By the late summer the news of what had happened on Animal Farm had spread across half the county. —
到了夏末，动物农场上发生的事情已经在整个县的一半地区传开了。 —

Every day Snowball and Napoleon sent out flights of pigeons whose instructions were to mingle with the animals on neighbouring farms, tell them the story of the Rebellion, and teach them the tune of ‘Beasts of England’.
每天，雪球和拿破仑都会派出鸽子飞行队，指示它们与邻近农场上的动物交往，讲述起义的故事，并教给它们《兽之歌》的曲调。

Most of this time Mr. Jones had spent sitting in the taproom of the Red Lion at Willingdon, complaining to anyone who would listen of the monstrous injustice he had suffered in being turned out of his property by a pack of good-for-nothing animals. —
大部分时间，琼斯先生都待在威灵顿的红狮酒店的客厅里，向任何愿意听的人抱怨他被一群一无是处的动物赶出自己的财产所遭受的不公正待遇。 —

The other farmers sympathised in principle, but they did not at first give him much help. —
其他农民原则上表示同情，但起初并没有给予他太多帮助。 —

At heart, each of them was secretly wondering whether he could not somehow turn Jones’s misfortune to his own advantage. —
他们每个人心里暗暗在想，自己是否能够在琼斯的不幸中找到一些利益。 —

It was lucky that the owners of the two farms which adjoined Animal Farm were on permanently bad terms. —
动物农场两侧相邻的两个农场的主人一直陷于长期的恶劣关系之中，这对他们来说实在是幸运。 —

One of them, which was named Foxwood, was a large, neglected, old-fashioned farm, much overgrown by woodland, with all its pastures worn out and its hedges in a disgraceful condition. —
其中一个农场名为福克斯伍德，是一个庞大而被忽视的老式农场，被周围的树林所吞没，所有的牧场都破旧不堪，树篱更是破败不堪。 —

Its owner, Mr. Pilkington, was an easy-going gentleman farmer who spent most of his time in fishing or hunting according to the season. —
它的主人皮尔金顿先生是一个悠闲的绅士农夫，大部分时间都是在根据季节进行钓鱼或打猎。 —

The other farm, which was called Pinchfield, was smaller and better kept. —
另一个农场名为平奇菲尔德，较小但是管理得较好。 —

Its owner was a Mr. Frederick, a tough, shrewd man, perpetually involved in lawsuits and with a name for driving hard bargains. —
它的主人是弗雷德里克先生，一个精明刚毅的人，常常卷入诉讼，并以苛刻的交易而闻名。 —

These two disliked each other so much that it was difficult for them to come to any agreement, even in defence of their own interests.
这两个农场主彼此十分厌恶，以至于很难达成任何协议，即使是为了维护自己的利益。

Nevertheless, they were both thoroughly frightened by the rebellion on Animal Farm, and very anxious to prevent their own animals from learning too much about it. —
然而，他们两人都对动物农场上的起义非常害怕，并且非常担心自己的动物学会太多关于起义的事情。 —

At first they pretended to laugh to scorn the idea of animals managing a farm for themselves. —
起初，他们假装嘲笑动物自己管理农场的想法。 —

The whole thing would be over in a fortnight, they said. —
他们说整件事在两个星期内会结束。 —

They put it about that the animals on the Manor Farm (they insisted on calling it the Manor Farm; —
他们散布谣言说庄园农场上的动物们（他们坚持称其为庄园农场；） —

they would not tolerate the name “Animal Farm”) were perpetually fighting among themselves and were also rapidly starving to death. —
在饥荒中互相厮杀，很快就会饿死。 —

When time passed and the animals had evidently not starved to death, Frederick and Pilkington changed their tune and began to talk of the terrible wickedness that now flourished on Animal Farm. It was given out that the animals there practised cannibalism, tortured one another with red-hot horseshoes, and had their females in common. —
随着时间的流逝，动物们显然没有饿死，弗雷德里克和皮尔金顿改变了说辞，开始谈论动物农场上蓬勃发展的可怕邪恶。他们宣称那里的动物们实施食人行为，用红热马蹄铁折磨彼此，并且共同拥有雌性动物。 —

