Chapter 5 第五章-双语名著无障碍阅读丛书——《动物农场Animal Farm》

Chapter V As winter drew on,Mollie became more and more troublesome.She was late for work every morning and excused herself by saying that she had overslept,and she complained of mysterious pains,although her appetite was excellent.On every kind of pretext she would run away from work and go to the drinking pool,where she would stand foolishly gazing at her own reflection in the water. But there were also rumours of something more serious.One day,as Mollie strolled blithely into the yard,flirting her long tail and chewing at a stalk of hay,Clover took her aside. "Mollie,"she said,"I have something very serious to say to you.This morning I saw you looking over the hedge that divides Animal Farm from Foxwood.One of Mr.Pilkington's men was standing on the other side of the hedge.And I was a long way away,but I am almost certain I saw this-he was talking to you and you were allowing him to stroke your nose.What does that mean,Mollie?" "He didn't!I wasn't!It isn't true!"cried Mollie,beginning to prance about and paw the ground. "Mollie!Look me in the face.Do you give me your word of honour that that man was not stroking your nose?" "It isn't true!"repeated Mollie,but she could not look Clover in the face, ·060· 第五章 冬天临近了，莫莉越来越让大家心烦。她每天上午 干活儿时都迟到，还替自己开脱说睡过头了。她还总是 抱怨遭受了莫名其妙的痛苦，尽管她胃口非常好。她找 ①pretext[pri:tekst)n.借口 各种各样的借口逃避干活儿，跑到饮水的池塘边，傻乎 乎地伫立在水边，注视着水中自己的映像。但是，也有 一些性质更为严重的传说。一天，莫莉忸怩作态地摆着 自己的长尾巴，嘴里嚼着一根草料，信步进入院落。这 ②blithely[blaioli]ad.无忧 时候，苜蓿把她拉到了一旁。 无虑地 “莫莉，”苜蓿说，“我有很严肃的事情对你说。今 天上午，我看见你站在动物农场与孤狸林分界的树篱处 朝那边看。有位皮尔金顿的雇员站在树篱的另一边。我 当时所处的位置很远，但我几乎可以肯定，我看见他朝 你走来，你让他抚摸你的鼻子。这是什么意思啊，莫 莉？” “他没有抚摸！我也没有让他摸！这不符合事 ③prance[pra:ns]y(马)后 实！”莫莉大声说，一边开始蹦哒起来，用蹄子扒地。 足立地腾跃 “莫莉！看着我。你敢不敢以名誉担保，那个人没 有抚摸你的鼻子？” “这不符合事实！”莫莉重申着说，但是，她不敢 正面看首蓿。紧接着，她撒腿便跑，快速跑到田地里 去了。 ·061 ChapterV and the next moment she took to her heels and galloped away into the field. A thought struck Clover.Without saying anything to the others,she went to Mollie's stall and turned over the straw with her hoof.Hidden under the straw was a little pile of lump sugar and several bunches of ribbon of different colours. Three days later Mollie disappeared.For some weeks nothing was known of her whereabouts,then the pigeons reported that they had seen her on the other side of Willingdon.She was between the shafts of a smart dogcart painted red and black,which was standing outside a public-house.A fat red-faced man in check breeches and gaiters,who looked like a publican,was stroking her nose and feeding her with sugar.Her coat was newly clipped and she wore a scarlet ribbon round her forelock.She appeared to be enjoying herself,so the pigeons said.None of the animals ever mentioned Mollie again. In January there came bitterly hard weather.The earth was like iron,and nothing could be done in the fields.Many meetings were held in the big barn, and the pigs occupied themselves with planning out the work of the