这段时间里，一直都没有再见到斯诺鲍。

　　He was rumored to be hiding on one of the neighboring farms, either Foxwood or Pinchfield.

　　有谣传说他躲在附近的庄园里，不是在福克斯伍德庄园就是在平彻菲尔德庄园。

　　Napoleon was by this time on slightly better terms with the other farmers than before.

　　此时，拿破仑和其他庄园的关系也比以前稍微改善了些。

　　It happened that there was in the yard a pile of timber which had been stacked there ten years earlier when a beech spinney was cleared.

　　碰巧，在庄园的场院里，有一堆十年前在清理一片榉树林时堆在那儿的木材。

　　It was well seasoned, and Whymper had advised Napoleon to sell it.

　　这些至今已经很合用了，于是温普尔就建议拿破仑把它卖掉。

　　Both Mr. Pilkington and Mr. Frederick were anxious to buy it.

　　皮尔金顿先生和弗雷德里克先生都十分想买。

　　Napoleon was hesitating between the two, unable to make up his mind.

　　可拿破仑还在犹豫，拿不准卖给谁好。

　　It was noticed that whenever he seemed on the point of coming to an agreement with Frederick, Snowball was declared to be in hiding at Foxwood,

　　大家注意到，每当他似乎要和弗雷德里克先生达成协议的时候，就有谣传说斯诺鲍正躲在福克斯伍德庄园；

　　while, when he inclined toward Pilkington, Snowball was said to be at Pinchfield.

　　而当他打算倾向于皮尔金顿时，就又有谣传说斯诺鲍是在平彻菲尔德庄园。

　　Suddenly, early in the spring, an alarming thing was discovered.

　　初春时节，突然间有一件事震惊了庄园。

　　Snowball was secretly frequenting the farm by night!

　　说是斯诺鲍常在夜间秘密地潜入庄园！

　　The animals were so disturbed that they could hardly sleep in their stalls.

　　动物们吓坏了，躲在窝棚里夜不能寐。

　　Every night, it was said, he came creeping in under cover of darkness and performed all kinds of mischief.

　　据说，每天晚上他都在夜幕的掩护下潜入庄园，无恶不作。

　　He stole the corn, he upset the milk-pails, he broke the eggs, he trampled the seedbeds, he gnawed the bark off the fruit trees.

　　他偷走谷子，弄翻牛奶桶，打碎鸡蛋，践踏苗圃，咬掉果树皮。

　　Whenever anything went wrong it became usual to attribute it to Snowball.

　　不论什么时候什么事情搞糟了，通常都要推到斯诺鲍身上。

　　If a window was broken or a drain was blocked up, someone was certain to say that Snowball had come in the night and done it.

　　要是一扇窗子坏了或者水道堵塞了，准有某个动物断定这是斯诺鲍在夜间干的。

　　And when the key of the store-shed was lost, the whole farm was convinced that Snowball had thrown it down the well.

　　储藏棚的钥匙丢了，所有动物都坚信是斯诺鲍给扔到井里去了。

　　Curiously enough, they went on believing this even after the mislaid key was found under a sack of meal.

　　奇怪的是，甚至在发现钥匙原来是被误放在一袋面粉底下之后，他们还是这样坚信不移。

　　The cows declared unanimously that Snowball crept into their stalls and milked them in their sleep.

　　牛异口同声地声称斯诺鲍在她们睡觉时溜进牛棚，吸了她们的奶。

　　The rats, which had been troublesome that winter, were also said to be in league with Snowball.

　　那些在冬天曾给她们带来烦恼的老鼠，也被指责为斯诺鲍的同伙。

　　Napoleon decreed that there should be a full investigation into Snowball's activities.

　　拿破仑下令对斯诺鲍的活动进行一次全面调查。

　　With his dogs in attendance he set out and made a careful tour of inspection of the farm buildings, the other animals following at a respectful distance.

　　他在狗的护卫下，开始对庄园的窝棚进行一次仔细的巡回检查，其他动物谦恭地在几步之外尾随着。

　　At every few steps Napoleon stopped and snuffed the ground for traces of Snowball's footsteps, which, he said, he could detect by the smell.

　　每走几步，拿破仑就停下来，嗅一嗅地面上是否有斯诺鲍的气味，他说他能借此分辨出斯诺鲍的蹄印。

　　He snuffed in every corner, in the barn, in the cow-shed, in the henhouses, in the vegetable garden, and found traces of Snowball almost everywhere.

　　他嗅遍了每一个角落，从大谷仓、牛棚到鸡窝和苹果园，几乎到处都发现了斯诺鲍的踪迹。

　　He would put his snout to the ground, give several deep sniffs, ad exclaim in a terrible voice.

　　每到一处他就把嘴伸到地上，深深地吸上几下，便以惊异的语气厉声说。