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课文30 幽灵之死0 b4 q+ u% k+ A! ~! D+ u* w
552. For years, villagers believed that Endley Farm was hunted.% G$ @0 ]0 j; J% h
多年来,村民们一直认为恩得利农场在闹鬼。+ p9 |1 ]: K6 I* n2 q
553. The farm was owned by two brothers, Joe and Bob Cox.3 \1 W( h* V9 f A, z
恩得利农场属于乔.考科斯和鲍勃.考科斯兄弟俩所有。+ N3 t5 L/ n' T7 Y8 `8 e
554. They employed a few farmhands, but no one was willing to work there long.
+ q/ f& T1 f# m1 I 他们雇了几个农工,但谁也不愿意在那儿长期工作下去。
1 V& x" I! c; p' j' I555. Every time a worker gave up his job, he told the same story.$ y7 i) Z2 W# p& Z* H# j$ a
每次雇工辞职后都叙述着同样的故事。
) ?1 j6 M. [1 j! w! Q556. Farm labourers said that they always woke up to find that work had been done overnight.
, O! p& g- p f, @' l6 |* { 雇工们说,常常一早起来发现有人在夜里把活干了,
- r x# a6 X) c! O* E557. Hay had been cut and cowsheds had been cleaned.
! s* F% D$ |% N* d 干草已切好,牛棚也打扫干净了。; ?- H& t6 N0 J2 b+ c
558. A farm worker, who stayed up all night claimed to have seen a figure cutting corn in the moonlight.3 q$ C( E N9 v" K
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。
! L# P: w0 C" [, y559. In time, it became an accepted fact the Cox brothers employed a conscientious ghost that did most of their work for them.
& p( X3 ~; h2 H4 O5 Z) k9 k* A8 t 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。# Q# X7 _ j2 \
560. No one suspected that there might be someone else on the farm who had never been seen.; \( T) _# e; l0 D: n
谁也没想到农场竟会有一个从未露面的人。
' a% L; M' w+ r7 ], ]* {; E( v561. This was indeed the case.! V i- l8 i7 W+ l
但事实上确有此人。* j; ]9 j0 f2 x+ M) B( m" o* X
562. A short time ago, villagers were astonished to learn that the ghost of Endley had died.7 o; ]4 ?% m" J& g& d
不久之前,村民们惊悉恩得利农场的鬼死了。
4 Y6 I$ u X& q0 y563. 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.& H+ X' r0 U6 a: `- p; k) e
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。
( W" S5 E5 @6 K: V- V) V/ d564. After the funeral, Joe and Bob revealed a secret which they had kept for over fifty years.
" p$ q: o) w! ~( P! |: G! Q# N" P0 j 葬礼之后,乔和鲍勃透露了他们保守了长达50多年的秘密。
5 o& a& n" `' L! w3 [* ~# m565. Eric had been the eldest son of the family, very much older than his two brothers.3 B- x" k% S, a3 z1 o0 l
埃里克是这家长子。年龄比他两个弟弟大很多,& i. d1 p2 ?, _9 T, |$ F
566. He had been obliged to join the army during the Second World War.
f/ K: F, o' l* @. H 第二次世界大战期间被迫参军。
, K' m6 J" g/ A8 t& c; G$ f& g567. As he hated army life, he decided to desert his regiment.
y" v) _& R( f' E* z 他讨厌军旅生活,决定逃离所在部队。& `9 f" g+ {# p
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.
5 V X' Y/ ?" s5 H! k 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。% X3 n: I1 ]3 D, n) Q2 t# S
569. Fearing the authorities, Eric remained in hiding after the war as well.' e4 ~9 z. `( }7 o2 I; ^9 e
由于害怕当局,埃里克战后继续深藏不露。7 x8 i$ K4 @5 A
570. His father told everybody that Eric had been killed in action.( j4 B$ u" R8 v o3 _
他的父亲告诉大家,埃里克在战争中被打死了。
# s/ D Q9 {* K4 u571. The only other people who knew the secret were Joe and Bob.
6 [8 R; x! V' p# b/ t0 Z7 N, P 除此之外,只有乔与鲍知道这个秘密。
. @+ U8 @2 y* z( Z/ X# a2 r572. They did not even tell their wives.0 W. F% I+ t6 T# [0 G# q
但他俩连自己的妻子都没告诉。
% ^, p$ u# x0 I8 q573. When their father died, they thought it their duty to keep Eric in hiding.
4 k2 h' V; c" a2 i$ q q! ^ 父亲死后,他们兄弟俩认为有责任继续把埃里克藏起来。2 Y$ h( F# S; g9 |
574. All these years, Eric had lived as a recluse.7 c+ H7 G% F1 o# K2 o
这些年来,埃里克过着隐士生活,2 K0 H9 C* Q8 ?/ s: Q
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.' F+ q& b+ Q7 W) K
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。
. D( k- d% I, u, D6 P7 J576. When he died, however, his brothers found it impossible to keep the secret any longer.: H* z6 S2 X3 S( ?& U
他死后,他的弟弟们才觉得无法再保守这个秘密了。 |
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