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课文30 幽灵之死9 u9 \+ d5 r' N' P) `0 U. s
552. For years, villagers believed that Endley Farm was hunted.
, m1 ?/ C4 `- t% L7 l/ ?* @ 多年来,村民们一直认为恩得利农场在闹鬼。& d* m4 Q# M, H7 O8 W5 S5 {
553. The farm was owned by two brothers, Joe and Bob Cox.
, z/ ^: K6 l; e: ]" g 恩得利农场属于乔.考科斯和鲍勃.考科斯兄弟俩所有。
8 i! v& _- _# ^+ o' P554. They employed a few farmhands, but no one was willing to work there long.# A$ j" _6 m: W4 k- L+ Q3 U
他们雇了几个农工,但谁也不愿意在那儿长期工作下去。
, C7 r) G" b/ r- `- K7 y$ b555. Every time a worker gave up his job, he told the same story.7 d6 n+ K2 u) y) m3 y
每次雇工辞职后都叙述着同样的故事。
+ V: J; S2 b% ?+ ~8 _% |/ ]9 O556. Farm labourers said that they always woke up to find that work had been done overnight.* m( q. s" D6 N1 v, L# g0 e5 e; J
雇工们说,常常一早起来发现有人在夜里把活干了,
& E8 |1 r) b, C7 ?) ~557. Hay had been cut and cowsheds had been cleaned.
: b% Z( Q% ?4 b 干草已切好,牛棚也打扫干净了。2 Y0 _5 u& A! N/ N4 y" }8 ~
558. A farm worker, who stayed up all night claimed to have seen a figure cutting corn in the moonlight.
* A1 d/ `! G, ^( m3 Y6 [: ? 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。
/ @( l/ H& D# D# b4 C! `559. In time, it became an accepted fact the Cox brothers employed a conscientious ghost that did most of their work for them.$ y. j, @3 ]& b4 G r
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。( K+ B& g7 C6 s/ {: ^3 w
560. No one suspected that there might be someone else on the farm who had never been seen.
2 {( \" G0 ]5 ]$ m( B: D4 Q0 R 谁也没想到农场竟会有一个从未露面的人。3 q; U* z0 J4 I/ R* C$ M
561. This was indeed the case.7 `* e8 E3 E# b, |0 X: D8 Y
但事实上确有此人。
5 p! [. U# O) U562. A short time ago, villagers were astonished to learn that the ghost of Endley had died.
) y) m: @" t5 e1 ? 不久之前,村民们惊悉恩得利农场的鬼死了。) K0 G- w; {" ~6 H# S
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." D, d( y5 P! @2 [" ~. v& a
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。
, i- q: N5 X, L564. After the funeral, Joe and Bob revealed a secret which they had kept for over fifty years.
2 M( K% ~3 L/ h+ C2 k; o6 Q 葬礼之后,乔和鲍勃透露了他们保守了长达50多年的秘密。. |, u& w& f+ G3 k. i$ v% R
565. Eric had been the eldest son of the family, very much older than his two brothers.# }4 x6 {2 h3 h2 l
埃里克是这家长子。年龄比他两个弟弟大很多,9 k* r8 B! ~$ C: M* r# X) c0 q
566. He had been obliged to join the army during the Second World War.$ V1 k. n1 _# E. [
第二次世界大战期间被迫参军。8 {/ d/ A8 u1 b9 \# v: I
567. As he hated army life, he decided to desert his regiment.' o, s2 H* S0 @. e' r* P
他讨厌军旅生活,决定逃离所在部队。
2 j$ Z" m: l% f" R' ?' Z568. 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.5 X. _# C9 Z# }, B! o7 J# V( ]7 y% z
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。: O( x6 m2 d6 A @
569. Fearing the authorities, Eric remained in hiding after the war as well.& T, m d9 z' X% G
由于害怕当局,埃里克战后继续深藏不露。
- ~- K/ `3 z8 e/ D570. His father told everybody that Eric had been killed in action.
) L' B! h R; j 他的父亲告诉大家,埃里克在战争中被打死了。
* b* q5 ~; t. O5 }& m571. The only other people who knew the secret were Joe and Bob.
0 T5 w1 W6 P1 t8 X 除此之外,只有乔与鲍知道这个秘密。
6 P0 U$ S! O& J7 N572. They did not even tell their wives.
' n% Y+ w/ E+ a* y" n; p3 D 但他俩连自己的妻子都没告诉。
: b* A/ `* g0 A5 g9 K+ u/ O3 O573. When their father died, they thought it their duty to keep Eric in hiding.
8 h2 n ~$ Y4 O2 X. C) h V: s 父亲死后,他们兄弟俩认为有责任继续把埃里克藏起来。2 s9 y- G9 E" w. v6 h
574. All these years, Eric had lived as a recluse.+ X# W8 o6 a, G/ L5 B5 G- ? w) |
这些年来,埃里克过着隐士生活,
+ w3 o" _3 T( v/ D) r# F575. He used to sleep during the day and work at night, quite unaware of the fact that he had become the ghost of Endley., q8 o5 Z2 R: Y9 b' I6 k: s
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。
9 w4 `! S+ W4 t2 T0 y9 l1 P. ]5 V576. When he died, however, his brothers found it impossible to keep the secret any longer.8 T- ^3 T( U% r/ ^
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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