动物农场Animal Farm 第7章(2)

搜索关注在线英语听力室公众号：tingroom，领取免费英语资料大礼包。

　　对外遮掩这一实情是非常必要的。

　　Emboldened² by the collapse³ of the windmill, the human beings were inventing fresh lies about Animal Farm.

　　风车的倒塌已经给人壮了胆，他们因而就捏造出有关动物庄园的新奇的谎言。

　　Once again it was being put about that all the animals were dying of famine and disease,

　　这一次，外面又谣传说他们这里所有的动物都在饥荒和瘟疫中垂死挣扎，

　　and that they were continually fighting among themselves and had resorted to cannibalism⁴ and infanticide.

　　而且说他们内部不断自相残杀，已经到了以同类相食和吞食幼崽度日的地步。

　　Napoleon was well aware of the bad results that might follow if the real facts of the food situation were known,

　　拿破仑清醒地意识倒饲料短缺的真相被外界知道后的严重后果，

　　and he decided⁵ to make use of Mr. Whymper to spread a contrary impression.

　　因而决意利用温普尔先生散布一些相反的言论。

　　Hitherto the animals had had little or no contact with Whymper on his weekly visits.

　　本来，到目前为止，对温普尔的每周一次来访，动物们还几乎与他没有什么接触。

　　Now, however, a few selected animals, mostly sheep, were instructed to remark casually⁶ in his hearing that rations⁷ had been increased.

　　可是这一次，他们却挑选了一些动物，大都是羊，要他们在温普尔能听得到的地方，装作是在无意的聊天中谈有关饲料粮增加的事。

　　In addition, Napoleon ordered the almost empty bins⁸ in the store-shed to be filled nearly to the brim with sand,

　　这还不够，拿破仑又让储藏棚里那些几乎已是完全空空如也的大箱子满沙子，

　　which was then covered up with what remained of the grain and meal.

　　然后把剩下的饲料粮盖在上面。

　　On some suitable pretext⁹ Whymper was led through the store-shed and allowed to catch a glimpse of the bins.

　　最后找个适当的借口，把温普尔领到储藏棚，让他瞥上一眼。

　　He was deceived, and continued to report to the outside world that there was no food shortage on Animal Farm.

　　温普尔被蒙骗过去了，就不断在外界报告说，动物庄园根本不缺饲料云云。

　　Nevertheless, towards the end of January it became obvious that it would be necessary to procure¹⁰ some more grain from somewhere.

　　然而快到一月底的时候，问题就变得突出了，其关键就是，必须得从某个地方弄到些额外的粮食。

　　In these days Napoleon rarely appeared in public, but spent all his time in the farmhouse¹¹, which was guarded at each door by fierce-looking dogs.

　　而这些天来，拿破仑轻易不露面，整天就呆在庄主院里，那儿的每道门都由气势汹汹的狗把守着。

　　When he did emerge, it was in a ceremonial manner, with an escort of six dogs who closely surrounded him and growled¹² if anyone came too near.

　　一旦他要出来，也必是一本正经，而且，还有六条狗前呼后拥着，不管谁要走近，那些狗都会吼叫起来。

　　Frequently he did not even appear on Sunday mornings, but issued his orders through one of the other pigs, usually Squealer¹³.

　　甚至在星期天早晨，他也常常不露面，而由其他一头猪，一般是斯奎拉来发布他的指示。

　　One Sunday morning Squealer announced that the hens, who had just come in to lay again, must surrender their eggs.

　　一个星期天早晨，斯奎拉宣布说，所有重新开始下蛋的鸡，必须把鸡蛋上交。

　　Napoleon had accepted, through Whymper, a contract for four hundred eggs a week.

　　因为通过温普尔牵线，拿破仑已经承诺了一项每周支付四百只鸡蛋的合同。

分享到：