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课文30 幽灵之死- S$ G/ D2 [7 |) Q3 I) l* H
552. For years, villagers believed that Endley Farm was hunted.3 } n/ [0 {) v& |
多年来,村民们一直认为恩得利农场在闹鬼。$ l! a( j& h& D
553. The farm was owned by two brothers, Joe and Bob Cox.
: G1 D$ d6 \) q7 m 恩得利农场属于乔.考科斯和鲍勃.考科斯兄弟俩所有。! J5 |9 x6 |" `$ H4 L
554. They employed a few farmhands, but no one was willing to work there long.
% B3 _* L. Y) O! D# ]' d 他们雇了几个农工,但谁也不愿意在那儿长期工作下去。# ^' b0 ]% d7 P
555. Every time a worker gave up his job, he told the same story.$ \4 b7 E) a1 W7 l; u0 n x
每次雇工辞职后都叙述着同样的故事。
& ~/ Q8 V# h a6 J556. Farm labourers said that they always woke up to find that work had been done overnight.
, d8 a& f+ p; W 雇工们说,常常一早起来发现有人在夜里把活干了,, j+ v8 S! I I7 X8 L
557. Hay had been cut and cowsheds had been cleaned.2 O3 u' p/ n; S+ f7 w0 E$ l1 K- R
干草已切好,牛棚也打扫干净了。0 H3 m3 n% M, }- O
558. A farm worker, who stayed up all night claimed to have seen a figure cutting corn in the moonlight.9 ~8 Q2 u& Y3 Q) W4 ~
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。
p, G, h% V6 t559. In time, it became an accepted fact the Cox brothers employed a conscientious ghost that did most of their work for them.5 K6 p5 _5 w1 Y% V8 x( M
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. Y& j7 a, ~3 U# @! q4 m0 K560. No one suspected that there might be someone else on the farm who had never been seen.5 S r! \; l1 \6 [# u1 \
谁也没想到农场竟会有一个从未露面的人。5 I# L; h* b) w% C, W* G
561. This was indeed the case.# L o3 r# U8 V; n
但事实上确有此人。# R7 i5 r) v7 \. I- q9 U! j2 z( P
562. A short time ago, villagers were astonished to learn that the ghost of Endley had died." x! F; N# r$ ?0 D. N
不久之前,村民们惊悉恩得利农场的鬼死了。$ s: L0 m. F7 G1 ?9 X
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.+ J5 w# y3 p; r4 v5 _& o, 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。
4 x& S3 R- m2 C/ q1 c8 M564. After the funeral, Joe and Bob revealed a secret which they had kept for over fifty years.9 I- _1 \. q7 V8 @
葬礼之后,乔和鲍勃透露了他们保守了长达50多年的秘密。! E1 t( A; g$ b: R% r$ ~) {8 C, [
565. Eric had been the eldest son of the family, very much older than his two brothers.: ]; {) K5 Z3 d. T
埃里克是这家长子。年龄比他两个弟弟大很多,
' K* @/ B7 [. V; L! Q+ L5 I566. He had been obliged to join the army during the Second World War.# y# x7 b, L0 w
第二次世界大战期间被迫参军。
( [7 {7 X& a9 d567. As he hated army life, he decided to desert his regiment.
( s% T, Y3 f, c1 [& y" v 他讨厌军旅生活,决定逃离所在部队。3 z5 j) T' ]1 O4 T/ ] s" m
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.7 Q8 l8 w# Y0 X0 E5 B6 D
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。
: ?8 _" {$ I( o569. Fearing the authorities, Eric remained in hiding after the war as well.* l" {! ]' D' I, M1 t
由于害怕当局,埃里克战后继续深藏不露。
3 c [9 G/ V7 K6 g0 m570. His father told everybody that Eric had been killed in action. U; i8 O! K M( {/ M5 v
他的父亲告诉大家,埃里克在战争中被打死了。; s' k8 n3 O" g" g$ F) `
571. The only other people who knew the secret were Joe and Bob.
, e6 x2 M# a1 _* u3 \ 除此之外,只有乔与鲍知道这个秘密。
& E; V4 h: a3 W! ?572. They did not even tell their wives.8 C: q' U C" v9 W/ u- I* u
但他俩连自己的妻子都没告诉。
5 R& X l' t. i! C, x& W573. When their father died, they thought it their duty to keep Eric in hiding.
& c$ g$ K' {4 F: E( x* B7 I' j/ ` 父亲死后,他们兄弟俩认为有责任继续把埃里克藏起来。5 [: N' v; N% E2 [" F
574. All these years, Eric had lived as a recluse.3 Q0 c/ F+ v' C8 T
这些年来,埃里克过着隐士生活,, k. {( m, p4 v8 \; _+ u
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.
7 ~( ~7 m8 Y2 ^7 V1 T$ j2 j5 d6 f 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。
9 F, e( r! _! _- ~$ B* c' T# N- c$ ?576. When he died, however, his brothers found it impossible to keep the secret any longer.& V9 l9 ] P& K' n' 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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