 鲜花( 0)  鸡蛋( 0)
|
课文30 幽灵之死
* J8 K9 {- x9 J) {- r! x, Y552. For years, villagers believed that Endley Farm was hunted.$ l8 e: N! W5 `
多年来,村民们一直认为恩得利农场在闹鬼。
( {8 E7 j7 U* z' Q# U+ u553. The farm was owned by two brothers, Joe and Bob Cox.
. ^3 r) A% B, [* L 恩得利农场属于乔.考科斯和鲍勃.考科斯兄弟俩所有。; W; ^/ {; `1 F( H
554. They employed a few farmhands, but no one was willing to work there long.
+ E- } Q% X' m8 c b 他们雇了几个农工,但谁也不愿意在那儿长期工作下去。0 @! [3 i- H8 y2 Y1 @2 K+ i& _8 \) i
555. Every time a worker gave up his job, he told the same story.
3 U. e# f0 t+ u5 w6 x7 y9 b 每次雇工辞职后都叙述着同样的故事。5 M$ j7 t$ X! J3 B
556. Farm labourers said that they always woke up to find that work had been done overnight.1 h& s% j _* L9 q
雇工们说,常常一早起来发现有人在夜里把活干了,1 X4 w4 U& ]9 U0 X; G
557. Hay had been cut and cowsheds had been cleaned.
5 H4 ^. t& q5 l, I 干草已切好,牛棚也打扫干净了。. U) I4 E3 X% n6 b
558. A farm worker, who stayed up all night claimed to have seen a figure cutting corn in the moonlight.1 k: v4 |# k. m3 ?
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。* U1 k( i, Y$ g) @; Z+ G( `, E8 `
559. In time, it became an accepted fact the Cox brothers employed a conscientious ghost that did most of their work for them.- ?3 v }6 `( X# q) z
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。: ?6 E* q- R1 L. X7 E
560. No one suspected that there might be someone else on the farm who had never been seen.
: ^4 G& _4 n* D+ x3 e2 B" | 谁也没想到农场竟会有一个从未露面的人。
3 E) z$ J p+ [; p0 B G561. This was indeed the case.
$ \, G. f, y4 T 但事实上确有此人。
) D! q/ I9 @+ _& x562. A short time ago, villagers were astonished to learn that the ghost of Endley had died. x8 e/ H8 |' R$ T9 ~. u5 w
不久之前,村民们惊悉恩得利农场的鬼死了。$ z/ O" t( A# g0 W* 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.
: j" U+ r7 e% k0 f- I5 Z 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。
, B0 k* c" E3 W564. After the funeral, Joe and Bob revealed a secret which they had kept for over fifty years.
5 _1 O# }7 s$ \8 u$ L1 O0 Z! 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。0 o8 s* P$ _6 X5 O
565. Eric had been the eldest son of the family, very much older than his two brothers.1 }0 ?8 M9 |% t: i! e0 k6 N. ]
埃里克是这家长子。年龄比他两个弟弟大很多,5 M6 I; d" O" l7 X1 G
566. He had been obliged to join the army during the Second World War.
# Y: \ R( Z6 k: L/ N1 D& T) | 第二次世界大战期间被迫参军。
! _3 a0 p% d% ]& l7 y- J567. As he hated army life, he decided to desert his regiment." Q: O) |' t3 c
他讨厌军旅生活,决定逃离所在部队。! U+ N" F% |! x% z
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.( j9 p* d5 S4 X! r" z
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 B3 m+ e! b* V: s/ A' {5 g
569. Fearing the authorities, Eric remained in hiding after the war as well.1 q9 \; A% E+ ^: J
由于害怕当局,埃里克战后继续深藏不露。
" \; c' w0 y- H+ A6 P( Q* _ M. A570. His father told everybody that Eric had been killed in action.
6 z' c4 H! O; P) H, i5 @, {% P 他的父亲告诉大家,埃里克在战争中被打死了。% D5 |+ _1 Q% C- ]; W% y
571. The only other people who knew the secret were Joe and Bob.) r6 T _/ g0 Y* n
除此之外,只有乔与鲍知道这个秘密。( C) [; ~% e7 J) E- u9 J; S; q
572. They did not even tell their wives.
7 Z( Z4 a; L9 g6 q) }6 o+ y' H 但他俩连自己的妻子都没告诉。3 k0 d9 [0 _2 R. Z
573. When their father died, they thought it their duty to keep Eric in hiding.
3 W& f) H( `( X6 u* C# ^7 z 父亲死后,他们兄弟俩认为有责任继续把埃里克藏起来。
# f8 G1 h. d/ q) w2 R2 K: }6 p574. All these years, Eric had lived as a recluse.
3 y; S8 \6 f/ ?7 O U* P0 B2 v 这些年来,埃里克过着隐士生活,* U4 Y7 S3 {' O2 B4 P
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.& c" i: E! U( S1 P4 Z( {( [. P
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。- r$ c$ W3 {; b/ m& K" o
576. When he died, however, his brothers found it impossible to keep the secret any longer.
9 [/ r7 }9 Y) X( M; p" l* ~5 T! |4 C 他死后,他的弟弟们才觉得无法再保守这个秘密了。 |
|