动物农场Animal Farm 第5章(1)

 　　As winter drew on, Mollie became more and more troublesome.

　　冬天快要到了，莫丽变得越来越讨厌。

　　She was late for work every morning and excused herself by saying that she had overslept.

　　她每天早上干活总要迟到，而且总为自己开脱说她睡过头了。

　　And she complained of mysterious pains, although her appetite was excellent.

　　她还诉说一些不可思议的病痛，不过，她的食欲却很旺盛。

　　On every kind of pretext¹ she would run away from work and go to the drinking pool,

　　她会找出种种借口逃避干活而跑到饮水池边，

　　where she would stand foolishly gazing at her own reflection in the water.

　　呆呆地站在那儿，凝视着她在水中的倒影。

　　But there were also rumors² of something more serious.

　　但还有一些传闻，说起来比这更严重一些。

　　One day, as Mollie strolled blithely³ into the yard, flirting⁴ her long tail and chewing at a stalk of hay, Clover took her aside.

　　有一天，当莫丽边晃悠着她的长尾巴边嚼着一根草根，乐悠悠的闲逛到院子里时，克拉弗把她拉到一旁。

　　"Mollie," she said, "I have something very serious to say to you.

　　“莫丽”，她说，“我有件非常要紧的事要对你说。

　　This morning I saw you looking over the hedge that divides Animal Farm from Foxwood.

　　今天早晨，我看见你在查看那段隔开动物庄园和福克斯伍德庄园的树篱。

　　One of Mr. Pilkington's men was standing⁵ on the other side of the hedge.

　　有一个皮尔金顿先生的伙计正站在树篱的另一边。

　　And--I was a long way away, but I am almost certain I saw this--he was talking to you and you were allowing him to stroke your nose.

　　嗯……尽管我离得很远，但我敢肯定我看见他在对你说话，你还让他摸你的鼻子。

　　What does that mean, Mollie?"

　　这是怎么回事，莫丽？”

　　"He didn't! I wasn't! It isn't true!" cried Mollie, beginning to prance⁶ about and paw the ground.

　　“他没摸！我没让！这不是真的！”莫丽大声嚷着，抬起前蹄子搔着地。

　　"Mollie! Look me in the face.

　　“莫丽！看着我。

　　Do you give me your word of honor that that man was not stroking your nose?"

　　你能向我发誓，那人不是在摸你的鼻子。”

　　"It isn't true!" repeated Mollie, but she could not look Clover in the face, and the next moment she took to her heels and galloped⁷ away into the field.

　　“这不是真的！”莫丽重复道，但却不敢正视克拉弗。然后，她朝着田野飞奔而去，逃之夭夭。

　　A thought struck Clover.

　　克拉弗心中闪过一个念头。

　　Without saying anything to the others, she went to Mollie's stall and turned over the straw with her hoof⁸.

　　谁也没有打招呼，她就跑到莫丽的厩棚里，用蹄子翻开一堆草。

　　Hidden under the straw was a little pile of lump sugar and several bunches of ribbon of different colors.

　　草下竟藏着一堆方糖和几条不同颜色的饰带。

　　Three days later Mollie disappeared.

　　三天后，莫丽不见了。

　　For some weeks nothing was known of her whereabouts, then the pigeons reported that they had seen her on the other side of Willingdon.

　　好几个星期下落不明，后来鸽子报告说他们曾在威灵顿那边见到过她。

1 pretext   

n.借口，托词

参考例句：

• He used his headache as a pretext for not going to school.他借口头疼而不去上学。
• He didn't attend that meeting under the pretext of sickness.他以生病为借口，没参加那个会议。

2 rumors   

n.传闻( rumor的名词复数 )；[古]名誉；咕哝；[古]喧嚷v.传闻( rumor的第三人称单数 )；[古]名誉；咕哝；[古]喧嚷

参考例句：

• Rumors have it that the school was burned down. 有谣言说学校给烧掉了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Rumors of a revolt were afloat. 叛变的谣言四起。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 blithely   

adv.欢乐地，快活地，无挂虑地

参考例句：

• They blithely carried on chatting, ignoring the customers who were waiting to be served. 他们继续开心地聊天，将等着购物的顾客们置于一边。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He blithely ignored her protests and went on talking as if all were agreed between them. 对她的抗议他毫不在意地拋诸脑后，只管继续往下说，仿彿他们之间什么都谈妥了似的。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 flirting   

v.调情，打情骂俏( flirt的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Don't take her too seriously; she's only flirting with you. 别把她太当真，她只不过是在和你调情罢了。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• 'she's always flirting with that new fellow Tseng!" “她还同新来厂里那个姓曾的吊膀子！ 来自子夜部分

5 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。

6 prance   

v.（马）腾跃，(人)神气活现地走

参考例句：

• Their horses pranced and whinnied.他们的马奔腾着、嘶鸣着。
• He was horrified at the thought of his son prancing about on a stage in tights.一想到儿子身穿紧身衣在舞台上神气活现地走来走去，他就感到震惊。

7 galloped   

（使马）飞奔，奔驰( gallop的过去式和过去分词 )； 快速做[说]某事

参考例句：

• Jo galloped across the field towards him. 乔骑马穿过田野向他奔去。
• The children galloped home as soon as the class was over. 孩子们一下课便飞奔回家了。

8 hoof   

n.(马，牛等的)蹄

参考例句：

• Suddenly he heard the quick,short click of a horse's hoof behind him.突然间，他听见背后响起一阵急骤的马蹄的得得声。
• I was kicked by a hoof.我被一只蹄子踢到了。