Animal Farm
Chapter 3
None of the other animals on the farm could get further than the letter A.
It was also found that the stupider animals, such as the sheep, hens, and ducks, were unable to learn the Seven Commandments by heart.
After much thought Snowball declared that the Seven Commandments could in effect be reduced to a single maxim, namely: “Four legs good, two legs bad.”
This, he said, contained the essential principle of Animalism.
Whoever had thoroughly grasped it would be safe from human influences.
The birds at first objected, since it seemed to them that they also had two legs, but Snowball proved to them that this was not so.
“A bird's wing, comrades,” he said, “is an organ of propulsion and not of manipulation.
It should therefore be regarded as a leg.
The distinguishing mark of man is the hand, the instrument with which he does all his mischief.”
The birds did not understand Snowball's long words, but they accepted his explanation, and all the humbler animals set to work to learn the new maxim by heart.
“four legs good, two legs bad” was inscribed on the end wall of the barn, above the Seven Commandments and in bigger letters.
When they had once got it by heart, the sheep developed a great liking for this maxim, and often as they lay in the field they would all start bleating “Four legs good, two legs bad! Four legs good, two legs bad!” and keep it up for hours on end, never growing tired of it.
translation
- 农场上的其他动物没有一个能学会超过字母A的。
- 它还发现，像羊、母鸡和鸭子这样愚蠢的动物无法用心记住七诫。
- 经过深思熟虑，雪球宣布七诫实际上可以简化为一条准则，那就是：“四腿好，两腿坏。”
- 他说，这包含了动物主义的本质原则。
- 任何人只要彻底掌握了这一点，就能免受人类的影响。
- 鸟类起初反对，因为他们似乎也有两条腿，但雪球向他们证明并非如此。
- “同志们，”他说，“鸟的翅膀是推进器官，而不是操纵器官。
- 因此，它应该被视为一条腿。
- 人类的标志是手，是他用来制造所有恶作剧的工具。”
- 鸟类听不懂雪球的长篇大论，但他们接受了他的解释，所有更低等的动物开始努力记住这条新准则。
- “四腿好，两腿坏”被刻在谷仓的末端墙上，就在七诫之上，而且字迹更大。
- 一旦熟记于心，绵羊就非常喜欢这条准则，经常躺在田野里咩咩叫着：“四条腿好，两条腿坏！四条腿好，两条腿坏！”他们可以连续叫上几个小时，从不厌倦。
vocabulary
[
{
"name": "further",
"trans": [
"adv. 更远地，再往前地；进一步；此外，而且",
"adj. 更多的，进一步的；（距离上）更远的，较远的",
"v. 促进，推进"
],
"usphone": "'ˈfɜːrðər'",
"ukphone": "''"
},
{
"name": "by heart",
"trans": [
"记在心里",
"熟记，背诵"
],
"usphone": "''",
"ukphone": "''"
},
{
"name": "in effect",
"trans": [
"实际上"
],
"usphone": "'ɪn ɪˈfekt'",
"ukphone": "''"
},
{
"name": "maxim",
"trans": [
"n. 格言；准则；座右铭"
],
"usphone": "'ˈmæksɪm'",
"ukphone": "''"
},
{
"name": "thoroughly",
"trans": [
"adv. 完全地，极度地；仔细地，认真地，彻底地"
],
"usphone": "'ˈθɜːrəli'",
"ukphone": "''"
},
{
"name": "grasp",
"trans": [
"v. 抓牢，握紧；理解，领会；抓住（机会）",
"n. 紧抓，紧握；理解（力），领会；能力所及，伸手可及的距离；控制，权力"
],
"usphone": "'ɡræsp'",
"ukphone": "''"
},
{
"name": "safe from",
"trans": [
"免受……的伤害或危险"
],
"usphone": "'seɪf frəm'",
"ukphone": "''"
},
{
"name": "since",
"trans": [
"conj. 因为，由于，既然；在……以后，自……以来；",
"prep. 自……以后，自……以来；（表示气愤）何曾，什么时候",
"adv. 自……以后，自……以来；此后，后来"
],
"usphone": "'sɪns'",
"ukphone": "''"
},
{
"name": "seem",
"trans": [
"v. （涉及推断）似乎，看来；（用于表示谨慎、礼貌或委婉）好像，可能"
],
"usphone": "'siːm'",
"ukphone": "''"
},
{
"name": "prove",
"trans": [
"v. 证明；证实；展现；显示（自己）是",
"linkv. 后来被发现是；最终显现为"
],
"usphone": "'pruːv'",
"ukphone": "''"
},
{
"name": "not so",
"trans": [
"不太真实/适用",
"na. 不是那样"
],
"usphone": "''",
"ukphone": "''"
},
{
"name": "propulsion",
"trans": [
"n. 推进；推进力"
],
"usphone": "'prəˈpʌlʃn'",
"ukphone": "''"
},
{
"name": "manipulation",
"trans": [
"n. 操纵；推拿；（熟练的）控制，使用；（对账目等的）伪造，篡改；（对储存在计算机上的信息的）操作，处理"
],
"usphone": "'məˌnɪpjuˈleɪʃn'",
"ukphone": "''"
},
{
"name": "regard",
"trans": [
"v. 认为，把……看作；<正式>（尤指以某种方式）注视，凝视；<古>注意，留心；<古>与……有关，涉及",
"n. <正式> 尊重，敬佩；<正式> 关心，关注；注视，凝视；（用于信函结尾或转达问候）致意，问候（****s）"
],
"usphone": "'rɪˈɡɑːrd'",
"ukphone": "''"
},
{
"name": "distinguish",
"trans": [
"v. 使有别于；看清，认出；区别，分清"
],
"usphone": "'dɪˈstɪŋɡwɪʃ'",
"ukphone": "''"
},
{
"name": "mischief",
"trans": [
"n. 恶作剧，捣乱，胡闹；顽皮，淘气；伤害，麻烦，不和；（律）造成损害的行为"
],
"usphone": "'ˈmɪstʃɪf'",
"ukphone": "''"
},
{
"name": "humble",
"trans": [
"adj. 谦虚的，谦卑的；（级别或地位）低下的，卑微的；简陋的，没有特别之处的",
"v. 使谦卑，使感到自惭；（轻易）击败（强敌）"
],
"usphone": "'ˈhʌmb(ə)l'",
"ukphone": "''"
},
{
"name": "set to work",
"trans": [
"开始工作",
"立即开始"
],
"usphone": "''",
"ukphone": "''"
},
{
"name": "inscribe",
"trans": [
"vt. 题写；铭记；题献；雕"
],
"usphone": "'ɪnˈskraɪb'",
"ukphone": "''"
},
{
"name": "got it",
"trans": [
"知道了；明白；明白了吗"
],
"usphone": "''",
"ukphone": "''"
},
{
"name": "bleat",
"trans": [
"v. （羊）咩咩叫，牛（哞哞叫）；低声说话；抱怨",
"n. （羊的）咩咩声，（小牛的）哞声；（人）微弱的叫声；（非正式）抱怨"
],
"usphone": "'bliːt'",
"ukphone": "''"
},
{
"name": "keep it up",
"trans": [
"na. 加紧做；坚持做下去"
],
"usphone": "'kiːp ɪt ʌp'",
"ukphone": "''"
}
]