动物农场Animal Farm 第5章(10)

 　　On the third Sunday after Snowball's expulsion, the animals were somewhat surprised to hear Napoleon announce that the windmill was to be built after all.

　　斯诺鲍被逐后的第三个星期天，拿破仑宣布要建造风车，动物们听到这个消息，终究有些吃惊。

　　He did not give any reason for having changed his mind, but merely warned the animals that this extra task would mean very hard work,

　　而拿破仑没有为改变主意讲述任何理由，只是简单地告诫动物们，那项额外的任务将意味着非常艰苦的劳动：

　　it might even be necessary to reduce their rations¹.

　　也许有必要缩减他们的食料。

　　The plans, however, had all been prepared, down to the last detail.

　　然而，设计图已全部筹备好，并已经进入最后的细节部分。

　　A special committee of pigs had been at work upon them for the past three weeks.

　　一个由猪组成的特别委员会为此在过去三周内一直工作着。

　　The building of the windmill, with various other improvements, was expected to take two years.

　　风车的修建，加上其他一些各种各样的改进，预期要两年时间。

　　That evening Squealer² explained privately³ to the other animals that Napoleon had never in reality been opposed to the windmill.

　　当天晚上，斯奎拉私下对其他动物解释说，拿破仑从来没有真正反对过风车。

　　On the contrary, it was he who had advocated it in the beginning.

　　相反，正是由他最初做的建议。

　　And the plan which Snowball had drawn⁴ on the floor of the incubator shed had actually been stolen from among Napoleon's papers.

　　那个斯诺鲍画在孵卵棚地板上的设计图，实际上是他早先从拿破仑的笔记中剽窃的。

　　The windmill was, in fact, Napoleon's own creation.

　　事实上，风车是拿破仑自己的创造。

　　Why, then, asked somebody, had he spoken so strongly against it?

　　于是，有的动物问道，为什么他曾说它的坏话说得那么厉害？

　　Here Squealer looked very sly.

　　在这一点上，斯奎拉显得非常圆滑。

　　That, he said, was Comrade Napoleon's cunning.

　　他说，这是拿破仑同志的老练。

　　He had SEEMED to oppose the windmill, simply as a maneuver⁶ to get rid of Snowball, who was a dangerous character and a bad influence.

　　他装作反对风车，那只是一个计谋，目的在于驱除斯诺鲍这个隐患，这个坏东西。

　　Now that Snowball was out of the way, the plan could go forward without his interference.

　　既然现在斯诺鲍已经溜掉了，计划也就能在没有斯诺鲍妨碍的情况下顺利进行了。

　　This, said Squealer, was something called tactics.

　　斯奎拉说，这就是所谓的策略。

　　He repeated a number of times, "Tactics, comrades, tactics!" skipping round and whisking his tail with a merry laugh.

　　他重复了好几遍，“策略，同志们，策略！”还一边带着欢快的笑声，一边甩动着尾巴，活蹦乱跳。

　　The animals were not certain what the word meant, but Squealer spoke⁵ so persuasively⁷,

　　动物们吃不准这些话的含意，可是斯奎拉讲的如此富有说服力，

　　and the three dogs who happened to be with him growled⁸ so threateningly, that they accepted his explanation without further questions.

　　加上赶巧了有三条狗和他在一起，又是那样气势汹汹的狂叫着，因而他们没有进一步再问什么，就接受了他的解释。

1 rations   

定量( ration的名词复数 )； 配给量； 正常量； 合理的量

参考例句：

• They are provisioned with seven days' rations. 他们得到了7天的给养。
• The soldiers complained that they were getting short rations. 士兵们抱怨他们得到的配给不够数。

2 squealer   

发出尖叫声的人；雏鸽；小松鸡；小鹌鹑

参考例句：

• Trust us, if you at their pictures long enough, you're bound to become another squealer. 相信我们，如果你盯着这些照片看上一段时间，必定会成为另一个尖叫粉丝。 来自互联网

3 privately   

adv.以私人的身份，悄悄地，私下地

参考例句：

• Some ministers admit privately that unemployment could continue to rise.一些部长私下承认失业率可能继续升高。
• The man privately admits that his motive is profits.那人私下承认他的动机是为了牟利。

4 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

5 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

6 maneuver   

n.策略[pl.]演习；v.(巧妙)控制；用策略

参考例句：

• All the fighters landed safely on the airport after the military maneuver.在军事演习后，所有战斗机都安全降落在机场上。
• I did get her attention with this maneuver.我用这个策略确实引起了她的注意。

7 persuasively   

adv.口才好地；令人信服地

参考例句：

• Students find that all historians argue reasonably and persuasively. 学生们发现所有的历史学家都争论得有条有理，并且很有说服力。 来自辞典例句
• He spoke a very persuasively but I smelled a rat and refused his offer. 他说得头头是道，但我觉得有些可疑，于是拒绝了他的建议。 来自辞典例句

8 growled   

v.（动物）发狺狺声， （雷）作隆隆声( growl的过去式和过去分词 )；低声咆哮着说

参考例句：

• \"They ought to be birched, \" growled the old man. 老人咆哮道：“他们应受到鞭打。” 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He growled out an answer. 他低声威胁着回答。 来自《简明英汉词典》