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课文30 幽灵之死* K Q1 c7 E3 x4 ]# R6 k6 G' f
552. For years, villagers believed that Endley Farm was hunted.+ @( d5 j0 j% ~. X: F8 X
多年来,村民们一直认为恩得利农场在闹鬼。) A2 L. C4 `2 N( @/ h3 l% k
553. The farm was owned by two brothers, Joe and Bob Cox.
N( D) P$ r5 T9 y s+ s 恩得利农场属于乔.考科斯和鲍勃.考科斯兄弟俩所有。
' R0 ]. t8 \& V7 }" X8 t554. They employed a few farmhands, but no one was willing to work there long.
2 W1 }/ u8 L3 w4 H. I) [2 ~3 \ 他们雇了几个农工,但谁也不愿意在那儿长期工作下去。 j8 q3 R" q9 W6 n
555. Every time a worker gave up his job, he told the same story.$ V8 E& {! R9 I
每次雇工辞职后都叙述着同样的故事。! r9 `9 i2 `+ E& T, L/ T8 T5 s6 d. h
556. Farm labourers said that they always woke up to find that work had been done overnight.( S; \" K; [8 `( n1 y
雇工们说,常常一早起来发现有人在夜里把活干了,9 l. G/ b! T* o; n( g" L
557. Hay had been cut and cowsheds had been cleaned.$ F. ]( r" {# h o3 L. g
干草已切好,牛棚也打扫干净了。
1 b% J' H0 A! L; H558. A farm worker, who stayed up all night claimed to have seen a figure cutting corn in the moonlight.9 e7 }: Q! g, p; c6 B
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。! E7 \- d# u0 L* Y5 ~3 R( o) p
559. In time, it became an accepted fact the Cox brothers employed a conscientious ghost that did most of their work for them.: `# @/ f- N* P. a$ f# ~
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。5 P7 ?+ O! e' Z r! p/ g2 Q
560. No one suspected that there might be someone else on the farm who had never been seen.1 r* y" Q9 M: r7 E3 D, [
谁也没想到农场竟会有一个从未露面的人。
* u, t0 m y7 G* f9 X7 K561. This was indeed the case.
* G) v6 u" E" ] 但事实上确有此人。$ u+ a) E5 s4 Z s0 \) [. S9 u
562. A short time ago, villagers were astonished to learn that the ghost of Endley had died.
% k0 \! r9 Y3 s( h 不久之前,村民们惊悉恩得利农场的鬼死了。
0 H( y' Y! |) b% o: }3 p563. 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.1 S+ q# a& Y+ q( N
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。$ t6 t' z, {7 X
564. After the funeral, Joe and Bob revealed a secret which they had kept for over fifty years.
_, V2 H" |3 @" |8 u& I 葬礼之后,乔和鲍勃透露了他们保守了长达50多年的秘密。
- Z p1 A D2 s; M0 l" e565. Eric had been the eldest son of the family, very much older than his two brothers. {1 S( p* {- _/ ?- r
埃里克是这家长子。年龄比他两个弟弟大很多,# e- K- ?6 I6 _! J5 U) ^* P) s
566. He had been obliged to join the army during the Second World War.& z& i) r. e ?
第二次世界大战期间被迫参军。
. @$ _( G8 f& a' T: i2 B* a8 n( s0 R567. As he hated army life, he decided to desert his regiment.
. w0 z( C$ i& e. L. N( U) J5 d 他讨厌军旅生活,决定逃离所在部队。
* s) d" D5 {# ^* ?# Y) H! j9 I% W568. 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.4 h, d) @, T- p0 w; R' y4 w
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。* \, B4 C: ~' J/ S, _1 r" b5 D% z
569. Fearing the authorities, Eric remained in hiding after the war as well.
% [7 ]; {7 `8 n8 v( D9 y 由于害怕当局,埃里克战后继续深藏不露。
& F; S5 O2 |# l1 |570. His father told everybody that Eric had been killed in action.
" J& z4 p2 f- e7 `- P5 l 他的父亲告诉大家,埃里克在战争中被打死了。
' |$ Y& |8 v. g: P6 }571. The only other people who knew the secret were Joe and Bob.( _$ @, n, ^: p/ S/ ]' c. Y
除此之外,只有乔与鲍知道这个秘密。; Y+ t7 P1 n( P4 p3 B1 U
572. They did not even tell their wives.; Y: l" k. I0 g
但他俩连自己的妻子都没告诉。* D+ v& F/ P: B) g% `1 w7 k
573. When their father died, they thought it their duty to keep Eric in hiding.
4 z6 o* s; F& ?; Q( { 父亲死后,他们兄弟俩认为有责任继续把埃里克藏起来。
( `8 n& G# |5 M4 h# E574. All these years, Eric had lived as a recluse.9 M! ]8 P' X ^3 W, X2 w' T
这些年来,埃里克过着隐士生活,
# c. ] l5 q2 i( B( W& w5 z8 r4 G% Y575. He used to sleep during the day and work at night, quite unaware of the fact that he had become the ghost of Endley.* x4 @$ ^, I& @. @6 M1 N/ G
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。
$ [8 @* E ^ |576. When he died, however, his brothers found it impossible to keep the secret any longer.
$ Q. v' g- Z- J9 ~" ` 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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