The Death of a Ghost 幽靈之死
For years, villagers believed that Endley Farm was haunted. The farm was owned by two brothers, Joe and Bob Cox. They employed a few farmhands, but no one was willing to work there long. Every time a worker gave up his job, he told the same story. Farm labourers said that they always woke up to find that work had been done overnight. Hay had been cut and cowsheds had been cleaned. A farm worker, who stayed up all night, claimed to have seen a figure人 cutting corn in the moonlight. In time, it became an accepted fact that the Cox brothers employed a conscientious ghost that did most of their work for them.
No one suspectedthat there might be someone else on the farm who had never been seen. This was indeed the case. A short time ago, villagers were astonished to learn that the ghost of Endley had died. 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. After the funeral, Joe and Bob revealed a secret which they had kept for over fifty years.
Eric had been the eldest son of the family, very much older than his two brothers. He had been obliged to join the army during the Second World War. As he hated army life, he decided to desert his regiment. 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. Fearing the authorities, Eric remained in hiding after the war as well. His father told everybody that Eric had been killed in action. The only other people who knew the secret were Joe and Bob. They did not even tell their wives. When their father died, they thought it their duty to keep Eric in hiding. All these years, Eric had lived as a recluse. He used to sleep during the day and work at night, quite unaware of the fact that he had become the ghost of Endley. When he died, however, his borthers found it impossible to keep the secret any longer.
22.When their father died, they thought it their duty to keep Eric in hiding.
父親死后，他們兄弟倆認(rèn)為有責(zé)任繼續(xù)把埃里克藏起來(lái)。
語(yǔ)言點(diǎn):句子結(jié)構(gòu)分析:when引導(dǎo)時(shí)間狀語(yǔ)從句，交代兄弟們的父親去世后發(fā)生的事情。It作形式賓語(yǔ)，真正的賓語(yǔ)是to keep Eric in hiding。
23.All these years, Eric had lived as a recluse.
這些年來(lái)，埃里克過(guò)著隱士生活。
語(yǔ)言點(diǎn):句子結(jié)構(gòu)分析:as a recluse在句中充當(dāng)主語(yǔ)Eric的補(bǔ)足語(yǔ)。
24.He used to sleep during the day and work at night, quite unaware of the fact that he had become the ghost of Endley.
白天睡覺(jué)，夜里出來(lái)干活，一點(diǎn)不知道自己已成了恩得利家場(chǎng)的活鬼。
語(yǔ)言點(diǎn):句子結(jié)構(gòu)分析:used to do表示“過(guò)去常常（但現(xiàn)在不再）做”。That引導(dǎo)同位語(yǔ)從句，解釋說(shuō)明fact是什么。
25.When he died, however, his borthers found it impossible to keep the secret any longer.
他死后，他的弟弟們才覺(jué)得無(wú)法再保守這個(gè)秘密了。
語(yǔ)言點(diǎn)1:句子結(jié)構(gòu)分析:when引導(dǎo)時(shí)間狀語(yǔ)從句，交代Eric死后發(fā)生了什么事情。It充當(dāng)形式賓語(yǔ)，真正的賓語(yǔ)是to keep the secret any longer，這樣寫(xiě)是為了避免句子頭重腳輕。
語(yǔ)言點(diǎn)2:由die一詞總結(jié)“死亡”的直接和含蓄的表達(dá):
pass away 走了
be gone 去世了
be among in the missing 去世了
be no more 不在世了
be in heaven 在天堂
cross the great 跨進(jìn)了陰曹地府
finish off 完結(jié)了
For years, villagers believed that Endley Farm was haunted. The farm was owned by two brothers, Joe and Bob Cox. They employed a few farmhands, but no one was willing to work there long. Every time a worker gave up his job, he told the same story. Farm labourers said that they always woke up to find that work had been done overnight. Hay had been cut and cowsheds had been cleaned. A farm worker, who stayed up all night, claimed to have seen a figure人 cutting corn in the moonlight. In time, it became an accepted fact that the Cox brothers employed a conscientious ghost that did most of their work for them.
No one suspectedthat there might be someone else on the farm who had never been seen. This was indeed the case. A short time ago, villagers were astonished to learn that the ghost of Endley had died. 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. After the funeral, Joe and Bob revealed a secret which they had kept for over fifty years.
Eric had been the eldest son of the family, very much older than his two brothers. He had been obliged to join the army during the Second World War. As he hated army life, he decided to desert his regiment. 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. Fearing the authorities, Eric remained in hiding after the war as well. His father told everybody that Eric had been killed in action. The only other people who knew the secret were Joe and Bob. They did not even tell their wives. When their father died, they thought it their duty to keep Eric in hiding. All these years, Eric had lived as a recluse. He used to sleep during the day and work at night, quite unaware of the fact that he had become the ghost of Endley. When he died, however, his borthers found it impossible to keep the secret any longer.
22.When their father died, they thought it their duty to keep Eric in hiding.
父親死后，他們兄弟倆認(rèn)為有責(zé)任繼續(xù)把埃里克藏起來(lái)。
語(yǔ)言點(diǎn):句子結(jié)構(gòu)分析:when引導(dǎo)時(shí)間狀語(yǔ)從句，交代兄弟們的父親去世后發(fā)生的事情。It作形式賓語(yǔ)，真正的賓語(yǔ)是to keep Eric in hiding。
23.All these years, Eric had lived as a recluse.
這些年來(lái)，埃里克過(guò)著隱士生活。
語(yǔ)言點(diǎn):句子結(jié)構(gòu)分析:as a recluse在句中充當(dāng)主語(yǔ)Eric的補(bǔ)足語(yǔ)。
24.He used to sleep during the day and work at night, quite unaware of the fact that he had become the ghost of Endley.
白天睡覺(jué)，夜里出來(lái)干活，一點(diǎn)不知道自己已成了恩得利家場(chǎng)的活鬼。
語(yǔ)言點(diǎn):句子結(jié)構(gòu)分析:used to do表示“過(guò)去常常（但現(xiàn)在不再）做”。That引導(dǎo)同位語(yǔ)從句，解釋說(shuō)明fact是什么。
25.When he died, however, his borthers found it impossible to keep the secret any longer.
他死后，他的弟弟們才覺(jué)得無(wú)法再保守這個(gè)秘密了。
語(yǔ)言點(diǎn)1:句子結(jié)構(gòu)分析:when引導(dǎo)時(shí)間狀語(yǔ)從句，交代Eric死后發(fā)生了什么事情。It充當(dāng)形式賓語(yǔ)，真正的賓語(yǔ)是to keep the secret any longer，這樣寫(xiě)是為了避免句子頭重腳輕。
語(yǔ)言點(diǎn)2:由die一詞總結(jié)“死亡”的直接和含蓄的表達(dá):
pass away 走了
be gone 去世了
be among in the missing 去世了
be no more 不在世了
be in heaven 在天堂
cross the great 跨進(jìn)了陰曹地府
finish off 完結(jié)了