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课文30 幽灵之死$ V' x# z1 V7 O* J c) w
552. For years, villagers believed that Endley Farm was hunted.' F, ^& Q1 O! d
多年来,村民们一直认为恩得利农场在闹鬼。8 M: k% h: j/ ^' x. `# w, p+ c
553. The farm was owned by two brothers, Joe and Bob Cox.$ m3 M9 V5 b+ G; R
恩得利农场属于乔.考科斯和鲍勃.考科斯兄弟俩所有。/ i9 ?1 b5 e, T d: L
554. They employed a few farmhands, but no one was willing to work there long.
Q a* j" {) c5 g8 Q 他们雇了几个农工,但谁也不愿意在那儿长期工作下去。
4 T$ f* \# B3 C555. Every time a worker gave up his job, he told the same story.
) t, {: ~+ X8 K) X+ F/ f: i* G 每次雇工辞职后都叙述着同样的故事。: W( @' \& Q5 _
556. Farm labourers said that they always woke up to find that work had been done overnight.
* ~% {) ]" r" v' Y1 c: ` 雇工们说,常常一早起来发现有人在夜里把活干了,9 E/ Q! J! C( x7 r9 @
557. Hay had been cut and cowsheds had been cleaned.
$ y( s+ }) k% s: R0 @ 干草已切好,牛棚也打扫干净了。
7 H0 F$ b7 m X6 m558. A farm worker, who stayed up all night claimed to have seen a figure cutting corn in the moonlight.( _$ {, n& w/ k5 r! p3 ]% r
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。
9 ?9 U. c" j$ L559. In time, it became an accepted fact the Cox brothers employed a conscientious ghost that did most of their work for them." e: t8 m6 w3 \! L- I
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。) s/ N; N. C+ S0 L- d
560. No one suspected that there might be someone else on the farm who had never been seen.1 c. ^" M# h/ @5 L
谁也没想到农场竟会有一个从未露面的人。
( y' r; F$ Q: r; \9 G+ [561. This was indeed the case.: |. p/ N. C$ A' Y
但事实上确有此人。
. S. W% A# x" Q" r1 d3 I- H" o" a562. A short time ago, villagers were astonished to learn that the ghost of Endley had died.7 ~% j8 z% g6 r' q/ G( r6 N
不久之前,村民们惊悉恩得利农场的鬼死了。6 J3 T3 |9 g6 J G1 l# F5 y" G, w
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.
) v* q) ?7 G& `& M" L 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。$ `, z$ ]0 g& A: x/ [( O5 U
564. After the funeral, Joe and Bob revealed a secret which they had kept for over fifty years.; Q1 a L; n/ J1 h0 c5 o0 y6 F
葬礼之后,乔和鲍勃透露了他们保守了长达50多年的秘密。
* U+ I1 c* ~/ Y! n565. Eric had been the eldest son of the family, very much older than his two brothers.
1 Q# } d" |8 } 埃里克是这家长子。年龄比他两个弟弟大很多," t, W& U4 U u9 b9 ~9 e9 Q" n2 R
566. He had been obliged to join the army during the Second World War.
# `9 ~) N, W3 V2 {! O0 K @3 F, O 第二次世界大战期间被迫参军。0 G! Z h4 `9 E" @
567. As he hated army life, he decided to desert his regiment.$ B" Z7 e/ I2 a% {- P
他讨厌军旅生活,决定逃离所在部队。. ^/ i* }, w. V( r7 A2 b
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.( u, K! G& ~" @; D/ w: G
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。( w& C) c; Z6 E
569. Fearing the authorities, Eric remained in hiding after the war as well./ o" n) o+ q: U. i) w; D
由于害怕当局,埃里克战后继续深藏不露。
: l. w0 @; E7 z570. His father told everybody that Eric had been killed in action.
, X: d. A( B8 E9 t. M1 b4 _8 e 他的父亲告诉大家,埃里克在战争中被打死了。
7 ]3 `( u# K9 X5 w2 C9 L571. The only other people who knew the secret were Joe and Bob.
. ^8 [: R) y6 U E0 I1 U9 t0 p 除此之外,只有乔与鲍知道这个秘密。9 O! e$ n, b/ l/ s+ @
572. They did not even tell their wives.
) D+ H: q# y- W9 F( I2 d* | 但他俩连自己的妻子都没告诉。$ w, A0 F8 X- N9 e+ c: ^, W. d
573. When their father died, they thought it their duty to keep Eric in hiding.
. {+ h: O2 W! R% Q 父亲死后,他们兄弟俩认为有责任继续把埃里克藏起来。
$ X+ @% l4 x+ y- r2 ~574. All these years, Eric had lived as a recluse.
; ^7 O% c; \2 w$ J; p7 ]4 B, ? 这些年来,埃里克过着隐士生活,* j9 G% Z3 w( |) a: F8 F
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.
. Q2 K4 ?/ V: o) {2 \ 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。, J# z5 L( z3 H/ |: ?" _7 k1 T
576. When he died, however, his brothers found it impossible to keep the secret any longer.
9 b, _( O) t8 j% t 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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