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课文30 幽灵之死% k: ^8 z& P) J. K
552. For years, villagers believed that Endley Farm was hunted.8 S) O: Z! g8 ~( o
多年来,村民们一直认为恩得利农场在闹鬼。
6 Z. q4 m+ P" [ M, Y# W: q( c553. The farm was owned by two brothers, Joe and Bob Cox./ z. h( p( E- T/ x" V6 i( T
恩得利农场属于乔.考科斯和鲍勃.考科斯兄弟俩所有。8 z+ `+ m# K0 l/ I/ M3 C( n" d' u
554. They employed a few farmhands, but no one was willing to work there long.; Y- Z( V1 y4 v
他们雇了几个农工,但谁也不愿意在那儿长期工作下去。
4 [! z! M. C; _( s+ ?% h+ F555. Every time a worker gave up his job, he told the same story., D3 Q0 @6 n, r5 k+ r; O+ e* U8 x5 t
每次雇工辞职后都叙述着同样的故事。) y1 _4 Q& J- M9 N6 Q% w$ m% u. p
556. Farm labourers said that they always woke up to find that work had been done overnight.
6 V4 G5 H3 P: C! f. k9 [ 雇工们说,常常一早起来发现有人在夜里把活干了,. G3 w; s" N- f$ `% ~ k& Y2 K
557. Hay had been cut and cowsheds had been cleaned.
" p4 W5 T7 M$ ^- _- M7 j 干草已切好,牛棚也打扫干净了。
* B6 ~3 m+ B' Z9 N- \5 z6 Y558. A farm worker, who stayed up all night claimed to have seen a figure cutting corn in the moonlight.: P5 V" G- H* S) s3 X9 r
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。* m0 B5 ~4 W& [3 h6 R& u* B
559. In time, it became an accepted fact the Cox brothers employed a conscientious ghost that did most of their work for them.
c/ F% k" E7 X* q( S 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。
, Z6 R$ s; @$ r560. No one suspected that there might be someone else on the farm who had never been seen.
& P$ h1 e: i s' i3 @$ } 谁也没想到农场竟会有一个从未露面的人。
+ |1 Q( e5 p E561. This was indeed the case.- o# Z4 d9 K+ l
但事实上确有此人。
& g2 n: o& H" x) M( Z3 i; `562. A short time ago, villagers were astonished to learn that the ghost of Endley had died.
, f8 [! n. y q5 i# j9 j5 P) O 不久之前,村民们惊悉恩得利农场的鬼死了。
; D3 y4 }1 z9 Y: E/ s563. 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.0 {. T) I1 l2 ?- l4 C
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。8 W2 k$ X* J* o
564. After the funeral, Joe and Bob revealed a secret which they had kept for over fifty years.0 E: q1 z3 P: J, r% A7 M$ @
葬礼之后,乔和鲍勃透露了他们保守了长达50多年的秘密。
/ v+ U8 l+ v8 g565. Eric had been the eldest son of the family, very much older than his two brothers.
' R; U; ^( M' p$ Y# [0 H' P0 x 埃里克是这家长子。年龄比他两个弟弟大很多,
7 i( t! ~6 L+ m8 f% x566. He had been obliged to join the army during the Second World War.
9 L8 L2 M4 T; ^0 V3 a 第二次世界大战期间被迫参军。4 y* o( r, s9 ]$ g% i
567. As he hated army life, he decided to desert his regiment.
$ x, C) U8 e3 Z* ^4 b4 e 他讨厌军旅生活,决定逃离所在部队。
" f# `2 n: j& m# T3 z! D: N568. 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.$ |: y3 U6 B- _6 S3 A6 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。
- n. T4 P- V$ q569. Fearing the authorities, Eric remained in hiding after the war as well.
) W2 `; D1 k! F$ K- E' R2 b6 c; u 由于害怕当局,埃里克战后继续深藏不露。 ` F% I+ j, j% G: n/ }1 s$ o0 A
570. His father told everybody that Eric had been killed in action." ?# u- e- u$ s
他的父亲告诉大家,埃里克在战争中被打死了。4 [ \" c0 T# C! i* K/ m
571. The only other people who knew the secret were Joe and Bob.
7 g+ |4 y9 D2 l" k* m$ k 除此之外,只有乔与鲍知道这个秘密。
C! R# b, t. i$ C- f3 s, l572. They did not even tell their wives.
2 ^& v- ]' A! m: E' i R0 n. O 但他俩连自己的妻子都没告诉。
( d- \5 x; c- W7 ~! K% b* F2 ^+ t; ]573. When their father died, they thought it their duty to keep Eric in hiding.
5 `0 u8 c( _% h% d: W5 @& r P5 _ 父亲死后,他们兄弟俩认为有责任继续把埃里克藏起来。4 X. H4 G z/ _! }6 }9 H6 O
574. All these years, Eric had lived as a recluse.8 p; P) ]0 B3 L" n' F! ~' e8 T
这些年来,埃里克过着隐士生活,
1 V: W, J9 m B1 {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. y2 ~# J5 B- o( u: }; O
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。" P1 C7 J. n" d1 r4 U
576. When he died, however, his brothers found it impossible to keep the secret any longer.
5 b- \$ U. g- z) W% |& 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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