豬已經(jīng)把農(nóng)具室當(dāng)作他們自己的指揮部了。
Here, in the evenings, they studied blacksmithing, carpentering, and other necessary arts from books which they had brought out of the farmhouse.
一到晚上,他們就在這里,從那些在莊主院里拿來(lái)的書上學(xué)習(xí)打鐵、木工和其他必備的技藝。
Snowball also busied himself with organising the other animals into what he called Animal Committees.
斯諾鮑自己還忙于組織其他動(dòng)物加入他所謂的“動(dòng)物委員會(huì)”。
He was indefatigable at this.
在這件事上。他真是不知疲倦。
He formed the Egg Production Committee for the hens, the Clean Tails League for the cows, the Wild Comrades' Re-education Committee
他為母雞設(shè)立了“產(chǎn)蛋委員會(huì)”,為牛設(shè)立了“潔尾社”,還設(shè)立了“野生同志再教育委員會(huì)”
(the object of this was to tame the rats and rabbits), the Whiter Wool Movement for the sheep, and various others.
(這個(gè)委員會(huì)目的在于馴化耗子和兔子),又為羊發(fā)起了“讓毛更白運(yùn)動(dòng)”等等。
Besides instituting classes in reading and writing.
此外,還組建了一個(gè)讀寫班。
On the whole, these projects were a failure.
但總的來(lái)說(shuō)。這些活動(dòng)都失敗了。
The attempt to tame the wild creatures, for instance, broke down almost immediately.
例如,馴化野生動(dòng)物的努力幾乎立即流產(chǎn)。
They continued to behave very much as before, and when treated with generosity, simply took advantage of it.
這些野生動(dòng)物仍舊一如既往,要是對(duì)他們寬宏大量,他們就公然趁機(jī)鉆空子。
The cat joined the Re-education Committee and was very active in it for some days.
貓參加了“再教育委員會(huì)”,很活躍了幾天。
She was seen one day sitting on a roof and talking to some sparrows who were just out of her reach.
有動(dòng)物看見她曾經(jīng)有一天在窩棚頂上和一些她夠不著的麻雀交談。
She was telling them that all animals were now comrades and that any sparrow who chose could come and perch on her paw.
她告訴麻雀說(shuō),動(dòng)物現(xiàn)在都是同志,任何麻雀,只要他們?cè)敢猓伎梢缘剿淖ψ由蟻?lái),并在上面休息。
But the sparrows kept their distance.
但麻雀?jìng)冞€是對(duì)她敬而遠(yuǎn)之。
The reading and writing classes, however, were a great success.
然而,讀書班卻相當(dāng)成功。
By the autumn almost every animal on the farm was literate in some degree.
到了秋季,莊園里幾乎所有的動(dòng)物都不同程度地掃了盲。
As for the pigs, they could already read and write perfectly.
對(duì)豬來(lái)說(shuō),他們已經(jīng)能夠十分熟練地讀寫。
The dogs learned to read fairly well, but were not interested in reading anything except the Seven Commandments.
狗的閱讀能力也練得相當(dāng)不錯(cuò),可惜他們只對(duì)讀“七誡”有興趣。
Muriel, the goat, could read somewhat better than the dogs,
山羊穆麗爾比狗讀得還要好,
and sometimes used to read to the others in the evenings from scraps of newspaper which she found on the rubbish heap.
她還常在晚上把從垃圾堆里找來(lái)的剪報(bào)念給其他動(dòng)物聽。
Benjamin could read as well as any pig, but never exercised his faculty.
本杰明讀得不比任何豬遜色,但從不運(yùn)用發(fā)揮他的本領(lǐng)。
So far as he knew, he said, there was nothing worth reading.
他說(shuō),據(jù)他所知,迄今為止,還沒(méi)有什么值得讀的東西。
Clover learnt the whole alphabet, but could not put words together.
克拉弗學(xué)會(huì)了全部字母,可是就拼不成單詞。