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课文30 幽灵之死4 V2 d# d4 H k2 Q" p
552. For years, villagers believed that Endley Farm was hunted.) Z/ v$ c( `3 w& G4 N* b* n, H! g* E
多年来,村民们一直认为恩得利农场在闹鬼。
0 N8 _- j. R7 I4 ?# O5 a553. The farm was owned by two brothers, Joe and Bob Cox." m# T- @$ d& w" s$ B% a
恩得利农场属于乔.考科斯和鲍勃.考科斯兄弟俩所有。
& N4 s# D Y2 A' e4 E554. They employed a few farmhands, but no one was willing to work there long.! r7 V1 f! X/ O' o9 F
他们雇了几个农工,但谁也不愿意在那儿长期工作下去。, E9 G& j' }1 a- Z
555. Every time a worker gave up his job, he told the same story.* k/ s! j/ G* j2 s3 R
每次雇工辞职后都叙述着同样的故事。
/ U, g5 ?" w+ B4 i0 c3 E1 ]556. Farm labourers said that they always woke up to find that work had been done overnight.
" Y, B: Q0 M+ ?6 z# Z( S 雇工们说,常常一早起来发现有人在夜里把活干了,' M8 f2 d8 z4 b
557. Hay had been cut and cowsheds had been cleaned.' @. \$ g a& \" u; F
干草已切好,牛棚也打扫干净了。 e0 n5 q- _: }. H
558. A farm worker, who stayed up all night claimed to have seen a figure cutting corn in the moonlight.
. }' S3 w0 w1 Y; b) l3 { 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。& W6 Z9 V6 S8 u. ?/ V
559. In time, it became an accepted fact the Cox brothers employed a conscientious ghost that did most of their work for them.$ n4 _! u% T1 M8 @0 B1 ~
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。* P$ x# c0 Q- {% f- e
560. No one suspected that there might be someone else on the farm who had never been seen.
( g; k" F" f8 N! O# x# a; N1 t 谁也没想到农场竟会有一个从未露面的人。- v, L8 [: O' Z: w
561. This was indeed the case.
, j' T1 b5 I6 f/ C 但事实上确有此人。' Y8 _4 v% l+ |: D
562. A short time ago, villagers were astonished to learn that the ghost of Endley had died.% i Z; ?" P! Q
不久之前,村民们惊悉恩得利农场的鬼死了。
9 A- O* c3 o3 h; A# p563. 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." k$ k1 A% m4 [8 \1 d# l: x& Y
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。# M* l5 J6 V3 s" b, k3 U
564. After the funeral, Joe and Bob revealed a secret which they had kept for over fifty years.
) n' j9 C' N6 V$ A( k" u/ ]8 } 葬礼之后,乔和鲍勃透露了他们保守了长达50多年的秘密。2 M2 X* f: E0 n1 v
565. Eric had been the eldest son of the family, very much older than his two brothers.5 ?* U$ p" e2 x1 u8 V
埃里克是这家长子。年龄比他两个弟弟大很多,
6 \( u8 m) y( c5 R566. He had been obliged to join the army during the Second World War.
; ?9 V: C& e4 W! x0 }1 V. i 第二次世界大战期间被迫参军。
- L6 |6 W4 h7 w, X. f. \$ B4 y567. As he hated army life, he decided to desert his regiment.4 M$ q9 a1 k% p0 o9 z o; V& F
他讨厌军旅生活,决定逃离所在部队。0 `8 d0 L; p6 }/ L' @3 g7 t! 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.4 \( `2 ]$ h* P2 C$ P/ D2 c6 a5 H
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。7 i6 m9 y" y$ Q& W Z7 W1 y; J' Q( V
569. Fearing the authorities, Eric remained in hiding after the war as well.
$ L+ b6 c/ O$ ~' V$ v1 n2 M 由于害怕当局,埃里克战后继续深藏不露。
/ V% o, E2 ?. V8 ]1 w5 p7 `0 ]570. His father told everybody that Eric had been killed in action.
# }* l' C+ T) G" v/ g 他的父亲告诉大家,埃里克在战争中被打死了。
3 E# c, B8 Y+ B. Q" ^+ I571. The only other people who knew the secret were Joe and Bob.
$ R( S% K2 k& a. a 除此之外,只有乔与鲍知道这个秘密。: w8 L/ d' r! |+ m, U: B
572. They did not even tell their wives.
8 c+ w% v4 Q) i0 k 但他俩连自己的妻子都没告诉。
: H3 }& i E: v4 Q" _) t573. When their father died, they thought it their duty to keep Eric in hiding.3 ~( [2 x0 W9 `* Z# w4 m
父亲死后,他们兄弟俩认为有责任继续把埃里克藏起来。
+ W) F+ Q6 n7 B& @2 t& T* o" {574. All these years, Eric had lived as a recluse.' i( L8 B4 I3 u9 S/ W) v# h7 X
这些年来,埃里克过着隐士生活,
1 Z$ T1 n( \+ _* l U% P575. He used to sleep during the day and work at night, quite unaware of the fact that he had become the ghost of Endley.
9 k" N3 P) `: I 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。5 j6 d- ~% o5 B$ J8 a* {
576. When he died, however, his brothers found it impossible to keep the secret any longer.
: ^) ?; ?. _1 i* { 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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