动物农场Animal Farm 第8章(4)

The animals distrusted Pilkington, as a human being, but greatly preferred him to Frederick, whom they both feared and hated.

对于皮尔金顿这个人，动物们并不信任，但他们更不信任弗雷德里克，他们对他又怕又恨。

As the summer wore on, and the windmill neared completion, the rumors of animpending treacherous attack grew stronger and stronger.

夏天过去了，风车即将竣工，那个关于弗雷德里克将要袭击庄园的风声也越来越紧。

Frederick, it was said, intended to bring against them twenty men all armed with guns.

据说危险已经迫在眉睫，而且，弗雷德里克打算带二十个全副武装的人来。

And he had already bribed the magistrates and police, so that if he could once get hold of the title-deeds of Animal Farm they would ask no questions.

还说他已经买通了地方官员和警察，这样，一旦他能把动物庄园的地契弄到手，就会得到他们的认可。

Moreover, terrible stories were leaking out from Pinchfield about the cruelties that Frederick practiced upon his animals.

更有甚者，从平彻菲尔德庄园透露出许多可怕的消息，说弗雷德里克正用他的动物进行残酷无情的演习。

He had flogged an old horse to death, he starved his cows, he had killed a dog by throwing it into the furnace,

他用鞭子抽死了一匹老马，饿他的牛，还把一条狗扔到炉子里烧死了，

he amused himself in the evenings by making cocks fight with splinters of razor-blade tied to their spurs.

到了晚上，他就把刮脸刀碎片绑在鸡爪子上看斗鸡取乐。

The animals' blood boiled with rage when they heard of these things being done to their comrades,

听到这些正加害在他们同志身上的事，动物们群情激愤，热血沸腾，

and sometimes they clamored to be allowed to go out in a body and attack Pinchfield Farm, drive out the humans, and set the animals free.

他们不时叫嚷着要一起去进攻平彻菲尔德庄园，赶走那里的人，解放那里的动物。

But Squealer counseled them to avoid rash actions and trust in Comrade Napoleon's strategy.

但斯奎拉告诫动物们，要避免草率行动，要相信拿破仑的战略布署。

Nevertheless, feeling against Frederick continued to run high.

尽管如此，反对弗雷德里克的情绪还是越来越高涨。

One Sunday morning Napoleon appeared in the barn and explained that he had never at any time contemplated selling the pile of timber to Frederick.

在一个星期天早上，拿破仑来到大谷仓，他解释说他从来未打算把那堆木料卖给弗雷德里克。

He considered it beneath his dignity, he said, to have dealings with scoundrels of that description.

他说，和那个恶棍打交道有辱他的身份。

The pigeons who were still sent out to spread tidings of the Rebellion were forbidden to set foot anywhere on Foxwood,

为了向外传播起义消息而放出去的鸽子，以后不准在福克斯伍德庄园落脚。

and were also ordered to drop their former slogan of "Death to Humanity" in favor of "Death to Frederick."

他还下令，把他们以前的口号"打倒人类"换成"打倒弗雷德里克"。

In the late summer yet another of Snowball's machinations was laid bare.

夏末，斯诺鲍的另一个阴谋又被揭露了。

The wheat crop was full of weeds, and it was discovered that on one of his nocturnal visits Snowball had mixed weed seeds with the seed corn.

麦田里长满了杂草，原来发现是他在某个夜晚潜入庄园后，往粮种里拌了草籽。

A gander who had been privy to the plot had confessed his guilt to Squealer and immediately committed suicide by swallowing deadly nightshade berries.

一只与此事件有牵连的雄鸡向斯奎拉坦白了这一罪行，随后，他就吞食了剧毒草莓自尽了。

The animals now also learned that Snowball had never--as many of them had believed hitherto--received the order of "Animal Hero, First Class."

动物们现在还得知，和他们一直想像的情况正相反，斯诺鲍从来都没有受到过"一级动物英雄"嘉奖。

This was merely a legend which had been spread some time after the Battle of the Cowshed by Snowball himself.

受奖的事只不过是在牛棚大战后，斯诺鲍自己散布的一个神话。

So far from being decorated, he had been censured for showing cowardice in the battle.

根本就没有给他授勋这回事，倒是因为他在战斗中表现怯懦而早就受到谴责。

Once again some of the animals heard this with a certain bewilderment, but Squealer was soon able to convince them that their memories had been at fault.

有些动物又一次感到不好接受，但斯奎拉很快就使他们相信是他们记错了。