coming season.It had come to be accepted that the pigs,who were manifestly cleverer than the other animals,should decide all questions of farm policy,though their decisions had to be ratified by a majority vote.This arrangement would have worked well enough if it had not been for the disputes between Snowball and Napoleon.These two disagreed at every point where disagreement was possible. If one of them suggested sowing a bigger acreage with barley,the other was certain to demand a bigger acreage of oats,and if one of them said that such and such a field was just right for cabbages,the other would declare that it was useless for anything except roots.Each had his own following,and there were some violent debates.At the Meetings Snowball often won over the majority by his brilliant speeches,but Napoleon was better at canvassing support for himself in between times.He was especially successful with the sheep.Of late the sheep had taken to bleating"Four legs good,two legs bad"both in and out of season,and they often interrupted the Meeting with this.It was noticed that they were especially liable to break into "Four legs good,two legs bad"at ·062· 第五章 苜蓿突然想到了什么。她没有对其他任何动物吭声， 径自走到了莫莉的厩棚边，用蹄子把那些干草料翻了个 个儿。草料下面藏匿着一小堆方糖，还有几束各种颜色 的饰带。 三天过后，莫莉失踪了。几个星期时间里，谁也不 知道她的下落。后来，那些鸽子报告说，他们看见她在 ①shaf[Uaf]n.辕杆 ②breech[bri:t]n.屁股 威灵登的另一边。莫莉拉着一辆漆成红白相间的轻便马 ③gaiter[geit]n.绑腿 车，停在一家酒馆的外面。有个体形肥硕、脸色通红的 男子穿着格子马裤，打着绑腿，看上去像个酒馆老板。 他正抚摸着莫莉的鼻子，喂糖块给她吃。她的皮毛是新 近修剪过的，额毛处系着一根红色饰带。她显得自得其 乐，鸽子们这样说。动物中谁也没有再提到过莫莉。 一月，恶劣难熬的天气到来了。土地像铁一般梆 硬，田地里什么活儿也干不成。大谷仓里举行过许许多 manifestly ['manifestli]ad. 多次会议。那些猪集中注意力部署接下来一个季度的工 显然地 作，动物们也己经接受了这样的事实，即猪明显比别的 动物更加聪颖容智，他们理应对事关农场政策的所有问 ⑤ratify[raetifai]v.认可 题做出决定，虽说他们的决定需要得到绝大多数动物的 赞成。如若不是因为雪球和拿破仑之间的分歧，这样的 安排本来是能够行之有效的。但凡遇到可能产生分歧的 ⑥acreage[eikorid3】n.面 事情，他们两位之间都产生分歧。他们中若是有一方建 积，英亩数 ⑦barley[ba:li]n.大麦 议扩大大麦的播种面积，另一方就肯定会要求扩大燕麦 的播种面积。若是一方说某一块田里最适合于栽种白 菜，另一方就会声称栽种什么都不成，只能栽种根茎作 物。他们各有自己的支持者，双方会展开激烈的争论。 各种“会议”上，雪球凭着自己雄辩的口才，往往能够 ⑧canvass[kanvas]k拉选 票 赢得大多数动物的支持。但是，拿破仑善于休会期间的 ⑨in/out of season合宜的/ 不合时宜 游说，替自己争取支持者。他在绵羊那儿取得了特别大 的成功。最近，绵羊们喜欢咩咩地念叨着“四条腿好， 两条腿坏”，在哪儿都这样，不管是否合乎时宜。他们 常常这样念叨着，打断“会议”。大家注意到，但凡遇 ·063· ChapterV crucial moments in Snowball's speeches.Snowball had made a close study of some back numbers of the Farmer and Stockbreeder which he had found in the farmhouse,and was full of plans for innovations and improvements.He talked learnedly about field drains②，silage③，and basic slag,and had worked out a complicated scheme for all the animals to drop their dung directly in the fields,at a different spot every day,to save the labour of cartage.Napoleon produced no schemes of his own,but said quietly that Snowball's would come to nothing,and seemed to be biding his time.But of all their controversies,none was so bitter as the one that took place over the windmill. In the long pasture,not far from the farm buildings,there was a small knoll which was the highest point on the farm.After surveying the