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课文30 幽灵之死( I$ _9 ]7 S; y0 g: U- Z4 V! n
552. For years, villagers believed that Endley Farm was hunted.
) J! E, X, o* P D; Q 多年来,村民们一直认为恩得利农场在闹鬼。 p& g9 M* g0 [ m8 ^' K
553. The farm was owned by two brothers, Joe and Bob Cox.1 _- u% T9 T9 { V- I7 R+ p
恩得利农场属于乔.考科斯和鲍勃.考科斯兄弟俩所有。
9 v+ i; _( j! l. n1 u554. They employed a few farmhands, but no one was willing to work there long. A% h6 Z4 {7 z9 M% v8 J' R
他们雇了几个农工,但谁也不愿意在那儿长期工作下去。
& V$ b, y2 q/ Z% h c555. Every time a worker gave up his job, he told the same story.
' V$ E2 V1 g$ u( K$ v; ^ 每次雇工辞职后都叙述着同样的故事。5 A: }: a, V; t- C! `
556. Farm labourers said that they always woke up to find that work had been done overnight.* g8 [% I( i8 D& i2 i+ w$ `+ f& N
雇工们说,常常一早起来发现有人在夜里把活干了,
! z) a, n( k* l, v/ @7 x/ x9 D557. Hay had been cut and cowsheds had been cleaned.% i. L) ]6 e' j: M+ x
干草已切好,牛棚也打扫干净了。
. Q- {+ t% G, s% }558. A farm worker, who stayed up all night claimed to have seen a figure cutting corn in the moonlight.
. g x( m9 P2 P% h4 ?1 } 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。* i# |! G' {" w" Y( J; Q
559. In time, it became an accepted fact the Cox brothers employed a conscientious ghost that did most of their work for them.' |# t$ \6 E1 N. j* 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。9 M* }( k0 Q5 c
560. No one suspected that there might be someone else on the farm who had never been seen.
5 h2 K6 P, r# ], b! ~. I, C 谁也没想到农场竟会有一个从未露面的人。
* w6 e6 r" E' c% a$ `; r- B561. This was indeed the case.
$ l3 r5 }/ k A 但事实上确有此人。! O, S4 O$ B! y# ?3 T) H
562. A short time ago, villagers were astonished to learn that the ghost of Endley had died.
, i. x2 Z+ J {9 [* a* m 不久之前,村民们惊悉恩得利农场的鬼死了。- l X6 C0 b3 n' O$ Y9 C
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.7 `3 A! \1 q. |" x& Z' 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。6 [8 B6 G& |/ e" G2 Y B
564. After the funeral, Joe and Bob revealed a secret which they had kept for over fifty years.* k9 n, c% O: t8 A( Q; t+ y9 m1 C7 C
葬礼之后,乔和鲍勃透露了他们保守了长达50多年的秘密。
+ E4 }' f- A. O+ R( A2 p4 K0 o' |565. Eric had been the eldest son of the family, very much older than his two brothers.
8 k& @4 N8 e& a+ u8 y: y 埃里克是这家长子。年龄比他两个弟弟大很多,
. E/ k1 U9 Z1 {9 k566. He had been obliged to join the army during the Second World War.
+ A& w: e+ M$ r" T 第二次世界大战期间被迫参军。" D( n; x. m$ i0 ?% L
567. As he hated army life, he decided to desert his regiment.
; k7 K& _2 U3 P" S# F0 f 他讨厌军旅生活,决定逃离所在部队。0 O) I9 q: {" S: W* q
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.& f, C; H2 U3 r9 O
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。
( ]' t$ S) o7 g5 P6 {. F* O569. Fearing the authorities, Eric remained in hiding after the war as well.( @/ q) m& H' }+ n0 _ h. F
由于害怕当局,埃里克战后继续深藏不露。
# A6 ]: i3 [" n( P/ P; L570. His father told everybody that Eric had been killed in action.
" M3 Q2 x( x1 S% C" b 他的父亲告诉大家,埃里克在战争中被打死了。. G7 H; i1 }8 {
571. The only other people who knew the secret were Joe and Bob.
# Y5 N9 Z) k9 ~# D 除此之外,只有乔与鲍知道这个秘密。
6 S& w: z! N7 i% ]572. They did not even tell their wives.7 `! y5 s2 ?( k
但他俩连自己的妻子都没告诉。
8 v8 k+ M6 e M4 a: h7 E6 R2 u) ^573. When their father died, they thought it their duty to keep Eric in hiding.. S5 T* ^; \* G7 ~7 X) G' D9 \8 r
父亲死后,他们兄弟俩认为有责任继续把埃里克藏起来。8 s& h) R1 K7 g; p! B) S I9 l N
574. All these years, Eric had lived as a recluse.: n- l: i o; B7 u
这些年来,埃里克过着隐士生活,
$ P2 G" D: [7 }. Z# ?. b) u575. He used to sleep during the day and work at night, quite unaware of the fact that he had become the ghost of Endley.
% E) W8 K: T8 c9 v: U+ ~4 c1 Q 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。
7 ~" z6 K% T$ A8 J' \* v- S576. When he died, however, his brothers found it impossible to keep the secret any longer.+ e; _* p; \1 X: P% I) m/ G1 j) F1 ]
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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