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课文30 幽灵之死 K) T* } i) r& Z- f% A
552. For years, villagers believed that Endley Farm was hunted.
) C. V6 Z( t$ o* ]/ Z& W& k 多年来,村民们一直认为恩得利农场在闹鬼。
8 o) |- H) R8 a553. The farm was owned by two brothers, Joe and Bob Cox.
' z4 U; q8 C8 X6 X% e- F: H! j 恩得利农场属于乔.考科斯和鲍勃.考科斯兄弟俩所有。
- \5 @# U% J/ U {554. They employed a few farmhands, but no one was willing to work there long.
* o. M- I" u/ K3 V# u 他们雇了几个农工,但谁也不愿意在那儿长期工作下去。" i* y6 G! J. e$ V- C, |( c
555. Every time a worker gave up his job, he told the same story.6 y* T% `+ R+ Z% a. ^' d
每次雇工辞职后都叙述着同样的故事。
9 W W% b+ l$ [. Y556. Farm labourers said that they always woke up to find that work had been done overnight.$ ]1 Q/ ~$ y+ X. ]+ s4 m- _( @
雇工们说,常常一早起来发现有人在夜里把活干了,
; a' n( Z! d/ j [8 P/ {* m557. Hay had been cut and cowsheds had been cleaned.- D" \- I$ H) \( h: r. ]- }
干草已切好,牛棚也打扫干净了。, N% r7 `6 j& i+ W% S0 \
558. A farm worker, who stayed up all night claimed to have seen a figure cutting corn in the moonlight.$ V- i, O0 `3 q
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。4 m( o# E8 `0 }& j) m3 `& X0 J3 A
559. In time, it became an accepted fact the Cox brothers employed a conscientious ghost that did most of their work for them.3 p# b% q* V( z5 t4 N& _% e
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。
7 m, U* y/ i* V; l' ~560. No one suspected that there might be someone else on the farm who had never been seen.
* c4 r6 ^7 n& g# {; ~2 K- p/ l$ _ 谁也没想到农场竟会有一个从未露面的人。$ m# l8 C% r& A" R: G* @. ~
561. This was indeed the case.! F3 [) M7 H) x) h6 w- y
但事实上确有此人。
; u: C- S0 M( ~2 r1 y/ I562. A short time ago, villagers were astonished to learn that the ghost of Endley had died.
0 H) e/ H0 r- @: ^/ b 不久之前,村民们惊悉恩得利农场的鬼死了。, P2 |$ S ]2 ]8 D
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.6 [- n9 b7 C' w
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。% f; _- y' ] Z
564. After the funeral, Joe and Bob revealed a secret which they had kept for over fifty years.
9 m! z% g. [1 d 葬礼之后,乔和鲍勃透露了他们保守了长达50多年的秘密。! O! _! F6 d6 B. ?) D, R, L
565. Eric had been the eldest son of the family, very much older than his two brothers.. R6 C( I: k E' S0 |4 e1 @ q
埃里克是这家长子。年龄比他两个弟弟大很多,
, m( S% _3 j. S566. He had been obliged to join the army during the Second World War.
3 t, S, t$ R, ?4 R$ l: u 第二次世界大战期间被迫参军。, {( L- q- k5 v; u9 R5 w
567. As he hated army life, he decided to desert his regiment.! {% f1 P S3 R8 \/ p# h
他讨厌军旅生活,决定逃离所在部队。
5 i( t* K, n3 m# J- r# f568. 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.
- j4 K. a. S1 P3 M1 i* j1 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。
|/ b4 J6 l4 ]/ B% I* L. u+ P0 o569. Fearing the authorities, Eric remained in hiding after the war as well.
1 O! }: B4 I6 E 由于害怕当局,埃里克战后继续深藏不露。' m# [# o& q5 ]& H0 g6 L2 A' a) V: e
570. His father told everybody that Eric had been killed in action.: M5 C3 o3 f1 g8 b) Z% x
他的父亲告诉大家,埃里克在战争中被打死了。: h) b$ d( x% \7 O( x
571. The only other people who knew the secret were Joe and Bob.* g6 B/ Z1 H) u( J( I0 c
除此之外,只有乔与鲍知道这个秘密。 `% L6 Y. y" P' x7 U( [9 u
572. They did not even tell their wives.
7 t9 E" C. x3 k; D 但他俩连自己的妻子都没告诉。: e& L- e% }% H K
573. When their father died, they thought it their duty to keep Eric in hiding.
2 ~+ u9 e' }( W$ y 父亲死后,他们兄弟俩认为有责任继续把埃里克藏起来。; Q: h3 I ~1 c5 |* h5 }
574. All these years, Eric had lived as a recluse.6 d9 @1 S1 N6 x! o0 Y/ J# Z- _8 q
这些年来,埃里克过着隐士生活,! w& @! @/ d2 P" Q. [' o4 q& [
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.
O' S& Q3 |1 N! ]% I6 S, Z 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。$ R, R9 _! H; ^( y# B( K( `% ?, U
576. When he died, however, his brothers found it impossible to keep the secret any longer.
& h0 @# F- |; {" ] B) c0 A" { 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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