🔊 By the late summer the news of what had happened on Animal Farm had spread across half the county. Every day Snowball and Napoleon sent out flights of pigeons whose instructions were to mingle with the animals on neighbouring farms, tell them the story of the Rebellion, and teach them the tune of 'Beasts of England'.

盛夏时节,动物农场发生的事已传遍半个郡县。雪球和拿破仑每日派出一群群鸽子,嘱咐它们混入邻近农场的动物中间,讲述起义的故事,并教唱‘英格兰的生灵’的曲调。

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neighbouring /ˈneɪbərɪŋ/

adj. 邻近的,附近的➕

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Rebellion /rɪˈbeljən/

n. 反叛,叛乱,反抗➕

🔊 Most of this time Mr. Jones had spent sitting in the taproom of the Red Lion at Willingdon, complaining to anyone who would listen of the monstrous injustice he had suffered in being turned out of his property by a pack of good-for-nothing animals. The other farmers sympathised in principle, but they did not at first give him much help. At heart, each of them was secretly wondering whether he could not somehow turn Jones's misfortune to his own advantage. It was lucky that the owners of the two farms which adjoined Animal Farm were on permanently bad terms. One of them, which was named Foxwood, was a large, neglected, old-fashioned farm, much overgrown by woodland, with all its pastures worn out and its hedges in a disgraceful condition. Its owner, Mr. Pilkington, was an easy-going gentleman farmer who spent most of his time in fishing or hunting according to the season. The other farm, which was called Pinchfield, was smaller and better kept. Its owner was a Mr. Frederick, a tough, shrewd man, perpetually involved in lawsuits and with a name for driving hard bargains. These two disliked each other so much that it was difficult for them to come to any agreement, even in defence of their own interests.

这段时间里,琼斯先生多半坐在威灵顿红狮酒店的酒吧间,向任何愿意倾听的人抱怨他遭受的莫大冤屈--竟被一群无用的畜生赶出了自家产业。其他农场主虽在原则上表示同情,起初却并未给他多少援手。暗地里,他们个个都在盘算,能否将琼斯的不幸转化为自己的好处。幸而与动物农场毗邻的两家农场主人关系素来恶劣。其中一家名叫狐林农场,是个广阔、荒废、老式的田庄,林木丛生,牧场凋敝,树篱破败不堪。其主人皮尔金顿先生是个随和的乡绅,大半光阴依着季节钓鱼或打猎。另一家农场唤作狭地农场,规模较小却打理得宜。主人是弗雷德里克先生,一个强硬精明的汉子,终日官司缠身,以锱铢必较闻名。这两人彼此嫌恶,以致连为自身利益达成协议都难上加难。

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monstrous /ˈmɒnstrəs/

adj. 极不公正的；骇人听闻的；巨大的,怪物般的➕

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injustice /ɪnˈdʒʌstɪs/

n. 不公正,不公道,非正义➕

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sympathised /ˈsɪmpəθaɪzd/

v. 同情,表示同情（过去式）➕

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adjoined /əˈdʒɔɪnd/

v. 毗连,邻接（过去式）➕

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neglected /nɪˈɡlektɪd/

adj. 被忽视的,疏于照管的➕

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disgraceful /dɪsˈɡreɪsf(ə)l/

adj. 可耻的,丢脸的,不光彩的➕

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easy-going /ˌiːzi ˈɡəʊɪŋ/

adj. 随和的,脾气好的,不慌不忙的➕

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shrewd /ʃruːd/

adj. 精明的,敏锐的,有眼光的➕

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perpetually /pəˈpetʃuəli/

adv. 永久地,持续不断地,没完没了地➕

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lawsuits /ˈlɔːsuːts/

n. 诉讼（复数）➕

🔊 Nevertheless, they were both thoroughly frightened by the rebellion on Animal Farm, and very anxious to prevent their own animals from learning too much about it. At first they pretended to laugh to scorn the idea of animals managing a farm for themselves. The whole thing would be over in a fortnight, they said. They put it about that the animals on the Manor Farm (they insisted on calling it the Manor Farm; they would not tolerate the name "Animal Farm") were perpetually fighting among themselves and were also rapidly starving to death. When time passed and the animals had evidently not starved to death, Frederick and Pilkington changed their tune and began to talk of the terrible wickedness that now flourished on Animal Farm. It was given out that the animals there practised cannibalism, tortured one another with red-hot horseshoes, and had their females in common. This was what came of rebelling against the laws of Nature, Frederick and Pilkington said.

