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课文30 幽灵之死
- _, P- a: k$ Q* B5 ]* J8 |552. For years, villagers believed that Endley Farm was hunted.0 W9 \6 j4 n0 S* i, w7 Z! W
多年来,村民们一直认为恩得利农场在闹鬼。% {% w% y" h0 {# g2 [6 X; U7 b( U& C# p
553. The farm was owned by two brothers, Joe and Bob Cox.' ~* W5 Y2 c$ _6 o- G6 [
恩得利农场属于乔.考科斯和鲍勃.考科斯兄弟俩所有。
* ~% y5 @* J5 O8 k; W# P# j554. They employed a few farmhands, but no one was willing to work there long.0 V( h0 c% {8 t3 @; e5 o6 f
他们雇了几个农工,但谁也不愿意在那儿长期工作下去。4 _+ k) h9 v/ ?6 I8 R# |# z
555. Every time a worker gave up his job, he told the same story.6 I/ S9 D, l0 Q$ [, H
每次雇工辞职后都叙述着同样的故事。/ ^! t9 ~- k0 E' Y' U
556. Farm labourers said that they always woke up to find that work had been done overnight.
* [. {. b9 q' S 雇工们说,常常一早起来发现有人在夜里把活干了,
: B7 q/ ^$ B: c- M557. Hay had been cut and cowsheds had been cleaned. K1 u( R5 l3 m: G+ |. V
干草已切好,牛棚也打扫干净了。
5 {+ w. r4 y+ h% U6 m558. A farm worker, who stayed up all night claimed to have seen a figure cutting corn in the moonlight.7 Y" ~2 H" l: a4 A9 i9 d
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。; j' J+ a& {& H: _4 y1 C E. s4 P
559. In time, it became an accepted fact the Cox brothers employed a conscientious ghost that did most of their work for them.7 q$ ^9 h e g K2 U$ a, n: A R
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。" A$ t7 m3 V& h4 H" o
560. No one suspected that there might be someone else on the farm who had never been seen.
! M r, S$ o( O& g( a* Z7 k/ [ 谁也没想到农场竟会有一个从未露面的人。
2 B a" P2 ]7 e) f5 z9 W0 U561. This was indeed the case." L% f0 H3 _- _, X
但事实上确有此人。 T4 W) j. g8 \- t
562. A short time ago, villagers were astonished to learn that the ghost of Endley had died.% h+ Z1 ^ |: E v$ t: c
不久之前,村民们惊悉恩得利农场的鬼死了。6 `, G& Y1 Z0 y4 L6 V/ l
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.
1 [! c% a! ?/ v. x( f 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。
, g: p- |: w5 d7 h564. After the funeral, Joe and Bob revealed a secret which they had kept for over fifty years., Y# d) [6 U* T! L/ t0 A# t
葬礼之后,乔和鲍勃透露了他们保守了长达50多年的秘密。
& w/ p8 q- S" a& N& w r& R: v }565. Eric had been the eldest son of the family, very much older than his two brothers.
; M# h$ N. F" C; G$ d( f 埃里克是这家长子。年龄比他两个弟弟大很多,7 |+ @1 B( ^# W: u, r
566. He had been obliged to join the army during the Second World War.
2 b1 u: [: _1 v s 第二次世界大战期间被迫参军。
9 p+ ~; A4 Z# }& H) X8 u567. As he hated army life, he decided to desert his regiment.
/ S" F4 _9 l S _ 他讨厌军旅生活,决定逃离所在部队。
* p H1 V8 G- z/ M; Y% I% n568. 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.3 K* d( X3 z6 U* O' W- w
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。# o4 b, Z/ Z8 j Y$ s
569. Fearing the authorities, Eric remained in hiding after the war as well.4 r. j) ]. [6 @
由于害怕当局,埃里克战后继续深藏不露。2 N2 s! Y0 l9 s/ \
570. His father told everybody that Eric had been killed in action.
6 _ J, d. E% }5 l& l8 s: j: [" p; |- X0 S 他的父亲告诉大家,埃里克在战争中被打死了。, U# \& c9 [3 q$ ~! [
571. The only other people who knew the secret were Joe and Bob. ^4 c* g% m7 |' X
除此之外,只有乔与鲍知道这个秘密。
1 o9 f6 _1 j6 [9 ~0 T572. They did not even tell their wives.
$ }0 _( g- z0 u$ c: V 但他俩连自己的妻子都没告诉。9 k: @6 i$ Z- ^" n" J$ a# b
573. When their father died, they thought it their duty to keep Eric in hiding.0 {" f7 }# f, o% v# P
父亲死后,他们兄弟俩认为有责任继续把埃里克藏起来。" E% x9 C0 A# h6 C8 ~7 W
574. All these years, Eric had lived as a recluse.: G1 E4 z }1 O7 G% c/ H% ~' u
这些年来,埃里克过着隐士生活,
1 P; k+ q- p3 @, _8 N# k575. He used to sleep during the day and work at night, quite unaware of the fact that he had become the ghost of Endley.- k" n. w) {0 \5 ^4 G7 T+ T$ H
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。
. k( D* K ~7 O/ N* s576. When he died, however, his brothers found it impossible to keep the secret any longer.
5 `' M# s. J, U' u7 E 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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