"Snowball! He has been here! I can smell him distinctly!"
"斯諾鮑!他到過這兒!我能清楚地嗅出來!"
And at the word "Snowball" all the dogs let out blood-curdling growls and showed their side teeth.
一聽到"斯諾鮑",所有的狗都呲牙咧嘴,發(fā)出一陣令動物們膽顫心驚的咆哮。
The animals were thoroughly frightened.
動物們被徹底嚇壞了。
It seemed to them as though Snowball were some kind of invisible influence, pervadingthe air about them and menacing them with all kinds of dangers.
對他們來說,斯諾鮑就象某種看不見的惡魔,浸透在他們周圍的空間,以各種危險威脅著他們。
In the evening Squealer called them together, and with an alarmed expression on his face told them that he had some serious news to report.
到了晚上,斯奎拉把他們召集起來,帶著一幅惶恐不安的神情說,他有要事相告。
"Comrades!" cried Squealer, making little nervous skips, "a most terrible thing has been discovered.
"同志們!"斯奎拉邊神經(jīng)質(zhì)地蹦跳著邊大叫道,"發(fā)現(xiàn)了一件最為可怕的事。
Snowball has sold himself to Frederick of Pinchfield Farm, who is even now plotting to attack us and take our farm away from us!
斯諾鮑已經(jīng)投靠了平徹菲爾德莊園的弗雷德里克了。而那家伙正在策劃著襲擊我們,企圖獨占我們的莊園!
Snowball is to act as his guide when the attack begins.
斯諾鮑將在襲擊開始時給他帶路。
But there is worse than that.
但還有更可怕的事。
We had thought that Snowball's rebellion was caused simply by his vanity and ambition.
我們曾以為,斯諾鮑的造反是出自于自命不凡和野心勃勃。
But we were wrong, comrades.
可我們搞錯了,同志們。
Do you know what the real reason was?
你們知道真正的動機(jī)是什么嗎?
Snowball was in league with Jones from the very start!
斯諾鮑從一開始就和瓊斯是一伙的!
He was Jones's secret agent all the time.
他自始至終都是瓊斯的密探。
It has all been proved by documents which he left behind him and which we have only just discovered.
我們剛剛發(fā)現(xiàn)了一些他丟下的文件,這一點在那些文件中完全得到了證實。
To my mind this explains a great deal, comrades.
同志們,依我看,這就能說明不少問題了。
Did we not see for ourselves how he attempted--fortunately without success--to get us defeated and destroyed at the Battle of the Cowshed?"
在牛棚大戰(zhàn)中,雖然幸虧他的陰謀沒有得逞,但他想使我們遭到毀滅的企圖,難道不是我們有目共睹的嗎?"
The animals were stupefied.
大家都怔住了。
This was a wickedness far outdoing Snowball's destruction of the windmill.
比起斯諾鮑毀壞風(fēng)車一事,這一罪孽要嚴(yán)重得多了。
But it was some minutes before they could fully take it in.
但是,他們在完全接受這一點之前,卻猶豫了好幾分鐘。
They all remembered, or thought they remembered, how they had seen Snowball charging ahead of them at the Battle of the Cowshed, how he had rallied and encouraged them at every turn,
他們都記得,或者自以為還記得,在牛棚大戰(zhàn)中,他們曾看到的是斯諾鮑在帶頭沖鋒陷陣,并不時的重整旗鼓,
and how he had not paused for an instant even when the pellets from Jones's gun had wounded his back.
而且,即使在瓊斯的子彈已射進(jìn)它的脊背時也毫不退縮。
At first it was a little difficult to see how this fitted in with his being on Jones's side.
對此,他們首先就感到困惑不解,這怎么能說明他是站在瓊斯一邊的呢?
Even Boxer, who seldom asked questions, was puzzled.
就連很少質(zhì)疑的鮑克瑟也或然不解。
He lay down, tucked his fore hoofs beneath him, shut his eyes, and with a hard effort managed to formulate his thoughts.
他臥在地上,前腿彎在身子底下,眼睛緊閉著,絞盡腦汁想理順?biāo)乃悸贰?/p>