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Boscombe Valley is a country district not very far from Ross, in Herefordshire.
博斯科姆比溪谷位于赫里福德郡，是距离罗斯不很远的一个乡间地区。
The largest landed proprietor in that part is a Mr. John Turner,
约翰·特纳先生是那个地区的一个最大的农场主。
who made his money in Australia and returned some years ago to the old country.
他在澳大利亚发了财，若干年前返回故乡。
One of the farms which he held, that of Hatherley, was let to Mr. Charles McCarthy, who was also an ex-Australian.
他把他所拥有的农场之一，哈瑟利农场，租给了也曾经在澳大利亚呆过的查尔斯·麦卡锡先生。
The men had known each other in the colonies,
他们两人是在那个殖民地互相认识的，
so that it was not unnatural that when they came to settle down they should do so as near each other as possible.
因此，当他们定居的时候，彼此尽可能亲近地结为比邻是很自然的。
Turner was apparently the richer man, so McCarthy became his tenant but still remained,
显然特纳比较富有，所以麦卡锡成了他的佃户，
it seems, upon terms of perfect equality, as they were frequently together.
但是，看来他们还是和过去常在一起时一样，是完全平等的关系。
McCarthy had one son, a lad of eighteen, and Turner had an only daughter of the same age, but neither of them had wives living.
麦卡锡有一个儿子，是个十八岁的小伙子，特纳有个同样年龄的独生女，他们两个人的妻子都已不在人世。
They appear to have avoided the society of the neighbouring English families and to have led retired lives,
他们好像一直避免和邻近的英国人家有任何社交往来，过着隐居的生活，
though both the McCarthys were fond of sport and were frequently seen at the race-meetings of the neighbourhood.
麦卡锡父子俩倒是喜欢运动的，因此经常出现在附近举行的赛马场上。
McCarthy kept two servants–a man and a girl. Turner had a considerable household, some half-dozen at the least.
麦卡锡有两个仆人，一个男仆和一个侍女。特纳一家人口相当多，大约有五六口人。
That is as much as I have been able to gather about the families. Now for the facts.
这就是我尽可能了解到的这两家人的情况。现在再说些具体事实。
