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课文30 幽灵之死9 k0 l* m. `% h0 d5 e
552. For years, villagers believed that Endley Farm was hunted.
1 C2 K2 {% ?5 t! F% B' p( H0 c 多年来,村民们一直认为恩得利农场在闹鬼。7 L0 H: |2 [% [. _: Q2 c
553. The farm was owned by two brothers, Joe and Bob Cox.
& J9 f, U6 n1 } 恩得利农场属于乔.考科斯和鲍勃.考科斯兄弟俩所有。4 U! g) v, }0 J! z4 {+ c" F
554. They employed a few farmhands, but no one was willing to work there long.
# |+ N- d' S- Z+ j% Y 他们雇了几个农工,但谁也不愿意在那儿长期工作下去。
9 [. }) y1 k" h/ y* x) c& c555. Every time a worker gave up his job, he told the same story.( h8 i4 j8 L1 t( D+ E; u" y* E
每次雇工辞职后都叙述着同样的故事。
h$ ]) j" _% i# i556. Farm labourers said that they always woke up to find that work had been done overnight.+ z' B M, R9 R* X$ ^% d
雇工们说,常常一早起来发现有人在夜里把活干了,$ n( i; v: F( N0 S" L
557. Hay had been cut and cowsheds had been cleaned.
* B3 G5 ]1 p, p3 k2 o9 n. p( s# T 干草已切好,牛棚也打扫干净了。
9 n* c( c5 u2 s- e+ M558. A farm worker, who stayed up all night claimed to have seen a figure cutting corn in the moonlight.
4 t' c/ `5 c: 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。1 R- Y6 N" V) l$ M- W2 e* @6 I
559. In time, it became an accepted fact the Cox brothers employed a conscientious ghost that did most of their work for them.8 `7 v4 h$ @3 X* g5 \
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。
. Q+ B! X4 e3 v/ s+ K560. No one suspected that there might be someone else on the farm who had never been seen.
$ V2 b Y, u/ I3 E 谁也没想到农场竟会有一个从未露面的人。
% q5 z, T. u# E& J% N* i3 \561. This was indeed the case.
7 J( M. b( B% P$ }8 u d8 i: b4 [ 但事实上确有此人。9 \' T4 @ h+ K9 y) @9 n v
562. A short time ago, villagers were astonished to learn that the ghost of Endley had died.
& f9 V5 A7 m/ `4 {6 N 不久之前,村民们惊悉恩得利农场的鬼死了。
3 O8 e/ I$ H F. X' Y! t0 z" {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.5 h+ n3 |* |3 l9 J: M2 K) N/ y
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。1 _9 \+ V6 s8 Y( E5 m$ w
564. After the funeral, Joe and Bob revealed a secret which they had kept for over fifty years.& \6 l7 K% D1 T; h( W+ O/ V, s i
葬礼之后,乔和鲍勃透露了他们保守了长达50多年的秘密。
0 }/ o. t$ c' ~& R1 i) d5 Y565. Eric had been the eldest son of the family, very much older than his two brothers.! k4 @5 n' ~' R0 u: ?
埃里克是这家长子。年龄比他两个弟弟大很多,- y N% Z0 y1 c( [
566. He had been obliged to join the army during the Second World War.) ~* C0 J0 S! e
第二次世界大战期间被迫参军。2 L' |- h' I8 z
567. As he hated army life, he decided to desert his regiment.
( ]4 n. ? ^7 W: ?% U! @2 z/ J 他讨厌军旅生活,决定逃离所在部队。
A6 t9 t1 X) [" H( 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.
( h- j9 B& Z8 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。! D% U8 k, q- g f8 K$ E, g; I! R
569. Fearing the authorities, Eric remained in hiding after the war as well.
! u$ K p% {, R3 m7 D 由于害怕当局,埃里克战后继续深藏不露。 ?) p, ?* W$ n, ?7 c* R
570. His father told everybody that Eric had been killed in action.
: u; G% {3 F4 O 他的父亲告诉大家,埃里克在战争中被打死了。
# H1 O0 Z0 a, I1 i6 b7 g$ V571. The only other people who knew the secret were Joe and Bob.
5 a# f7 b! |, s6 T, @ 除此之外,只有乔与鲍知道这个秘密。
# Q5 h5 @$ j: h7 u572. They did not even tell their wives.
& Z- X0 l& V% K. U) z 但他俩连自己的妻子都没告诉。
/ e- w% K1 ^$ U7 b3 m, P+ [3 g573. When their father died, they thought it their duty to keep Eric in hiding.
5 z) v% m7 |: | 父亲死后,他们兄弟俩认为有责任继续把埃里克藏起来。 o7 w$ h5 I3 B. g' ~) f1 J9 K
574. All these years, Eric had lived as a recluse.7 g: I' X5 {$ Z2 L3 E
这些年来,埃里克过着隐士生活,8 W" I( o2 g% t' }7 D3 W
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.# p1 ~! Z9 g9 D
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。# V& H8 f8 X& d$ ^' M0 h
576. When he died, however, his brothers found it impossible to keep the secret any longer.
" R8 c% [, x$ O _ 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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