动物农场Animal Farm 第4章(1)

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　　到了夏末，有关动物庄园里种种事件的消息，已经传遍了半个国家。

　　Every day Snowball and Napoleon sent out flights of pigeons whose instructions were to mingle¹ with the animals on neighboring farms,

　　每一天，斯诺鲍和拿破仑都要放出一群鸽子，鸽子的任务是混入附近庄园的动物中，

　　tell them the story of the Rebellion, and teach them the tune² of 'Beasts of England'.

　　告诉他们起义的史实，教他们唱“英格兰兽”。

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

　　这个时期，琼斯先生把大部分时间都在泡在威灵顿雷德兰的酒吧间了。

　　complaining to anyone who would listen of the monstrous³ injustice⁴ he had suffered in being turned out of his property by a pack of good-for-nothing animals.

　　他心怀着被区区畜牲撵出家园的痛苦，每逢有人愿意听，他就诉说一通他的冤屈。

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

　　别的庄园主基本上同情他，但起初没有给他太多帮助。

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

　　他们都在心里暗暗寻思，看是否能多少从琼斯的不幸中给自己捞到什么好处。

　　It was lucky that the owners of the two farms which adjoined Animal Farm were on permanently⁵ bad terms.

　　幸而，与动物庄园毗邻的两个庄园关系一直很差。

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

　　一个叫作福克斯伍德庄园，面积不小，却照管得很差。

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

　　广阔的田地里尽是荒芜的牧场和丢人现眼的树篱。

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

　　庄园主皮尔金顿先生是一位随和的乡绅，随着季节不同，他不是钓鱼消闲，就是去打猎度日。

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

　　另一个叫作平彻菲尔德庄园，小一点，但照料得不错。

　　Its owner was a Mr. Frederick, a tough, shrewd man, perpetually involved in lawsuits⁶ and with a name for driving hard bargains.

　　它的主人是弗雷德里克先生，一个精明的硬汉子，却总是牵扯在官司中，落了个好斤斤计较的名声。

　　These two disliked each other so much that it was difficult for them to come to any agreement, even in defense⁷ of their own interests.

　　这两个人向来不和，谁也不买谁的帐，即使事关他们的共同利益，他们也是如此。

　　Nevertheless, they were both thoroughly⁸ frightened by the rebellion on Animal Farm, and very anxious to prevent their own animals from learning too much about it.

　　话虽如此，可是这一次，他们俩都被动物庄园的造反行动彻底吓坏了，急不可待地要对他们自己庄园里的动物封锁这方面的消息。

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

　　开始的时候，他们对动物们自己管理庄园的想法故作嘲笑与蔑视。

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

　　他们说，整个事态两周内就会结束。

　　They put it about that the animals on the Manor⁹ Farm (they insisted on calling it the Manor Farm; they would not tolerate the name "Animal Farm")

　　他们散布说，曼纳庄园（他们坚持称之为曼纳庄园，而不能容忍动物庄园这个名字）

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

　　的畜牲总是在他们自己之间打斗，而且快要饿死了。

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

　　过一段时间，那里的动物显然并没有饿死，

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

　　弗雷德里克和皮尔金顿就改了腔调，开始说什么动物庄园如今邪恶猖獗。

　　It was given out that the animals there practiced cannibalism¹⁰, tortured one another with red-hot horseshoes, and had their females in common.

　　他们说，传说那里的动物同类相食，互相用烧得通红的马蹄铁拷打折磨，还共同霸占他们中的雌性动物。

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