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课文30 幽灵之死
! {' ]1 I( U3 n+ x6 x0 J552. For years, villagers believed that Endley Farm was hunted.
: m! O% R% S$ i8 u2 h2 O$ A2 b 多年来,村民们一直认为恩得利农场在闹鬼。+ T/ h+ W. |: s2 m) t$ H
553. The farm was owned by two brothers, Joe and Bob Cox.; J0 _; g. {/ b$ N7 @1 S$ Q, C
恩得利农场属于乔.考科斯和鲍勃.考科斯兄弟俩所有。: `+ ]( r7 D& n) j
554. They employed a few farmhands, but no one was willing to work there long." ^5 [, R- A8 Y6 U8 f+ B% |1 s( R
他们雇了几个农工,但谁也不愿意在那儿长期工作下去。
) P. b* c" L3 B( j555. Every time a worker gave up his job, he told the same story.2 o' b; j$ y: E4 q! k; K1 q2 ]
每次雇工辞职后都叙述着同样的故事。
' r/ \" k: q2 }: V' w3 s; N/ H556. Farm labourers said that they always woke up to find that work had been done overnight.& P( `% C" q- c7 p7 M: U
雇工们说,常常一早起来发现有人在夜里把活干了,0 I2 A4 O" M! S8 E2 W
557. Hay had been cut and cowsheds had been cleaned.
0 g7 a) H3 T) P8 V. F! {4 r 干草已切好,牛棚也打扫干净了。; A5 E+ m K# y7 T
558. A farm worker, who stayed up all night claimed to have seen a figure cutting corn in the moonlight.
& T$ s6 n+ L* h' g5 y8 c$ f7 N 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。3 }3 k& \4 |6 D+ J+ B
559. In time, it became an accepted fact the Cox brothers employed a conscientious ghost that did most of their work for them.1 ?0 X1 [0 V/ ]* `8 W2 }' o
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。
8 {3 E) [& P& u: x% d- b560. No one suspected that there might be someone else on the farm who had never been seen.
" j, J, j: c* a 谁也没想到农场竟会有一个从未露面的人。
( q5 d- F) T9 z5 r! r+ l% Y3 t1 R561. This was indeed the case.
: t: \% v* d; K) I2 [& e. ^8 [ 但事实上确有此人。
5 Q# p1 T: y; G. {2 E562. A short time ago, villagers were astonished to learn that the ghost of Endley had died.
4 n6 I5 i+ A* g& c' l. Z 不久之前,村民们惊悉恩得利农场的鬼死了。1 q9 u; {) a: K
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.
" J0 I5 R- Y. v0 c; U 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。
) A% C* o( M/ i3 [ }* f! Q564. After the funeral, Joe and Bob revealed a secret which they had kept for over fifty years.! p2 e" j3 m/ r1 Q( q" h
葬礼之后,乔和鲍勃透露了他们保守了长达50多年的秘密。
1 N% M/ k9 ~+ ~* A3 E( j0 [565. Eric had been the eldest son of the family, very much older than his two brothers.* x5 K* m2 J9 |# R0 I" X, ^( D
埃里克是这家长子。年龄比他两个弟弟大很多,% w; H. ^7 r- c3 D7 H% i) y- O
566. He had been obliged to join the army during the Second World War.
, B e( o1 j3 p. y 第二次世界大战期间被迫参军。
7 R2 K% r+ }- g# O& ^567. As he hated army life, he decided to desert his regiment.& z2 Z4 D @+ Y" W
他讨厌军旅生活,决定逃离所在部队。
4 }+ i1 e( o$ w% k8 M' O. j568. 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.
, ^; |4 b/ c( I3 T' 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。4 F B! N2 g# `2 l1 L4 f0 v
569. Fearing the authorities, Eric remained in hiding after the war as well.
8 d. M* E: Z2 d 由于害怕当局,埃里克战后继续深藏不露。; l4 T# v+ c) a2 y! \2 s
570. His father told everybody that Eric had been killed in action.# ]. o; o/ ?0 `0 K. Q# v
他的父亲告诉大家,埃里克在战争中被打死了。
* g5 `# N! W- H* k; e571. The only other people who knew the secret were Joe and Bob.9 N1 k$ E2 c/ A0 ]/ v8 H& y
除此之外,只有乔与鲍知道这个秘密。
9 Q) w, E, z. c. |4 y& [572. They did not even tell their wives.% c9 ?, W4 Q1 D& @
但他俩连自己的妻子都没告诉。# h) c" X, n$ N3 V6 g# F
573. When their father died, they thought it their duty to keep Eric in hiding.1 h) Q3 O/ ^/ Y7 l+ j
父亲死后,他们兄弟俩认为有责任继续把埃里克藏起来。
+ I8 V6 m0 g3 X& [574. All these years, Eric had lived as a recluse.
0 X3 P6 o$ K/ S9 j- Y* l! {7 Q- u 这些年来,埃里克过着隐士生活,
$ _0 Z! X/ q) P$ Q6 h575. 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 w U7 m/ v9 T, 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。
1 J: m$ ?; o7 g- U( ^: X576. When he died, however, his brothers found it impossible to keep the secret any longer.
7 [( S5 g# z1 p2 L! F* N 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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