Animal Farm
Chapter 9
Late one evening in the summer, a sudden rumour ran round the farm that something had happened to Boxer.
He had gone out alone to drag a load of stone down to the windmill. And sure enough, the rumour was true.
A few minutes later two pigeons came racing in with the news: “Boxer has fallen! He is lying on his side and can't get up!”
About half the animals on the farm rushed out to the knoll where the windmill stood.
There lay Boxer, between the shafts of the cart, his neck stretched out, unable even to raise his head.
His eyes were glazed, his sides matted with sweat. A thin stream of blood had trickled out of his mouth.
Clover dropped to her knees at his side. “Boxer!” she cried, “how are you?”
“It is my lung,” said Boxer in a weak voice.
“It does not matter. I think you will be able to finish the windmill without me. There is a pretty good store of stone accumulated. I had only another month to go/ in any case. To tell you the truth, I had been looking forward to my retirement. And perhaps, as Benjamin is growing old too, they will let him retire at the same time and be a companion to me.”
“We must get help at once,” said Clover. “Run, somebody, and tell Squealer what has happened.”
translation
- 在一个夏天的深夜，农场里突然传出一个谣言，说拳击手出了什么事。
- 他独自一人出去把一车石头拉到风车那里。果然，传言是真的。
- 几分钟后，两只鸽子飞快地赶来报信：“拳击手倒下了！他侧躺在地上，起不来了！”
- 大约有一半的动物冲向了风车所在的小山丘。
- 拳击手躺在那里，夹在车辕之间，脖子伸长了，甚至连头都抬不起来。
- 他的眼神呆滞，身体两侧被汗水黏成一片。一丝细细的血流从他嘴里渗了出来。
- 三叶草跪倒在他身边，喊道：“拳击手！你怎么样？”
- “是我的肺出了问题，”拳击手虚弱地说。
- “这没关系。我想没有我，你们也能完成风车的建造。那边已经积攒了相当多的石头。反正我也只剩下一个月的时间了。说实话，我一直在期待着退休。或许，随着本杰明也渐渐变老，他们会让他同时退休，陪伴我一起。”
- “三叶草说：‘我们必须马上去找帮手。有人快跑，告诉 Squealer 发生了什么事。’”
vocabulary
[
{
"name": "sure enough",
"trans": [
"果然，不出所料"
],
"usphone": "''",
"ukphone": "''"
},
{
"name": "shaft",
"trans": [
"n. （马车的）辕；（工具或武器的）杆，柄；（机器的）轴；竖井，通风井；箭，矛；柱（尤指柱头和柱基间的主要部分）；（光、闪电等的）一道，一束；机智的话，（尤指）攻击性的话；侮辱，责难（the shaft）；（品质或情感的）突然闪现；<俚>阴茎",
"v. <非正式>苛待，欺骗；（光成束地）照射；<俚>性交"
],
"usphone": "'ʃæft'",
"ukphone": "''"
},
{
"name": "stretched out",
"trans": [
"伸展开来"
],
"usphone": "''",
"ukphone": "''"
},
{
"name": "glaze",
"trans": [
"vi. 变呆滞；变得光滑",
"vt. 装以玻璃；上釉于",
"n. 釉；光滑面"
],
"usphone": "'ɡleɪz'",
"ukphone": "''"
},
{
"name": "matted",
"trans": [
"adj. 铺席子的；纠缠的；暗淡的，无光泽的"
],
"usphone": "'ˈmætɪd'",
"ukphone": "''"
},
{
"name": "trickle",
"trans": [
"v. （使）滴，淌；（小批地）慢慢移动；（球）缓慢滚动",
"n. 慢速移动；滴，淌，细流"
],
"usphone": "'ˈtrɪkl'",
"ukphone": "''"
},
{
"name": "dropped",
"trans": [
"adj. （衣服式样）低腰的，靠下的",
"v. 投，丢；停止，放弃；（使）掉落；减少，降低（**** 的过去式和过去分词）"
],
"usphone": "'drɑːp'",
"ukphone": "''"
},
{
"name": "it does not matter",
"trans": [
"无所谓，不重要"
],
"usphone": "''",
"ukphone": "''"
},
{
"name": "another",
"trans": [
"adj. 再加一个的；另一的，不同的；另一类似的",
"pron. 又一个，再一个；另一个，另一种；不确切的事物，某些事物（用于与 one 或 some 构成的短语）",
"det. （同类的）另一，又一；（不同类的）另外一个，其他一个；类似的（人或事物）"
],
"usphone": "'əˈnʌðər'",
"ukphone": "''"
},
{
"name": "companion",
"trans": [
"n. 同伴，伴侣；（受雇照料老人或病人的）陪护；成对的物品之一；同甘共苦的伙伴；（用于书名）指南，手册；伴星；最低级爵士",
"v. 陪伴"
],
"usphone": "'kəmˈpænjən'",
"ukphone": "''"
}
]