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课文30 幽灵之死
3 Y0 H; [, f- O& F4 \# L, ^+ o552. For years, villagers believed that Endley Farm was hunted.. Z3 q* U$ a( R
多年来,村民们一直认为恩得利农场在闹鬼。9 O( i m# v2 s. }- `6 Z, D
553. The farm was owned by two brothers, Joe and Bob Cox.
" X. o+ y" T6 p+ u 恩得利农场属于乔.考科斯和鲍勃.考科斯兄弟俩所有。; ~3 d T* s' N. U( ^1 {
554. They employed a few farmhands, but no one was willing to work there long.
; v. f* {1 ?/ ^ 他们雇了几个农工,但谁也不愿意在那儿长期工作下去。
$ i) K) ^6 H2 M1 M5 s/ ?555. Every time a worker gave up his job, he told the same story., m- `+ H2 A9 H' @; B
每次雇工辞职后都叙述着同样的故事。
2 C. }* E5 }8 ]* W556. Farm labourers said that they always woke up to find that work had been done overnight.
6 u; ?" y2 } C( @ 雇工们说,常常一早起来发现有人在夜里把活干了,9 s6 l- G& V+ Q# |/ S, ]
557. Hay had been cut and cowsheds had been cleaned.
, C1 [# W- d, W) k& n- C' s 干草已切好,牛棚也打扫干净了。- H. g1 G3 T( T1 B K
558. A farm worker, who stayed up all night claimed to have seen a figure cutting corn in the moonlight.
1 [5 f! o) C& ~7 e5 ]4 h' x 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。
u$ \! j/ W A+ O559. In time, it became an accepted fact the Cox brothers employed a conscientious ghost that did most of their work for them.0 p" k" @3 j# A2 W8 X& N5 M8 B" C& l
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。" I: p# w4 q5 A A3 }- I5 c
560. No one suspected that there might be someone else on the farm who had never been seen.$ }9 h( i9 w5 j0 D
谁也没想到农场竟会有一个从未露面的人。
; w' ~2 d; D/ O2 T561. This was indeed the case.
* p2 m2 b* T* L: l0 H0 `) s 但事实上确有此人。1 h! r0 d& n: J4 j
562. A short time ago, villagers were astonished to learn that the ghost of Endley had died.
0 z2 _& |$ j( j9 I 不久之前,村民们惊悉恩得利农场的鬼死了。+ X1 ~' Y& S* q9 N( c E! m
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.9 x/ P2 v& T( o
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。$ f3 c9 w' J4 N" i5 M/ g% B
564. After the funeral, Joe and Bob revealed a secret which they had kept for over fifty years.
. j" F9 z3 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。
7 b4 v& X( ?2 u4 v- A6 F565. Eric had been the eldest son of the family, very much older than his two brothers.
& o! Z" \+ C8 a% J 埃里克是这家长子。年龄比他两个弟弟大很多,
; U; ^5 Q; V- x# Y8 ?9 t566. He had been obliged to join the army during the Second World War.+ Q% o+ q+ |* Q
第二次世界大战期间被迫参军。6 I- {! D, v3 p& |$ g4 d/ c& I
567. As he hated army life, he decided to desert his regiment. @* _+ C) L8 K4 X X( x
他讨厌军旅生活,决定逃离所在部队。
, Y' P i. r# U8 i; x* b$ n' L$ m; N) R0 _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.
' P6 q) v% v: A4 G1 M2 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。
( I: h7 I. {2 _& q9 I569. Fearing the authorities, Eric remained in hiding after the war as well.5 W# v: u8 [: _2 f# v2 Z, {
由于害怕当局,埃里克战后继续深藏不露。6 G* `$ I/ l- q6 o4 f9 r
570. His father told everybody that Eric had been killed in action.
4 ^" P& v* @* p" Y0 X" p0 z# Q 他的父亲告诉大家,埃里克在战争中被打死了。
5 d" t& y! p4 K1 Y6 b$ P1 i571. The only other people who knew the secret were Joe and Bob.
. F+ V* i+ o5 v" ` 除此之外,只有乔与鲍知道这个秘密。( P3 m; E( u" G$ t7 f. Q1 j
572. They did not even tell their wives.
: s2 a, m+ F7 P) Q. a) w9 X& V5 ] 但他俩连自己的妻子都没告诉。
( f- r( J. X: s' V) }573. When their father died, they thought it their duty to keep Eric in hiding.
3 {! r. N, Q1 d! Z6 `& C 父亲死后,他们兄弟俩认为有责任继续把埃里克藏起来。
! \9 c2 K O! M( \. A1 J2 O574. All these years, Eric had lived as a recluse.% Y% a+ O5 t. P S3 i* W% ~
这些年来,埃里克过着隐士生活,
0 |2 ~6 ]9 S4 X# U/ q# Y7 }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.
) m9 d- h) }8 @- v1 n8 C1 v* t 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。1 b" U% b+ R( x' Z" n
576. When he died, however, his brothers found it impossible to keep the secret any longer. {8 @/ `, _1 _- 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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