Animal Farm
Chapter 3 (1-2)
How they toiled and sweated to get the hay in!
But their efforts were rewarded, for the harvest was an even bigger success than they had hoped.
Sometimes the work was hard; the implements had been designed for human beings and not for animals, and it was a great drawback that no animal was able to use any tool that involved standing on his hind legs.
But the pigs were so clever that they could think of a way/ round every difficulty.
As for the horses, they knew every inch of the field, and in fact understood the business of mowing and raking far better than Jones and his men had ever done.
The pigs did not actually work, but directed and supervised the others.
With their superior knowledge it was natural that they should assume the leadership.
Boxer and Clover would harness themselves to the cutter or the horse-rake (no bits or reins were needed in these days, of course) and tramp steadily round and round the field/ with a pig walking behind and calling out “Gee up, comrade!” or “Whoa back, comrade!” as the case might be.
And every animal down to the humblest/ worked at turning the hay and gathering it.
Even the ducks and hens toiled to and fro all day in the sun, carrying tiny wisps of hay in their beaks.
In the end they finished the harvest in two days' less time than it had usually taken Jones and his men.
Moreover, it was the biggest harvest/ that the farm had ever seen.
There was no wastage whatever; the hens and ducks with their sharp eyes had gathered up the very last stalk.
And not an animal on the farm had stolen/ so much as a mouthful.
comprehension
- "the biggest harvest that the farm had ever seen" 的意思是这次收成是农场历史上最大的一次，超过了以往任何一年的收成。这里的 "seen" 并不是字面意义上的“看见”，而是比喻用法，指的是农场经历过的或记录过的最大的收成。
translation
- 他们辛辛苦苦地劳动，把干草收进来！
- 但他们的努力得到了回报，因为收成比他们希望的还要成功。
- 有时工作很艰苦；工具是为人类设计的，不是为动物设计的，而且没有一个动物能使用任何需要靠后腿站立才能操作的工具，这是一个巨大的不利。
- 但猪们是如此聪明，他们能想出对每一个困难的解决办法。
- 至于那匹马，他们对这片地的每一寸都了如指掌，实际上比琼斯和他的工人更懂得如何割草和耙地。
- 猪们实际上并没有工作，而是指导和监督其他动物。
- 凭借他们的卓越知识，他们自然而然地承担了领导角色。
- Boxer 和 Clover 会把自己套在割草机或耙地机上（当然，这些日子里不需要嚼子或缰绳），并且在田地里稳步地来回走动，一头猪跟在后面，叫着“向前走，同志！”或“停下来，同志！”视情况而定。
- 而每一只动物，无论地位多卑微，都参与翻晒和收集干草的工作。
- 甚至鸭子和鸡也整天在太阳下辛勤地来回奔波，用嘴巴叼着一丝丝干草。
- 最终，他们比琼斯和他的工人通常所需的时间少了两天完成了收割工作。
- 而且，这是农场有史以来最大的一次收成。
- 没有任何浪费；鸡和鸭子用他们敏锐的眼睛收集了最后一根秸秆。
- 并且农场里没有一只动物偷吃过哪怕一口。
vocabulary
[
{
"name": "implement",
"trans": [
"n. 工具，器具；<苏格兰>履行；手段",
"v. 执行，贯彻；为……提供工具"
],
"usphone": "'ˈɪmplɪment'",
"ukphone": "''"
},
{
"name": "drawback",
"trans": [
"n. 缺点，不利条件；出口退税"
],
"usphone": "'ˈdrɔːbæk'",
"ukphone": "''"
},
{
"name": "hind legs",
"trans": [
"后腿：动物的后腿部分。"
],
"usphone": "'haɪnd leɡz'",
"ukphone": "''"
},
{
"name": "round",
"trans": [
"v. 绕过；拐过；使成圆形；把…四舍五入",
"n. 旋转；巡视；一连串；绕圈",
"adv. 环绕；附近；各处；向四面",
