 鲜花( 0)  鸡蛋( 0)
|
课文30 幽灵之死5 n$ q8 a' G1 c$ L# Q
552. For years, villagers believed that Endley Farm was hunted.
0 O. N5 t, F5 X) }- F# _2 h5 z* {/ T6 u" e 多年来,村民们一直认为恩得利农场在闹鬼。- d. P3 ~7 i7 D- i
553. The farm was owned by two brothers, Joe and Bob Cox.5 R A% H' d, m2 u8 J; J
恩得利农场属于乔.考科斯和鲍勃.考科斯兄弟俩所有。
. n/ t* x9 n$ x' N z554. They employed a few farmhands, but no one was willing to work there long.
' V" F9 v: y; m$ ?+ D* j8 [ 他们雇了几个农工,但谁也不愿意在那儿长期工作下去。0 n p; G( S6 E" H) @
555. Every time a worker gave up his job, he told the same story.5 A, W$ Z% e- D# v, I* {
每次雇工辞职后都叙述着同样的故事。
& `( |( ?# d( l. O: D8 C$ [/ ^0 s556. Farm labourers said that they always woke up to find that work had been done overnight.
" a5 E6 q5 l! `1 o 雇工们说,常常一早起来发现有人在夜里把活干了,
; y% C; {9 L3 F, F1 z( `; }557. Hay had been cut and cowsheds had been cleaned.
$ L- x! i0 Y! j* r6 Q, i 干草已切好,牛棚也打扫干净了。
0 ? |+ } e9 ^& O% I+ h558. A farm worker, who stayed up all night claimed to have seen a figure cutting corn in the moonlight.
: l. \9 u0 u' { 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。
7 }# {% n, C; l7 R# U9 b559. In time, it became an accepted fact the Cox brothers employed a conscientious ghost that did most of their work for them.
/ W9 y4 d9 c' ^- y 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。: H+ }5 Y+ l( ^; c q
560. No one suspected that there might be someone else on the farm who had never been seen., }$ I) F% t7 k7 t
谁也没想到农场竟会有一个从未露面的人。
8 W# N7 h* J( f( L' ~+ a) {2 I/ a561. This was indeed the case.. `& N, J' B: t
但事实上确有此人。/ G1 a! ?0 m$ ^* ?3 W: x
562. A short time ago, villagers were astonished to learn that the ghost of Endley had died." S, t3 G$ O0 V3 i$ I( ?' T
不久之前,村民们惊悉恩得利农场的鬼死了。
4 v/ c& K5 d/ N3 m563. 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.3 m- [6 o! d f% z, W; B
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。" Z, \6 W" {+ R0 ?
564. After the funeral, Joe and Bob revealed a secret which they had kept for over fifty years.) ~% c& S* v. D( w6 ^$ d4 M
葬礼之后,乔和鲍勃透露了他们保守了长达50多年的秘密。
, j. x6 H/ T# f; u; Q565. Eric had been the eldest son of the family, very much older than his two brothers." a4 M/ I! G2 E! b' I
埃里克是这家长子。年龄比他两个弟弟大很多,
7 q) {7 l* g* j566. He had been obliged to join the army during the Second World War.
1 `7 v: Z$ R3 y' D4 _8 y 第二次世界大战期间被迫参军。
! a/ a6 y' z: G567. As he hated army life, he decided to desert his regiment.
* H; {( T8 i) R4 [1 A% O3 k) S, k 他讨厌军旅生活,决定逃离所在部队。8 w4 N m8 o Q* j1 k
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.6 j; A" i2 J, W3 w; X
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。3 v5 ^2 r4 Z. x+ ]! B4 g7 I5 a
569. Fearing the authorities, Eric remained in hiding after the war as well.
* j5 g: b$ n3 s2 V) {( V# _ 由于害怕当局,埃里克战后继续深藏不露。1 P, i% M1 `- |
570. His father told everybody that Eric had been killed in action.' {4 L: K0 }* H0 D5 O! X: B: n
他的父亲告诉大家,埃里克在战争中被打死了。
& b6 i* ~4 K6 |+ c571. The only other people who knew the secret were Joe and Bob.
) u% U6 F( |# h: R4 |2 | 除此之外,只有乔与鲍知道这个秘密。& q4 \* O7 X5 G, M+ `
572. They did not even tell their wives.3 F1 `- v5 e. ~; c: ]! s9 Q
但他俩连自己的妻子都没告诉。
. V4 `$ z1 q: R7 T9 W) k& l573. When their father died, they thought it their duty to keep Eric in hiding.2 B+ b, Y' i& Y& _) t4 x
父亲死后,他们兄弟俩认为有责任继续把埃里克藏起来。3 V2 ^" F j1 Q- c0 s" i4 t
574. All these years, Eric had lived as a recluse.5 H. k" D; e" H' T+ T( u& _* y
这些年来,埃里克过着隐士生活,
2 L2 E$ s" c$ V3 J; Y0 N575. He used to sleep during the day and work at night, quite unaware of the fact that he had become the ghost of Endley.7 [: n% g$ P, r' `3 Q6 X
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。0 M. `* P ^8 ~( G4 ~
576. When he died, however, his brothers found it impossible to keep the secret any longer.
& K, Z* Z! c9 v, g+ @9 Z 他死后,他的弟弟们才觉得无法再保守这个秘密了。 |
|