This was what came of rebelling against the laws of Nature, Frederick and Pilkington said.
弗雷德里克和皮尔金顿说，这就是对抗自然规律的结果。

However, these stories were never fully believed. —
然而， —

Rumours of a wonderful farm, where the human beings had been turned out and the animals managed their own affairs, continued to circulate in vague and distorted forms, and throughout that year a wave of rebelliousness ran through the countryside. —
这些故事从未完全被信任。关于一个奇妙农场的传闻不断在模糊而扭曲的形式中传播，出自这个农场的人类被赶走，动物们管理着自己的事务，并且整个年份都在乡村里传播着一波反叛情绪。 —

Bulls which had always been tractable suddenly turned savage, sheep broke down hedges and devoured the clover, cows kicked the pail over, hunters refused their fences and shot their riders on to the other side. —
曾经温顺的公牛突然变得凶猛，羊群践踏篱笆，吞噬三叶草，奶牛踢翻牛奶桶，猎人们不愿越过栅栏，却将骑手射到另一边。 —

Above all, the tune and even the words of ‘Beasts of England’ were known everywhere. —
最重要的是，“兽之歌”的曲调和歌词已经遍布各地， —

It had spread with astonishing speed. —
扩散速度惊人。 —

The human beings could not contain their rage when they heard this song, though they pretended to think it merely ridiculous. —
当人类听到这首歌时，他们无法掩饰自己的愤怒，尽管他们假装只是觉得荒谬。 —

They could not understand, they said, how even animals could bring themselves to sing such contemptible rubbish. —
他们无法理解，他们说，即使是动物也如何能唱出如此可鄙的垃圾。 —

Any animal caught singing it was given a flogging on the spot. —
任何被抓到唱这首歌的动物都会当场挨打。但是， —

And yet the song was irrepressible. —
这首歌却无法被压制住。 —

The blackbirds whistled it in the hedges, the pigeons cooed it in the elms, it got into the din of the smithies and the tune of the church bells. —
乌鸦在树篱中吹响，鸽子在榆树上咕咕鸣叫，它随着铁匠铺的喧嚣和教堂钟声传开了。 —

And when the human beings listened to it, they secretly trembled, hearing in it a prophecy of their future doom.
当人们听到这个声音时，他们暗暗颤抖，因为他们感觉到其中预示了他们将来的厄运。

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. —
十月初的时候，当谷物被切割并堆放好，其中一部分已经被打谷好的时候，一群鸽子旋转着在空中飞舞，兴奋地降落在动物农场的庭院里。 —

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. —
琼斯和他的所有人，还有来自福克斯伍德和平奇菲尔德的其他六个人，已经进入了五栏大门，并沿着通往农场的车道走来。 —

They were all carrying sticks, except Jones, who was marching ahead with a gun in his hands. —
他们都拿着棍棒，除了琼斯，他走在前面手里拿着一把枪。 —

Obviously they were going to attempt the recapture of the farm.
显然，他们打算重新夺回农场。

This had long been expected, and all preparations had been made. —
这早已被预料到，所有的准备都已经做好。 —

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. —
雪球研究了在农舍中找到的一本关于凯撒大帝战役的古书籍，他负责防御行动。 —

He gave his orders quickly, and in a couple of minutes every animal was at his post.
他迅速下达命令，几分钟内每只动物都到达了自己的岗位。

As the human beings approached the farm buildings, Snowball launched his first attack. —
当人类靠近农舍时，雪球发起了第一次攻击。 —

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; —
所有的鸽子，共计三十五只，飞来飞去，在空中便向他们扔下粪便； —

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. —
就在人们应付这一情况时，之前藏在树篱后面的鹅突然冲了出来，凶狠地啄他们的小腿。 —

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. —
不过这只是个小小的混战策略，目的是制造些许混乱，而人们则轻松地用棍子赶走了鹅群。 —

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. —
雪球现在发动了他的第二波攻击。缪莉尔，本杰明和所有的绵羊，雪球领头，从四面八方冲上前去，用角和脚蹄顶撞着那些人。本杰明转过身用他的小蹄子来猛击他们。 —

