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课文30 幽灵之死
; Z0 P) W& U; v0 r% @552. For years, villagers believed that Endley Farm was hunted.
- q1 C1 w/ a9 k l" }" A+ h 多年来,村民们一直认为恩得利农场在闹鬼。
* |! c: m5 x7 ~553. The farm was owned by two brothers, Joe and Bob Cox.+ v2 F% z- [' B3 q, q/ Z
恩得利农场属于乔.考科斯和鲍勃.考科斯兄弟俩所有。' o% Z* h* A8 _1 O2 c! `0 B: n3 r
554. They employed a few farmhands, but no one was willing to work there long.
7 L- _8 G8 D% e 他们雇了几个农工,但谁也不愿意在那儿长期工作下去。
% h6 r; D& q9 o! [555. Every time a worker gave up his job, he told the same story.8 Z j; o8 z, j7 T) w
每次雇工辞职后都叙述着同样的故事。* l W/ G; a6 q
556. Farm labourers said that they always woke up to find that work had been done overnight." V1 e0 `, G. |( \ }
雇工们说,常常一早起来发现有人在夜里把活干了,) j( h7 e1 H0 `' ]& j
557. Hay had been cut and cowsheds had been cleaned.% d, N! d/ y$ m4 y! C% S
干草已切好,牛棚也打扫干净了。
( M( U8 j) S* V \+ f1 R/ P558. A farm worker, who stayed up all night claimed to have seen a figure cutting corn in the moonlight.8 I0 S- E+ ?( g4 y$ r" |2 D1 Q
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。# G& H) y, J/ C" S8 V
559. In time, it became an accepted fact the Cox brothers employed a conscientious ghost that did most of their work for them.
$ X0 k' h" a: q3 D1 R- T( 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。$ V$ L3 f, G7 B+ b1 {
560. No one suspected that there might be someone else on the farm who had never been seen.( B1 l! O" p7 h. e% S M3 o+ N
谁也没想到农场竟会有一个从未露面的人。" ]3 z' {% B1 E/ u" v; |
561. This was indeed the case.$ Y& Z- l2 x d: e8 }
但事实上确有此人。
. C' M. i1 k, P* Y2 @' R- {3 K$ b562. A short time ago, villagers were astonished to learn that the ghost of Endley had died.
, A7 u# `7 K' t* Y 不久之前,村民们惊悉恩得利农场的鬼死了。
6 @+ ~, o0 X) J$ U" N k563. 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.
2 X9 ]: I- {8 U8 D! t6 T 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。
; k$ O T. R# p. X( E( k564. After the funeral, Joe and Bob revealed a secret which they had kept for over fifty years.; Q- ?$ D# {/ k
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 N" Y& j8 H7 _4 k2 q5 C. K565. Eric had been the eldest son of the family, very much older than his two brothers.
# |) I, _5 `! i/ q) N' ?) P- f$ Z 埃里克是这家长子。年龄比他两个弟弟大很多,
( Q! b5 l( E$ _6 K/ R566. He had been obliged to join the army during the Second World War.5 K9 h" s4 B) e: ^) s1 Y0 |
第二次世界大战期间被迫参军。; Q/ i8 f; a: {* P" j3 m8 d8 _8 P
567. As he hated army life, he decided to desert his regiment.
, E* K4 C: F: T" R 他讨厌军旅生活,决定逃离所在部队。
W7 j- Z' ]% u, J9 T1 }2 M568. 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.
4 }5 ~* [4 g6 R/ B 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。, z& b3 u0 p$ U2 f2 T: t% }1 [
569. Fearing the authorities, Eric remained in hiding after the war as well.
6 K% K8 O6 u5 s! ~5 a 由于害怕当局,埃里克战后继续深藏不露。
% G' m/ I8 L/ i570. His father told everybody that Eric had been killed in action.- v, \2 o6 ]3 @7 W- _0 L
他的父亲告诉大家,埃里克在战争中被打死了。
/ @: n$ c0 Z+ R8 M1 V% f* Q571. The only other people who knew the secret were Joe and Bob.$ I4 l: ?1 \, e# {) }4 G
除此之外,只有乔与鲍知道这个秘密。
8 q3 E& s; M/ _$ n D1 A5 y572. They did not even tell their wives." r2 V7 c% q: r. _8 I2 T4 C
但他俩连自己的妻子都没告诉。
0 Q$ k; _3 o6 d* [9 ^573. When their father died, they thought it their duty to keep Eric in hiding.
" V. k/ C+ W% L# @, j 父亲死后,他们兄弟俩认为有责任继续把埃里克藏起来。
9 F* E+ K" Z- e; B7 z574. All these years, Eric had lived as a recluse.2 B: W) z/ L- E
这些年来,埃里克过着隐士生活,8 @. F7 H; x' F; Y
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.
5 m: c! O/ }/ p 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。
" C( K0 u: D; F576. When he died, however, his brothers found it impossible to keep the secret any longer.
6 V7 T U1 w2 X+ Q9 y, b X 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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