尽管如此,他们都被动物农场的起义吓得魂不附体,唯恐自家牲畜从中得知太多。起初,他们佯装嗤笑动物自行管理农场的念头,扬言不出半月这事便会烟消云散。他们四处散播说,庄园农场（他们坚持称之为庄园农场；决不容忍“动物农场”这个名号）的畜生们终日内斗,且正迅速饿死。时日一长,动物们显然并未饿死,弗雷德里克和皮尔金顿便改弦易辙,开始谈论如今动物农场上滋长的可怕罪恶。据称那里盛行同类相食,以烧红的马蹄铁互相折磨,并共妻同寝。弗雷德里克和皮尔金顿声称,这便是违逆自然法则的下场。

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fortnight /ˈfɔːtnaɪt/

n. 两星期,十四天➕

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cannibalism /ˈkænɪbəlɪz(ə)m/

n. 食人习性,同类相食➕

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tortured /ˈtɔːtʃəd/

v. 拷打,折磨,使痛苦（过去式/过去分词）➕

🔊 However, these stories were never fully believed. Rumours of a wonderful farm, where the human beings had been turned out and the animals managed their own affairs, continued to circulate in vague and distorted forms, and throughout that year a wave of rebelliousness ran through the countryside. Bulls which had always been tractable suddenly turned savage, sheep broke down hedges and devoured the clover, cows kicked the pail over, hunters refused their fences and shot their riders on to the other side. Above all, the tune and even the words of 'Beasts of England' were known everywhere. It had spread with astonishing speed. The human beings could not contain their rage when they heard this song, though they pretended to think it merely ridiculous. They could not understand, they said, how even animals could bring themselves to sing such contemptible rubbish. Any animal caught singing it was given a flogging on the spot. And yet the song was irrepressible. The blackbirds whistled it in the hedges, the pigeons cooed it in the elms, it got into the din of the smithies and the tune of the church bells. And when the human beings listened to it, they secretly trembled, hearing in it a prophecy of their future doom.

然而,这些传言从未尽信。关于一处神奇农场的风声--人类被驱逐,动物自理事务--仍以含糊扭曲的方式流传不息,那年整个乡野涌起一股反抗的浪潮。向来温顺的公牛陡然凶暴起来,绵羊撞倒树篱吞食苜蓿,奶牛踢翻奶桶,猎马拒跳栅栏并将骑手甩过障栏。尤甚者,‘英格兰的生灵’的曲调乃至歌词已无处不晓。它以惊人的速度蔓延。人类听闻此歌,虽佯作不屑一顾,却按捺不住满腔怒火。他们声称,实在不懂连畜生怎能自甘吟唱这等卑劣的垃圾。但凡有动物被抓到唱这歌,当场便是一顿鞭笞。但这首歌却如野火难抑。画眉在树篱间啭鸣此调,鸽群在榆木中咕咕吟唱,它渗入铁匠铺的叮当声与教堂钟鸣的韵律。而当人类侧耳倾听,无不暗自战栗,从中听见自身未来厄运的预言。

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tractable /ˈtræktəb(ə)l/

adj. 温顺的,易驾驭的,易处理的➕

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devoured /dɪˈvaʊəd/

v. 狼吞虎咽地吃；吞噬；如饥似渴地读（过去式/过去分词）➕

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contemptible /kənˈtemptəb(ə)l/

adj. 可鄙的,卑劣的➕

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flogging /ˈflɒɡɪŋ/

n. 鞭打,鞭刑➕

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irrepressible /ˌɪrɪˈpresəb(ə)l/

adj. 抑制不住的,无法控制的,乐观开朗的➕

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smithies /ˈsmɪðiz/

n. 铁匠铺（复数）➕

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prophecy /ˈprɒfəsi/

n. 预言,预示➕

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doom /duːm/

n. 厄运,劫数,毁灭➕

🔊 Early in October, when the corn was cut and stacked and some of it was already threshed, a flight of pigeons came whirling through the air and alighted in the yard of Animal Farm in the wildest excitement. Jones and all his men, with half a dozen others from Foxwood and Pinchfield, had entered the five-barred gate and were coming up the cart-track that led to the farm. They were all carrying sticks, except Jones, who was marching ahead with a gun in his hands. Obviously they were going to attempt the recapture of the farm.

