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课文30 幽灵之死) b* W- K: f' \* d8 {2 b
552. For years, villagers believed that Endley Farm was hunted.
k5 J1 e) U1 U$ K9 o+ I# i 多年来,村民们一直认为恩得利农场在闹鬼。0 g) `" F" n: i
553. The farm was owned by two brothers, Joe and Bob Cox.5 C6 _1 q8 R9 B! Z& v
恩得利农场属于乔.考科斯和鲍勃.考科斯兄弟俩所有。3 j- f; }" s0 c1 ]- L6 K
554. They employed a few farmhands, but no one was willing to work there long.. t9 V7 E+ z* d
他们雇了几个农工,但谁也不愿意在那儿长期工作下去。
( }3 L( n+ H' a8 n. c' ?( |* x555. Every time a worker gave up his job, he told the same story.3 ^( y0 h- i/ S0 R8 n0 u1 B% _
每次雇工辞职后都叙述着同样的故事。
: T3 c4 Y" f4 C w9 U556. Farm labourers said that they always woke up to find that work had been done overnight.. n4 F# H, Q) v$ z
雇工们说,常常一早起来发现有人在夜里把活干了,
2 l. W/ ?$ L! y& e5 A557. Hay had been cut and cowsheds had been cleaned.
% ?5 C/ t! I9 |) Z( G4 n! P8 |* A 干草已切好,牛棚也打扫干净了。- h5 T+ [& v& ]! D' K3 N8 T
558. A farm worker, who stayed up all night claimed to have seen a figure cutting corn in the moonlight.
+ v* Q1 B5 c* b+ j" u6 i 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。" Z; c) W( m! T/ H" X
559. In time, it became an accepted fact the Cox brothers employed a conscientious ghost that did most of their work for them.( t7 m# p' s7 W: [# u) F# n& 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。
, v1 `( [9 j7 W2 e+ k- }560. No one suspected that there might be someone else on the farm who had never been seen.& Z- m8 {" ?% g& ^8 b
谁也没想到农场竟会有一个从未露面的人。
6 a7 {- A/ S1 R5 b" W- ]561. This was indeed the case.
8 k2 M* ^! i! g9 e 但事实上确有此人。
3 [$ F# n' g/ E! J5 H5 y7 ?562. A short time ago, villagers were astonished to learn that the ghost of Endley had died.2 ~3 V; {+ p. K4 P- A, u- m6 j
不久之前,村民们惊悉恩得利农场的鬼死了。; B3 i! h4 f9 y3 r% s" V
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.
& h p; W7 O3 p& i2 t( u 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。6 T5 x n* O. O. r" K
564. After the funeral, Joe and Bob revealed a secret which they had kept for over fifty years.
6 n5 @ q& T8 e' i8 v- k 葬礼之后,乔和鲍勃透露了他们保守了长达50多年的秘密。% `% ]/ Z/ l, G0 \4 U
565. Eric had been the eldest son of the family, very much older than his two brothers.! {5 s2 H' H% }. _8 [' x2 x
埃里克是这家长子。年龄比他两个弟弟大很多,
) d* @. H5 C) B" \4 q. u& s( |566. He had been obliged to join the army during the Second World War.' f& `9 |" b* X Q% ?) ^
第二次世界大战期间被迫参军。
7 s: x! g" V) |1 b( c9 C567. As he hated army life, he decided to desert his regiment.6 R2 J' j8 E7 Q' A2 {
他讨厌军旅生活,决定逃离所在部队。
! P% w8 N/ ~7 w( ~0 A1 @. j. |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.; m1 K+ F6 b& H" u7 ?& R
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。! `; i2 R j6 t; J3 Y5 V
569. Fearing the authorities, Eric remained in hiding after the war as well.
: ]5 Q! E& f- V6 @ 由于害怕当局,埃里克战后继续深藏不露。) A4 _/ } L+ x9 l, j5 F
570. His father told everybody that Eric had been killed in action.
) c- O, q' }6 w3 X2 N9 ^9 I( Y 他的父亲告诉大家,埃里克在战争中被打死了。 I% |/ p( |( I
571. The only other people who knew the secret were Joe and Bob.
( S& \5 r. O% T+ Z. r 除此之外,只有乔与鲍知道这个秘密。; y+ A! W. b% v# f: I
572. They did not even tell their wives.
6 o; T1 o8 L7 V: I, j8 ?+ ` 但他俩连自己的妻子都没告诉。+ a* w; R2 D, H# R
573. When their father died, they thought it their duty to keep Eric in hiding.1 z+ V- y/ ^- D0 y
父亲死后,他们兄弟俩认为有责任继续把埃里克藏起来。
% p5 f: I4 d6 }, X+ a' d! p, R574. All these years, Eric had lived as a recluse.3 w+ i) C% E3 {& _& f! G
这些年来,埃里克过着隐士生活,4 U1 x9 v1 u9 L
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.) ~- ], I$ F5 S9 L3 q! t. |8 \0 ]' p
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。 [- L3 \7 x6 I2 d& H
576. When he died, however, his brothers found it impossible to keep the secret any longer.( R; q5 c$ |4 T$ z
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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