動物農(nóng)場Animal Farm 第3章(5)

Boxer could not get beyond the letter D.

鮑克瑟只能學(xué)到字母D。

He would trace out A, B, C, D, in the dust with his great hoof, and then would stand staring at the letters with his ears back,

他會用碩大的蹄子在塵土上摹寫出A、B、C、D，然后，站在那里，翹著耳朵，目不轉(zhuǎn)睛地盯著，

sometimes shaking his forelock, trying with all his might to remember what came next and never succeeding.

而且還不時抖動一下額毛，竭盡全力地想下一個字母，可總是想不起來。

On several occasions, indeed, he did learn E, F, G, H, but by the time he knew them, it was always discovered that he had forgotten A, B, C, and D.

有好幾次，真的，他確實(shí)學(xué)到了E、F、G、H，但等他學(xué)會了這幾個，又總是發(fā)現(xiàn)他已經(jīng)忘了A、B、C、D。

Finally he decided to be content with the first four letters, and used to write them out once or twice every day to refresh his memory.

最后，他決定滿足于頭四個字母，并在每天堅(jiān)持寫上一兩遍，以加強(qiáng)記憶。

Mollie refused to learn any but the six letters which spelt her own name.

莫麗除了那六個拼出她自己名字的字母Mollie外，再也不肯學(xué)點(diǎn)別的。

She would form these very neatly out of pieces of twig, and would then decorate them with a flower or two and walk round them admiring them.

她會用幾根細(xì)嫩的樹枝，非常靈巧地拼出她的名字，然后用一兩支鮮花裝飾一下，再繞著它們走幾圈，贊嘆一番。

None of the other animals on the farm could get further than the letter A.

莊園里的其他動物都只學(xué)會了一個字母A。

It was also found that the stupider animals, such as the sheep, hens, and ducks, were unable to learn the Seven Commandments by heart.

另外還有一點(diǎn)，那些比較遲鈍的動物，如羊、雞、鴨子等，還沒有學(xué)會熟記“七誡”。

After much thought Snowball declared that the Seven Commandments could in effect be reduced to a single maxim, namely: "Four legs good, two legs bad."

于是，斯諾鮑經(jīng)過反復(fù)思忖，宣布“七誡”實(shí)際上可以簡化為一條準(zhǔn)則，那就是“四條腿好，兩條腿壞”。

This, he said, contained the essential principle of Animalism.

他說，這條準(zhǔn)則包含了動物主義的基本原則。

Whoever had thoroughly grasped it would be safe from human influences.

無論是誰，一旦完全掌握了這個準(zhǔn)則，便免除了受到人類影響的危險。

The birds at first objected, since it seemed to them that they also had two legs, but Snowball proved to them that this was not so.

起初，禽鳥們首先表示反對，因?yàn)樗麄兒孟褚仓挥袃蓷l腿，到斯諾鮑向他們證明這其實(shí)不然。

"A bird's wing, comrades," he said, "is an organ of propulsion and not of manipulation.

“同志們”，他說道，“禽鳥的翅膀，是一種推動行進(jìn)的器官，而不是用來操作和控制的。

It should therefore be regarded as a leg.

因此，它和腿是一回事。

The distinguishing mark of man is the HAND, the instrument with which he does all hismischief."

而人的不同特點(diǎn)是手，那是他們作惡多端的器官。”

The birds did not understand Snowball's long words, but they accepted his explanation.

對這一番長篇大論，禽鳥們并沒有弄懂，但他們接受了斯諾鮑的解釋。

And all the humbler animals set to work to learn the new maxim by heart.

同時，所有這類反應(yīng)較慢的動物，都開始鄭重其事地在心里熟記這個新準(zhǔn)則。