十月初,玉米已收割堆垛,部分业已脱粒,一群鸽子盘旋而至,落定在动物农场的院落里,激动得无以复加。琼斯及其全部人手,外加狐林农场和狭地农场来的六七个人,已穿过五栏门,正沿着通往农场的马车道行进。除琼斯外,众人皆手持棍棒,而琼斯则一马当先,手中握着一杆枪。显而易见,他们企图夺回农场。

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stacked /stækt/

v. 堆放,摞起（过去式/过去分词）➕

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threshed /θreʃt/

v. 打谷,脱粒（过去式/过去分词）➕

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alighted /əˈlaɪtɪd/

v. 飞落,降落（过去式/过去分词）➕

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recapture /ˌriːˈkæptʃə(r)/

n. 重新夺取,收复➕

🔊 This had long been expected, and all preparations had been made. Snowball, who had studied an old book of Julius Caesar's campaigns which he had found in the farmhouse, was in charge of the defensive operations. He gave his orders quickly, and in a couple of minutes every animal was at his post.

此事早有预料,一切准备皆已就绪。雪球曾研究过在农舍觅得的一本凯撒征战旧籍,负责指挥防务。他迅即发号施令,不出两分钟,每只动物各就各位。

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campaigns /kæmˈpeɪnz/

n. 战役；运动（复数）➕

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defensive /dɪˈfensɪv/

adj. 防御的,防卫的➕

🔊 As the human beings approached the farm buildings, Snowball launched his first attack. All the pigeons, to the number of thirty-five, flew to and fro over the men's heads and muted upon them from mid-air; and while the men were dealing with this, the geese, who had been hiding behind the hedge, rushed out and pecked viciously at the calves of their legs. However, this was only a light skirmishing manoeuvre, intended to create a little disorder, and the men easily drove the geese off with their sticks. Snowball now launched his second line of attack. Muriel, Benjamin, and all the sheep, with Snowball at the head of them, rushed forward and prodded and butted the men from every side, while Benjamin turned round and lashed at them with his small hoofs. But once again the men, with their sticks and their hobnailed boots, were too strong for them; and suddenly, at a squeal from Snowball, which was the signal for retreat, all the animals turned and fled through the gateway into the yard.

人类逼近农场屋舍时,雪球发起首轮攻势。三十五只鸽子悉数飞掠人众头顶,自半空排泄污物；趁人们应付之际,一直藏身树篱后的鹅群猛然冲出,狠啄他们的小腿。但这仅是轻佻的骚扰战术,意在制造些许混乱,人们轻易用棍棒驱散了鹅群。雪球随即展开第二战线。穆丽尔、本杰明及全体绵羊,由雪球打头,从四面涌上,连戳带顶,本杰明则转身以小小蹄子踢踹。然而人们凭着棍棒与钉靴再度占得上风；忽闻雪球一声尖啸--这是撤退信号--所有动物转身穿过门道,逃入院内。

