動物農(nóng)場Animal Farm 第4章(1)

By the late summer the news of what had happened on Animal Farm had spread across half the couty.

到了夏末，有關(guān)動物莊園里種種事件的消息，已經(jīng)傳遍了半個國家。

Every day Snowball and Napoleon sent out flights of pigeons whose instructions were tomingle with the animals on neighboring farms,

每一天，斯諾鮑和拿破侖都要放出一群鴿子，鴿子的任務是混入附近莊園的動物中，

tell them the story of the Rebellion, and teach them the tune of 'Beasts of England'.

告訴他們起義的史實，教他們唱“英格蘭獸”。

Most of this time Mr. Jones had spent sitting in the taproom of the Red Lion at Willingdon,

這個時期，瓊斯先生把大部分時間都在泡在威靈頓雷德蘭的酒吧間了。

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.

他心懷著被區(qū)區(qū)畜牲攆出家園的痛苦，每逢有人愿意聽，他就訴說一通他的冤屈。

The other farmers sympathized in principle, but they did not at first give him much help.

別的莊園主基本上同情他，但起初沒有給他太多幫助。

At heart, each of them was secretly wondering whether he could not somehow turn Jones's misfortune to his own advantage.

他們都在心里暗暗尋思，看是否能多少從瓊斯的不幸中給自己撈到什么好處。

It was lucky that the owners of the two farms which adjoined Animal Farm were onpermanently bad terms.

幸而，與動物莊園毗鄰的兩個莊園關(guān)系一直很差。

One of them, which was named Foxwood, was a large, neglected, old-fashioned farm,

一個叫作福克斯伍德莊園，面積不小，卻照管得很差。

much overgrown by woodland, with all its pastures worn out and its hedges in a disgraceful condition.

廣闊的田地里盡是荒蕪的牧場和丟人現(xiàn)眼的樹籬。

Its owner, Mr. Pilkington, was an easy-going gentleman farmer who spent most of his time in fishing or hunting according to the season.

莊園主皮爾金頓先生是一位隨和的鄉(xiāng)紳，隨著季節(jié)不同，他不是釣魚消閑，就是去打獵度日。

The other farm, which was called Pinchfield, was smaller and better kept.

另一個叫作平徹菲爾德莊園，小一點，但照料得不錯。

Its owner was a Mr. Frederick, a tough, shrewd man, perpetually involved in lawsuits and with a name for driving hard bargains.

它的主人是弗雷德里克先生，一個精明的硬漢子，卻總是牽扯在官司中，落了個好斤斤計較的名聲。

These two disliked each other so much that it was difficult for them to come to any agreement, even in defense of their own interests.

這兩個人向來不和，誰也不買誰的帳，即使事關(guān)他們的共同利益，他們也是如此。

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.

話雖如此，可是這一次，他們倆都被動物莊園的造反行動徹底嚇壞了，急不可待地要對他們自己莊園里的動物封鎖這方面的消息。

At first they pretended to laugh to scorn the idea of animals managing a farm for themselves.

開始的時候，他們對動物們自己管理莊園的想法故作嘲笑與蔑視。

The whole thing would be over in a fortnight, they said.

他們說，整個事態(tài)兩周內(nèi)就會結(jié)束。

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")

他們散布說，曼納莊園(他們堅持稱之為曼納莊園，而不能容忍動物莊園這個名字)

were perpetually fighting among themselves and were also rapidly starving to death.

的畜牲總是在他們自己之間打斗，而且快要餓死了。

When time passed and the animals had evidently not starved to death,

過一段時間，那里的動物顯然并沒有餓死，

Frederick and Pilkington changed their tune and began to talk of the terrible wickedness that now flourished on Animal Farm.

弗雷德里克和皮爾金頓就改了腔調(diào)，開始說什么動物莊園如今邪惡猖獗。

It was given out that the animals there practiced cannibalism, tortured one another with red-hot horseshoes, and had their females in common.

他們說，傳說那里的動物同類相食，互相用燒得通紅的馬蹄鐵拷打折磨，還共同霸占他們中的雌性動物。