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课文30 幽灵之死6 h1 l& G' \+ d U9 X( G' ?
552. For years, villagers believed that Endley Farm was hunted.6 z" I/ g6 {& R! r$ C9 `3 }6 o
多年来,村民们一直认为恩得利农场在闹鬼。
$ {, X/ Y/ R* p: {553. The farm was owned by two brothers, Joe and Bob Cox.
$ V" g/ i2 [$ T- \2 S 恩得利农场属于乔.考科斯和鲍勃.考科斯兄弟俩所有。
/ `* z9 ~- r2 ^, ^554. They employed a few farmhands, but no one was willing to work there long.9 b2 G8 p# ~- u3 P
他们雇了几个农工,但谁也不愿意在那儿长期工作下去。, |( J- ?! n4 c$ }/ r
555. Every time a worker gave up his job, he told the same story.9 w( @0 `, ~6 d9 ?& \+ \: L$ ?
每次雇工辞职后都叙述着同样的故事。
# |" J6 J+ E- P3 O3 V+ @/ B556. Farm labourers said that they always woke up to find that work had been done overnight.
) M! `1 [0 e' U. ?1 {, a+ r5 K 雇工们说,常常一早起来发现有人在夜里把活干了,0 R; Q& ~! f# ` \, T
557. Hay had been cut and cowsheds had been cleaned.
7 h/ E8 b# E4 ]. G 干草已切好,牛棚也打扫干净了。4 Y7 G" ?& s0 d, o. K
558. A farm worker, who stayed up all night claimed to have seen a figure cutting corn in the moonlight.4 _* H" m4 t+ K3 h
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。" k* m9 Q; Z, ?6 @
559. In time, it became an accepted fact the Cox brothers employed a conscientious ghost that did most of their work for them.
2 a6 x! O. `0 V, ^2 T' Z 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。
' }& q8 d, `* A( e7 i560. No one suspected that there might be someone else on the farm who had never been seen.
4 r. m0 p7 _7 h. v- U 谁也没想到农场竟会有一个从未露面的人。
- y3 R' T( V) N+ n- [' F1 M561. This was indeed the case.
( X- N4 z' B' p8 L 但事实上确有此人。
4 o* e; n* \' i" x1 N562. A short time ago, villagers were astonished to learn that the ghost of Endley had died.0 P0 D# t" [& M+ n
不久之前,村民们惊悉恩得利农场的鬼死了。
+ h. ^6 |% d: K0 P) w563. 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.
* `" e G& R6 c2 j3 Q' d 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。3 D# s+ o$ ]* [9 j j2 e1 z3 J2 |
564. After the funeral, Joe and Bob revealed a secret which they had kept for over fifty years.
: q9 \; ~3 o5 ? 葬礼之后,乔和鲍勃透露了他们保守了长达50多年的秘密。
% v( W* @# q; J- N# x+ g E565. Eric had been the eldest son of the family, very much older than his two brothers.
( n- \/ P- K4 Y7 l$ R# X! C 埃里克是这家长子。年龄比他两个弟弟大很多,, F% x' J3 Q/ I
566. He had been obliged to join the army during the Second World War.
8 `, H, o/ D, ]7 [4 h" p 第二次世界大战期间被迫参军。
, A( l- J* ~) a567. As he hated army life, he decided to desert his regiment.; { H, H2 C2 N; P5 }6 q
他讨厌军旅生活,决定逃离所在部队。! r! Z( \; P+ U" N. k
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.. Q: [9 _4 u. E$ x0 U& O* t' i
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。
; q' m' Y4 Y+ \569. Fearing the authorities, Eric remained in hiding after the war as well.5 w( `" Q; u0 N, t
由于害怕当局,埃里克战后继续深藏不露。$ ^0 M! t* b) b* E/ W& G; ^
570. His father told everybody that Eric had been killed in action.
+ ?/ b$ r B4 D' J3 i 他的父亲告诉大家,埃里克在战争中被打死了。! w$ y- G, }9 m4 X& U
571. The only other people who knew the secret were Joe and Bob.
- ^+ I, o+ D! z 除此之外,只有乔与鲍知道这个秘密。$ _, L$ |! z. n" l
572. They did not even tell their wives.
% x6 @. d$ Y3 W 但他俩连自己的妻子都没告诉。
9 H$ ]( ^5 ^0 @1 h7 l573. When their father died, they thought it their duty to keep Eric in hiding.
4 k+ f" V, h" |% l 父亲死后,他们兄弟俩认为有责任继续把埃里克藏起来。/ P0 k0 M2 d( L3 J4 Z8 Q; j }9 B E% f
574. All these years, Eric had lived as a recluse.
0 `& E+ Q" F0 f7 K, U5 Q, A5 v0 u 这些年来,埃里克过着隐士生活,$ Y& o9 ]* \3 s- W$ 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.1 U% m0 c" q, a; ?* @- T# I
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。
3 L; {$ _: o) ]9 p576. When he died, however, his brothers found it impossible to keep the secret any longer.
4 ^% M4 U) e: ^+ e% N! R 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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