动物农场Animal Farm 第5章(2)

 　　She was between the shafts¹ of a smart dogcart painted red and black, which was standing² outside a public-house.

　　当时，她正被驾在一辆单驾马车上，那辆车很时髦，漆得有红有黑，停在一个客栈外面。

　　A fat red-faced man in check breeches and gaiters, who looked like a publican, was stroking her nose and feeding her with sugar.

　　有个红脸膛的胖子，身穿方格子马裤和高筒靴，象是客栈老板，边抚摸着她的鼻子边给她喂糖。

　　Her coat was newly clipped and she wore a scarlet³ ribbon round her forelock.

　　她的毛发修剪一新，额毛上还佩戴着一条鲜红的饰带。

　　She appeared to be enjoying herself, so the pigeons said.

　　所以鸽子说，她显得自鸣得意。

　　None of the animals ever mentioned Mollie again.

　　从此以后，动物们再也不提她了。

　　In January there came bitterly hard weather.

　　一月份，天气极其恶劣。

　　The earth was like iron, and nothing could be done in the fields.

　　田地好象铁板一样，什么活都干不成。

　　Many meetings were held in the big barn, and the pigs occupied themselves with planning out the work of the coming season.

　　倒是在大谷仓里召开了很多会议，猪忙于筹划下一季度的工作。

　　It had come to be accepted that the pigs, who were manifestly cleverer than the other animals,

　　他们明显比其它动物聪明，

　　should decide all questions of farm policy, though their decisions had to be ratified⁴ by a majority vote.

　　也就自然而然地该对庄园里所有的大政方针做出决定，尽管他们的决策还得通过大多数表决同意后才有效。

　　This arrangement would have worked well enough if it had not been for the disputes between Snowball and Napoleon.

　　本来，要是斯诺鲍和拿破仑相互之间不闹别扭，整个程序会进行得很顺利。

　　These two disagreed at every point where disagreement was possible.

　　可是在每一个论点上，他们俩一有可能便要抬杠。

　　If one of them suggested sowing a bigger acreage with barley⁵, the other was certain to demand a bigger acreage of oats.

　　如果其中一个建议用更大面积播种大麦，另一个则肯定要求用更大面积播种燕麦。

　　And if one of them said that such and such a field was just right for cabbages, the other would declare that it was useless for anything except roots.

　　如果一个说某某地方最适宜种卷心菜，另一个就会声称那里非种薯类不可，不然就是废地一块。

　　Each had his own following, and there were some violent debates.

　　他们俩都有自己的追随者，相互之间还有一些激烈的争辩。

　　At the Meetings Snowball often won over the majority by his brilliant speeches, but Napoleon was better at canvassing⁶ support for himself in between times.

　　在大会议上，斯诺鲍能言善辩，令绝大多数动物心诚口服，而拿破仑更擅长在会议上休息时为争取到支持游说拉票。

　　He was especially successful with the sheep.

　　在羊那儿，他尤其成功。

　　Of late the sheep had taken to bleating⁷ "Four legs good, two legs bad" both in and out of season, and they often interrupted the Meeting with this.

　　后来，不管适时不适时，羊都在咩咩地叫着“四条腿好，两条腿坏”，并经常借此来捣乱大会议。

　　It was noticed that they were especially liable to break into "Four legs good, two legs bad" at crucial moments in Snowball's speeches.

　　大家还注意到了，越是斯诺鲍的讲演讲到关键处，他们就越有可能插进“四条腿好，两条腿坏”的咩咩声。

1 shafts   

n.轴( shaft的名词复数 )；（箭、高尔夫球棒等的）杆；通风井；一阵（疼痛、害怕等）

参考例句：

• He deliberately jerked the shafts to rock him a bit. 他故意的上下颠动车把，摇这个老猴子几下。 来自汉英文学 - 骆驼祥子
• Shafts were sunk, with tunnels dug laterally. 竖井已经打下，并且挖有横向矿道。 来自辞典例句

2 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

3 scarlet   

n.深红色，绯红色，红衣；adj.绯红色的

参考例句：

• The scarlet leaves of the maples contrast well with the dark green of the pines.深红的枫叶和暗绿的松树形成了明显的对比。
• The glowing clouds are growing slowly pale,scarlet,bright red,and then light red.天空的霞光渐渐地淡下去了，深红的颜色变成了绯红，绯红又变为浅红。

4 ratified   

v.批准，签认（合约等）( ratify的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The treaty was declared invalid because it had not been ratified. 条约没有得到批准，因此被宣布无效。
• The treaty was ratified by all the member states. 这个条约得到了所有成员国的批准。

5 barley   

n.大麦，大麦粒

参考例句：

• They looked out across the fields of waving barley.他们朝田里望去,只见大麦随风摇摆。
• He cropped several acres with barley.他种了几英亩大麦。

6 canvassing   

v.（在政治方面）游说( canvass的现在分词 )；调查（如选举前选民的）意见；为讨论而提出（意见等）；详细检查

参考例句：

• He spent the whole month canvassing for votes. 他花了整整一个月四处游说拉选票。
• I'm canvassing for the Conservative Party. 我在为保守党拉选票。 来自辞典例句

7 bleating   

v.（羊，小牛）叫( bleat的现在分词 )；哭诉；发出羊叫似的声音；轻声诉说

参考例句：

• I don't like people who go around bleating out things like that. 我不喜欢跑来跑去讲那种蠢话的人。 来自辞典例句
• He heard the tinny phonograph bleating as he walked in. 他步入室内时听到那架蹩脚的留声机在呜咽。 来自辞典例句