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课文30 幽灵之死6 W$ F3 e0 h- u$ K
552. For years, villagers believed that Endley Farm was hunted., `0 A5 K2 E ]. \
多年来,村民们一直认为恩得利农场在闹鬼。
3 f7 _. c( G) u553. The farm was owned by two brothers, Joe and Bob Cox.
5 q- E! v8 Y2 q' j% A8 ~- f$ l 恩得利农场属于乔.考科斯和鲍勃.考科斯兄弟俩所有。8 t- E: r m. p
554. They employed a few farmhands, but no one was willing to work there long.6 ]! Z* W$ k6 v! g
他们雇了几个农工,但谁也不愿意在那儿长期工作下去。
# o1 ] }6 ]& A; a; |555. Every time a worker gave up his job, he told the same story.
/ C `; Q9 z- D2 }3 x 每次雇工辞职后都叙述着同样的故事。8 C6 {( e3 c0 c1 u8 ]
556. Farm labourers said that they always woke up to find that work had been done overnight.% ?$ j+ ]. j2 @ ]& `; u
雇工们说,常常一早起来发现有人在夜里把活干了,- u% d- ^+ G9 |7 @6 \
557. Hay had been cut and cowsheds had been cleaned.
1 P: ^! p* c p6 _2 r 干草已切好,牛棚也打扫干净了。+ V+ U% ^1 i7 G* @6 e/ g O5 R9 C0 J
558. A farm worker, who stayed up all night claimed to have seen a figure cutting corn in the moonlight.
9 d. d" [* i9 F& 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。" j7 w6 g. W# U9 r% B
559. In time, it became an accepted fact the Cox brothers employed a conscientious ghost that did most of their work for them.4 M: o8 _5 P- @
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。) E6 z" F: c: _) D" N8 S7 U- s; ~
560. No one suspected that there might be someone else on the farm who had never been seen." q2 E: L% h2 G6 ^: d
谁也没想到农场竟会有一个从未露面的人。
; Z; B7 G% z3 E! Z6 s" v: `561. This was indeed the case.. W: N9 Y6 A9 Z1 C3 |7 X! a. X
但事实上确有此人。3 V1 }: V, |& ]) B' B, O Y7 o& K
562. A short time ago, villagers were astonished to learn that the ghost of Endley had died.4 D& K* [, j, `. x* n
不久之前,村民们惊悉恩得利农场的鬼死了。* U" J/ Q2 q' e. |
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.
( t2 N- E- n) f5 z$ e$ S 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。
m; X: Q7 y3 f+ |- Q564. After the funeral, Joe and Bob revealed a secret which they had kept for over fifty years.4 ~/ e: L5 r7 H0 K% J( r+ x
葬礼之后,乔和鲍勃透露了他们保守了长达50多年的秘密。
2 r$ _. ~# |) ~, q* X% @565. Eric had been the eldest son of the family, very much older than his two brothers.: m9 I2 U' o: N4 L) ~" t
埃里克是这家长子。年龄比他两个弟弟大很多,9 V1 w0 u* Q6 K; e" u: Y
566. He had been obliged to join the army during the Second World War.$ D7 r" S8 F; V$ A Y
第二次世界大战期间被迫参军。
) ~( d8 w! g0 E/ B8 w567. As he hated army life, he decided to desert his regiment. t! w' d# V8 Q0 f9 n. _
他讨厌军旅生活,决定逃离所在部队。
3 W! C+ J4 V6 v# {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.; J# _& v3 v8 V% q! [3 {/ m2 o k
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。) f: @$ F6 W4 K( }! ]
569. Fearing the authorities, Eric remained in hiding after the war as well.
2 s' W8 n' ~* v4 M0 Z, h 由于害怕当局,埃里克战后继续深藏不露。' _) T6 J! l2 C$ W$ H
570. His father told everybody that Eric had been killed in action.
& w) g1 W$ S" _. u, P- z 他的父亲告诉大家,埃里克在战争中被打死了。
, J8 g) F$ K6 N @571. The only other people who knew the secret were Joe and Bob.
+ H+ c/ k% `5 b, q 除此之外,只有乔与鲍知道这个秘密。
( q% E1 @7 l# ~; h D% P572. They did not even tell their wives.
0 ]5 d r' @6 f ^0 K$ _* P- T 但他俩连自己的妻子都没告诉。
& [7 e4 Y( x) E. C3 u# k573. When their father died, they thought it their duty to keep Eric in hiding.
+ k" H2 z* s& y* E 父亲死后,他们兄弟俩认为有责任继续把埃里克藏起来。' B/ |5 j5 F1 K! ^3 T: m0 [
574. All these years, Eric had lived as a recluse.
( r/ C0 s9 M7 K/ Z. v9 M0 e; l3 W 这些年来,埃里克过着隐士生活,, Q2 X7 n& K1 g1 j. p/ ^
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.& A. @& y9 P, A2 x2 @
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。 P4 j+ _4 x- \/ h! X. I; @) V' y* c
576. When he died, however, his brothers found it impossible to keep the secret any longer.4 b" U6 E! B+ F2 Q) G
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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