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课文30 幽灵之死9 A* o" [' s2 X; U
552. For years, villagers believed that Endley Farm was hunted.2 n* i. p: ]1 B
多年来,村民们一直认为恩得利农场在闹鬼。
9 b, O) E B B( [6 d553. The farm was owned by two brothers, Joe and Bob Cox.. l6 S7 F: e B0 |+ m" ?9 ^
恩得利农场属于乔.考科斯和鲍勃.考科斯兄弟俩所有。
" g0 ^( \$ l/ j8 n* \554. They employed a few farmhands, but no one was willing to work there long.
, T& y* s, Y, j- a4 ?7 Q 他们雇了几个农工,但谁也不愿意在那儿长期工作下去。
8 e) o6 t, ^! o2 {555. Every time a worker gave up his job, he told the same story.& m- M2 G9 D7 e3 B% K
每次雇工辞职后都叙述着同样的故事。 {& t6 c# [: {) i
556. Farm labourers said that they always woke up to find that work had been done overnight.$ I( Y4 W* {# v( K
雇工们说,常常一早起来发现有人在夜里把活干了,$ [% N# c2 ?$ u+ w% w! v
557. Hay had been cut and cowsheds had been cleaned.1 i# O! R- X; D- \. F0 d8 P
干草已切好,牛棚也打扫干净了。6 Q- p+ i o# a
558. A farm worker, who stayed up all night claimed to have seen a figure cutting corn in the moonlight.
/ ?: I8 a2 m8 ^: }' ? 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。
: x3 Y: U+ Z H( Z! X559. In time, it became an accepted fact the Cox brothers employed a conscientious ghost that did most of their work for them.& x: K/ V8 e) E7 n$ |5 ]
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。6 |( ]9 @. ] K( z; |7 b( m
560. No one suspected that there might be someone else on the farm who had never been seen.
& d& |3 _8 C8 C9 }" g 谁也没想到农场竟会有一个从未露面的人。
( J: @& z+ n, t1 H$ @8 o+ i. d8 q0 i561. This was indeed the case.
6 ^4 ^# A f! L# u* \7 j* A5 m 但事实上确有此人。+ G S2 X9 g% i; O# `
562. A short time ago, villagers were astonished to learn that the ghost of Endley had died.
8 X$ w7 M9 M& q3 P) d' _ 不久之前,村民们惊悉恩得利农场的鬼死了。
" ?& i& z. G( R) I5 _3 o6 i563. 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 i- P7 b# c k! m* E7 a. V5 G5 w( F 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。
/ Q, t: b$ J9 a; x; x' f+ I8 m564. After the funeral, Joe and Bob revealed a secret which they had kept for over fifty years.& l3 b8 _1 T1 F+ D: G3 d! X
葬礼之后,乔和鲍勃透露了他们保守了长达50多年的秘密。
: W: z- V! D. x0 D3 ?6 I565. Eric had been the eldest son of the family, very much older than his two brothers.5 W- r/ {% i! v" O4 E
埃里克是这家长子。年龄比他两个弟弟大很多,1 W0 v5 M+ B9 Z: T" v0 T
566. He had been obliged to join the army during the Second World War.
4 Y0 q& z8 w( _+ l$ H4 q7 G 第二次世界大战期间被迫参军。
* {5 _' Q6 C. w }567. As he hated army life, he decided to desert his regiment.
: r# C/ W, t/ ^4 r 他讨厌军旅生活,决定逃离所在部队。6 }4 s8 H# A4 |
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.0 }( E8 |$ O S, a7 U* E
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。& a7 A3 R9 K/ m. @: _' [9 _
569. Fearing the authorities, Eric remained in hiding after the war as well." R5 v) G# g' E1 |* F
由于害怕当局,埃里克战后继续深藏不露。
! Y2 e5 ]& b, G570. His father told everybody that Eric had been killed in action.4 ~" K2 E$ A( l
他的父亲告诉大家,埃里克在战争中被打死了。
% k" O! a/ a. l# j9 q, _. p571. The only other people who knew the secret were Joe and Bob.
- W# }+ H2 C P& k3 l 除此之外,只有乔与鲍知道这个秘密。: _, G1 X- R" e
572. They did not even tell their wives.6 U% M7 H9 t4 @
但他俩连自己的妻子都没告诉。4 c% H( [% P% | u6 x; u8 S4 {
573. When their father died, they thought it their duty to keep Eric in hiding.
( _, q+ A( k) D/ H8 m* U5 |% p 父亲死后,他们兄弟俩认为有责任继续把埃里克藏起来。: Q- \7 y" N' t N; e+ f
574. All these years, Eric had lived as a recluse.0 v! L+ G6 ?% N3 i T
这些年来,埃里克过着隐士生活,
# d' A3 V; C6 ~# e575. He used to sleep during the day and work at night, quite unaware of the fact that he had become the ghost of Endley.
+ P6 x2 }+ v7 c. H* M1 z3 H+ 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。) t0 X! Z; z4 o- ^( G: C
576. When he died, however, his brothers found it impossible to keep the secret any longer.
6 ~4 P- J; h; q5 |; i 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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