动物农场Animal Farm 第3章(5)

 　　Boxer¹ could not get beyond the letter D.

　　鲍克瑟只能学到字母D。

　　He would trace out A, B, C, D, in the dust with his great hoof², and then would stand staring at the letters with his ears back,

　　他会用硕大的蹄子在尘土上摹写出A、B、C、D，然后，站在那里，翘着耳朵，目不转睛地盯着，

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

　　而且还不时抖动一下额毛，竭尽全力地想下一个字母，可总是想不起来。

　　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.

　　有好几次，真的，他确实学到了E、F、G、H，但等他学会了这几个，又总是发现他已经忘了A、B、C、D。

　　Finally he decided³ 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，他决定满足于头四个字母，并在每天坚持写上一两遍，以加强记忆。

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

　　莫丽除了那六个拼出她自己名字的字母Mollie外，再也不肯学点别的。

　　She would form these very neatly⁴ out of pieces of twig⁵, and would then decorate them with a flower or two and walk round them admiring them.

　　她会用几根细嫩的树枝，非常灵巧地拼出她的名字，然后用一两支鲜花装饰一下，再绕着它们走几圈，赞叹一番。

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

　　庄园里的其他动物都只学会了一个字母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.

　　另外还有一点，那些比较迟钝的动物，如羊、鸡、鸭子等，还没有学会熟记“七诫”。

　　After much thought Snowball declared that the Seven Commandments could in effect be reduced to a single maxim⁶, namely: "Four legs good, two legs bad."

　　于是，斯诺鲍经过反复思忖，宣布“七诫”实际上可以简化为一条准则，那就是“四条腿好，两条腿坏”。

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

　　他说，这条准则包含了动物主义的基本原则。

　　Whoever had thoroughly⁷ grasped it would be safe from human influences.

　　无论是谁，一旦完全掌握了这个准则，便免除了受到人类影响的危险。

　　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，禽鸟们首先表示反对，因为他们好像也只有两条腿，到斯诺鲍向他们证明这其实不然。

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

　　“同志们”，他说道，“禽鸟的翅膀，是一种推动行进的器官，而不是用来操作和控制的。

　　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 his mischief⁸."

　　而人的不同特点是手，那是他们作恶多端的器官。”

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

　　对这一番长篇大论，禽鸟们并没有弄懂，但他们接受了斯诺鲍的解释。

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

　　同时，所有这类反应较慢的动物，都开始郑重其事地在心里熟记这个新准则。

1 boxer   

n.制箱者，拳击手

参考例句：

• The boxer gave his opponent a punch on the nose.这个拳击手朝他对手的鼻子上猛击一拳。
• He moved lightly on his toes like a boxer.他像拳击手一样踮着脚轻盈移动。

2 hoof   

n.(马，牛等的)蹄

参考例句：

• Suddenly he heard the quick,short click of a horse's hoof behind him.突然间，他听见背后响起一阵急骤的马蹄的得得声。
• I was kicked by a hoof.我被一只蹄子踢到了。

3 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

4 neatly   

adv.整洁地，干净地，灵巧地，熟练地

参考例句：

• Sailors know how to wind up a long rope neatly.水手们知道怎样把一条大绳利落地缠好。
• The child's dress is neatly gathered at the neck.那孩子的衣服在领口处打着整齐的皱褶。

5 twig   

n.小树枝，嫩枝；v.理解

参考例句：

• He heard the sharp crack of a twig.他听到树枝清脆的断裂声。
• The sharp sound of a twig snapping scared the badger away.细枝突然折断的刺耳声把獾惊跑了。

6 maxim   

n.格言，箴言

参考例句：

• Please lay the maxim to your heart.请把此格言记在心里。
• "Waste not,want not" is her favourite maxim.“不浪费则不匮乏”是她喜爱的格言。

7 thoroughly   

adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地

参考例句：

• The soil must be thoroughly turned over before planting.一定要先把土地深翻一遍再下种。
• The soldiers have been thoroughly instructed in the care of their weapons.士兵们都系统地接受过保护武器的训练。

8 mischief   

n.损害，伤害，危害；恶作剧，捣蛋，胡闹

参考例句：

• Nobody took notice of the mischief of the matter. 没有人注意到这件事情所带来的危害。
• He seems to intend mischief.看来他想捣蛋。