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课文30 幽灵之死
/ m) V+ h# }3 u e6 B552. For years, villagers believed that Endley Farm was hunted.1 N r$ }/ b" s3 K
多年来,村民们一直认为恩得利农场在闹鬼。) V( _0 Z7 I. B8 l0 _6 c
553. The farm was owned by two brothers, Joe and Bob Cox.
" C; [: e3 B6 \( j! r% O- ^, o 恩得利农场属于乔.考科斯和鲍勃.考科斯兄弟俩所有。" g9 o- o3 h) j1 `9 G4 N
554. They employed a few farmhands, but no one was willing to work there long.
& G3 O/ J/ m% @, v5 N% Y( J6 t9 r 他们雇了几个农工,但谁也不愿意在那儿长期工作下去。
( u: {6 g; R a4 ^ J: K555. Every time a worker gave up his job, he told the same story.8 E+ K8 L3 f3 \
每次雇工辞职后都叙述着同样的故事。. i, W- Y% Q) ^0 [
556. Farm labourers said that they always woke up to find that work had been done overnight.
5 m2 ^1 p2 ~; E2 u' X- f! N k" x) m 雇工们说,常常一早起来发现有人在夜里把活干了,
* R8 H9 r O0 x, m1 P" U5 l L7 o! W557. Hay had been cut and cowsheds had been cleaned.
, M0 o+ V$ a0 t Q" U) ` 干草已切好,牛棚也打扫干净了。. s3 d8 S9 o. r
558. A farm worker, who stayed up all night claimed to have seen a figure cutting corn in the moonlight.
# K! Y, ?0 ]( I9 b/ S* B# ?( R/ s: B 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。' H0 E- X, t! O" h
559. In time, it became an accepted fact the Cox brothers employed a conscientious ghost that did most of their work for them.
, v E$ m1 z4 V. t2 C; b0 L 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。
* b$ s3 V- R) U560. No one suspected that there might be someone else on the farm who had never been seen.
$ X6 M+ L! Q: d. }3 J. B; z 谁也没想到农场竟会有一个从未露面的人。* Y' y0 a- `" z6 u9 \1 {* ~! _$ \; P
561. This was indeed the case.4 e4 v Q: q3 {, R$ t% x
但事实上确有此人。
- g, W T! G; a562. A short time ago, villagers were astonished to learn that the ghost of Endley had died.4 m9 w" X+ A0 b% g
不久之前,村民们惊悉恩得利农场的鬼死了。
, G3 F$ e' E, n( u* h2 B+ K9 ^8 g563. 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 h, P2 M3 s1 v% p: l4 F; n1 X
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。
1 {# r9 n( E1 I+ H. C! W564. After the funeral, Joe and Bob revealed a secret which they had kept for over fifty years.
% ?+ x3 f! X+ T% r$ } 葬礼之后,乔和鲍勃透露了他们保守了长达50多年的秘密。; l- R8 V/ \# Y0 q8 j6 e$ q1 L
565. Eric had been the eldest son of the family, very much older than his two brothers.2 l; a& C/ t" S5 ?, y- A
埃里克是这家长子。年龄比他两个弟弟大很多,
3 s" u8 _# E" P566. He had been obliged to join the army during the Second World War.
+ v1 g% ]" i# ?1 m 第二次世界大战期间被迫参军。
. h. [# ~% ^6 d# y( w! }+ @567. As he hated army life, he decided to desert his regiment.
- J! n8 `0 }% y' m$ ~( e, ` 他讨厌军旅生活,决定逃离所在部队。
0 ^( u. t) `; j5 I8 y* O: ]' r& }0 x568. 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.% u# j F' U2 \$ y/ W; T! j
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。! L6 A# d! W) s8 c$ Q
569. Fearing the authorities, Eric remained in hiding after the war as well.. I' w8 E; d3 R
由于害怕当局,埃里克战后继续深藏不露。8 `4 ~* f3 H% ^* ?+ e" M
570. His father told everybody that Eric had been killed in action.- B: T# D$ _- }4 N' J% x
他的父亲告诉大家,埃里克在战争中被打死了。+ T5 P0 X$ g& u, B
571. The only other people who knew the secret were Joe and Bob.
8 ?3 R: k6 @- [5 T( K' e+ d 除此之外,只有乔与鲍知道这个秘密。
* u( C/ G/ b- Q( q$ H572. They did not even tell their wives.
' R; h& H+ T: W |, U" O+ _ 但他俩连自己的妻子都没告诉。
/ t; {' @+ S8 j7 e: F573. When their father died, they thought it their duty to keep Eric in hiding.
4 P4 J- [5 K) C( w 父亲死后,他们兄弟俩认为有责任继续把埃里克藏起来。
. p7 q1 O! R: E) @' i574. All these years, Eric had lived as a recluse. q6 Z( s; y1 o4 Q7 ^
这些年来,埃里克过着隐士生活,
. U2 @, ~' k& K& O% `4 [2 I575. He used to sleep during the day and work at night, quite unaware of the fact that he had become the ghost of Endley.
# d; X' R, W1 ]8 y( x T* l 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。
- q& A1 R3 H, ~! a, @9 f576. When he died, however, his brothers found it impossible to keep the secret any longer.9 m+ Q& k% @! I& L' v; P0 x2 I
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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