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课文30 幽灵之死: R$ G7 g5 C) a! `8 k4 ~+ F S
552. For years, villagers believed that Endley Farm was hunted.
+ d; ~3 [3 n% V% ?. P 多年来,村民们一直认为恩得利农场在闹鬼。
5 o; o" F0 I# h9 I$ Z553. The farm was owned by two brothers, Joe and Bob Cox.
9 \8 K6 Y$ I8 O) t0 P0 {+ f 恩得利农场属于乔.考科斯和鲍勃.考科斯兄弟俩所有。$ A: `2 i. c% l, W! d+ V5 C
554. They employed a few farmhands, but no one was willing to work there long.0 \: k" T. v( u' t' L/ U. ^3 l7 X
他们雇了几个农工,但谁也不愿意在那儿长期工作下去。
% S A; c/ ?. [' f5 Z9 F555. Every time a worker gave up his job, he told the same story.& I4 O* X. w' ` P4 ~
每次雇工辞职后都叙述着同样的故事。( Q5 J$ ]% Q8 p, \+ z/ a
556. Farm labourers said that they always woke up to find that work had been done overnight.% H' U6 s- C! }! l0 D
雇工们说,常常一早起来发现有人在夜里把活干了,
. ~+ ^5 ?) u; I! Y4 N2 L557. Hay had been cut and cowsheds had been cleaned.
7 _+ W g- b" F 干草已切好,牛棚也打扫干净了。
% g" I7 S2 C7 E( H558. A farm worker, who stayed up all night claimed to have seen a figure cutting corn in the moonlight., M$ |5 z( ~- q& n, i
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。& h. ?% W+ G+ j5 s% l# `9 g
559. In time, it became an accepted fact the Cox brothers employed a conscientious ghost that did most of their work for them.
+ _4 p7 s& z$ Z1 d$ _# 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。
/ F6 c, X7 n3 m% t' g. P560. No one suspected that there might be someone else on the farm who had never been seen.
0 w4 W9 f) @0 d( r! l/ c 谁也没想到农场竟会有一个从未露面的人。9 [ B6 C0 @9 I/ l
561. This was indeed the case.
9 m+ ?( g# s7 T9 n: |( t3 G8 x 但事实上确有此人。. z, s" J7 d3 E; m! g, Y
562. A short time ago, villagers were astonished to learn that the ghost of Endley had died.) x6 s3 _' v* j
不久之前,村民们惊悉恩得利农场的鬼死了。
4 t; N! a4 j, f6 _8 t; t" a563. 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.
$ n6 e0 p# o' J! W% Z, T 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。; [0 I! A' a5 `; u9 ?( v
564. After the funeral, Joe and Bob revealed a secret which they had kept for over fifty years.( E h1 Z) Q9 W( V8 y
葬礼之后,乔和鲍勃透露了他们保守了长达50多年的秘密。
, |* O5 ]8 Q$ j# u8 |565. Eric had been the eldest son of the family, very much older than his two brothers.
, K6 {: G4 `. ?8 } 埃里克是这家长子。年龄比他两个弟弟大很多,. [0 z# l0 ~2 B
566. He had been obliged to join the army during the Second World War.$ t- J) S+ l9 x, x2 u
第二次世界大战期间被迫参军。5 t+ R% M) y l0 F8 l! b9 j
567. As he hated army life, he decided to desert his regiment.
" _/ x ~% ]7 A+ n9 T* t 他讨厌军旅生活,决定逃离所在部队。# u- Z- k: O% R; J9 o, A% {
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.5 o. D0 ^% @3 W
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。
, q) H; ~" N8 Q2 S# }8 H569. Fearing the authorities, Eric remained in hiding after the war as well.
0 X* B& f8 P9 a( N 由于害怕当局,埃里克战后继续深藏不露。& `; r/ _6 ^/ ^
570. His father told everybody that Eric had been killed in action.
( a R# B) D* j( Z5 M7 { 他的父亲告诉大家,埃里克在战争中被打死了。, w! x. \! v; L4 C! L/ Y m# C; P
571. The only other people who knew the secret were Joe and Bob.
: a5 w& d( J: l 除此之外,只有乔与鲍知道这个秘密。" V) O9 s \% A- d: u9 F! ~8 l
572. They did not even tell their wives.
8 t! g, N, L0 F% ~1 J 但他俩连自己的妻子都没告诉。
" R5 N& c' Q1 n# }- O573. When their father died, they thought it their duty to keep Eric in hiding., n: p" |% H+ m* r
父亲死后,他们兄弟俩认为有责任继续把埃里克藏起来。* Y" x, h- j; S. Z$ _3 P
574. All these years, Eric had lived as a recluse.
# f. i$ a' F$ e, Z3 { 这些年来,埃里克过着隐士生活,
( J2 Z2 S' w- k. P- _, @& @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.0 j% b+ l- P( r6 t
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。
# ]( A* T' F5 w0 H) y' ]4 X: J$ `576. When he died, however, his brothers found it impossible to keep the secret any longer.
1 P& H. Q" D7 B- z 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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