 鲜花( 0)  鸡蛋( 0)
|
课文30 幽灵之死$ J( K9 y- u6 t8 x" t$ {
552. For years, villagers believed that Endley Farm was hunted.
; x% E( X/ d0 i0 M 多年来,村民们一直认为恩得利农场在闹鬼。
" }4 O& C4 X1 f* \% L553. The farm was owned by two brothers, Joe and Bob Cox.9 h: {& Q9 c3 F/ u8 ?, M- g
恩得利农场属于乔.考科斯和鲍勃.考科斯兄弟俩所有。2 f1 z& K5 M+ O7 `
554. They employed a few farmhands, but no one was willing to work there long.
7 q3 \) C8 o: t 他们雇了几个农工,但谁也不愿意在那儿长期工作下去。
1 t' K3 S% l' b6 t; R) o- }& c. d555. Every time a worker gave up his job, he told the same story.
. A( ^3 N4 q" @ m; H5 p8 M 每次雇工辞职后都叙述着同样的故事。
, e; w! P# H6 w8 o& ]556. Farm labourers said that they always woke up to find that work had been done overnight.
( S {# w- p( d, i9 c 雇工们说,常常一早起来发现有人在夜里把活干了,
) Q: }6 U/ V+ E# }6 S557. Hay had been cut and cowsheds had been cleaned.
) i6 v2 t: Y7 j% M( f$ Q/ e 干草已切好,牛棚也打扫干净了。* N; J& R9 W$ Q- G. c+ X# w* f* y
558. A farm worker, who stayed up all night claimed to have seen a figure cutting corn in the moonlight.
I2 G8 M, _$ O3 a* 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。4 f/ K# D, S6 T$ f
559. In time, it became an accepted fact the Cox brothers employed a conscientious ghost that did most of their work for them.
3 Q6 u* K% C- u& N) O2 _ 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。) w* p; h( g% R' `( H. a0 P, e
560. No one suspected that there might be someone else on the farm who had never been seen.& h! R& I# _3 |/ m
谁也没想到农场竟会有一个从未露面的人。
Y( h0 ~& u B. c561. This was indeed the case.
* d# Q |' s5 j: R/ h3 v4 k4 a 但事实上确有此人。
' K, y, o, b3 g7 \' U3 L( D! j562. A short time ago, villagers were astonished to learn that the ghost of Endley had died.
7 \# c, I, m9 k! P" g 不久之前,村民们惊悉恩得利农场的鬼死了。" W/ k& t' g( E% V) S/ C3 R7 w
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.0 J* G; [0 w# L6 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。/ w+ m6 |& K4 j' P) f v3 F9 H
564. After the funeral, Joe and Bob revealed a secret which they had kept for over fifty years.$ M1 I. i/ c" ^
葬礼之后,乔和鲍勃透露了他们保守了长达50多年的秘密。' \- s2 z( [) g8 n- h
565. Eric had been the eldest son of the family, very much older than his two brothers.7 Q- X P9 b9 R. Z( c
埃里克是这家长子。年龄比他两个弟弟大很多,
: v# x- x7 v* V, h* J& m566. He had been obliged to join the army during the Second World War.: F8 N( x0 Z, t. f d" i
第二次世界大战期间被迫参军。' z& B. c# o# h
567. As he hated army life, he decided to desert his regiment.# C! H( o2 g) \% U6 Y( r7 A
他讨厌军旅生活,决定逃离所在部队。
$ p1 | Q% [) b8 t$ x- O568. 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.
4 Z3 l Z+ O% ^: i& U$ 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。
6 p0 e; i/ e! g% y/ A: C" n7 P; S569. Fearing the authorities, Eric remained in hiding after the war as well.8 d! o1 O6 c* p1 _8 `5 [! T! H
由于害怕当局,埃里克战后继续深藏不露。0 N- u9 {, S7 n& _; @
570. His father told everybody that Eric had been killed in action." ]- c% G( e/ _, Z% ]
他的父亲告诉大家,埃里克在战争中被打死了。
% G/ ]; [& d7 Y% D* {3 s571. The only other people who knew the secret were Joe and Bob.
3 E0 F+ [0 Z+ t" t. u8 F M8 `3 V 除此之外,只有乔与鲍知道这个秘密。
- E6 z* \" G7 u9 u* H572. They did not even tell their wives.
8 C; o: A. j$ X% z' H 但他俩连自己的妻子都没告诉。. a0 I! f3 s$ _ V0 [3 C
573. When their father died, they thought it their duty to keep Eric in hiding.
) X$ H, z2 Q8 m; y! B6 N" x 父亲死后,他们兄弟俩认为有责任继续把埃里克藏起来。: C$ B6 w; \4 r; p0 O
574. All these years, Eric had lived as a recluse.+ {, F8 X: t3 c/ C* ~( B, E
这些年来,埃里克过着隐士生活,3 J, M4 F: A3 A/ a8 q* w6 U
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.* i8 I& t9 O. \ K$ q2 m
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 {1 [) F; Y
576. When he died, however, his brothers found it impossible to keep the secret any longer.5 |/ W% l# x' I% [. T% |" {2 V
他死后,他的弟弟们才觉得无法再保守这个秘密了。 |
|