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课文30 幽灵之死
$ B) c+ H$ M, A4 j/ T552. For years, villagers believed that Endley Farm was hunted.9 k' G: O" u3 E- N
多年来,村民们一直认为恩得利农场在闹鬼。
6 f5 h' p3 F1 Y# o0 v& j7 z5 W553. The farm was owned by two brothers, Joe and Bob Cox.* Y4 ~1 c* `: D. E0 O$ | B* g9 k1 K
恩得利农场属于乔.考科斯和鲍勃.考科斯兄弟俩所有。+ D- Z- _: d) D, ^1 s" \
554. They employed a few farmhands, but no one was willing to work there long.0 A+ k0 W4 k- B
他们雇了几个农工,但谁也不愿意在那儿长期工作下去。& H( F8 ?& C. m! O
555. Every time a worker gave up his job, he told the same story.! d b$ d( M8 q
每次雇工辞职后都叙述着同样的故事。5 x, _ H0 f( r) ^5 S! l
556. Farm labourers said that they always woke up to find that work had been done overnight.* N9 `/ }1 F8 x D6 Z
雇工们说,常常一早起来发现有人在夜里把活干了,
, j! E/ o0 r p# C' ^557. Hay had been cut and cowsheds had been cleaned.
/ @- K; f# }' e( c8 E# [- J 干草已切好,牛棚也打扫干净了。
) B; ~( g7 n) I! ]( f" Z558. A farm worker, who stayed up all night claimed to have seen a figure cutting corn in the moonlight.) R" Q8 d8 P/ X1 F* Y# 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。 e) O( H# f& b) i. J& a
559. In time, it became an accepted fact the Cox brothers employed a conscientious ghost that did most of their work for them.
6 s2 L( m3 f% b: d$ b 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 z& W1 C6 z3 t( X- Y$ S/ F# }1 T f
560. No one suspected that there might be someone else on the farm who had never been seen.
+ \& d' O o- e* x6 f1 k 谁也没想到农场竟会有一个从未露面的人。' B7 [+ z7 J. X* L+ S9 a
561. This was indeed the case.1 r8 I- o6 o3 g) W3 T) b
但事实上确有此人。7 |% z9 `& {, Z" x4 [" s
562. A short time ago, villagers were astonished to learn that the ghost of Endley had died.
1 L5 z/ @2 ` n" M 不久之前,村民们惊悉恩得利农场的鬼死了。/ n; y! w" J0 \/ S9 l A
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.% h" H& Q) r1 ~9 s* G! V/ I$ }; S
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。, A* K4 y8 @1 ]4 S
564. After the funeral, Joe and Bob revealed a secret which they had kept for over fifty years.
3 S' \- B* X. f) T0 L 葬礼之后,乔和鲍勃透露了他们保守了长达50多年的秘密。
! r2 _; E" \7 p# {565. Eric had been the eldest son of the family, very much older than his two brothers.
( Y3 p) B" \, a/ D* P2 e. X3 r 埃里克是这家长子。年龄比他两个弟弟大很多,
, ]/ t' O! l' Z( o3 t566. He had been obliged to join the army during the Second World War.) ]# Q1 e P3 P6 y
第二次世界大战期间被迫参军。/ Q3 ]2 n) E, c8 C
567. As he hated army life, he decided to desert his regiment.
. }. _% @3 H/ S/ `. e3 \ 他讨厌军旅生活,决定逃离所在部队。
& q. }5 |4 j+ x1 X J! W/ X568. 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.
/ n! D6 w" C5 Y* F3 g0 Q 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。+ X" l" ?+ _- H+ C1 m- T
569. Fearing the authorities, Eric remained in hiding after the war as well.
2 R, @) f( Z- Q5 {0 U5 j6 s 由于害怕当局,埃里克战后继续深藏不露。
* x6 P: ?/ c0 m4 K" ^8 \% x* O8 X570. His father told everybody that Eric had been killed in action.
0 I5 g; r; {5 D. K, ]/ b, q 他的父亲告诉大家,埃里克在战争中被打死了。4 d0 G% j! I0 s+ ~' B/ C/ o9 t3 C
571. The only other people who knew the secret were Joe and Bob.7 h) o& o3 K8 Z5 s& K" Q i' w8 X
除此之外,只有乔与鲍知道这个秘密。; H# W4 g; I; N/ K' d
572. They did not even tell their wives., g4 x" d: H( M$ K
但他俩连自己的妻子都没告诉。" e$ G* X" G& m* l
573. When their father died, they thought it their duty to keep Eric in hiding.
0 M' a' \- d1 A% y 父亲死后,他们兄弟俩认为有责任继续把埃里克藏起来。1 R* F# k$ {. `* L1 w
574. All these years, Eric had lived as a recluse.
) |9 n$ }1 y3 @# F' Q" @ 这些年来,埃里克过着隐士生活,
" `7 t; ~ X8 U- _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.
3 j/ f' v6 p0 W: l( R 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。
% X# i+ j+ S. P7 f1 C576. When he died, however, his brothers found it impossible to keep the secret any longer.
~1 \8 i+ b* H$ p. ^ @; C, q 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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