But once again the men, with their sticks and their hobnailed boots, were too strong for them; —
但是这些人，用着棍棒和钉满钢钉的靴子，对他们来说实在太强壮了； —

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.
突然，雪球发出了一声尖叫作为撤退的信号，所有的动物都转身冲过大门逃进了院子。

The men gave a shout of triumph. They saw, as they imagined, their enemies in flight, and they rushed after them in disorder. —
那些人发出了胜利的欢呼。他们看到了，正如他们所想，他们的敌人在逃跑，于是他们一片混乱地追赶上前。 —

This was just what Snowball had intended. —
这正是雪球打算的。 —

As soon as they were well inside the yard, the three horses, the three cows, and the rest of the pigs, who had been lying in ambush in the cowshed, suddenly emerged in their rear, cutting them off. —
一旦他们顺利进入了院子，三匹马，三头牛和其他躲在牛棚里的猪突然从他们的后方出现，将他们截断。 —

Snowball now gave the signal for the charge. —
雪球此刻发出信号发起冲锋。 —

He himself dashed straight for Jones. Jones saw him coming, raised his gun and fired. —
他直奔琼斯而去。琼斯看到他迎面而来，举起枪开火。 —

The pellets scored bloody streaks along Snowball’s back, and a sheep dropped dead. —
粒子弹在雪球的背上留下血迹，一只羊倒在地上死了。 —

Without halting for an instant, Snowball flung his fifteen stone against Jones’s legs. —
雪球毫不停顿地用自己的15块石头撞向琼斯的腿。 —

Jones was hurled into a pile of dung and his gun flew out of his hands. —
琼斯被猛力撞飞到一个粪堆中，手枪从他手中飞了出去。 —

But the most terrifying spectacle of all was Boxer, rearing up on his hind legs and striking out with his great iron-shod hoofs like a stallion. —
但最可怕的景象是拳师站起后腿，像一匹雄马一样用他那又大又带铁鞋的蹄子拍打。 —

His very first blow took a stable-lad from Foxwood on the skull and stretched him lifeless in the mud. —
他的第一次打击就将福克斯伍德的饲养员打在脑袋上，使他瞬间倒在泥浆中丧命。 —

At the sight, several men dropped their sticks and tried to run. —
看到这个情景，几个人丢掉棍子想逃跑。 —

Panic overtook them, and the next moment all the animals together were chasing them round and round the yard. —
恐慌袭击了他们，下一刻，所有的动物一起追着他们在院子里打转。 —

They were gored, kicked, bitten, trampled on. —
他们被顶、踢、咬、踩。 —

There was not an animal on the farm that did not take vengeance on them after his own fashion. —
农场上没有一个动物不以自己的方式向他们报仇。 —

Even the cat suddenly leapt off a roof onto a cowman’s shoulders and sank her claws in his neck, at which he yelled horribly. —
就在这时，猫突然从屋顶上跳到了牛人的肩上，用爪子抓住了他的脖子，他发出了可怕的尖叫声。 —

At a moment when the opening was clear, the men were glad enough to rush out of the yard and make a bolt for the main road. —
在一个开阔的时刻，这些人很高兴地冲出院子，直奔主干道。 —

And so within five minutes of their invasion they were in ignominious retreat by the same way as they had come, with a flock of geese hissing after them and pecking at their calves all the way.
所以在不到五分钟的时间里，他们就以惭愧的方式撤退回来，与他们以同样的方式进来时相同的路返回，一群鹅还在他们后面嘶嘶叫着并且一直啄他们的小腿。

All the men were gone except one. —
除了一个人外，其他都离开了。 —

Back in the yard Boxer was pawing with his hoof at the stable-lad who lay face down in the mud, trying to turn him over. —
回到院子里，拳击手用蹄子在泥地上猛抓那个趴在地上的稳定小伙子，试图把他翻过来。 —

