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课文30 幽灵之死 [" J- Q) c$ w+ ~
552. For years, villagers believed that Endley Farm was hunted.$ p- v- F. ?; C/ o! L* s
多年来,村民们一直认为恩得利农场在闹鬼。+ `+ F5 U0 Z$ E( e8 d
553. The farm was owned by two brothers, Joe and Bob Cox.% s! Z7 \) b9 F
恩得利农场属于乔.考科斯和鲍勃.考科斯兄弟俩所有。! _, |! U0 e; `
554. They employed a few farmhands, but no one was willing to work there long.
7 g2 e' B, N" ` 他们雇了几个农工,但谁也不愿意在那儿长期工作下去。" D: \8 Q! v7 f8 i9 p2 }: V
555. Every time a worker gave up his job, he told the same story.
3 g4 ~: l# V6 o1 K- U 每次雇工辞职后都叙述着同样的故事。
5 Z& p g1 m( \9 U& {4 p6 Y556. Farm labourers said that they always woke up to find that work had been done overnight.
9 M% C+ L$ k1 d }2 n 雇工们说,常常一早起来发现有人在夜里把活干了,2 {9 m: U1 S- W
557. Hay had been cut and cowsheds had been cleaned.
; \: y7 i( Y( m 干草已切好,牛棚也打扫干净了。
( \4 w: M+ K: n/ L' G558. A farm worker, who stayed up all night claimed to have seen a figure cutting corn in the moonlight.0 U" v7 S; x: t8 g, J. w
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。0 p$ _4 {) \. c; h" | x7 K
559. In time, it became an accepted fact the Cox brothers employed a conscientious ghost that did most of their work for them.
* @, m, C/ ~5 i# o# w$ k 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。9 C; d5 d+ o7 h2 Y
560. No one suspected that there might be someone else on the farm who had never been seen.& ^2 ]( E) H+ I& s5 i/ L
谁也没想到农场竟会有一个从未露面的人。& b* e+ g7 v; j
561. This was indeed the case.9 Q$ V" {8 ?/ R/ T) S4 e+ Y, t% ~
但事实上确有此人。
8 ^ B, W( B4 |# c: v% f562. A short time ago, villagers were astonished to learn that the ghost of Endley had died.
3 P: r8 t q0 a& w7 R# ` 不久之前,村民们惊悉恩得利农场的鬼死了。
* O# I# T$ g( r: a6 ]1 k' ~7 [+ `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.
2 n; d* |2 j# l( P$ \1 E9 p$ I 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。9 z1 C5 Y5 x9 S5 V
564. After the funeral, Joe and Bob revealed a secret which they had kept for over fifty years.
0 a ?# y X! ?3 D# z+ F 葬礼之后,乔和鲍勃透露了他们保守了长达50多年的秘密。
- c: z& P3 p$ w2 R7 s% y565. Eric had been the eldest son of the family, very much older than his two brothers.9 a8 y' s9 \0 C7 a& u, U3 E
埃里克是这家长子。年龄比他两个弟弟大很多,
7 L* {- H4 \% q3 z3 z' A! M566. He had been obliged to join the army during the Second World War.0 y# v3 w& N" @" w
第二次世界大战期间被迫参军。2 E l. ?+ t6 p, P) @
567. As he hated army life, he decided to desert his regiment.2 E) F5 T! w! w) R' N# W" Z0 B5 J
他讨厌军旅生活,决定逃离所在部队。3 O# o$ I, {7 t5 m* W
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.
, N2 D/ P" U2 k% v! c7 T0 K$ |# X 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。
; I( g8 j7 w f4 T l" O+ `569. Fearing the authorities, Eric remained in hiding after the war as well.9 Z8 B' Y9 s4 f: ^
由于害怕当局,埃里克战后继续深藏不露。
/ S7 z8 c% J+ s$ q570. His father told everybody that Eric had been killed in action.3 [2 Q2 U" {. t8 \! z* l4 ^2 c
他的父亲告诉大家,埃里克在战争中被打死了。
+ M# v* r0 `" ^8 z( s. S5 u' y9 k571. The only other people who knew the secret were Joe and Bob.
( P Q5 M3 m) T A3 V4 J. A 除此之外,只有乔与鲍知道这个秘密。. z; V+ k* r: R( U- N
572. They did not even tell their wives.4 i: h; m' a& d" `! X; D3 W: i3 e
但他俩连自己的妻子都没告诉。
6 {1 ]1 M4 _, j% e9 l7 m/ K* w573. When their father died, they thought it their duty to keep Eric in hiding." {8 N- h9 b3 z# Z8 @4 P0 w
父亲死后,他们兄弟俩认为有责任继续把埃里克藏起来。: G- x% z. N7 H( L W% \
574. All these years, Eric had lived as a recluse.
/ m1 j9 Z- {1 j( ]& e( D! E 这些年来,埃里克过着隐士生活,& K- r- X: R# W2 |; _ 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., P0 {* d! M7 m0 B
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。
3 w* ^4 p% Z; m576. When he died, however, his brothers found it impossible to keep the secret any longer.+ f! a0 _/ I- h
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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