动物农场Animal Farm 第7章(1)

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　　那是一个寒冷的冬天。

　　The stormy weather was followed by sleet¹ and snow, and then by a hard frost which did not break till well into February.

　　狂风暴雨的天气刚刚过去，这又下起了雨夹雪，接着严寒来了，直到二月才见和缓。

　　The animals carried on as best they could with the rebuilding of the windmill,

　　动物们都在全力以赴地赶建风车，

　　well knowing that the outside world was watching them and that the envious² human beings would rejoice and triumph if the mill were not finished on time.

　　因为他们都十分清楚：外界正在注视着他们，如果风车不能重新及时建成，那些妒火中烧的人类便会为此幸灾乐祸的。

　　Out of spite, the human beings pretended not to believe that it was Snowball who had destroyed the windmill.

　　那些人不怀好意，佯称他们不相信风车会是斯诺鲍毁坏的。

　　They said that it had fallen down because the walls were too thin.

　　他们说，风车之所以倒塌纯粹是因为墙座太薄。

　　The animals knew that this was not the case.

　　而动物们认为事实并非如此。

　　Still, it had been decided³ to build the walls three feet thick this time instead of eighteen inches as before, which meant collecting much larger quantities of stone.

　　不过，他们还是决定这一次要把墙筑到三尺厚，而不是上一次的一尺半。这就意味着得采集更多的石头。

　　For a long time the quarry⁴ was full of snowdrifts and nothing could be done.

　　但采石场上好长时间积雪成堆，什么事也干不成。

　　Some progress was made in the dry frosty weather that followed, but it was cruel work, and the animals could not feel so hopeful about it as they had felt before.

　　后来，严冬的天气变得干燥了，倒是干了一些活，但那却是一项苦不堪言的劳作，动物们再也不象先前那样满怀希望、信心十足。

　　They were always cold, and usually hungry as well.

　　它们总感到冷，又常常觉得饿。

　　Only Boxer⁵ and Clover never lost heart.

　　只有鲍克瑟和克拉弗从不气馁。

　　Squealer⁶ made excellent speeches on the joy of service and the dignity of labor⁷,

　　斯奎拉则时不时来一段关于什么劳动的乐趣以及劳工神圣之类的精彩演讲，

　　but the other animals found more inspiration in Boxer's strength and his never-failing cry of "I will work harder!"

　　但使其他动物受到鼓舞更大的，却来自鲍克瑟的踏实肯干和他总是挂在嘴边的口头禅："我要更加努力工作。"

　　In January food fell short.

　　一月份，食物就开始短缺了。

　　The corn ration⁸ was drastically reduced, and it was announced that an extra potato ration would be issued to make up for it.

　　谷类饲料急骤减少，有通知说要发给额外的土豆来弥补。

　　Then it was discovered that the greater part of the potato crop had been frosted in the clamps, which had not been covered thickly enough.

　　可随后却发现绝大部分土豆都已受冻了，因为地窖上面盖得不够厚。

　　The potatoes had become soft and discolored, and only a few were edible⁹.

　　土豆发软变坏了，只有很少一些还可以吃。

　　For days at a time the animals had nothing to eat but chaff¹⁰ and mangles¹¹.

　　这段时间里，动物们已有好些天除了吃谷糠和萝卜外，再也没有别的可吃的了。

　　Starvation seemed to stare them in the face.

　　他们差不多面临着饥荒。

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