"prep. 环绕；在…周围；始终",
"adj. 圆的；球形的；肥胖的；弧形的"
],
"usphone": "'raʊnd'",
"ukphone": "''"
},
{
"name": "business",
"trans": [
"n. 事务，职责；商业，买卖，生意；商务，公事；公司，企业；行业，职业；私事；事情；消费；系列事件"
],
"usphone": "'ˈbɪznəs'",
"ukphone": "''"
},
{
"name": "mow",
"trans": [
"v. 刈；收割；刈倒；扫杀",
"n. 修剪，割；<美>干草（或谷物）堆"
],
"usphone": "'moʊ'",
"ukphone": "''"
},
{
"name": "rake",
"trans": [
"v. 耙；梳理；扫视；掠过",
"n. 耙子；耙状工具；浪荡的男人；花花公子"
],
"usphone": "'reɪk'",
"ukphone": "''"
},
{
"name": "far better",
"trans": [
"远远更好"
],
"usphone": "''",
"ukphone": "''"
},
{
"name": "direct",
"trans": [
"v. 管理；监督；指导；指示；",
"adj. 直接的；亲自的；亲身的；笔直的",
"adv. 直接；径直；亲自"
],
"usphone": "'dəˈrekt'",
"ukphone": "''"
},
{
"name": "superior",
"trans": [
"adj. （在品质上）更好的；占优势的；更胜一筹的",
"n. 上级；上司；级别（或地位、职位）更高的人；用作宗教团体领导的头衔"
],
"usphone": "'suːˈpɪriər'",
"ukphone": "''"
},
{
"name": "assume",
"trans": [
"v. 承担，就职；假定，假设，认为；装出，做出；呈现，具有；夺取，篡夺"
],
"usphone": "'əˈsuːm'",
"ukphone": "''"
},
{
"name": "cutter",
"trans": [
"n. 刀具，切割机；切割者；裁剪者"
],
"usphone": "'ˈkʌtər'",
"ukphone": "''"
},
{
"name": "tramp",
"trans": [
"v. 拖着沉重的脚步走，踩，踏；长途跋涉",
"n. 流浪汉；流浪乞丐；沉重的脚步声；长途步行"
],
"usphone": "'træmp'",
"ukphone": "''"
},
{
"name": "gee up",
"trans": [
"嘿！嘿！",
"鼓励；激动以达到预期的结果"
],
"usphone": "'dʒiː ʌp'",
"ukphone": "''"
},
{
"name": "whoa",
"trans": [
"int. （吆喝马等停下或不动的口令）吁；（非正式）呀（表示惊讶或引起注意等）；慢些；停"
],
"usphone": "'woʊ'",
"ukphone": "''"
},
{
"name": "as the case might be",
"trans": [
"视情况而定"
],
"usphone": "'æz ðə keɪs maɪt bi'",
"ukphone": "''"
},
{
"name": "down to",
"trans": [
"甚至包括（最小或最不重要的部分）",
"只剩下最后一个人或物"
],
"usphone": "'daʊn tu'",
"ukphone": "''"
},
{
"name": "fro",
"trans": [
"adv. 来回地，往复地",
"prep. 从，来自",
"n. 非洲式发型，爆炸式发型（Afro 的简称）"
],
"usphone": "'froʊ'",
"ukphone": "''"
},
{
"name": "wisp",
"trans": [
"n. 小捆；小束",
"vt. 把……卷成一捆",
"vi. 卷成一捆"
],
"usphone": "'wɪsp'",
"ukphone": "''"
},
{
"name": "beak",
"trans": [
"n. 鸟嘴，喙；鹰鈎鼻，尖鼻；<旧>法官，男教师"
],
"usphone": "'biːk'",
"ukphone": "''"
},
{
"name": "moreover",
"trans": [
"adv. 此外，而且"
],
"usphone": "'mɔːrˈoʊvər'",
"ukphone": "''"
},
{
"name": "wastage",
"trans": [
"n. 损耗；消瘦；衰老"
],
"usphone": "'ˈweɪstɪdʒ'",
"ukphone": "''"
},
{
"name": "whatever",
"trans": [
"det. 任何……的事物，无论什么",
"pron. 任何事物；究竟是什么；无所谓，什么都可以； <非正式>名叫某某的东西（用于指称不知道的东西）",
"adv. 任何，丝毫（表强调）；<非正式>不管怎样",
"conj. 不管什么，无论什么；任何…...的事物，凡是…...的东西",
"int. （表示勉强接受）随便你怎么说"
],
"usphone": "'wətˈevər'",
"ukphone": "''"
},
{
"name": "very last",
"trans": [
"最后的，最终的"
],
"usphone": "''",
"ukphone": "''"
},
{
"name": "stalk",
"trans": [
"n. （植物的）茎，秆；（动物的）肉柄，肉茎；柄；（车辆）（转向柱上控制指示仪、灯光等的）手柄；悄悄追踪；高视阔步",
"v. 偷偷接近，潜近；跟踪，盯梢；怒冲冲地走，趾高气扬地走；令人厌恶地穿过，威胁地通过；<文>（不好的气氛）笼罩，蔓延"
],
"usphone": "'stɔːk'",
"ukphone": "''"
},
{
"name": "so much as",
"trans": [
"即使稍微；甚至只是"
],
"usphone": "'soʊ mʌtʃ æz'",
"ukphone": "''"
}
]