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课文30 幽灵之死" ^' F) S* T4 ?, l5 n! Y1 I+ M
552. For years, villagers believed that Endley Farm was hunted.
, ?7 z' Z% @6 N7 B9 v3 h 多年来,村民们一直认为恩得利农场在闹鬼。# i1 ~" G: Z" S3 }/ {, \9 k
553. The farm was owned by two brothers, Joe and Bob Cox." |" m9 ?) ^- O {
恩得利农场属于乔.考科斯和鲍勃.考科斯兄弟俩所有。
- [. ]: h3 k! |4 p6 s0 A# C554. They employed a few farmhands, but no one was willing to work there long.
; v; ~. l0 {* M6 ~5 W6 A 他们雇了几个农工,但谁也不愿意在那儿长期工作下去。 w) P0 l4 p, n
555. Every time a worker gave up his job, he told the same story., _+ X [" R1 d/ P; O
每次雇工辞职后都叙述着同样的故事。
$ a& _ R) w0 y) m* r& [556. Farm labourers said that they always woke up to find that work had been done overnight.4 l6 q( H' g$ Y2 I% ~
雇工们说,常常一早起来发现有人在夜里把活干了,
, f2 e" s4 r, R8 D% R( t557. Hay had been cut and cowsheds had been cleaned.3 e8 t. s1 E; X8 x3 W
干草已切好,牛棚也打扫干净了。
( k0 M+ ?' \9 e8 }5 h2 V; {! E% t5 H558. A farm worker, who stayed up all night claimed to have seen a figure cutting corn in the moonlight.
% ], B9 ` O) d9 `7 ] 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。& z' y- R( c. N) ?) \$ u
559. In time, it became an accepted fact the Cox brothers employed a conscientious ghost that did most of their work for them.4 @4 f" `' b# [3 K5 N6 L% O$ |& l
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。* B0 o j' {9 E( `7 V
560. No one suspected that there might be someone else on the farm who had never been seen.
, G- K4 c" D, @* c# l7 Y 谁也没想到农场竟会有一个从未露面的人。% j" v4 v; h0 |' C- z" j
561. This was indeed the case.& T0 w, z& Y& w# C! ?1 H$ }
但事实上确有此人。, ~0 T s; b3 F
562. A short time ago, villagers were astonished to learn that the ghost of Endley had died.6 z% p; O+ e+ i
不久之前,村民们惊悉恩得利农场的鬼死了。8 t( P S/ M k5 @( C2 Z
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.9 y5 s: i; i0 B4 t
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。
5 `/ l% ~7 g# D: O2 [564. After the funeral, Joe and Bob revealed a secret which they had kept for over fifty years.
, e# ~; T8 m2 X4 D- h: y 葬礼之后,乔和鲍勃透露了他们保守了长达50多年的秘密。
8 h: |# E, G! e( p$ g565. Eric had been the eldest son of the family, very much older than his two brothers.3 [2 z, s' `' ]6 i4 p
埃里克是这家长子。年龄比他两个弟弟大很多,8 a# z: W' X6 i2 q% [# W v
566. He had been obliged to join the army during the Second World War.- D$ D5 @1 S' s: P6 X/ M
第二次世界大战期间被迫参军。0 k$ w* `# i) U6 A
567. As he hated army life, he decided to desert his regiment.
+ k6 ^0 V7 b+ O. B7 a3 n 他讨厌军旅生活,决定逃离所在部队。
. h# R3 f9 U' H568. 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.
' B) X# T( `! q4 E 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。/ ]& I3 G; b0 W$ u! B
569. Fearing the authorities, Eric remained in hiding after the war as well.# {% P/ \4 ]* i, v1 X
由于害怕当局,埃里克战后继续深藏不露。8 ^) _4 G% ^6 o# s g
570. His father told everybody that Eric had been killed in action., j% M7 ]. v" N/ y* t8 u) s
他的父亲告诉大家,埃里克在战争中被打死了。
) L7 ]% @ y) M! ~: m; c571. The only other people who knew the secret were Joe and Bob.
) {1 e$ F5 [* g: f1 z1 a) K3 k 除此之外,只有乔与鲍知道这个秘密。3 y* y7 _1 f% K
572. They did not even tell their wives.7 t' m( ?, w5 O3 A) I
但他俩连自己的妻子都没告诉。
2 n8 c: V8 [7 {7 K' v+ `! H573. When their father died, they thought it their duty to keep Eric in hiding.1 L4 Y$ i, D. q4 c
父亲死后,他们兄弟俩认为有责任继续把埃里克藏起来。
. U0 m9 _9 v; |: w4 k( p574. All these years, Eric had lived as a recluse.0 P) M5 @" u, [* ]9 O' O
这些年来,埃里克过着隐士生活,
0 t; M# c) U0 H6 m; H \/ N$ f; U/ A575. He used to sleep during the day and work at night, quite unaware of the fact that he had become the ghost of Endley.& v" a$ X0 p7 `/ d5 G/ v
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。
) c; m4 P8 Z, a. Y. u) A( w4 M( ~576. When he died, however, his brothers found it impossible to keep the secret any longer.* a8 T3 z8 R8 X2 @# X1 ]+ P
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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