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课文30 幽灵之死( x4 W, b6 b# D
552. For years, villagers believed that Endley Farm was hunted.
; a# b: {6 [9 c# g& {& A 多年来,村民们一直认为恩得利农场在闹鬼。" v; }# Q- @! O2 U* U
553. The farm was owned by two brothers, Joe and Bob Cox." w/ Y% s% r \* X* y& I
恩得利农场属于乔.考科斯和鲍勃.考科斯兄弟俩所有。# z/ J5 F h3 m4 v
554. They employed a few farmhands, but no one was willing to work there long.
: v- {/ Y4 T5 w: T 他们雇了几个农工,但谁也不愿意在那儿长期工作下去。; I2 ^$ K, w6 f1 Q) S1 `
555. Every time a worker gave up his job, he told the same story.# u8 {% c- h6 d {1 @0 f
每次雇工辞职后都叙述着同样的故事。
{% s, W' Y$ {8 f& M556. Farm labourers said that they always woke up to find that work had been done overnight.9 l- H% P e6 n% o
雇工们说,常常一早起来发现有人在夜里把活干了,+ q$ Y( X) Z6 I" s3 p
557. Hay had been cut and cowsheds had been cleaned.
s: L: R* W1 z1 [' x5 T3 G8 x 干草已切好,牛棚也打扫干净了。0 t( \3 G4 M1 L8 K+ y
558. A farm worker, who stayed up all night claimed to have seen a figure cutting corn in the moonlight.
6 Y, D' z s+ y$ u0 T! g/ K& J u5 h6 P 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。
M# h( ^9 _) `: H, R. p! n0 C559. In time, it became an accepted fact the Cox brothers employed a conscientious ghost that did most of their work for them.8 N( j% F) b! {- v# L% S
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。3 z: v5 g) x C- N
560. No one suspected that there might be someone else on the farm who had never been seen.
' I( E/ D [$ X% g$ l7 x2 F 谁也没想到农场竟会有一个从未露面的人。
' g$ t) \& g& p4 r+ u- B561. This was indeed the case.8 l# L& K" T) R# Z& K6 y
但事实上确有此人。- ^# a. y3 c) o5 r1 x: W
562. A short time ago, villagers were astonished to learn that the ghost of Endley had died.* G. O: _. A. P0 q- ^: z
不久之前,村民们惊悉恩得利农场的鬼死了。
. y9 p/ D+ J$ v563. 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.
+ e7 o. s* z7 f5 ]8 n4 n* S' Z A# j! r9 Q 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。
W$ \, r+ c0 [ P) I H- h v564. After the funeral, Joe and Bob revealed a secret which they had kept for over fifty years.: t) p1 f$ K3 J3 l- g+ x
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. E6 G7 d* q; X" z565. Eric had been the eldest son of the family, very much older than his two brothers.4 S, D! H6 ]+ O3 k4 e
埃里克是这家长子。年龄比他两个弟弟大很多,) O4 z1 a( H1 K( o
566. He had been obliged to join the army during the Second World War.+ ^: u3 e8 x" A7 ]- Q$ W
第二次世界大战期间被迫参军。
2 j0 m7 W6 R8 `' V5 g- k( l& f# W567. As he hated army life, he decided to desert his regiment.. T, S: M5 ]. @0 r5 P0 a; D
他讨厌军旅生活,决定逃离所在部队。( g9 P! s$ \) k
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.
! z, d6 F" i: ^: F 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。; C4 U& G# o7 s& l7 N, O: [, }+ A# c
569. Fearing the authorities, Eric remained in hiding after the war as well.3 B) ^6 D$ k K& ?2 n
由于害怕当局,埃里克战后继续深藏不露。1 N( c! P" i; w4 h
570. His father told everybody that Eric had been killed in action.
0 X" F! [ u1 C. V3 p1 w1 [) v 他的父亲告诉大家,埃里克在战争中被打死了。+ _# Y" H( C6 P
571. The only other people who knew the secret were Joe and Bob.7 U, h4 p, ?2 f. n7 w e; w
除此之外,只有乔与鲍知道这个秘密。
2 ~5 Y* D# h9 | f- v572. They did not even tell their wives.
* f/ _* x) W7 X7 u' a7 | 但他俩连自己的妻子都没告诉。, X! t; |: X3 |% ^3 `* [
573. When their father died, they thought it their duty to keep Eric in hiding.
% K" P7 K+ t5 W4 W1 B 父亲死后,他们兄弟俩认为有责任继续把埃里克藏起来。7 R t' w, B6 D& j2 F
574. All these years, Eric had lived as a recluse.# ~2 u- p1 [5 _( O. t3 M0 j
这些年来,埃里克过着隐士生活, y: W& {# g$ j2 e
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.
3 G# v) D3 N2 W 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。
* E4 Q( k9 |) Q; y4 o) Q" \576. When he died, however, his brothers found it impossible to keep the secret any longer. Z' c* W2 T" J$ U7 Z1 K
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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