The boy did not stir.
这个男孩没有动。

“He is dead,” said Boxer sorrowfully. —
“他死了,“拳击手伤心地说。” —

“I had no intention of doing that. —
我没有意图这样做。 —

I forgot that I was wearing iron shoes. —
我忘记我穿着铁鞋。 —

Who will believe that I did not do this on purpose?”
谁会相信我不是有意的呢？”

“No sentimentality, comrade!” cried Snowball from whose wounds the blood was still dripping. —
“没有感伤的情绪，同志!” 伤口还在滴血的斯诺鲍尔大声喊道。” —

“War is war. The only good human being is a dead one.”
战争就是战争。唯一好的人类就是死人。”

“I have no wish to take life, not even human life,” repeated Boxer, and his eyes were full of tears.
“我不愿意夺走生命，甚至是人类的生命，”拳师重复道，他的眼中满是泪水。

“Where is Mollie?” exclaimed somebody.
“莫莉在哪儿？”有人大声问道。

Mollie in fact was missing. —
事实上，莫莉不见了。 —

For a moment there was great alarm; —
一时间引起了极大的恐慌； —

it was feared that the men might have harmed her in some way, or even carried her off with them. —
人们担心她可能被人们以某种方式伤害，甚至被人带走。 —

In the end, however, she was found hiding in her stall with her head buried among the hay in the manger. —
然而，最终发现她躲在自己的马厩里，头埋在饲槽里的干草中。 —

She had taken to flight as soon as the gun went off. —
枪声响起后，她立刻逃离了。 —

And when the others came back from looking for her, it was to find that the stable-lad, who in fact was only stunned, had already recovered and made off.
当其他人回来找她时，发现那个被击晕的马童已经恢复过来并逃走了。

The animals had now reassembled in the wildest excitement, each recounting his own exploits in the battle at the top of his voice. —
动物们此时都聚集在极度兴奋中，大声地讲述着自己在战斗中的功绩。 —

An impromptu celebration of the victory was held immediately. —
立即举行了一场即兴的胜利庆祝活动。 —

The flag was run up and ‘Beasts of England’ was sung a number of times, then the sheep who had been killed was given a solemn funeral, a hawthorn bush being planted on her grave. —
旗帜升起，“动物共和国之歌”被唱了数次，然后给死去的绵羊举行了庄重的葬礼，在她的坟上种下了一个山楂树。 —

At the graveside Snowball made a little speech, emphasising the need for all animals to be ready to die for Animal Farm if need be.
在墓地旁边，雪球发表了一小段演讲，强调了如果需要，所有动物都应准备为动物农场献身。

The animals decided unanimously to create a military decoration, “Animal Hero, First Class,” which was conferred there and then on Snowball and Boxer. It consisted of a brass medal (they were really some old horse-brasses which had been found in the harness-room), to be worn on Sundays and holidays. —
动物们一致决定设立一个军事勋章，名为“动物英雄一等勋章”，并当场授予雪球和拳师。这个勋章由一枚黄铜牌子组成（事实上是在挽具室找到的几块旧的马牌），在星期日和假日佩戴。 —

There was also “Animal Hero, Second Class,” which was conferred posthumously on the dead sheep.
也追授一等“动物英雄二等勋章”给那只已经去世的羊。

There was much discussion as to what the battle should be called. —
关于这场战斗应该被称为什么名字有很多的讨论。 —

In the end, it was named the Battle of the Cowshed, since that was where the ambush had been sprung. —
最终，它被命名为“牛棚之战”，因为它是在那里展开了伏击。 —

Mr. Jones’s gun had been found lying in the mud, and it was known that there was a supply of cartridges in the farmhouse. —
发现了琼斯先生的枪掉在泥地里，而且知道农舍里还有一批子弹。 —

It was decided to set the gun up at the foot of the Flagstaff, like a piece of artillery, and to fire it twice a year–once on October the twelfth, the anniversary of the Battle of the Cowshed, and once on Midsummer Day, the anniversary of the Rebellion.
决定将这把枪架在旗杆脚下，像一门大炮一样。每年要开两次火-一次是十月十二日，奶牛棚战斗的纪念日，另一次是夏至日，起义的纪念日。