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课文30 幽灵之死9 `) t. F4 c& ^% j# ^+ v
552. For years, villagers believed that Endley Farm was hunted.. j% g$ f# N9 h0 b2 k5 v8 M
多年来,村民们一直认为恩得利农场在闹鬼。
: e+ o8 `; b2 o5 g6 u+ {553. The farm was owned by two brothers, Joe and Bob Cox.8 h& i' F! C8 L% z9 E
恩得利农场属于乔.考科斯和鲍勃.考科斯兄弟俩所有。( {: @% F% f6 w' R0 D0 n6 G
554. They employed a few farmhands, but no one was willing to work there long.8 v. z6 I- p C2 y1 j# R
他们雇了几个农工,但谁也不愿意在那儿长期工作下去。
# C0 H4 e R% s0 K6 p555. Every time a worker gave up his job, he told the same story.
7 k% s/ [# p: T- T" v: h 每次雇工辞职后都叙述着同样的故事。& [( f( q9 |+ g; ]. m2 Y g% I# f9 B
556. Farm labourers said that they always woke up to find that work had been done overnight.9 B& D) v4 b, \; s0 Q% ^% @0 E1 @
雇工们说,常常一早起来发现有人在夜里把活干了,# b/ m& H6 p# h
557. Hay had been cut and cowsheds had been cleaned.0 |* g7 k# F0 [: h- V4 n: s/ a- r* b
干草已切好,牛棚也打扫干净了。
* \+ C# Z* l* K558. A farm worker, who stayed up all night claimed to have seen a figure cutting corn in the moonlight.6 d" M* j) p1 L6 I, H! e
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。6 K4 _8 e6 i, P$ s* h0 @
559. In time, it became an accepted fact the Cox brothers employed a conscientious ghost that did most of their work for them.
8 Z7 x( n f+ f! @% f: {. N 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。
: r W; T" g" [! M' F4 ~. o560. No one suspected that there might be someone else on the farm who had never been seen.9 x! ?' R g6 J/ K) z
谁也没想到农场竟会有一个从未露面的人。6 ?4 a& R% @( c0 k5 A) Z1 o# u
561. This was indeed the case.1 [8 w1 n8 l* W% a4 k" X
但事实上确有此人。1 X g' G6 o" L( K% v
562. A short time ago, villagers were astonished to learn that the ghost of Endley had died.
+ u; s! R5 ^4 k" t3 F+ _ 不久之前,村民们惊悉恩得利农场的鬼死了。* |/ P5 W; \6 L/ ~& z2 V4 Q5 c
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.8 Y: l0 L' g& r! W" k% 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。 D) v3 a. ^' [5 k4 ~
564. After the funeral, Joe and Bob revealed a secret which they had kept for over fifty years.3 s! c; k4 g: T* @4 @/ Y6 E' Z
葬礼之后,乔和鲍勃透露了他们保守了长达50多年的秘密。
5 S r8 |# [6 x' |1 V565. Eric had been the eldest son of the family, very much older than his two brothers.
]8 b+ o8 z! p# y. ~0 X8 ]( X 埃里克是这家长子。年龄比他两个弟弟大很多,
! J, G/ v) m: Z8 _566. He had been obliged to join the army during the Second World War.
, S1 v Z2 V U+ N9 m ~5 J0 K 第二次世界大战期间被迫参军。
/ o3 [9 X- M T% w6 \0 |567. As he hated army life, he decided to desert his regiment.5 b. @3 M& l- a7 H$ g
他讨厌军旅生活,决定逃离所在部队。
& {7 \4 _; j+ K8 J0 l568. 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.6 X' Z/ B) o; |+ P, v( t z
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。6 l& i! {' T ^: D
569. Fearing the authorities, Eric remained in hiding after the war as well.
0 s+ b( [; e* @( s 由于害怕当局,埃里克战后继续深藏不露。
6 x$ S) _( o3 a570. His father told everybody that Eric had been killed in action.
+ I) F4 D' o5 J, J8 u* E! }3 J/ W 他的父亲告诉大家,埃里克在战争中被打死了。
$ ~+ D: R; s$ p3 Y) x571. The only other people who knew the secret were Joe and Bob.% I3 C7 \# D8 q) q7 `, \
除此之外,只有乔与鲍知道这个秘密。$ e: k& G- `; Q* Q% e! x1 f* ]
572. They did not even tell their wives.2 X* g- `' ^# J4 j
但他俩连自己的妻子都没告诉。
5 F# O5 p. S" }7 O573. When their father died, they thought it their duty to keep Eric in hiding.8 ?% q% Q' K) X# L1 N/ Q
父亲死后,他们兄弟俩认为有责任继续把埃里克藏起来。& q U) D. w$ E1 {1 u) U
574. All these years, Eric had lived as a recluse.8 X4 y$ ~7 G. @: d- v$ y
这些年来,埃里克过着隐士生活,
% R4 W g2 n# y4 B. s575. He used to sleep during the day and work at night, quite unaware of the fact that he had become the ghost of Endley.
3 C1 a3 ~4 D/ S: u) u: @$ S 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。
6 G5 [" ?/ A7 R6 F576. When he died, however, his brothers found it impossible to keep the secret any longer.
$ Y8 `7 [; U" S7 K 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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