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课文30 幽灵之死
& }. X2 [$ |- l3 n7 k552. For years, villagers believed that Endley Farm was hunted.
% Z4 v& a3 G) E. Q) j& F( s 多年来,村民们一直认为恩得利农场在闹鬼。
% Z( P/ I/ A. M. m' `/ E) C553. The farm was owned by two brothers, Joe and Bob Cox.6 P# y N2 R4 `/ T7 w$ H
恩得利农场属于乔.考科斯和鲍勃.考科斯兄弟俩所有。
2 P7 b. f) @7 n, c554. They employed a few farmhands, but no one was willing to work there long.6 }( W2 a: H% }: r& ? v/ `, I
他们雇了几个农工,但谁也不愿意在那儿长期工作下去。8 j+ k6 ^% ~/ P# Z/ q. y% c
555. Every time a worker gave up his job, he told the same story.% G' H1 H( x$ [5 ^8 h7 a9 p; ^
每次雇工辞职后都叙述着同样的故事。
o( E7 w' t8 \7 q556. Farm labourers said that they always woke up to find that work had been done overnight.
6 f) J/ z: z$ K& b4 H 雇工们说,常常一早起来发现有人在夜里把活干了,
$ Q* J7 Z b9 [% B9 O! C557. Hay had been cut and cowsheds had been cleaned.0 C# |- v8 u! v- t H2 m4 h
干草已切好,牛棚也打扫干净了。4 I3 f7 k* O8 ?! i: ]! W
558. A farm worker, who stayed up all night claimed to have seen a figure cutting corn in the moonlight.
1 h I0 ?: g2 l, 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。2 J# U3 d% j2 R$ m
559. In time, it became an accepted fact the Cox brothers employed a conscientious ghost that did most of their work for them.4 R4 h2 g( |5 f; R2 u
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。! v6 g0 L# _/ k; X d: c
560. No one suspected that there might be someone else on the farm who had never been seen.; W, P% v: `7 R2 b
谁也没想到农场竟会有一个从未露面的人。
]1 \! K7 n) P- t561. This was indeed the case.
7 S/ {6 P8 F' i/ }2 I: P0 [) J 但事实上确有此人。
& x4 n2 K3 h @. d# j, G562. A short time ago, villagers were astonished to learn that the ghost of Endley had died.
- A4 V( d& j# N. N ` 不久之前,村民们惊悉恩得利农场的鬼死了。, a7 n8 t2 W) U- P* m, S J9 | ~
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.
9 {+ Q' z" L- N. R8 J; o0 f 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。" {: f6 x. D! T* x
564. After the funeral, Joe and Bob revealed a secret which they had kept for over fifty years.: f. E$ b o: V" Y$ K) 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。
# B1 E4 a- ]( e" k565. Eric had been the eldest son of the family, very much older than his two brothers.
% l9 o1 {1 i5 }! d. q 埃里克是这家长子。年龄比他两个弟弟大很多,
; j2 p4 |6 `+ y9 Q8 E- u& D566. He had been obliged to join the army during the Second World War.. Y$ C0 g0 `- f* |8 D
第二次世界大战期间被迫参军。
, m1 G: @% \- ]' S% `567. As he hated army life, he decided to desert his regiment.
: p/ W7 b l: G' k/ t 他讨厌军旅生活,决定逃离所在部队。
3 S2 [9 Z! y+ v7 ?+ q9 ~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.
, o6 W$ T2 [% M* I) Z! |8 ~% I 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。
- r: a8 r1 g& c/ I3 d$ S1 S569. Fearing the authorities, Eric remained in hiding after the war as well.& y6 j, B. K: N- E
由于害怕当局,埃里克战后继续深藏不露。: a w5 l" M3 d4 t
570. His father told everybody that Eric had been killed in action.
/ H4 z) M' x1 b1 X! k: L 他的父亲告诉大家,埃里克在战争中被打死了。
$ b# g7 ]% ~. p571. The only other people who knew the secret were Joe and Bob.8 e# }' G8 P! V7 F
除此之外,只有乔与鲍知道这个秘密。( c4 U- l& d& D
572. They did not even tell their wives.
/ c( T4 f1 H$ c' h$ G 但他俩连自己的妻子都没告诉。' t i. J! S$ f7 d
573. When their father died, they thought it their duty to keep Eric in hiding.
5 m5 q8 W$ X' H0 q# ~ 父亲死后,他们兄弟俩认为有责任继续把埃里克藏起来。
; h9 E* M: A# f574. All these years, Eric had lived as a recluse.0 Y: y" j5 b/ b" f" E
这些年来,埃里克过着隐士生活,
$ t# k- }" S7 f' j; N0 s575. He used to sleep during the day and work at night, quite unaware of the fact that he had become the ghost of Endley.. _$ t. Q0 v' D4 I, l( E0 |8 P1 k
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。- x4 Y1 U9 y6 Z& c
576. When he died, however, his brothers found it impossible to keep the secret any longer.( U4 m) _) @3 @/ B; D6 {* P
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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