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skirmishing /ˈskɜːmɪʃɪŋ/

n. 小规模战斗,小冲突➕

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manoeuvre /məˈnuːvə(r)/

n. 策略,巧妙的移动；军事调动➕

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prodded /ˈprɒdɪd/

v. 刺,戳；敦促,推动（过去式/过去分词）➕

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butted /ˈbʌtɪd/

v. 用头（或角）顶撞（过去式/过去分词）➕

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lashed /læʃt/

v. 猛击,鞭打；猛烈抨击（过去式/过去分词）➕

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hoofs /huːfs/

n. 蹄（复数）➕

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hobnailed /ˈhɒbneɪld/

adj. 钉有平头钉的（尤指靴子）➕

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squeal /skwiːl/

n. 长而尖的叫声,嘎吱声➕

🔊 The men gave a shout of triumph. They saw, as they imagined, their enemies in flight, and they rushed after them in disorder. This was just what Snowball had intended. As soon as they were well inside the yard, the three horses, the three cows, and the rest of the pigs, who had been lying in ambush in the cow-shed, suddenly emerged in their rear, cutting them off. Snowball now gave the signal for the charge. He himself dashed straight for Jones. Jones saw him coming, raised his gun and fired. The pellets scored bloody streaks along Snowball's back, and a sheep dropped dead. Without halting for an instant, Snowball flung his fifteen stone against Jones's legs. Jones was hurled into a pile of dung and his gun flew out of his hands. But the most terrifying spectacle of all was Boxer, rearing up on his hind legs and striking out with his great iron-shod hoofs like a stallion. His very first blow took a stable-lad from Foxwood on the skull and stretched him lifeless in the mud. At the sight, several men dropped their sticks and tried to run. Panic overtook them, and the next moment all the animals together were chasing them round and round the yard. They were gored, kicked, bitten, trampled on. There was not an animal on the farm that did not take vengeance on them after his own fashion. Even the cat suddenly leapt off a roof onto a cowman's shoulders and sank her claws in his neck, at which he yelled horribly. At a moment when the opening was clear, the men were glad enough to rush out of the yard and make a bolt for the main road. And so within five minutes of their invasion they were in ignominious retreat by the same way as they had come, with a flock of geese hissing after them and pecking at their calves all the way.

人们发出胜利的欢呼。他们自以为敌寇溃逃,便乱哄哄地追了上去。这正中雪球下怀。待他们深入院内,三匹马、三头牛及其余猪只--原本埋伏在牛棚中--忽自后方杀出,截断退路。雪球此刻发出冲锋号令。他自身直扑琼斯。琼斯见状举枪便射。弹丸在雪球背上划出殷红血痕,一只绵羊倒地毙命。雪球毫不停顿,以十五英石之躯猛撞琼斯双腿。琼斯栽进粪堆,枪脱手飞出。但最骇人的景象莫过于拳击手,他以后腿人立,像匹种马般抡起包铁巨蹄出击。首击便正中狐林农场一名马僮颅顶,令其瘫倒泥中,气绝身亡。见此情景,数人弃棍欲逃。恐慌攫住了他们,转瞬间所有动物合力在院中兜圈追赶。他们遭角抵、蹄踢、牙咬、践踏。农场里无一只动物不以自家手段报仇雪恨。连那猫儿也倏然自屋顶跃下,扑至一个牛倌肩头,利爪深嵌颈项,疼得他厉声惨嚎。趁门道空敞之际,人们忙不迭冲出院子,朝大路狂奔逃命。于是入侵未及五分钟,他们便沿原路屈辱败退,一群鹅嘶嘶紧追,沿途啄击他们的小腿。

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ambush /ˈæmbʊʃ/

n. 埋伏,伏击➕

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spectacle /ˈspektəkl/

n. 景象,场面；奇观,壮观➕

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stallion /ˈstæliən/

n. 种马,公马➕

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gored /ɡɔːd/

v. （动物用角）抵伤,刺伤（过去式/过去分词）➕

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trampled /ˈtræmpld/

v. 踩踏,践踏（过去式/过去分词）➕

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vengeance /ˈvendʒəns/

n. 报复,复仇➕

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ignominious /ˌɪɡnəˈmɪniəs/

adj. 耻辱的,丢脸的,不光彩的➕

🔊 All the men were gone except one. Back in the yard Boxer was pawing with his hoof at the stable-lad who lay face down in the mud, trying to turn him over. The boy did not stir.

众人皆已逃散,唯余一人。院中拳击手正用蹄子拨弄脸朝下卧在泥里的马僮,想将他翻过身来。那少年纹丝不动。

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pawing /ˈpɔːɪŋ/

v. （动物用爪子或蹄）抓,扒,刨➕

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stable-lad /ˈsteɪbəl læd/

n. 马童,马厩伙计➕

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stir /stɜː(r)/

v. （使）微动；唤醒➕

🔊 "He is dead," said Boxer sorrowfully. "I had no intention of doing that. I forgot that I was wearing iron shoes. Who will believe that I did not do this on purpose?"

“他死了,”拳击手哀伤道。“我本无意如此。忘了自个儿还穿着铁蹄。谁会信我不是存心的呢？”

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intention /ɪnˈtenʃ(ə)n/

n. 意图,打算,目的➕

🔊 "No sentimentality, comrade!" cried Snowball, from whose wounds the blood was still dripping. "War is war. The only good human being is a dead one."

“莫要感情用事,同志！”雪球喊道,伤口仍涔涔滴血。“战争便是战争。唯有死掉的人类才是好的。”

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sentimentality /ˌsentɪmenˈtæləti/

n. 多愁善感,感伤➕

🔊 "I have no wish to take life, not even human life," repeated Boxer, and his eyes were full of tears.

“我不想夺命,即便是人类的性命,”拳击手重复道,眼中噙满泪水。

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repeated /rɪˈpiːtɪd/

v. 重复说（或做）；重申➕

🔊 "Where is Mollie?" exclaimed somebody.

