但本杰明仍在急切地注视着那些人的活动。

　　The two with the hammer and the crowbar were drilling a hole near the base of the windmill.

　　拿着钢钎和大铁锤的两个人，正在风车的地基附近打孔。

　　Slowly, and with an air almost of amusement, Benjamin nodded his long muzzle.

　　本杰明带着几乎是戏谑的神情，慢腾腾地呶了呶他那长长的嘴巴。

　　"I thought so," he said.

　　"我看是这样"他说。

　　"Do you not see what they are doing?

　　"你们没看见他们在干什么吗？

　　In another moment they are going to pack blasting powder into that hole."

　　过一会儿，他们就要往打好的孔里装炸药。"

　　Terrified, the animals waited.

　　太可怕了，动物们只好等待着。

　　It was impossible now to venture out of the shelter of the buildings.

　　因为此时此刻，他们不敢冒险冲出窝棚。

　　After a few minutes the men were seen to be running in all directions.

　　过了几分钟，眼看着那些人朝四下散开。

　　Then there was a deafening roar.

　　接着，就是一声震耳欲聋的爆炸声。

　　The pigeons swirled into the air, and all the animals, except Napoleon, flung themselves flat on their bellies and hid their faces.

　　顿时，鸽子就立刻飞到空中，其它动物，除了拿破仑外，全都转过脸去，猛地趴倒在地。

　　When they got up again, a huge cloud of black smoke was hanging where the windmill had been.

　　他们起来后，风车上空飘荡着一团巨大的黑色烟云。

　　Slowly the breeze drifted it away.

　　微风慢慢吹散了烟云。

　　The windmill had ceased to exist!

　　风车已荡然无存！

　　At this sight the animals' courage returned to them.

　　看到这情景，动物们又重新鼓起勇气。

　　The fear and despair they had felt a moment earlier were drowned in their rage against this vile, contemptible act.

　　他们在片刻之前所感到的胆怯和恐惧，此刻便被这种可耻卑鄙的行为所激起的狂怒淹没了。

　　A mighty cry for vengeance went up, and without waiting for further orders they charged forth in a body and made straight for the enemy.

　　他们发出一阵强烈的复仇呐喊，不等下一步的命令，便一齐向敌人冲去。

　　This time they did not heed the cruel pellets that swept over them like hail.

　　这一次，他们顾不上留意那如冰雹一般扫射而来的残忍的子弹了。

　　It was a savage, bitter battle.

　　这是一场残酷、激烈的战斗。

　　The men fired again and again, and, when the animals got to close quarters, lashed out with their sticks and their heavy boots.

　　那帮人在不断地射击，等到动物们接近他们时，他们就又用棍棒和那沉重的靴子大打出手。

　　A cow, three sheep, and two geese were killed, and nearly everyone was wounded.

　　一头牛、三只羊、两只鹅被杀害了，几乎每个动物都受了伤。

　　Even Napoleon, who was directing operations from the rear, had the tip of his tail chipped by a pellet.

　　就连一直在后面指挥作战的拿破仑也被子弹削去了尾巴尖。

　　But the men did not go unscathed either.

　　但人也并非没有伤亡。

　　Three of them had their heads broken by blows from Boxer's hoofs; another was gored in the belly by a cow's horn; another had his trousers nearly torn off by Jessie and Bluebell.

　　三个人的头被鲍克瑟的蹄掌打破；另一个人的肚子被一头牛的犄角刺破；还有一个人，裤子几乎被杰西和布鲁拜尔撕掉。

　　And when the nine dogs of Napoleon's own bodyguard, whom he had instructed to make a detour under cover of the hedge, suddenly appeared on the men's flank, baying ferociously, panic overtook them.

　　给拿破仑作贴身警卫的那九条狗，奉他的命令在树篱的遮掩下迂回过去，突然出现在敌人的侧翼，凶猛地吼叫起来，把那帮人吓坏了。

　　They saw that they were in danger of being surrounded.

　　他们发现有被包围的危险。

　　Frederick shouted to his men to get out while the going was good, and the next moment the cowardly enemy was running for dear life.

　　弗雷德里克趁退路未断便喊他的同伙撤出去，不一会儿，那些贪生怕死的敌人便没命似地逃了。

　　The animals chased them right down to the bottom of the field, and got in some last kicks at them as they forced their way through the thorn hedge.

　　动物们一直把他们追到庄园边上，在他们从那片树篱中挤出去时，还踢了他们最后几下。