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课文30 幽灵之死
+ M7 ~; R1 j% |552. For years, villagers believed that Endley Farm was hunted.
; t+ b' e5 f& a' W0 H 多年来,村民们一直认为恩得利农场在闹鬼。' \1 t" [8 ^" |7 V) u
553. The farm was owned by two brothers, Joe and Bob Cox., u1 y% B. L, A- l1 J
恩得利农场属于乔.考科斯和鲍勃.考科斯兄弟俩所有。
/ K* P9 r3 w K0 ~9 i/ v554. They employed a few farmhands, but no one was willing to work there long.
) i5 b2 _! Y8 h0 f' m2 a6 N 他们雇了几个农工,但谁也不愿意在那儿长期工作下去。
( E! p+ K! w4 Z. x2 A555. Every time a worker gave up his job, he told the same story.: b( l1 ]' R4 V0 N/ M4 y$ ~
每次雇工辞职后都叙述着同样的故事。3 i# r' S8 t, ]5 V3 L; _
556. Farm labourers said that they always woke up to find that work had been done overnight.2 [0 w0 [. |- Z- K/ C: D, v9 b
雇工们说,常常一早起来发现有人在夜里把活干了,9 N/ O3 c/ d6 z0 W) J+ q8 R
557. Hay had been cut and cowsheds had been cleaned.
$ m; ] A3 X% k0 f3 s$ A, r 干草已切好,牛棚也打扫干净了。; R/ |9 i# Z, a4 _7 |
558. A farm worker, who stayed up all night claimed to have seen a figure cutting corn in the moonlight.: x& b* E" Z0 D' K- Q3 A. H) o3 I6 ~
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。* |: H R$ ?4 f& {( F
559. In time, it became an accepted fact the Cox brothers employed a conscientious ghost that did most of their work for them.
; s/ N, ?- f: V) Q 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。
* U/ u4 H8 R/ {560. No one suspected that there might be someone else on the farm who had never been seen., B& [& t8 m9 _* H5 |
谁也没想到农场竟会有一个从未露面的人。+ f; o$ R! p3 e& M
561. This was indeed the case.
. V" o1 B" }) I n! ^3 L, N3 G2 ? 但事实上确有此人。$ E, L. E/ [3 F- r7 j4 }
562. A short time ago, villagers were astonished to learn that the ghost of Endley had died.
* x( k$ ~( t& V( D" y% y4 z 不久之前,村民们惊悉恩得利农场的鬼死了。2 g9 `$ D4 K5 y9 |2 H, @- w2 D
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.
" Y L& K+ W: F- n6 y 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。% O) D4 N2 q" m& A% u6 H
564. After the funeral, Joe and Bob revealed a secret which they had kept for over fifty years.
. ?7 K8 O+ g6 m- 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。
4 e5 r3 U* G# j1 n0 f565. Eric had been the eldest son of the family, very much older than his two brothers.
, d: Z- s6 }7 J5 x 埃里克是这家长子。年龄比他两个弟弟大很多,; S% J( u1 t6 d3 A
566. He had been obliged to join the army during the Second World War.
6 @2 O9 v+ d, A& w( q1 b5 ?5 O 第二次世界大战期间被迫参军。
% S$ w0 P- C# N/ }) |9 ~ J7 B567. As he hated army life, he decided to desert his regiment.6 O! G7 s* J; m8 x0 y7 m
他讨厌军旅生活,决定逃离所在部队。; L L4 r. I& K1 s5 A/ d
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. _/ F2 I$ \( u* A% d
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。: {/ K7 r) @) i0 Y* |8 L% Z+ a
569. Fearing the authorities, Eric remained in hiding after the war as well. u& S, y/ o5 F* i6 A' ?
由于害怕当局,埃里克战后继续深藏不露。& }( g+ X- x& h0 m% ?: {
570. His father told everybody that Eric had been killed in action.7 Z) z3 z p2 ~) F9 \6 m: _' r
他的父亲告诉大家,埃里克在战争中被打死了。) @% h# L. A0 l' q# }, M& K
571. The only other people who knew the secret were Joe and Bob.( X( ]. X+ ~. V& M" W ?) Z8 S
除此之外,只有乔与鲍知道这个秘密。2 M) s& F. ^0 S. ]5 R3 g! e
572. They did not even tell their wives.0 s6 P8 y9 A* M0 \# ?1 f
但他俩连自己的妻子都没告诉。! C! F7 y+ X. p$ g
573. When their father died, they thought it their duty to keep Eric in hiding.
5 C# Z- r* x5 V# D 父亲死后,他们兄弟俩认为有责任继续把埃里克藏起来。
+ C, S8 K# G* q3 w" |: E5 O0 _574. All these years, Eric had lived as a recluse.
! d/ O* F: L9 v! J/ ~% C 这些年来,埃里克过着隐士生活,) p6 {6 n3 [ ]' ^/ l- n
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.* A4 X2 a# J; p, ^
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。
% `6 b3 Y' Y, e! V: u" K576. When he died, however, his brothers found it impossible to keep the secret any longer.
! A/ s9 R* Y' V9 C) b2 Y 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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