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课文30 幽灵之死
/ x, G: h2 H4 [) Z& Q& f552. For years, villagers believed that Endley Farm was hunted., Z/ a- ~, C ^% r' _2 @
多年来,村民们一直认为恩得利农场在闹鬼。
V/ L% I- L" j$ C553. The farm was owned by two brothers, Joe and Bob Cox.) P! e, o7 D6 d+ j; V# s3 T4 ?, Q* E
恩得利农场属于乔.考科斯和鲍勃.考科斯兄弟俩所有。
& L, ^. M9 E. v554. They employed a few farmhands, but no one was willing to work there long.) f( d0 K" w7 s9 {7 L1 U
他们雇了几个农工,但谁也不愿意在那儿长期工作下去。
* x5 J% R1 F( L2 W4 T s, s555. Every time a worker gave up his job, he told the same story.8 A h: G- y% `: p' D
每次雇工辞职后都叙述着同样的故事。' f; M3 ]8 k' A9 n6 j# o
556. Farm labourers said that they always woke up to find that work had been done overnight.
( H# Y( u |2 W 雇工们说,常常一早起来发现有人在夜里把活干了,
2 v' v) N8 ]/ l- D: x557. Hay had been cut and cowsheds had been cleaned.( R7 @; r2 ]9 n" W! _$ J! u" [( k
干草已切好,牛棚也打扫干净了。# H* o- ~/ p* R' A, G; j' P
558. A farm worker, who stayed up all night claimed to have seen a figure cutting corn in the moonlight.
% I6 ?5 t" H" A2 J5 L; @, N+ d 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。7 n7 R8 o; F5 ], Y2 Z u) X8 u4 l
559. In time, it became an accepted fact the Cox brothers employed a conscientious ghost that did most of their work for them.
2 R6 f, S) K; Y9 e/ E7 X! 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。9 K& k |( k$ u2 A
560. No one suspected that there might be someone else on the farm who had never been seen.. x; _+ g5 z/ I9 u8 Q; d/ `" h
谁也没想到农场竟会有一个从未露面的人。
$ X. y1 _! l1 X9 A561. This was indeed the case.
' T1 m9 E/ I0 Y7 x+ X0 @ 但事实上确有此人。
( W/ N/ ]- N4 ^9 f9 O562. A short time ago, villagers were astonished to learn that the ghost of Endley had died.
/ S% }" S1 ~ ]/ H9 N 不久之前,村民们惊悉恩得利农场的鬼死了。
5 x+ Y4 @, s3 e; t$ j. C5 y563. 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 e4 B% O6 {* L! J6 E+ ^0 r
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。
& z# u- V! }7 B' ~! c8 K5 U2 H564. After the funeral, Joe and Bob revealed a secret which they had kept for over fifty years.
0 u: C3 A- M$ ]$ L8 m* V 葬礼之后,乔和鲍勃透露了他们保守了长达50多年的秘密。
" B7 v2 _- L# M) R A( w6 D& f565. Eric had been the eldest son of the family, very much older than his two brothers.
% K& x2 } B- i( R' t5 ` 埃里克是这家长子。年龄比他两个弟弟大很多,
, z, X# E( p% m% E, f566. He had been obliged to join the army during the Second World War.
3 H" d+ s8 n% X2 W, V% K# L! V9 @/ q 第二次世界大战期间被迫参军。+ a: e! y, M I
567. As he hated army life, he decided to desert his regiment.
6 L2 v" }' E3 u' }3 L' e. V 他讨厌军旅生活,决定逃离所在部队。, ]7 R' D. |* o$ t6 w& P
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.
3 I1 A4 S( i F5 s 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。$ Z) M& k" y! T5 A1 k
569. Fearing the authorities, Eric remained in hiding after the war as well.
; c3 |+ w2 z( k+ ` 由于害怕当局,埃里克战后继续深藏不露。
" o7 F( r+ S% B570. His father told everybody that Eric had been killed in action.4 [: F6 E. v$ h* [' r% R8 T
他的父亲告诉大家,埃里克在战争中被打死了。
$ x% a2 j. a+ i% G; o6 a571. The only other people who knew the secret were Joe and Bob.
3 N4 j8 L; {% d 除此之外,只有乔与鲍知道这个秘密。, |+ P$ u+ D3 w9 q% S/ R
572. They did not even tell their wives.# U9 Q1 l$ _6 U8 z
但他俩连自己的妻子都没告诉。
5 K/ C$ O) a5 h9 O0 E! a573. When their father died, they thought it their duty to keep Eric in hiding.
$ `7 q( u2 s: F+ t% R 父亲死后,他们兄弟俩认为有责任继续把埃里克藏起来。" O" M3 h. a0 h+ m
574. All these years, Eric had lived as a recluse.' O; B) ^! [1 ?% P8 [! ^2 o
这些年来,埃里克过着隐士生活,
- A2 o6 k; \4 s9 N% D# A9 _7 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.
. Q* H9 V) |, C! D7 v0 M+ k" 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。
1 l+ T8 `) W! T! O2 |5 G576. When he died, however, his brothers found it impossible to keep the secret any longer.5 x7 ~* f1 z) Y$ d) O0 f
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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