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课文30 幽灵之死
) K+ n% z+ [1 z/ M+ u6 t. r* H7 j552. For years, villagers believed that Endley Farm was hunted.
; i9 ?3 b: T9 c: Q3 t3 J) n! \ 多年来,村民们一直认为恩得利农场在闹鬼。) @7 I- R! K; O3 }
553. The farm was owned by two brothers, Joe and Bob Cox.- _) h1 e% c* X" d7 E
恩得利农场属于乔.考科斯和鲍勃.考科斯兄弟俩所有。0 v* o$ Q! T: Z8 B( g
554. They employed a few farmhands, but no one was willing to work there long.
2 v! W' X7 v' n7 v, H, c 他们雇了几个农工,但谁也不愿意在那儿长期工作下去。/ ~7 N) }. M5 a
555. Every time a worker gave up his job, he told the same story.5 ~8 Y o: h! E
每次雇工辞职后都叙述着同样的故事。2 x3 z2 Q7 x9 R9 M: w! c
556. Farm labourers said that they always woke up to find that work had been done overnight.
, A' B1 {' X8 q3 B/ Q6 ` 雇工们说,常常一早起来发现有人在夜里把活干了,
; v# e2 w. B' y557. Hay had been cut and cowsheds had been cleaned.# O2 l0 V7 m$ ]; R+ l. n
干草已切好,牛棚也打扫干净了。
" } i3 V! a4 x# @1 U558. A farm worker, who stayed up all night claimed to have seen a figure cutting corn in the moonlight.
( j4 ~/ L9 n7 R& |$ Y- Q4 E' E, W 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 j. I2 S6 G8 r, ?( O+ y9 j
559. In time, it became an accepted fact the Cox brothers employed a conscientious ghost that did most of their work for them.. [0 |; `9 _4 W! a# R3 h, s* m
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。! e0 o% F9 o7 j( E! Q0 H9 b
560. No one suspected that there might be someone else on the farm who had never been seen.$ e! e" ?. E5 I: C7 B- L
谁也没想到农场竟会有一个从未露面的人。+ i0 a) v3 `3 O7 S1 N
561. This was indeed the case.
- t) s6 j) h7 Q9 y2 |6 T# }6 m 但事实上确有此人。 `. ` _; r2 C* s+ d& ?
562. A short time ago, villagers were astonished to learn that the ghost of Endley had died.4 ~& H& D/ ?' w; j3 W: g
不久之前,村民们惊悉恩得利农场的鬼死了。. T& z* V' m+ o- H! P1 m
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.
* H' L& N) e7 b8 e/ |; I1 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。
2 j3 b/ j/ d _: O4 W564. After the funeral, Joe and Bob revealed a secret which they had kept for over fifty years.
( I z, q& u# E% a6 s3 G1 ^ 葬礼之后,乔和鲍勃透露了他们保守了长达50多年的秘密。; c+ t; ]3 l9 j7 ?! y; m$ t" V( m
565. Eric had been the eldest son of the family, very much older than his two brothers.
& ] C u3 p' L4 X, D; Z 埃里克是这家长子。年龄比他两个弟弟大很多,
, |, j9 u& I+ K# N) D- b9 i566. He had been obliged to join the army during the Second World War.
7 A' d: F: Y3 j 第二次世界大战期间被迫参军。& h) e! m1 ~2 e9 H
567. As he hated army life, he decided to desert his regiment.6 M0 j M# \0 b$ ]1 a$ h+ D/ O8 x: O; h
他讨厌军旅生活,决定逃离所在部队。
2 V/ m) a. u7 v( ^! X+ Z568. 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.
9 d" k/ h2 `5 [+ Q 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。
3 l5 R" A2 ~$ |' K& X+ A6 G- A569. Fearing the authorities, Eric remained in hiding after the war as well.
; Y5 P0 `1 E4 G# t 由于害怕当局,埃里克战后继续深藏不露。
' A! a% {* O0 W! n( h570. His father told everybody that Eric had been killed in action.8 I1 _! p$ a4 S
他的父亲告诉大家,埃里克在战争中被打死了。5 }9 [- X0 x, x% B% |6 B: z
571. The only other people who knew the secret were Joe and Bob." E- z7 f5 a1 `5 |5 F1 w2 z* D; e
除此之外,只有乔与鲍知道这个秘密。# o7 _9 G2 a7 S/ R1 l
572. They did not even tell their wives.
( N" D' x$ g! G% M `8 e 但他俩连自己的妻子都没告诉。
7 }9 N! x+ t' o* r1 N! P573. When their father died, they thought it their duty to keep Eric in hiding.
! _* k- \4 d, v& J6 @; X 父亲死后,他们兄弟俩认为有责任继续把埃里克藏起来。2 _: V5 f8 R' V
574. All these years, Eric had lived as a recluse.2 j% L! u; F6 p% `% h6 y
这些年来,埃里克过着隐士生活,# L" J1 s* y4 H4 w
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 O2 r- S8 I7 a/ w7 P% q) H
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。
+ a- X% }! B3 N576. When he died, however, his brothers found it impossible to keep the secret any longer.# y+ D; x% ^7 C, F9 J" d5 h
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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