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课文30 幽灵之死* R! ^. r# f1 U- w2 B
552. For years, villagers believed that Endley Farm was hunted.
$ I0 t8 b' J" l* T 多年来,村民们一直认为恩得利农场在闹鬼。
! n0 d2 ]- g1 Y( N5 h) V, ?: P! o% O553. The farm was owned by two brothers, Joe and Bob Cox.: e) J, Z& ^# Z5 }* V
恩得利农场属于乔.考科斯和鲍勃.考科斯兄弟俩所有。5 |2 J8 z, O1 |( T1 Q4 Z/ ]) W. c3 w
554. They employed a few farmhands, but no one was willing to work there long.
5 }6 J E: Q" o/ {% j& | 他们雇了几个农工,但谁也不愿意在那儿长期工作下去。
~6 X' m3 D6 x/ I: H( T! \9 q555. Every time a worker gave up his job, he told the same story.8 n: N t J/ Q5 h- V
每次雇工辞职后都叙述着同样的故事。
: d6 k% e! a3 P& Y# [556. Farm labourers said that they always woke up to find that work had been done overnight.- }5 t" d( `, ^& d
雇工们说,常常一早起来发现有人在夜里把活干了,3 X( o% O8 N" P: s% K
557. Hay had been cut and cowsheds had been cleaned.
# z4 _4 P! J& G* u* a3 I 干草已切好,牛棚也打扫干净了。1 A* u, T" x8 t- q) ?- p1 `
558. A farm worker, who stayed up all night claimed to have seen a figure cutting corn in the moonlight.- [! \3 W7 p% m- P, n( {; t: v! 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。
7 a# b( u- C6 \+ r+ N559. In time, it became an accepted fact the Cox brothers employed a conscientious ghost that did most of their work for them.
; E8 O* J0 Y- ^: ^1 L$ a 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。
: `% G$ t6 O# t9 b. N0 i: K4 A' j% J560. No one suspected that there might be someone else on the farm who had never been seen.
~, h$ r/ |& O# d/ N" K) v 谁也没想到农场竟会有一个从未露面的人。+ Z$ b/ j9 C q
561. This was indeed the case.$ z( g! b* i- N6 u% \
但事实上确有此人。% ]- P5 X7 _) x" \: h8 [
562. A short time ago, villagers were astonished to learn that the ghost of Endley had died.7 Y, A Z& J$ i/ R; x: _4 H
不久之前,村民们惊悉恩得利农场的鬼死了。
" r+ T2 Y; C" y( e563. 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.
; h7 S: n0 E- [: Q( F/ W3 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。
/ F D, |$ Z* C- i$ k564. After the funeral, Joe and Bob revealed a secret which they had kept for over fifty years.
/ A& r% q4 ~9 M# E 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 t! f: p' i8 S- f" V, n$ K7 w8 B3 |
565. Eric had been the eldest son of the family, very much older than his two brothers.
0 ^ j% ?$ J/ { 埃里克是这家长子。年龄比他两个弟弟大很多,' Q% Q1 P7 _0 |% f9 v
566. He had been obliged to join the army during the Second World War.# t. k% R1 e+ n0 e/ T5 B
第二次世界大战期间被迫参军。+ O/ Q v- Q" f) P) P1 B1 G& k5 m
567. As he hated army life, he decided to desert his regiment.
/ w6 ]$ M1 |3 j1 h2 Y; I6 l. p 他讨厌军旅生活,决定逃离所在部队。4 X6 E* I% M, \4 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.
8 C+ b8 s0 F6 P4 K- d2 U' F o 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。 |! G2 A0 {, F
569. Fearing the authorities, Eric remained in hiding after the war as well.' f; D) k, F! s" Z
由于害怕当局,埃里克战后继续深藏不露。
4 N# {; F# J$ y. ]. N) E# W570. His father told everybody that Eric had been killed in action.
; U& S$ z$ C0 Y7 D- w 他的父亲告诉大家,埃里克在战争中被打死了。
. V, r1 O) A& z3 ]1 Q) P571. The only other people who knew the secret were Joe and Bob. z6 z& j, t0 ^3 T9 E; f( f
除此之外,只有乔与鲍知道这个秘密。
' E4 @9 F0 H: J572. They did not even tell their wives.
) z1 F r- O. `% g- T: Y* ] 但他俩连自己的妻子都没告诉。
* y# P& a! i7 s, B. r2 ]573. When their father died, they thought it their duty to keep Eric in hiding.- J: D3 Z/ t6 \) `8 z" X- w, [0 _. Z
父亲死后,他们兄弟俩认为有责任继续把埃里克藏起来。
q( K) z, i6 p574. All these years, Eric had lived as a recluse.* F9 K* E% }: A+ j8 G& S0 i
这些年来,埃里克过着隐士生活,
6 R6 O% n2 v/ y" @) C$ @& y575. He used to sleep during the day and work at night, quite unaware of the fact that he had become the ghost of Endley.# u7 h* I- k. j% J; o" b% y
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。( F# ^1 h' S# E; n) ]9 n6 P
576. When he died, however, his brothers found it impossible to keep the secret any longer.5 K* v @* h# O1 b
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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