 鲜花( 0)  鸡蛋( 0)
|
课文30 幽灵之死# c* K5 I" i. ]- l- p( l
552. For years, villagers believed that Endley Farm was hunted.8 ?& ^' K5 i I, a' U$ m
多年来,村民们一直认为恩得利农场在闹鬼。
0 {& a# n* P& v, T& q553. The farm was owned by two brothers, Joe and Bob Cox.8 ?0 W6 `# [ @. G9 m
恩得利农场属于乔.考科斯和鲍勃.考科斯兄弟俩所有。
' ~- |: b. E2 N6 b. l3 m554. They employed a few farmhands, but no one was willing to work there long.5 w: X- ?: v; u. L+ J: |3 D) z
他们雇了几个农工,但谁也不愿意在那儿长期工作下去。4 S: L% `+ V2 z3 x9 e7 r0 J- b# }
555. Every time a worker gave up his job, he told the same story./ u' g7 |& R! w& o0 a
每次雇工辞职后都叙述着同样的故事。8 Y0 q( D4 m5 `, W' E( O% F+ k
556. Farm labourers said that they always woke up to find that work had been done overnight.
" c9 c5 w% t% ~! k/ _5 k 雇工们说,常常一早起来发现有人在夜里把活干了,
6 J6 {& {. c5 `5 k- a9 Q- ~557. Hay had been cut and cowsheds had been cleaned.
{: x! v; D5 Q4 x( X, C8 W3 p: {1 s 干草已切好,牛棚也打扫干净了。% @% A: M, z2 ]8 I
558. A farm worker, who stayed up all night claimed to have seen a figure cutting corn in the moonlight.( p: y2 o- V; C# Y$ C+ b$ J
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。* r0 z% D9 _: s/ f+ n/ W" k
559. In time, it became an accepted fact the Cox brothers employed a conscientious ghost that did most of their work for them.1 Q0 _& ~! }2 U$ l 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。
" y1 {; V2 o; K560. No one suspected that there might be someone else on the farm who had never been seen.
/ G( H' W5 [% [ g 谁也没想到农场竟会有一个从未露面的人。
8 {; H6 ~" u. d. A561. This was indeed the case.& W) G+ }# D& L8 w {- Y/ f$ q
但事实上确有此人。
1 X# a/ [4 B- h7 ?0 r4 S9 I562. A short time ago, villagers were astonished to learn that the ghost of Endley had died.4 O3 d4 n- w, u
不久之前,村民们惊悉恩得利农场的鬼死了。3 E" K5 G! [: A* \" i* I& g* 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.
" o5 d& p P$ ~: {1 F4 B. N 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。
$ _+ _" [8 A; W& G564. After the funeral, Joe and Bob revealed a secret which they had kept for over fifty years.
J) X' S' I) L9 m8 m* k; K" P 葬礼之后,乔和鲍勃透露了他们保守了长达50多年的秘密。
9 y7 B9 h7 T8 v z: ]' W& |565. Eric had been the eldest son of the family, very much older than his two brothers.: ~2 \1 G6 l s7 k$ @
埃里克是这家长子。年龄比他两个弟弟大很多,
* n$ g" s% e; n, [9 a( Y566. He had been obliged to join the army during the Second World War.0 C6 O; G8 [* M, F4 E
第二次世界大战期间被迫参军。& g! k$ ` X1 }7 B. |' `
567. As he hated army life, he decided to desert his regiment.
$ i3 f O% d7 s& Q2 ?0 j8 k 他讨厌军旅生活,决定逃离所在部队。 _' s/ R9 A4 w! D; f
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.
& x4 @6 ?' f. D, W V 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. O0 V" }8 }7 @$ Q8 i
569. Fearing the authorities, Eric remained in hiding after the war as well.
/ K3 u: ~" w, s 由于害怕当局,埃里克战后继续深藏不露。& g& M1 Y5 u# s
570. His father told everybody that Eric had been killed in action.
5 V( o8 F3 f$ g8 _" C2 h9 J3 T 他的父亲告诉大家,埃里克在战争中被打死了。6 o3 ^* h* z; b. n9 U$ }
571. The only other people who knew the secret were Joe and Bob.
+ H! \) G) V! w `- p 除此之外,只有乔与鲍知道这个秘密。
! D. P# S/ C4 |3 y, ^572. They did not even tell their wives.4 u3 s! c- Z7 T, v
但他俩连自己的妻子都没告诉。
, J$ O' o# L3 w B573. When their father died, they thought it their duty to keep Eric in hiding.% V, {: ~' a7 U" q7 D
父亲死后,他们兄弟俩认为有责任继续把埃里克藏起来。- A8 L( k6 f) c* Q7 p( i( [% c( _4 D" Y
574. All these years, Eric had lived as a recluse.4 l) ]3 e' G3 w6 i5 ]
这些年来,埃里克过着隐士生活,2 s2 K8 N8 u; h0 G" 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.
. Z V- }9 \1 p. t4 Z4 {# \ 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。3 c7 t1 @4 L% i5 x
576. When he died, however, his brothers found it impossible to keep the secret any longer.
( {$ [7 Z2 H) H9 E, o 他死后,他的弟弟们才觉得无法再保守这个秘密了。 |
|