ground,Snowball declared that this was just the place for a windmill,which could be made to operate a dynamo and supply the farm with electrical power.This would light the stalls and warm them in winter,and would also run a circular saw,a chaff- cutter,a mangel-slicer,and an electric milking machine.The animals had never heard of anything of this kind before(for the farm was an old-fashioned one and had only the most primitive machinery),and they listened in astonishment while Snowball conjured up pictures of fantastic machines which would do their work for them while they grazed at their ease in the fields or improved their minds with reading and conversation. Within a few weeks Snowball's plans for the windmill were fully worked out.The mechanical details came mostly from three books which had belonged to Mr.Jones-One Thousand Useful Things to Do About the House,Every Man His Own Bricklayer,and Electricity for Beginners.Snowball used as his study a shed which had once been used for incubators and had a smooth wooden floor,suitable for drawing on.He was closeted there for hours at a time.With his books held open by a stone,and with a piece of chalk gripped between the knuckles of his trotter,he would move rapidly to and fro,drawing in line after line and uttering little whimpers of excitement.Gradually the plans grew into a complicated mass of cranks and cog-wheels,covering more than half the floor, ·064: 第五章「 到雪球演讲的关键时刻，他们就会念叨起“四条腿好， 两条腿坏”。雪球在农场主的住宅里找到了几本《农场 主与畜牧业者》杂志的过刊。他对其进行了仔细的阅读， ①back numbers过期刊物 于是，脑袋里尽装着革新和改进的计划。他有理有据， ②drain[drein]n.排水管 淡到了田地灌溉、饲料保鲜、碱性炉渣处理等等。他制 ③silage['sailid3.】n.青贮饲 定出了一套复杂的计划，让所有动物每天在不同地点直 料 接把粪便排入田地，以便节省用大车运送的劳动量。拿 ④slag[sleg]m.炉渣 破仑自己没有制定出什么计划，但态度平静地说，雪球 ⑤cartage[ka:tid3]n.运输 的计划会毫无结果。他好像在等待时机。但是，他们之 ⑥bide one's time等待时机 间的分歧最严重的莫过于围绕风车一事。 ⑦knoll [noul].圆丘 离农场窝棚区不远的那片长长的牧场上，有一个小 山包，那是农场的最高点。雪球勘察了地形后宜布，那 是设置风车的最佳地点。风车可以用来发电，给农场提 ⑧dynamo[dainamau]n.电 动机 供电能。这样可以给厩棚提供照明，冬季里给厩棚保温， ⑨saw[s3]n.锯子 另外，还可以带动一台圆锯机床、一台割草机、一台甜 菜切片机以及一台电动挤奶机。动物们过去压根儿就没 有听说过有这样的东西（因为这座农场是旧式风格的， 只有那些老掉牙的机械设备)。那些奇妙的机器会替动 ⑩conjure up用魔法召唤 物们干活儿，而他们则悠然自得在田地里吃着草，或者 阅读交谈，长才益智。雪球描绘着关于机器的一幅幅图 画，他们听得目瞪口呆。 不出几个星期，雪球关于建造风车的方案完全制 定出来了。具体的机械图形取自属于琼斯先生的三本 书一《房屋建造大全》《人人都是泥水工》和《电工 入门》。雪球把一间曾经用来存放孵化器的窝棚用作自 己的书房，铺上了光滑的木地板，适合在上面绘制图 1incubator ['inkjubeito]n. 孵化器 纸。他把自己关在房间里，一待就是几个小时。他用 ②closet[klozit]v.把（自己） 石头压着翻开的书本，蹄子趾间夹着一支粉笔，快速 关在私室里与人密谈 ⑧grip[grip]k握住 地来回移动，画出一根又一根线条，一边还激动地小 声哼哼。他绘制的图慢慢地演变成了一大堆复杂的曲 ①whimper[hwimpa]n.a鸣 咽声 轴和齿轮图案，占据了一半地板的面积。对于这些东西， 其他动物完全看得云里雾里，但却惊叹不已。