 鲜花( 0)  鸡蛋( 0)
|
课文30 幽灵之死
, \' e; G1 j3 `! P$ P552. For years, villagers believed that Endley Farm was hunted." i6 O9 i. z; N9 n
多年来,村民们一直认为恩得利农场在闹鬼。$ _. f$ q" Q {0 Z8 J
553. The farm was owned by two brothers, Joe and Bob Cox.
; S& Z) F& Y2 T8 G O 恩得利农场属于乔.考科斯和鲍勃.考科斯兄弟俩所有。
7 Y: R7 Q: d: i+ m. _8 ~% b9 N9 y# {9 m554. They employed a few farmhands, but no one was willing to work there long.# f4 L( U# [4 b# j
他们雇了几个农工,但谁也不愿意在那儿长期工作下去。% F) v) M& p& p
555. Every time a worker gave up his job, he told the same story.
3 Z3 X9 h$ Y ~" a 每次雇工辞职后都叙述着同样的故事。
# Y9 X; X$ B0 y8 H. h9 c1 W556. Farm labourers said that they always woke up to find that work had been done overnight.& q4 F0 @) s5 h) d( y
雇工们说,常常一早起来发现有人在夜里把活干了,6 S. x6 N1 l( k# T' m! a
557. Hay had been cut and cowsheds had been cleaned.$ b, u8 }, M7 E
干草已切好,牛棚也打扫干净了。
. k" M" m3 e) w; F: s' G558. A farm worker, who stayed up all night claimed to have seen a figure cutting corn in the moonlight.
5 N; O2 d7 M) E 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 k8 ]1 K$ y1 O- y+ Y! G4 j) N. @+ s559. In time, it became an accepted fact the Cox brothers employed a conscientious ghost that did most of their work for them.
" d& p: A m5 R9 s* N+ H, \4 w9 d 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。0 u) ?! Q x( ~. L1 F
560. No one suspected that there might be someone else on the farm who had never been seen.
: p9 ]8 k9 o X7 T 谁也没想到农场竟会有一个从未露面的人。
7 A% u5 s% a- ]0 b: c561. This was indeed the case.
3 K0 o3 V1 | q& z 但事实上确有此人。
1 s5 p& S' g; \9 J4 i' u562. A short time ago, villagers were astonished to learn that the ghost of Endley had died. D6 y. c& u# D; W
不久之前,村民们惊悉恩得利农场的鬼死了。. V( L2 P M0 \& ^" w/ d
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.
3 n0 V1 ]3 r; ]$ ?" H1 ] 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。) n2 E! O3 s9 y" M: z
564. After the funeral, Joe and Bob revealed a secret which they had kept for over fifty years.
/ {. x- A2 Y& O2 l7 T/ y. d- D 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 |' ]5 Z; s+ w) h& a/ w8 w; q
565. Eric had been the eldest son of the family, very much older than his two brothers.$ U$ f8 K( ~) b: k* X) u) I, N
埃里克是这家长子。年龄比他两个弟弟大很多,) L9 Z4 ~7 V/ Z2 f
566. He had been obliged to join the army during the Second World War.7 x5 D) b1 P% z$ B4 E
第二次世界大战期间被迫参军。4 i; a! s$ f, k, u1 D
567. As he hated army life, he decided to desert his regiment.
& L/ B' q9 }0 b; J 他讨厌军旅生活,决定逃离所在部队。 B& r1 X' K3 M) ~. ~
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.
/ X+ M1 B3 m9 J" S: V3 m 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。# f; g& R8 o( A4 s7 o, f: x' z
569. Fearing the authorities, Eric remained in hiding after the war as well.
, `2 U" I: A# }" r0 z! r9 I 由于害怕当局,埃里克战后继续深藏不露。0 P, W, q$ ?$ [8 O* H
570. His father told everybody that Eric had been killed in action.
( k) I5 N1 A+ i4 F* N: a 他的父亲告诉大家,埃里克在战争中被打死了。4 n/ w* G5 k9 ]. N/ F& J. v
571. The only other people who knew the secret were Joe and Bob./ |* m+ f B: s) I- ]2 I
除此之外,只有乔与鲍知道这个秘密。
7 i! N" C! M$ b- d) w$ w- a572. They did not even tell their wives.
& Z( x$ D9 X% n# q7 B5 L$ V$ e7 ? 但他俩连自己的妻子都没告诉。
. J+ |4 ]& z' k: i- j. G% i1 [573. When their father died, they thought it their duty to keep Eric in hiding.% a6 B: ~7 e$ v" o; h
父亲死后,他们兄弟俩认为有责任继续把埃里克藏起来。0 |' E: O1 y* f7 p' ~* A! L
574. All these years, Eric had lived as a recluse." H" B9 r% y% _
这些年来,埃里克过着隐士生活,
. t9 T4 p' M9 F6 I" o575. He used to sleep during the day and work at night, quite unaware of the fact that he had become the ghost of Endley.: ~/ Q" \5 G* V: D
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。% h& \& H; ]4 x% T. E
576. When he died, however, his brothers found it impossible to keep the secret any longer.) b. G7 t( l6 ~" C# B) x
他死后,他的弟弟们才觉得无法再保守这个秘密了。 |
|