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课文30 幽灵之死; K- R3 P" k r5 R" b" o' o% S
552. For years, villagers believed that Endley Farm was hunted.* E, Z3 w9 f9 X& |8 c: D
多年来,村民们一直认为恩得利农场在闹鬼。
# W" K" u5 n \( Y0 J- c, b553. The farm was owned by two brothers, Joe and Bob Cox., m0 ~$ d; r$ ^2 P: i
恩得利农场属于乔.考科斯和鲍勃.考科斯兄弟俩所有。# _7 k1 v- E( x7 J7 t! Q- B
554. They employed a few farmhands, but no one was willing to work there long. g- ~- U o" X
他们雇了几个农工,但谁也不愿意在那儿长期工作下去。
& C y/ Y' B2 K4 @+ A8 q& _555. Every time a worker gave up his job, he told the same story.( \* v$ X, D/ D% b, n: u$ c5 f8 z
每次雇工辞职后都叙述着同样的故事。
. z7 |7 ~( R3 @4 z+ d# w D# F556. Farm labourers said that they always woke up to find that work had been done overnight.0 g ~6 @6 W3 w
雇工们说,常常一早起来发现有人在夜里把活干了,1 i2 s' M c7 m* a+ |
557. Hay had been cut and cowsheds had been cleaned.( \1 e# u* I& I+ x! |
干草已切好,牛棚也打扫干净了。
. m% m3 h7 u0 e. k# M$ z# p558. A farm worker, who stayed up all night claimed to have seen a figure cutting corn in the moonlight.# h# R/ ]' \% |! O6 {0 k" G
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。
, f1 n9 o5 }' f* c4 N& y$ r/ G8 J559. In time, it became an accepted fact the Cox brothers employed a conscientious ghost that did most of their work for them.
$ i& x) t0 m8 o& X7 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。
. `( W1 t# P* k6 C: v560. No one suspected that there might be someone else on the farm who had never been seen.; v, C" y! m g0 ]# ?& e) k2 B/ \
谁也没想到农场竟会有一个从未露面的人。
% T3 u8 A* [! b) Q561. This was indeed the case.
0 F' s6 b/ H: Y" m/ M6 U 但事实上确有此人。
; `" J' \ L% P! @6 ]5 C562. A short time ago, villagers were astonished to learn that the ghost of Endley had died.
) P5 S( s( l6 X( ~ V 不久之前,村民们惊悉恩得利农场的鬼死了。4 N' O" P2 z( _; p7 o
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.0 v5 J' R$ N( P4 ]2 O4 M$ N
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。
) m2 D4 m) _* ^! |- E564. After the funeral, Joe and Bob revealed a secret which they had kept for over fifty years.
5 U" j( N l* x; b/ N+ A 葬礼之后,乔和鲍勃透露了他们保守了长达50多年的秘密。
! f }8 g$ v- Y# a3 `/ ?3 b565. Eric had been the eldest son of the family, very much older than his two brothers.9 i! a3 k' a) r- A; u$ x6 ?
埃里克是这家长子。年龄比他两个弟弟大很多,4 ]9 }+ }/ K3 S# r% Q
566. He had been obliged to join the army during the Second World War." M, @: s8 ?+ _! b- }' F
第二次世界大战期间被迫参军。
+ n: b. Y& x- E, A9 ]567. As he hated army life, he decided to desert his regiment.
2 N2 `2 w& H1 M1 R 他讨厌军旅生活,决定逃离所在部队。" o' \/ s- y4 ^3 J& X" y
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.
: E& Q' @- P( o# _; W) b 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。
4 K1 j% i; Y& {( p569. Fearing the authorities, Eric remained in hiding after the war as well.
. y! ~5 W8 \+ i* e7 P 由于害怕当局,埃里克战后继续深藏不露。# L2 N, c$ n) e1 m) [5 u* D i' t
570. His father told everybody that Eric had been killed in action.! g- K$ ^5 t, W& H) M
他的父亲告诉大家,埃里克在战争中被打死了。
/ r/ I8 `: x& C3 P" U571. The only other people who knew the secret were Joe and Bob.( _4 R* A' J! ?! M7 r
除此之外,只有乔与鲍知道这个秘密。
7 f% D; F6 E9 U1 i3 v2 g) i7 H' m' e572. They did not even tell their wives.
2 y& p# z/ C' n 但他俩连自己的妻子都没告诉。1 d. O* `7 @2 r: B/ \7 Q4 n8 e
573. When their father died, they thought it their duty to keep Eric in hiding.6 r; W' R; \6 ?: h4 {
父亲死后,他们兄弟俩认为有责任继续把埃里克藏起来。7 b; b& K% g7 ?: s
574. All these years, Eric had lived as a recluse.
9 w" d1 n, j, F- [1 M# g$ I 这些年来,埃里克过着隐士生活,
7 k$ b) {& ~: Y) v. m! _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.
( b1 k, I9 n/ a% z# [' s+ G* [. b# a 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。: }1 q/ M0 M! S2 Q8 f
576. When he died, however, his brothers found it impossible to keep the secret any longer., s3 s. f z' h
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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