Secret email translated about English ship that was deserted (5,7)
I believe the answer is:
marie celeste
'ship that was deserted' is the definition.
(ship deserted in 1872)
'secret email translated about english' is the wordplay.
'translated' indicates anagramming the letters.
'about' is an insertion indicator.
'english' becomes 'E' (abbreviation).
'secret'+'email'='secretemail'
'secretemail' anagrammed gives 'mariceleste'.
'mariceleste' placed around 'e' is 'MARIE CELESTE'.
(Another definition for marie celeste that I've seen is " Ship famously found abandoned".)
I've seen this clue in The Times.
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