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课文30 幽灵之死: ^& Y2 w Z7 u8 V3 |( r9 C
552. For years, villagers believed that Endley Farm was hunted.0 x& [; N& j7 _6 | d* J
多年来,村民们一直认为恩得利农场在闹鬼。* G0 A. \- e3 Z& c
553. The farm was owned by two brothers, Joe and Bob Cox.3 R1 a O8 B; C3 T
恩得利农场属于乔.考科斯和鲍勃.考科斯兄弟俩所有。
X( C6 A4 W d! X) o- a/ T* l554. They employed a few farmhands, but no one was willing to work there long.
4 |; l/ M% q/ u. w; C 他们雇了几个农工,但谁也不愿意在那儿长期工作下去。/ \ V9 ~3 [ [& R! t9 [
555. Every time a worker gave up his job, he told the same story.* m. f$ s, D5 }
每次雇工辞职后都叙述着同样的故事。
* H/ k8 n6 x4 k556. Farm labourers said that they always woke up to find that work had been done overnight.
# H/ d+ E. B. Q5 o 雇工们说,常常一早起来发现有人在夜里把活干了,+ M" i4 g S1 r- F' j+ r3 a
557. Hay had been cut and cowsheds had been cleaned.- N9 Q3 k( p- \* m. }% W' a7 K
干草已切好,牛棚也打扫干净了。
# `; \6 p, D; ?/ t558. A farm worker, who stayed up all night claimed to have seen a figure cutting corn in the moonlight.
& t8 E; i7 K2 ~3 @- 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 R: t, |4 ^5 w2 P: E
559. In time, it became an accepted fact the Cox brothers employed a conscientious ghost that did most of their work for them.
: z6 B6 q, a. I* [* o$ 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。* \2 M1 M% ? c2 E! J8 [% L
560. No one suspected that there might be someone else on the farm who had never been seen.7 q" h; V3 r1 z2 D; T
谁也没想到农场竟会有一个从未露面的人。
( P$ V8 k1 |- N) a561. This was indeed the case.
' X/ @( H7 b% I* { 但事实上确有此人。' b( o# x& w: T ?- \& n; T$ d
562. A short time ago, villagers were astonished to learn that the ghost of Endley had died.
; a/ ~& W$ t! b, o/ h" | 不久之前,村民们惊悉恩得利农场的鬼死了。
: t6 T3 e$ G% v) T1 i* `+ \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.
" |" R; }4 l' v; A; U# X7 J 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。+ B% S; W7 }( v% _( }: W4 X! H* s' F
564. After the funeral, Joe and Bob revealed a secret which they had kept for over fifty years.0 o5 X4 j; i% V7 a- g
葬礼之后,乔和鲍勃透露了他们保守了长达50多年的秘密。
& j- U: j" g$ n- m. \; k% a565. Eric had been the eldest son of the family, very much older than his two brothers.' f9 B1 N, U" D; h/ X1 r) L
埃里克是这家长子。年龄比他两个弟弟大很多," M$ E) _, S, a U
566. He had been obliged to join the army during the Second World War.( a7 ]- _ |- Q5 |( P! k& f! z
第二次世界大战期间被迫参军。
+ u, N: {, n$ R$ l* ~5 a567. As he hated army life, he decided to desert his regiment.
3 W" Q: D$ U& [# z 他讨厌军旅生活,决定逃离所在部队。
% U8 w4 O! N6 x: D7 b& p2 e568. 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.
; c2 g% o `6 G, Y1 g" P 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。; \: G* q0 z* B
569. Fearing the authorities, Eric remained in hiding after the war as well.# g) E4 Q' k. t, r5 ^, ~9 C
由于害怕当局,埃里克战后继续深藏不露。
. V! v. B1 m0 o2 P( L' D& i570. His father told everybody that Eric had been killed in action./ K# a. Z- O1 Y" H: j
他的父亲告诉大家,埃里克在战争中被打死了。+ L% @+ `7 h9 t0 M* G
571. The only other people who knew the secret were Joe and Bob.
% n5 R: _+ o- w* w p2 f 除此之外,只有乔与鲍知道这个秘密。
- C/ m. r( [0 K) l572. They did not even tell their wives., s" v6 k* `' h+ R
但他俩连自己的妻子都没告诉。: j2 E' z6 ?: j, S& ]2 T- l1 g* N. ]' g
573. When their father died, they thought it their duty to keep Eric in hiding./ c4 _9 _0 |9 |- H3 d
父亲死后,他们兄弟俩认为有责任继续把埃里克藏起来。6 ^: a. I4 A& A, o+ h; {6 e
574. All these years, Eric had lived as a recluse.$ L7 l5 ^6 O& @/ f5 ~" g. r
这些年来,埃里克过着隐士生活,
7 A8 c$ g" X1 y) s' a* W575. He used to sleep during the day and work at night, quite unaware of the fact that he had become the ghost of Endley. s7 U& U, I5 w9 N ^* |: j% G
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。
, W n* P- L: \. c6 e576. When he died, however, his brothers found it impossible to keep the secret any longer.) F4 v7 }4 {3 \
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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