“莫丽在哪儿？”有谁惊呼道。

🔊 Mollie in fact was missing. For a moment there was great alarm; it was feared that the men might have harmed her in some way, or even carried her off with them. In the end, however, she was found hiding in her stall with her head buried among the hay in the manger. She had taken to flight as soon as the gun went off. And when the others came back from looking for her, it was to find that the stable-lad, who in fact was only stunned, had already recovered and made off.

莫丽确实不见了踪影。一时大家惊慌失措；只怕人们以某种方式伤了她,甚或将她掳走。但最终,发现她躲在自己的畜栏里,脑袋深埋于料槽的干草中。枪声一响她便逃之夭夭。待其他动物寻她回来,才发觉那马僮实则仅被震晕,早已苏醒溜走了。

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stunned /stʌnd/

adj. 昏迷的,不省人事的；震惊的,目瞪口呆的➕

🔊 The animals had now reassembled in the wildest excitement, each recounting his own exploits in the battle at the top of his voice. An impromptu celebration of the victory was held immediately. The flag was run up and 'Beasts of England' was sung a number of times, then the sheep who had been killed was given a solemn funeral, a hawthorn bush being planted on her grave. At the graveside Snowball made a little speech, emphasising the need for all animals to be ready to die for Animal Farm if need be.

动物们此刻重聚一堂,亢奋不已,各自扯嗓高嚷着自己在战斗中的壮举。当即举行了一场即兴的庆功会。旗帜升起,‘英格兰的生灵’反复唱诵,随后为丧生的绵羊举行庄严葬礼,坟头栽下一丛山楂。墓畔雪球作了简短演说,强调所有动物必要时须有为动物农场赴死的决心。

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reassembled /ˌriːəˈsembld/

v. 重新聚集,重新集合（过去式/过去分词）➕

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impromptu /ɪmˈprɒmptjuː/

adj. 即兴的,事先无准备的➕

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solemn /ˈsɒləm/

adj. 庄严的,严肃的；隆重的➕

🔊

emphasising /ˈemfəsaɪzɪŋ/

v. 强调,着重（现在分词/动名词）➕

🔊 The animals decided unanimously to create a military decoration, "Animal Hero, First Class," which was conferred there and then on Snowball and Boxer. It consisted of a brass medal (they were really some old horse-brasses which had been found in the harness-room), to be worn on Sundays and holidays. There was also "Animal Hero, Second Class," which was conferred posthumously on the dead sheep.

动物们一致决议设立一枚军事勋章“一级动物英雄”,当场授予雪球与拳击手。勋章为一枚铜质奖章（实则是马具室寻得的几件旧马饰）,于周日与节庆日佩戴。另有“二级动物英雄”,追授给死去的绵羊。

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unanimously /juːˈnænɪməsli/

adv. 一致地；全体一致地➕

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conferred /kənˈfɜːrd/

v. 授予；赐予➕

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posthumously /ˈpɒstjʊməsli/

adv. 死后地；身后地➕

🔊 There was much discussion as to what the battle should be called. In the end, it was named the Battle of the Cowshed, since that was where the ambush had been sprung. Mr. Jones's gun had been found lying in the mud, and it was known that there was a supply of cartridges in the farmhouse. It was decided to set the gun up at the foot of the flagstaff, like a piece of artillery, and to fire it twice a year-once on October the twelfth, the anniversary of the Battle of the Cowshed, and once on Midsummer Day, the anniversary of the Rebellion.

关于这场战役该冠何名,众说纷纭。最终定名为牛棚战役,因埋伏正是在那儿发起的。琼斯先生的枪被发现弃于泥中,且知农舍内存有弹药。遂决定将枪架在旗杆基座旁,仿若一尊火炮,每年鸣放两次--一次在十月十二日,即牛棚战役周年纪念；一次在仲夏日,起义周年纪念。

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sprung /sprʌŋ/

v. spring的过去分词,意为“发动；弹起”➕

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cartridges /ˈkɑːrtrɪdʒɪz/

n. 弹药筒；墨盒➕

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flagstaff /ˈflæɡstæf/

n. 旗杆➕

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artillery /ɑːrˈtɪləri/

n. 火炮；炮兵部队➕

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anniversary /ˌænɪˈvɜːrsəri/

n. 周年纪念日➕

Chapter four (第四章)

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