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课文30 幽灵之死2 {' K3 V1 S% V9 Q5 Y
552. For years, villagers believed that Endley Farm was hunted.
9 t. @3 D/ O9 i' c! l! u 多年来,村民们一直认为恩得利农场在闹鬼。
0 d) T% h+ d/ c- f( e1 [- v553. The farm was owned by two brothers, Joe and Bob Cox., u* k, h5 Q% J5 A S
恩得利农场属于乔.考科斯和鲍勃.考科斯兄弟俩所有。
; s. }4 [0 n5 z0 r554. They employed a few farmhands, but no one was willing to work there long.) y R) u f$ D
他们雇了几个农工,但谁也不愿意在那儿长期工作下去。- H3 o0 p3 h8 ]/ F# U8 q$ s" o% \
555. Every time a worker gave up his job, he told the same story.+ }" ?! _; U" B- c$ j" N
每次雇工辞职后都叙述着同样的故事。* ~. i% ` S4 p0 n
556. Farm labourers said that they always woke up to find that work had been done overnight.$ G* t; T/ ^* |. M
雇工们说,常常一早起来发现有人在夜里把活干了,
( o; _. M( j! v* S3 N- e557. Hay had been cut and cowsheds had been cleaned.
% c( p' {6 q+ j/ _ 干草已切好,牛棚也打扫干净了。
T8 d3 \! L6 y558. A farm worker, who stayed up all night claimed to have seen a figure cutting corn in the moonlight.
) }# x* O8 ?5 [0 M. C 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。% j) Z0 T6 ]3 t4 m2 w
559. In time, it became an accepted fact the Cox brothers employed a conscientious ghost that did most of their work for them./ i% a& R" a3 X9 ]
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。 ~" h( A, e H
560. No one suspected that there might be someone else on the farm who had never been seen.
# M) ?% |. g" P! t) r8 e, w 谁也没想到农场竟会有一个从未露面的人。' c& Y0 s" I7 @4 n' D
561. This was indeed the case.
, Z+ C# W9 o: J% { 但事实上确有此人。
( d$ L* m9 n0 r+ J, }0 m, O562. A short time ago, villagers were astonished to learn that the ghost of Endley had died.
* E4 P, {+ E. T& {1 e2 M; X 不久之前,村民们惊悉恩得利农场的鬼死了。
/ w4 @4 k5 |3 c563. 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.4 X4 S# g5 ~# c$ F* G) D
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。
' P, G7 ?' j* ~' X9 B |564. After the funeral, Joe and Bob revealed a secret which they had kept for over fifty years.4 Y3 P. G9 R' T; z" A# v# }
葬礼之后,乔和鲍勃透露了他们保守了长达50多年的秘密。+ m/ {. b' \9 V. w$ C/ H
565. Eric had been the eldest son of the family, very much older than his two brothers.
9 B( p: }" E- M) x/ X$ } 埃里克是这家长子。年龄比他两个弟弟大很多,0 x$ ?6 i( v x9 C3 d# I0 U
566. He had been obliged to join the army during the Second World War.
) x+ U. c$ s( {3 Z 第二次世界大战期间被迫参军。
8 w8 ?- i* h4 b& x) T) U8 @5 B567. As he hated army life, he decided to desert his regiment.
4 [7 H" k3 d. a( n2 W( D 他讨厌军旅生活,决定逃离所在部队。* D3 x4 n! \3 }4 s/ h9 m. }) Y
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.
( b! b$ T0 Q# T) V: y 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。
0 q4 a2 K; j, G( C: T569. Fearing the authorities, Eric remained in hiding after the war as well.- _# D: `" r# w! C
由于害怕当局,埃里克战后继续深藏不露。) [ p$ h6 y! g
570. His father told everybody that Eric had been killed in action.& W0 I8 h! `, J
他的父亲告诉大家,埃里克在战争中被打死了。
8 l+ M% e3 w" B' u571. The only other people who knew the secret were Joe and Bob.: N+ L8 ~2 ^5 T; ?6 B# }
除此之外,只有乔与鲍知道这个秘密。
. d% Z6 t1 I9 [9 X5 m- j4 D' L9 }- U572. They did not even tell their wives.' d- E4 A: P, R0 T J
但他俩连自己的妻子都没告诉。- o2 t" U6 n4 Z" m% M5 f4 d
573. When their father died, they thought it their duty to keep Eric in hiding.
. e- R8 V3 |8 F# ? 父亲死后,他们兄弟俩认为有责任继续把埃里克藏起来。
7 T5 L* C ]' b$ O! ]. K574. All these years, Eric had lived as a recluse.4 V3 I# v3 B, A. e8 A- g
这些年来,埃里克过着隐士生活,3 ?0 Q8 B8 o6 q; N. i0 M! G6 M
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.! V1 u% Q' E& y0 `4 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。
; j* s3 Z. O: x/ B9 e; U/ G D576. When he died, however, his brothers found it impossible to keep the secret any longer.9 k+ b( F U. h0 t+ p% D
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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