Animal Farm
Chapter 4
Early in October, when the corn was cut and stacked and some of it was already threshed, a flight of pigeons came whirling through the air and alighted in the yard of Animal Farm in the wildest excitement.
Jones and all his men, with half a dozen others from Foxwood and Pinchfield, had entered the five-barred gate and were coming up the cart-track that led to the farm.
They were all carrying sticks, except Jones, who was marching ahead with a gun in his hands.
Obviously they were going to attempt the recapture of the farm.
This had long been expected, and all preparations had been made.
Snowball, who had studied an old book of Julius Caesar's campaigns which he had found in the farmhouse, was in charge of the defensive operations.
He gave his orders quickly, and in a couple of minutes every animal was at his post.
As the human beings approached the farm buildings, Snowball launched his first attack.
All the pigeons, to the number of thirty-five, flew to and fro over the men's heads and muted upon them from mid-air; and while the men were dealing with this, the geese, who had been hiding behind the hedge, rushed out and pecked viciously at the calves of their legs.
However, this was only a light skirmishing manoeuvre, intended to create a little disorder, and the men easily drove the geese off with their sticks.
Snowball now launched his second line of attack.
Muriel, Benjamin, and all the sheep, with Snowball at the head of them, rushed forward and prodded and butted the men from every side, while Benjamin turned around and lashed at them with his small hoofs.
But once again the men, with their sticks and their hobnailed boots, were too strong for them; and suddenly, at a squeal from Snowball, which was the signal for retreat, all the animals turned and fled through the gateway into the yard.
translation
- 十月初，当谷物已经收割堆起，有些甚至已经脱粒的时候，一群鸽子从空中飞过，盘旋着落在了动物农场的院子里，它们无比激动。
- 琼斯和他所有的人，还有来自福克斯伍德和平奇菲尔德的另外六个人，都进入了五根木栅栏的大门，正沿着通往农场的马车道走来。
- 他们都拿着棍子，除了琼斯，他走在前面手里拿着一把枪。
- 很明显，他们打算重新夺回农场。
- 这早已料到，所有的准备工作都已经做好。
- 斯诺鲍负责指挥防御战，他曾在农舍找到一本旧的《尤利乌斯·凯撒征战记》，并研究了它。
- 他迅速下达命令，几分钟之内，每只动物都已经到了自己的岗位上。
- 当人类接近农场建筑时，斯诺鲍发动了第一次攻击。
- 所有的鸽子，总共三十五只，在人们的头顶上飞来飞去，从空中向他们排泄；而当人们正在应对这一情况时，藏在树篱后面的鹅群冲出来，恶狠狠地啄着他们的小腿肚子。
- 然而，这仅仅是一次小规模的牵制性战术，目的是制造一点混乱。人们用棍子轻松地把鹅赶走了。
- 斯诺鲍现在发动了第二波攻击。
- 穆里尔、本杰明和所有的羊，在斯诺鲍的带领下，向前冲锋，从四面八方向人们戳去和顶撞，而本杰明则转过身来，用他的小蹄子踢打他们。
- 但是，再一次地，人们凭借着他们的棍子和钉着平头钉的靴子，对他们来说太强大了；突然间，斯诺鲍发出一声尖叫，这是撤退的信号，所有的动物转身逃向大门，进入了院子里。
vocabulary
[
{
"name": "stack",
"trans": [
"v. （使）放成整齐的一叠（或一摞、一堆）",
"n. 堆栈；一摞；大量；许多"
],
"usphone": "'stæk'",
"ukphone": "''"
},
{
"name": "thrash",
"trans": [
"vi. 打谷；白忙；猛烈摆动",
"vt. 打；使逆行",
"n. 打谷；逆风浪行进；踢水动作"
],
"usphone": "'θræʃ'",
"ukphone": "''"
},
{
"name": "whirl",
"trans": [
"v. （使）飞旋，（使）旋转；猛地转动；晕眩，（思绪）混乱",
"n. 旋转，回旋； 纷繁，忙乱；晕眩；螺旋状的糖果（或饼干）；短暂的旅行"
],
"usphone": "'wɜːrl'",
"ukphone": "''"
},
{
"name": "alight",
"trans": [
"v. （鸟或虫等）飞落；从（公共汽车、火车等）下来",
"adj. 燃烧着的；闪亮的；（兴奋得）神采飞扬的"
],
"usphone": "'əˈlaɪt'",
"ukphone": "''"
},
{
"name": "cart track",
"trans": [
"n. （崎岖不平的）马车道"
],
"usphone": "''",
"ukphone": "''"
},
{
