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课文30 幽灵之死- t% w' [9 X+ S/ m/ p. t
552. For years, villagers believed that Endley Farm was hunted.7 y* V5 n- `* b# l
多年来,村民们一直认为恩得利农场在闹鬼。9 e6 u* T _3 q0 x3 s
553. The farm was owned by two brothers, Joe and Bob Cox.
+ g) \2 \8 ~* k$ W! v 恩得利农场属于乔.考科斯和鲍勃.考科斯兄弟俩所有。& S( g# D4 P( y4 i2 N' H" V3 T( S' z$ f
554. They employed a few farmhands, but no one was willing to work there long.0 K S. D+ ?* i7 ~* u1 F: h
他们雇了几个农工,但谁也不愿意在那儿长期工作下去。! Z( w6 \* J! I7 U' e2 g/ G
555. Every time a worker gave up his job, he told the same story.' r& Z ~( ^ C* T
每次雇工辞职后都叙述着同样的故事。; N5 {% v, M7 n7 I
556. Farm labourers said that they always woke up to find that work had been done overnight.; l# q5 }4 a' P) m6 ~- x
雇工们说,常常一早起来发现有人在夜里把活干了,' e9 i3 s V7 K8 \
557. Hay had been cut and cowsheds had been cleaned.5 i; r; u5 Z% ~% e8 W
干草已切好,牛棚也打扫干净了。
% @" {8 Q0 I! p7 D558. A farm worker, who stayed up all night claimed to have seen a figure cutting corn in the moonlight.
9 m: u+ K+ I# Z/ T/ ^ 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+ z- q1 l6 B0 a4 \7 I/ g3 X: D& o5 b
559. In time, it became an accepted fact the Cox brothers employed a conscientious ghost that did most of their work for them. e: U- B/ u# d4 k1 ^2 t
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 c3 n, w& N' g+ e4 J
560. No one suspected that there might be someone else on the farm who had never been seen.) h1 ] ]' V9 d9 J# X! W, O
谁也没想到农场竟会有一个从未露面的人。
! C F& f- b4 A# N9 Z0 t561. This was indeed the case.
* F1 B8 Z8 ^1 v 但事实上确有此人。
( _5 T* |$ F n562. A short time ago, villagers were astonished to learn that the ghost of Endley had died.- @' @3 m1 z+ T" R8 P/ r7 i) c
不久之前,村民们惊悉恩得利农场的鬼死了。% B" `& \1 K* p* f1 @3 \
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.
: q+ B0 P) x [) Z: u% j1 j( J 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。
: D& L3 _- \& F) _2 [5 F+ B$ J564. After the funeral, Joe and Bob revealed a secret which they had kept for over fifty years.
/ t( o9 I$ S9 w 葬礼之后,乔和鲍勃透露了他们保守了长达50多年的秘密。% e$ f# A9 C7 u- |$ B/ C$ l
565. Eric had been the eldest son of the family, very much older than his two brothers." X! }% J3 b4 u8 {$ \& p- V+ M) O
埃里克是这家长子。年龄比他两个弟弟大很多,
5 `; l& q: x/ b& k5 I566. He had been obliged to join the army during the Second World War.9 x0 ^2 M, s+ V- M: ?( Z1 U
第二次世界大战期间被迫参军。; }4 t0 [3 J: G& y7 d" M, i2 K& `
567. As he hated army life, he decided to desert his regiment.
: b b7 E- W0 C 他讨厌军旅生活,决定逃离所在部队。
3 q+ D. B6 H! i, X8 ?2 a568. 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.' a- {6 r* x+ V1 O# D0 |
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。) T Z& R, r/ |. r9 _# Y, Z
569. Fearing the authorities, Eric remained in hiding after the war as well.8 @0 a+ l. t0 _ ]! Q: N
由于害怕当局,埃里克战后继续深藏不露。( L9 g, b$ k% Y$ j2 @
570. His father told everybody that Eric had been killed in action.) j& [1 v. _1 r1 w
他的父亲告诉大家,埃里克在战争中被打死了。* N% e& b& V8 g4 h4 C/ ^. @3 a
571. The only other people who knew the secret were Joe and Bob.5 J3 q# @, F7 b: U
除此之外,只有乔与鲍知道这个秘密。
: Q& B0 l# i/ v8 Q572. They did not even tell their wives.
" F; C @8 P5 i& g8 j; S/ D+ S, V 但他俩连自己的妻子都没告诉。 K7 ~+ N5 w6 `1 |
573. When their father died, they thought it their duty to keep Eric in hiding.
7 {, {7 A' }' }9 b4 g# m 父亲死后,他们兄弟俩认为有责任继续把埃里克藏起来。
3 Y8 B( D$ W4 ?0 Y+ K5 [, m o$ J3 k574. All these years, Eric had lived as a recluse.9 V* D/ D* I( V* s2 g0 G" G+ c
这些年来,埃里克过着隐士生活,8 R1 G7 ?! m" J X$ I" n6 ^
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.8 q& Z' c; R7 T" ~- l2 d
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。
) n' e3 \9 r0 }. C+ q576. When he died, however, his brothers found it impossible to keep the secret any longer.
2 R' X5 j3 d2 |" D: K% |3 W 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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