7 q9 E% c u6 f 父亲死后,他们兄弟俩认为有责任继续把埃里克藏起来。
. Q7 Y( ~& ?* f574. All these years, Eric had lived as a recluse.( v9 j5 |- J5 c
这些年来,埃里克过着隐士生活,( x& V+ |! F1 C7 h% Y
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.' I, c" a0 G- B+ _
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。
$ V( k( f2 E2 m2 C576. When he died, however, his brothers found it impossible to keep the secret any longer.
6 E0 v5 N" m0 s1 M 他死后,他的弟弟们才觉得无法再保守这个秘密了。 |
|