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课文30 幽灵之死
( R6 P+ q7 P+ E q0 t552. For years, villagers believed that Endley Farm was hunted.' X5 E- M$ a; u
多年来,村民们一直认为恩得利农场在闹鬼。3 o8 _* K8 g3 `+ i: U# f( @. f% P8 `
553. The farm was owned by two brothers, Joe and Bob Cox.
, C7 N/ s; g6 n- M: q% b, [ 恩得利农场属于乔.考科斯和鲍勃.考科斯兄弟俩所有。
" J* g. S x z5 \7 l; Q7 t554. They employed a few farmhands, but no one was willing to work there long./ O" ]/ Q9 P8 ^ j
他们雇了几个农工,但谁也不愿意在那儿长期工作下去。
& l! p* U3 x% r+ T( M$ |555. Every time a worker gave up his job, he told the same story.
, f2 V, y5 A8 {' ]6 y! I 每次雇工辞职后都叙述着同样的故事。 Q9 Z2 Z. {! f5 h
556. Farm labourers said that they always woke up to find that work had been done overnight.) G5 T' @+ @0 {$ s" j- V1 \- q( d
雇工们说,常常一早起来发现有人在夜里把活干了,
% N6 @4 j0 r) ?3 p4 n% K557. Hay had been cut and cowsheds had been cleaned.3 M# R' y& s; a4 |3 o+ {
干草已切好,牛棚也打扫干净了。) D! E$ R: X# N1 j- q% g/ O H
558. A farm worker, who stayed up all night claimed to have seen a figure cutting corn in the moonlight.
( w; X9 l; o$ V/ f$ R9 E A" z 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 m" [' q. S559. In time, it became an accepted fact the Cox brothers employed a conscientious ghost that did most of their work for them. O7 r9 `( x9 b. m8 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。6 A! n! s# I% G8 w
560. No one suspected that there might be someone else on the farm who had never been seen.1 @4 q) I* C) ?, F) e
谁也没想到农场竟会有一个从未露面的人。
5 W* v6 G$ p5 B3 Z4 z& n D( A9 R" U561. This was indeed the case.) R1 m# \: f" ?/ [! a/ K8 R
但事实上确有此人。+ r% |3 X( q D" p0 x6 b
562. A short time ago, villagers were astonished to learn that the ghost of Endley had died.& S5 H/ P% b' \+ n+ i% i& c
不久之前,村民们惊悉恩得利农场的鬼死了。
: e: @+ ?7 ^! Y5 [0 U& n563. 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.
) B7 F; ?. b0 W. ^% |& { 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。4 F2 H3 _2 J0 B. M8 T
564. After the funeral, Joe and Bob revealed a secret which they had kept for over fifty years.1 U/ S4 O R$ P* N) _
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 v; ?: q; z+ J* T565. Eric had been the eldest son of the family, very much older than his two brothers.
5 Q/ l* ?$ ], k" r 埃里克是这家长子。年龄比他两个弟弟大很多,2 G8 Y- f/ Q: g, z6 |
566. He had been obliged to join the army during the Second World War.
1 ?" ~+ ]7 _, e4 m4 R4 s 第二次世界大战期间被迫参军。
# l$ ]% I \' Z6 p# N3 ~0 y567. As he hated army life, he decided to desert his regiment.
' w9 K; A t" b, r& O; [ 他讨厌军旅生活,决定逃离所在部队。
% m9 t2 B# r( ?3 d- f2 c. w: C 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.2 G9 u% l* u' w4 g5 ]+ M7 P# l
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% Y$ |. A, i' a* y
569. Fearing the authorities, Eric remained in hiding after the war as well.
2 }5 F y% u1 i9 c7 V. \' L 由于害怕当局,埃里克战后继续深藏不露。' f6 G- e5 N. y: u _9 R5 Z
570. His father told everybody that Eric had been killed in action.
: U/ t. ?( x/ P7 n# m/ O m 他的父亲告诉大家,埃里克在战争中被打死了。0 j A. A& [, v
571. The only other people who knew the secret were Joe and Bob.: Z4 `/ w9 h, M2 K! Y* n% q, Y* }
除此之外,只有乔与鲍知道这个秘密。, `9 o# p, E: z# _
572. They did not even tell their wives.
% G3 \& ?* l+ t, Y) }) h/ {( t 但他俩连自己的妻子都没告诉。
/ Y! g0 y# `% R/ O573. When their father died, they thought it their duty to keep Eric in hiding.
9 z8 S0 n/ ]+ r o0 S' N' A 父亲死后,他们兄弟俩认为有责任继续把埃里克藏起来。7 n4 ]+ m: g, i" y5 |. e
574. All these years, Eric had lived as a recluse.1 m/ N' ?0 P2 h6 D
这些年来,埃里克过着隐士生活,
# W% ?& n8 {" G9 ~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.8 Z* S( i1 X6 {1 E8 |
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。
/ W6 ]+ F) S% a1 H9 p# s% Q576. When he died, however, his brothers found it impossible to keep the secret any longer.% i# n9 {( ^& |5 o0 f6 `; x- {
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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