 鲜花( 0)  鸡蛋( 0)
|
课文30 幽灵之死2 u* R% @- F0 E
552. For years, villagers believed that Endley Farm was hunted.
; G. J* s0 D" @) g% `! p/ C$ d 多年来,村民们一直认为恩得利农场在闹鬼。( X. Y |3 ?) w) h" v
553. The farm was owned by two brothers, Joe and Bob Cox.1 W( o2 R) c$ n3 e6 V
恩得利农场属于乔.考科斯和鲍勃.考科斯兄弟俩所有。
1 E* j/ k" _" c$ _" z554. They employed a few farmhands, but no one was willing to work there long.4 t: `3 ? \8 t, p) N4 _3 U
他们雇了几个农工,但谁也不愿意在那儿长期工作下去。
% W% u. [6 O+ E h: f555. Every time a worker gave up his job, he told the same story.
1 |& g( d9 U* d1 W 每次雇工辞职后都叙述着同样的故事。2 Q* G1 @/ y( `# E
556. Farm labourers said that they always woke up to find that work had been done overnight., _7 E6 r9 h; j- h$ J( y
雇工们说,常常一早起来发现有人在夜里把活干了,
* k9 y* @( C6 \* w557. Hay had been cut and cowsheds had been cleaned.
9 K! i& v& w8 Z 干草已切好,牛棚也打扫干净了。
9 c. |$ E/ l; x/ I, \2 H558. A farm worker, who stayed up all night claimed to have seen a figure cutting corn in the moonlight.& f0 A. x6 a+ ?6 B2 ?" d+ Y
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。
, x0 v: u: {/ a+ w6 }559. In time, it became an accepted fact the Cox brothers employed a conscientious ghost that did most of their work for them.2 q" I8 j' t6 ~
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。
+ }& Y4 p$ E& b D! |+ e s, S560. No one suspected that there might be someone else on the farm who had never been seen.
& C7 x& W* @; l. l" P 谁也没想到农场竟会有一个从未露面的人。) s* D( q- O# k& J- L& Z( u2 }
561. This was indeed the case.
" T% j: V% I7 V* p 但事实上确有此人。5 N. U1 q7 Q! }6 g. s6 |6 j$ n+ j- n
562. A short time ago, villagers were astonished to learn that the ghost of Endley had died.
9 l/ R/ m z/ o6 N, u 不久之前,村民们惊悉恩得利农场的鬼死了。
+ m+ {8 [5 E( h9 K5 u, ~8 x$ F6 x Z563. 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." |- V" ^' I" F, n: F0 c! Y1 G, V$ ]
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。, t/ |! F% W1 D) K) E( }. r- D# G
564. After the funeral, Joe and Bob revealed a secret which they had kept for over fifty years.$ {" ?0 \) L1 V- I
葬礼之后,乔和鲍勃透露了他们保守了长达50多年的秘密。* j8 ^( m6 r+ L
565. Eric had been the eldest son of the family, very much older than his two brothers.- a2 h# `$ \. j8 o! N% ]0 U
埃里克是这家长子。年龄比他两个弟弟大很多," O& l! ?; ]1 f, e+ `- T
566. He had been obliged to join the army during the Second World War.
$ V# M( E. G# T% `- o- A 第二次世界大战期间被迫参军。
! H/ B2 N5 v8 \" ]4 l. T567. As he hated army life, he decided to desert his regiment.) e' v# x- W$ [6 y
他讨厌军旅生活,决定逃离所在部队。, a) s, b; I X* D& R) o6 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.: N0 | m7 }# [ d( |, w6 N
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。$ T- {& }- E8 Y/ G! G, a
569. Fearing the authorities, Eric remained in hiding after the war as well.* U8 f( L) B! O
由于害怕当局,埃里克战后继续深藏不露。9 s3 q6 t4 g; |
570. His father told everybody that Eric had been killed in action.
4 }6 ], P$ H$ N 他的父亲告诉大家,埃里克在战争中被打死了。
( d; `1 l) K! {571. The only other people who knew the secret were Joe and Bob.
" A$ r. m l7 C, o5 ^8 v* f 除此之外,只有乔与鲍知道这个秘密。) |- x% S- X0 l% w$ i! X% I) R6 }
572. They did not even tell their wives.( X6 ]- ~6 K& x' f# ]# F8 F
但他俩连自己的妻子都没告诉。6 k2 O1 H+ `) v0 i( Z; j
573. When their father died, they thought it their duty to keep Eric in hiding.5 ?" l: O& b! ]0 D* C: l
父亲死后,他们兄弟俩认为有责任继续把埃里克藏起来。
, N U3 B- d( x7 m# N+ ^574. All these years, Eric had lived as a recluse.
! c$ N; E/ D% ~6 O8 z 这些年来,埃里克过着隐士生活,% H& D; \- k$ \0 ?! B
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.
+ l& g- T8 T! g/ ^ 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。* S) `1 A! d, k2 r: A- o, y
576. When he died, however, his brothers found it impossible to keep the secret any longer.
2 E- r' q1 y7 L 他死后,他的弟弟们才觉得无法再保守这个秘密了。 |
|