所有动 ·065· ChapterV which the other animals found completely unintelligible but very impressive. All of them came to look at Snowball's drawings at least once a day.Even the hens and ducks came,and were at pains not to tread on the chalk marks. Only Napoleon held aloof.He had declared himself against the windmill from the start.One day,however,he arrived unexpectedly to examine the plans.He walked heavily round the shed,looked closely at every detail of the plans and snuffed at them once or twice,then stood for a little while contemplating them out of the corner of his eye;then suddenly he lifted his leg,urinated over the plans,and walked out without uttering a word. The whole farm was deeply divided on the subject of the windmill. Snowball did not deny that to build it would be a difficult business.Stone would have to be carried and built up into walls,then the sails would have to be made and after that there would be need for dynamos and cables.(How these were to be procured Snowball did not say.)But he maintained that it could all be done in a year.And thereafter,he declared,so much labour would be saved that the animals would only need to work three days a week.Napoleon,on the other hand,argued that the great need of the moment was to increase food production, and that if they wasted time on the windmill they would all starve to death. The animals formed themselves into two factions under the slogan,"Vote for Snowball and the three-day week"and"Vote for Napoleon and the full manger." Benjamin was the only animal who did not side with either faction.He refused to believe either that food would become more plentiful or that the windmill would save work.Windmill or no windmill,he said,life would go on as it had always gone on-that is,badly. Apart from the disputes over the windmill,there was the question of the defence of the farm.It was fully realised that though the human beings had been defeated in the Battle of the Cowshed they might make another and more determined attempt to recapture the farm and reinstate Mr.Jones.They had all the more reason for doing so because the news of their defeat had spread across the countryside and made the animals on the neighbouring farms more restive ·066· 第五章 ①unintelligible 物每天都至少要来看一次雪球绘制的图形。连母鸡和 【wnin'telid3abl]a.难理解 的 鸭子都来了，而且铆足了劲，尽量不让自己踩踏到那 ②at pains尽力：用心 些粉笔画出的线条。只有拿破仑心高气傲，不屑一顾 他从一开始就公开表示反对建造风车。不过，有一天， 他出乎意料地来观看图形。他迈着沉重的脚步在窝棚 内打转，仔细查看图形的每一处细节，有一两次还用 鼻孔闻了闻，然后伫立片刻，斜睨着眼晴看。紧接着， 他突然抬起一条腿，在图上面撒了一泡尿，没吭一声 ③urinate["juarineit]v.小便 便出去了。 有关风车一事，整座农场陷入了严重的分裂状态。 雪球并不否认，建造风车是一件很艰难的事情。需要运 来石头，垒成墙壁，然后还要制作风车的翼板，随后还 ④sail[seil]n.(风车等的） 翼板 需要发电机和电缆线。（这些东西如何实现，雪球没有 说。)但是，他坚持说，一年之内便可完成。那之后， ⑤procure[prau'kjua]v.获 他声称，劳动量便可以大大减少，动物们每个星期只需 得，取得 要工作三天。相反，拿破仑认为，眼下迫切需要的是增 加饲料的生产。倘若他们把时间浪费在建造风车上面， 他们都会饿死。动物们在不同口号下组成了两个阵营。 一方的口号是“支持雪球和三天工作制”，另一方的口 号是“支持拿破仑和食料满槽”。本杰明是唯一保持中 立的动物。他既不相信会饲料富足，也不相信风车能够 节省劳力。他说，有没有风车，生活还是会一如既往地 进行下去—那就是，过得很糟糕。 除了围绕风车产生分歧之外，还有农场防御的问 题。动物们充分地意识到，虽说人类在“牛棚之战” 中吃了败仗，但是，他们可能态度坚决，一而再再而 三地企图重新占领农场，让琼斯先生复职。他们有更 加充分的理由这样做，因为他们战败的消息传遍了整 个地区，让临近农场的动物们比以往任何时候都更加 ⑥reinstate[riin'steit)y使 桀骜不驯了。和往常一样，雪球与拿破仑还是达不成 复工 ⑦restive[restiv]a.难驾取 一致意见。根据拿破仑的意见，动物们一定要设法搞 的 到武器，并且训练他们使用武器。