Animal Farm

Chapter 9

It had come to his knowledge, he said, that a foolish and wicked rumour had been circulated at the time of Boxer's removal.

Some of the animals had noticed that the van which took Boxer away was marked “Horse Slaughterer,” and had actually jumped to the conclusion that Boxer was being sent to the knacker's.

It was almost unbelievable, said Squealer, that any animal could be so stupid.

Surely, he cried indignantly, whisking his tail and skipping from side to side, surely they knew their beloved Leader, Comrade Napoleon, better than that?

But the explanation was really very simple. The van had previously been the property of the knacker, and had been bought by the veterinary surgeon, who had not yet painted the old name out.

That was how the mistake had arisen. The animals were enormously relieved to hear this.

And when Squealer went on to give further graphic details of Boxer's death-bed, the admirable care he had received, and the expensive medicines for which Napoleon had paid without a thought as to the cost, their last doubts disappeared and the sorrow that they felt for their comrade's death was tempered by the thought that at least he had died happy.

translation

他说，他已经得知，在 Boxer 被运走的时候，曾经流传过一个愚蠢而邪恶的谣言。
有些动物注意到，拉走 Boxer 的货车上写着“屠马者”，于是便断定 Boxer 是被送去屠马场了。
Squealer 说，真是难以置信，居然会有动物蠢到这种地步。
他愤慨地喊道，一边甩着尾巴、左右蹦跳着：“他们难道不比这更了解他们敬爱的领袖拿破仑同志吗？”
但事情的解释其实非常简单：这辆货车以前是宰马场的财产，后来被兽医买下，他只是还没把车身上的旧字样涂掉而已。
事情的误会就是这样产生的。动物们听了以后，都大大松了口气。
当 Squealer 接着绘声绘色地描述 Boxer 临终的情景，讲述他所得到的无微不至的照料，以及拿破仑毫不吝惜花费为他买来的昂贵药品时，动物们最后的一丝疑虑也随之消散了。他们因失去战友而感到的悲伤，也因想到他至少是幸福地离世而有所宽慰。

vocabulary

[
    {
        "name": "wicked",
        "trans": [
            "adj. 邪恶的，不道德的；恶作剧的，淘气的，调皮的；<非正式>很坏的，恶劣的；<非正式>很棒的，极好的；<非正式>令人不快的，令人厌恶的",
            "adv. <非正式>极其，非常"
        ],
        "usphone": "'ˈwɪkɪd'",
        "ukphone": "''"
    },
    {
        "name": "jump to the conclusion",
        "trans": [
            "草率下结论"
        ],
        "usphone": "''",
        "ukphone": "''"
    },
    {
        "name": "indignantly",
        "trans": [
            "adv. 愤怒地；愤慨地"
        ],
        "usphone": "'ɪnˈdɪɡnəntli'",
        "ukphone": "''"
    },
    {
        "name": "beloved",
        "trans": [
            "adj. 钟爱的，深受爱戴的",
            "n. 心爱的人"
        ],
        "usphone": "'bɪˈlʌvɪd'",
        "ukphone": "''"
    },
    {
        "name": "explanation",
        "trans": [
            "n. 解释，说明；解释性说法，说明性文字；理由，原因"
        ],
        "usphone": "'ˌekspləˈneɪʃ(ə)n'",
        "ukphone": "''"
    },
    {
        "name": "previously",
        "trans": [
            "adv. 以前地，先前地"
        ],
        "usphone": "'ˈpriːviəsli'",
        "ukphone": "''"
    },
    {
        "name": "arisen",
        "trans": [
            "v. 出现（***** 的过去分词）；起身；升起",
            "adj. 兴起的；出现的"
        ],
        "usphone": "'əˈrɪzn'",
        "ukphone": "''"
    },
    {
        "name": "enormously",
        "trans": [
            "adv. 非常，极其；（数量）巨大地"
        ],
        "usphone": "'ɪˈnɔːrməsli'",
        "ukphone": "''"
    },
    {
        "name": "relieved",
        "trans": [
            "adj. 放心的，宽慰的",
            "v. 缓和（不快或痛苦）；减轻（问题的严重性）；调剂，使有趣（******* 的过去式和过去分词形式）"
        ],
        "usphone": "'rɪˈliːvd'",
        "ukphone": "''"
    },
    {
        "name": "graphic",
        "trans": [
            "adj. 详细的，生动的；绘画的；图形的，图示的；（岩石表面纹理）文象的；（与）可视图像（有关）的；（与）视觉艺术（有关）的",
            "n. 图表，图形；绘画，图形设计"
        ],
        "usphone": "'ˈɡræfɪk'",
        "ukphone": "''"
    },
    {
        "name": "tempered",
        "trans": [
            "adj. 脾气……的，性情……的；有气质的；温和的，不暴力的",
            "v. 使……温和；使（金属）回火；调整（音阶）（****r 的过去式和过去分词）"
        ],
        "usphone": "'ˈtempərd'",
        "ukphone": "''"
    },
]