"name": "stick",
"trans": [
"n. 条；枯枝；枝条；柴火棍儿",
"v. 粘贴；刺；忍受；戳"
],
"usphone": "'stɪk'",
"ukphone": "''"
},
{
"name": "march",
"trans": [
"v. 齐步走，行军；快步走；强迫（某人）一起走，押送；游行示威；进行，进展",
"n. 三月（March）；示威游行；行进，行军；稳步发展；进行曲"
],
"usphone": "'mɑːrtʃ'",
"ukphone": "''"
},
{
"name": "obviously",
"trans": [
"adv. （用于强调）显然，显而易见；明显地"
],
"usphone": "'ˈɑːbviəsli'",
"ukphone": "''"
},
{
"name": "recapture",
"trans": [
"v. 夺回；赢回；抓回；再次捕获",
"n. 征收；重新获得；恢复；夺回物"
],
"usphone": "'ˌriːˈkæptʃər'",
"ukphone": "''"
},
{
"name": "campaign",
"trans": [
"n. （有计划的）活动，运动；战役，战斗",
"v. 领导（参加）运动，从事竞选活动"
],
"usphone": "'kæmˈpeɪn'",
"ukphone": "''"
},
{
"name": "defensive",
"trans": [
"adj. 防御的，戒备的；生气的，发怒的；（比赛中）防守的，防御的；百般辩解的"
],
"usphone": "'dɪˈfensɪv'",
"ukphone": "''"
},
{
"name": "couple",
"trans": [
"n. 两个，几个；一对夫妇，一对情侣",
"v. 加上，结合；（把设备等）连接；形成一双，配成一对；<旧>交配，交媾；（用电磁感应，静电荷或光学通信线路）将（电路元件）耦合"
],
"usphone": "'ˈkʌp(ə)l'",
"ukphone": "''"
},
{
"name": "a couple of",
"trans": [
"两个（事物）或几个（事物）"
],
"usphone": "''",
"ukphone": "''"
},
{
"name": "post",
"trans": [
"n. 岗位；职位；邮政；桩",
"v. 寄；邮寄；发布；张贴"
],
"usphone": "'poʊst'",
"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（A*** 的简称）"
],
"usphone": "'froʊ'",
"ukphone": "''"
},
{
"name": "mute",
"trans": [
"v. 排泄；减弱…的声音；柔和…的色调",
"n. 哑吧；沉默的人；【法律】拒绝答辩的被告人；鸟粪",
"adj. 哑的；缄默无言的；(一时)说不出话的；(猎狗)不叫的"
],
"usphone": "'mjut'",
"ukphone": "''"
},
{
"name": "mid-air",
"trans": [
"n. 半空中；悬空"
],
"usphone": "'ˌmɪd ˈer'",
"ukphone": "''"
},
{
"name": "peck",
"trans": [
"v. 啄；鹐；匆匆地轻吻",
"n. 啄；匆匆的吻"
],
"usphone": "'pek'",
"ukphone": "''"
},
{
"name": "viciously",
"trans": [
"adv. 邪恶地，敌意地；残暴地，凶恶地"
],
"usphone": "'ˈvɪʃəsli'",
"ukphone": "''"
},
{
"name": "calves",
"trans": [
"n. 小腿；小牛；腓；呆子（calf 的复数）"
],
"usphone": "'kævz'",
"ukphone": "''"
},
{
"name": "skirmish",
"trans": [
"vi. 进行小规模战斗；发生小争论",
"n. 小冲突，小规模战斗；小争论"
],
"usphone": "'ˈskɜːrmɪʃ'",
"ukphone": "''"
},
{
"name": "manoeuvre",
"trans": [
"n. 策略，花招；熟练（谨慎）的动作；军事演习；欺诈性操作",
"v. （使谨慎或熟练地）移动；操纵，控制"
],
"usphone": "'məˈnuːvər'",
"ukphone": "''"
},
{
"name": "intended to",
"trans": [
"想要……",
"打算做……"
],
"usphone": "''",
"ukphone": "''"
},
{
"name": "drove",
"trans": [
"v. 驱赶（牲口），使（家畜）迁徙",
"v. 开车；驾车送人；迫使，促使（**i** 的过去式形式）"
],
"usphone": "'droʊv'",
"ukphone": "''"
},
{
"name": "prod",
"trans": [
"v. 刺，戳；刺激，督促",
"n. 戳，捅；刺戳的工具；刺激，提醒；（贬称）新教徒"
],
"usphone": "'prɑːd'",
"ukphone": "''"
},
{
"name": "butt",
"trans": [
"v. （人）用头顶撞；（动物）用头（或角）顶",
"adv. 用头撞；猛撞",
"n. 屁股；（武器或工具的）粗大的一端；烟蒂；烟头"
],
"usphone": "'bʌt'",
"ukphone": "''"
},
{
"name": "turn around",
"trans": [
"na. 转身；〈美〉使向好的方向转变"
],
"usphone": "''",
"ukphone": "''"
},
{
"name": "lash at",
"trans": [
"猛烈抨击"
],
"usphone": "''",
"ukphone": "''"
},
{
"name": "hoof",
"trans": [
"n. （马等动物的）蹄；人的脚",
"v. 步行；猛踢（球）；跳舞"
],
"usphone": "'huːf'",
"ukphone": "''"
},
{
"name": "hobnail",
"trans": [
"v. 在(鞋底等上)钉平头钉",
"n. (钉在靴底上的)平头钉；乡下佬"
],
"usphone": "'hɒbˌneɪl'",
"ukphone": "''"
},
{
"name": "squeal",
"trans": [
"n. 尖叫声",
"v. 告密；长声尖叫"
],
"usphone": "'skwiːl'",
"ukphone": "''"
},
{
"name": "flee",
"trans": [
"v. 逃离，逃避，逃跑"
],
"usphone": "'fliː'",
"ukphone": "''"
}
]