根据雪球的意见， ·067· ChapterV than ever.As usual,Snowball and Napoleon were in disagreement.According to Napoleon,what the animals must do was to procure firearms and train themselves in the use of them.According to Snowball,they must send out more and more pigeons and stir up rebellion among the animals on the other farms.The one argued that if they could not defend themselves they were bound to be conquered, the other argued that if rebellions happened everywhere they would have no need to defend themselves.The animals listened first to Napoleon,then to Snowball, and could not make up their minds which was right;indeed,they always found themselves in agreement with the one who was speaking at the moment. At last the day came when Snowball's plans were completed.At the Meeting on the following Sunday the question of whether or not to begin work on the windmill was to be put to the vote.When the animals had assembled in the big barn,Snowball stood up and,though occasionally interrupted by bleating from the sheep,set forth his reasons for advocating the building of the windmill. Then Napoleon stood up to reply.He said very quietly that the windmill was nonsense and that he advised nobody to vote for it,and promptly sat down again;he had spoken for barely thirty seconds,and seemed almost indifferent as to the effect he produced.At this Snowball sprang to his feet,and shouting down the sheep,who had begun bleating again,broke into a passionate appeal in favour of the windmill.Until now the animals had been about equally divided in their sympathies,but in a moment Snowball's eloquence had carried them away.In glowing sentences he painted a picture of Animal Farm as it might be when sordid labour was lifted from the animals'backs.His imagination had now run far beyond chaff-cutters and turnip-slicers.Electricity,he said,could operate threshing machines,ploughs,harrows,rollers,and reapers and binders, besides supplying every stall with its own electric light,hot and cold water,and an electric heater.By the time he had finished speaking,there was no doubt as to which way the vote would go.But just at this moment Napoleon stood up and, casting a peculiar sidelong look at Snowball,uttered a high-pitched whimper of a kind no one had ever heard him utter before. ·068· 第五章 他们要把越来越多的鸽子放出去，到别的农场上去煽 动动物们起来反抗。一方认为，他们若是不能自我防卫， 那注定会被征服。另一方则认为，如若四处爆发反抗 ①stir up激起 运动，他们便无须自我防卫。动物们先听了拿破仑的 看法，然后又听雪球的，莫衷一是，打不定主意。事 实上，他们往往会发现，听哪个说，就会觉得哪个说 得有道理。 最后，雪球的设计图终于完成了。随后那个星期天 的“会议”上，大家拟对是否开工建造风车进行表决。 动物们在大谷仓集中后，雪球站立起来，尽管时不时地 被绵羊咩咩的声音打断，但还是仔细地陈述了力主建造 风车的理由。紧接着，拿破仑站起来反击。他态度平静 地说，建造风车的事情纯属瞎胡闹，奉劝大家都不要对 其投赞成票，但立刻又坐下来了。他的讲话仅仅持续了 三十秒而已，好像并不关注自己的讲话取得了什么样的 效果。听到拿破仑这么一说后，雪球立刻一跃身子站了 起来，先朝下对着那些绵羊吼了一通，因为他们又开始 咩咩叫起来了，然后情绪激动地恳求大家支持建造风 车。至此，动物中两个阵营旗鼓相当，势均力敌，但是， 片刻之后，雪球雄辩的演讲征服了他们。动物农场上繁 重的体力劳动从动物们的肩膀上卸去之后，将会是一幅 2 eloquence ['elokwans]n. 怎么样的图画，他用生动形象的语言进行了描绘。他的 雄辩 想象力此刻远远超出了割草机和萝卜切片机的范围。他 ③glowing[glauin]a.生动 的 说，电力除了让每一间厩棚拥有自身的照明、热水、冷 ④sordid[so:did]a.悲惨的 水以及电热器之外，还可以发动脱粒机、犁、耙、碾子、 收割机以及捆草机。等到雪球演讲完毕时，动物们该把 赞成票投给谁，已经不存在疑问了。但是，也就在这个 当儿，拿破仑站起身来，斜着眼睛瞥了雪球一眼，目光 显得特别，并发出了一声尖叫，动物们过去从来都没有 听见从他嘴里发出过这样的叫声。 ⑤sidelong['saidln]a.侧面 的 ·069·