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课文30 幽灵之死
. j( V4 e" f/ g552. For years, villagers believed that Endley Farm was hunted.3 a4 q5 p |9 a, ~- x* y$ o
多年来,村民们一直认为恩得利农场在闹鬼。
( e: U/ }) T/ r553. The farm was owned by two brothers, Joe and Bob Cox.
! F! S" N0 u) D" k5 n G 恩得利农场属于乔.考科斯和鲍勃.考科斯兄弟俩所有。( i3 L8 ?* y( i& I% t6 K5 ~7 A8 u
554. They employed a few farmhands, but no one was willing to work there long.8 S0 G2 x/ i% E) ^! }- Z E
他们雇了几个农工,但谁也不愿意在那儿长期工作下去。; i/ M9 h7 M0 ^7 v" {& \0 F. ^
555. Every time a worker gave up his job, he told the same story.
- _" F& c+ L* {4 ^: | 每次雇工辞职后都叙述着同样的故事。
& F) w3 R8 r) P! ?# o" E8 A! S556. Farm labourers said that they always woke up to find that work had been done overnight.
9 p3 p% C I6 V 雇工们说,常常一早起来发现有人在夜里把活干了,
, S9 P7 l z; q4 w q% i0 A, j557. Hay had been cut and cowsheds had been cleaned.
! Z/ H: C; g" i0 `8 V 干草已切好,牛棚也打扫干净了。
$ B1 y- z- S7 ~* _6 j7 l558. A farm worker, who stayed up all night claimed to have seen a figure cutting corn in the moonlight.
$ f/ O2 v: a. N( w0 _* a) y 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。+ x* o4 U) _/ s7 n. @: U# `! a
559. In time, it became an accepted fact the Cox brothers employed a conscientious ghost that did most of their work for them.
U' h( o8 g0 ` 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。
( ^1 T, D: Y4 H9 @( t560. No one suspected that there might be someone else on the farm who had never been seen. W& v4 x1 V0 O# B
谁也没想到农场竟会有一个从未露面的人。9 B( C" t4 v( b: j& A
561. This was indeed the case.
0 a) I' F. L" H( o' [: m. c 但事实上确有此人。, D) a* L9 E5 H% D$ p
562. A short time ago, villagers were astonished to learn that the ghost of Endley had died.
$ ?& S8 |& ~, `7 i 不久之前,村民们惊悉恩得利农场的鬼死了。
9 l+ ?3 I3 B3 y8 f563. 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.
/ q, }( p1 d' B6 h$ S 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。& n* G, o# z: J/ k! o" w
564. After the funeral, Joe and Bob revealed a secret which they had kept for over fifty years.; y: u) ^& L% S2 [$ _+ 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。/ |' [5 v' m6 J9 e' b" U
565. Eric had been the eldest son of the family, very much older than his two brothers.( H9 e- `: V2 | `
埃里克是这家长子。年龄比他两个弟弟大很多,
" \# `6 F1 p. q6 ~% X4 v7 h: L: q566. He had been obliged to join the army during the Second World War.( |/ h3 N0 `! j Q) O
第二次世界大战期间被迫参军。& w/ L8 Y D% U" n
567. As he hated army life, he decided to desert his regiment.+ n6 o) a' k4 W- u- H
他讨厌军旅生活,决定逃离所在部队。
0 P4 K, z2 c, h, n8 |% F4 [! }' f568. 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.
" N+ N# M9 j$ z" q' ?0 y 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。
" e- X _) l W569. Fearing the authorities, Eric remained in hiding after the war as well.
- |# a% \ e2 F5 @1 w 由于害怕当局,埃里克战后继续深藏不露。
" U' v7 u) l- P2 @, {+ `570. His father told everybody that Eric had been killed in action.5 a# G. A8 ~4 M1 H, ]+ j2 ^
他的父亲告诉大家,埃里克在战争中被打死了。$ s& m( _1 G6 r! S
571. The only other people who knew the secret were Joe and Bob.
: Q% E+ ^7 G% a. |) C/ B2 \) k 除此之外,只有乔与鲍知道这个秘密。6 T* k4 H- I. W7 b9 k+ ^
572. They did not even tell their wives.2 j9 ?/ ~. E: K! ?2 ^8 @
但他俩连自己的妻子都没告诉。
, h. @% U1 w$ ]7 _9 ^9 q$ _573. When their father died, they thought it their duty to keep Eric in hiding.4 Q5 C2 V" @: v" r
父亲死后,他们兄弟俩认为有责任继续把埃里克藏起来。( G- d: ~" y( w1 q, p! H# O
574. All these years, Eric had lived as a recluse.
# \3 A6 E1 p% Z R! s: k2 R& o 这些年来,埃里克过着隐士生活,9 O! O5 p1 t* H* |4 o5 @8 x
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.; w- I8 X& z" Y8 {$ i/ V2 T6 g9 ?
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。" a- b& z. y3 k- {8 Q
576. When he died, however, his brothers found it impossible to keep the secret any longer.
$ K m7 b* f/ d% C4 d& q# {4 v 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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