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课文30 幽灵之死+ p. e3 O- x# {
552. For years, villagers believed that Endley Farm was hunted.
, m: Z% V) Y+ g# S C 多年来,村民们一直认为恩得利农场在闹鬼。/ T% h2 E. H0 _0 S: b0 K
553. The farm was owned by two brothers, Joe and Bob Cox.
1 e) y% @' h# {; z 恩得利农场属于乔.考科斯和鲍勃.考科斯兄弟俩所有。
" A. c+ [0 w* m/ F: m% W554. They employed a few farmhands, but no one was willing to work there long.
. Q1 W6 c" H, S6 y# z( B 他们雇了几个农工,但谁也不愿意在那儿长期工作下去。
: D3 P6 d5 ?/ r555. Every time a worker gave up his job, he told the same story.
1 ^0 ]8 p$ g+ b# s 每次雇工辞职后都叙述着同样的故事。6 h/ L9 K9 I9 w8 n
556. Farm labourers said that they always woke up to find that work had been done overnight.
+ q8 `8 X) k5 d, ? ]( F 雇工们说,常常一早起来发现有人在夜里把活干了,
9 m; M6 _# ^2 @$ z. O, ^9 I% b' n557. Hay had been cut and cowsheds had been cleaned.2 w. `+ \3 _# B+ P8 P
干草已切好,牛棚也打扫干净了。
9 ^7 R1 D# Z' u- O: `$ X# S7 d558. A farm worker, who stayed up all night claimed to have seen a figure cutting corn in the moonlight.# J% G! T# c. E& F: a
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* a G8 Z" l/ D# A
559. In time, it became an accepted fact the Cox brothers employed a conscientious ghost that did most of their work for them.
# {# r! Z) g9 S( P 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。; `: d3 g1 K& }% W9 Z. \
560. No one suspected that there might be someone else on the farm who had never been seen.
( l5 u- {" Q' l0 B2 A 谁也没想到农场竟会有一个从未露面的人。
- J K0 C2 Q. y; H3 l561. This was indeed the case.
: W1 I. w* v* T% x. ?9 z' F; t 但事实上确有此人。) v5 W% g2 s! j4 y6 Z; a3 r
562. A short time ago, villagers were astonished to learn that the ghost of Endley had died.
0 I; Y( U8 d! B' Z 不久之前,村民们惊悉恩得利农场的鬼死了。
7 @) K+ @) y9 Y) t' \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.( b5 W$ l# Z7 F' C9 G" 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。
( `) o3 {) I8 Z. k564. After the funeral, Joe and Bob revealed a secret which they had kept for over fifty years.
1 c( k4 U" U1 K/ g5 m0 z! U/ F 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 ]- J0 O. f' g) {) q( ]) i565. Eric had been the eldest son of the family, very much older than his two brothers.
+ ?" E# ~' I: a 埃里克是这家长子。年龄比他两个弟弟大很多,
/ b& a) Z n7 N8 D# g" d6 n* P/ S566. He had been obliged to join the army during the Second World War.. [6 ]* H1 X' V) q7 H
第二次世界大战期间被迫参军。
9 m7 H& G& W$ F0 `+ {. D$ U567. As he hated army life, he decided to desert his regiment.
7 y* x" K/ _! k% o$ {0 k# q, b6 T 他讨厌军旅生活,决定逃离所在部队。
! K: z J% p5 t3 p" a568. 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 v7 o, ^! ]7 ~' W) M
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。% }2 p! K6 E% t' {& f5 |" Q
569. Fearing the authorities, Eric remained in hiding after the war as well." X. a7 A0 q: I$ }( Z5 K( ^/ A
由于害怕当局,埃里克战后继续深藏不露。' R) q$ b7 r4 }" D i: {- i* U/ a
570. His father told everybody that Eric had been killed in action.
; I7 d! a" c* l- I& G% d' v 他的父亲告诉大家,埃里克在战争中被打死了。6 X9 g8 G6 H9 a4 U
571. The only other people who knew the secret were Joe and Bob.
& s1 Z' v" H O& y" o+ l 除此之外,只有乔与鲍知道这个秘密。4 N0 `$ K& ]2 ]& @
572. They did not even tell their wives.0 o% b7 W% s+ n. Y4 f" e/ u
但他俩连自己的妻子都没告诉。
: |1 D% b/ A2 { S) h573. When their father died, they thought it their duty to keep Eric in hiding.
! ]7 I+ G( z4 q; c 父亲死后,他们兄弟俩认为有责任继续把埃里克藏起来。1 Y$ _! Y* ~+ X* ~7 X" T* ?
574. All these years, Eric had lived as a recluse.
& E' z6 K* o! M! S4 j 这些年来,埃里克过着隐士生活,
! N! D3 e, Z4 a6 R' ]& f575. 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 G2 I" z6 {' p- e+ K R) Y
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。' X7 C+ Q! S1 k5 L+ H4 ^
576. When he died, however, his brothers found it impossible to keep the secret any longer.; V- a' G+ J4 i3 o- Q
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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