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By the late summer the news of what had happened on Animal Farm had spread across half the couty. Every day Snowball and Napoleon sent out flights of pigeons whose instructions were to mingle with the animals on neighboring farms, tell them the story of the Rebellion, and teach them the tune of 'Beasts of England'.
到了夏末，有关动物庄园里种种事件的消息，已经传遍了半个国家。每一天，斯诺鲍和拿破仑都要放出一群鸽子，鸽子的任务是混入附近庄园的动物中，告诉他们起义的史实，教他们唱“英格兰兽”。
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. The other farmers sympathized in principle, but they did not at first give him much help. At heart, each of them was secretly wondering whether he could not somehow turn Jones's misfortune to his own advantage.
这个时期，琼斯先生把大部分时间都在泡在威灵顿雷德兰的酒吧间了。他心怀着被区区畜牲撵出家园的痛苦，每逢有人愿意听，他就诉说一通他的冤屈。别的庄园主基本上同情他，但起初没有给他太多帮助。他们都在心里暗暗寻思，看是否能多少从琼斯的不幸中给自己捞到什么好处。
It was lucky that the owners of the two farms which adjoined Animal Farm were on permanently bad terms. 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. Its owner, Mr. Pilkington, was an easy-going gentleman farmer who spent most of his time in fishing or hunting according to the season.
幸而，与动物庄园毗邻的两个庄园关系一直很差。一个叫作福克斯伍德庄园，面积不小，却照管得很差。广阔的田地里尽是荒芜的牧场和丢人现眼的树篱。庄园主皮尔金顿先生是一位随和的乡绅，随着季节不同，他不是钓鱼消闲，就是去打猎度日。
The other farm, which was called Pinchfield, was smaller and better kept. Its owner was a Mr. Frederick, a tough, shrewd man, perpetually involved in lawsuits and with a name for driving hard bargains. These two disliked each other so much that it was difficult for them to come to any agreement, even in defense of their own interests.
另一个叫作平彻菲尔德庄园，小一点，但照料得不错。它的主人是弗雷德里克先生，一个精明的硬汉子，却总是牵扯在官司中，落了个好斤斤计较的名声。这两个人向来不和，谁也不买谁的帐，即使事关他们的共同利益，他们也是如此。
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. At first they pretended to laugh to scorn the idea of animals managing a farm for themselves. The whole thing would be over in a fortnight, they said.
话虽如此，可是这一次，他们俩都被动物庄园的造反行动彻底吓坏了，急不可待地要对他们自己庄园里的动物封锁这方面的消息。开始的时候，他们对动物们自己管理庄园的想法故作嘲笑与蔑视。他们说，整个事态两周内就会结束。
They put it about that the animals on the Manor Farm (they insisted on calling it the Manor Farm; they would not tolerate the name "Animal Farm") were perpetually fighting among themselves and were also rapidly starving to death.
他们散布说，曼纳庄园（他们坚持称之为曼纳庄园，而不能容忍动物庄园这个名字）的畜牲总是在他们自己之间打斗，而且快要饿死了。
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 practiced cannibalism, tortured one another with red-hot horseshoes, and had their females in common. This was what came of rebelling against the laws of Nature, Frederick and Pilkington said.
过一段时间，那里的动物显然并没有饿死，弗雷德里克和皮尔金顿就改了腔调，开始说什么动物庄园如今邪恶猖獗。他们说，传说那里的动物同类相食，互相用烧得通红的马蹄铁拷打折磨，还共同霸占他们中的雌性动物。弗雷德里克和皮尔金顿说，正是在这一点上，造反是悖于天理的。
However, these stories were never fully believed. Rumors 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.
然而，谁也没有完全听信这些说法。小道消息继续以各种形式流传，说有一座奇妙的庄园，在那儿人被撵走，动物们掌管自己的事务。
And throughout that year a wave of rebelliousness ran through the countryside. 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.
整个那一年，在全国范围内造反之波此起彼伏。一向温顺的公牛突然变野了。羊毁坏了树篱，糟踏了苜蓿。母牛蹄翻了奶桶。猎马不肯越过围栏而把背上的骑手甩到了另一边。
Above all, the tune and even the words of 'Beasts of England' were known everywhere. It had spread with astonishing speed. The human beings could not contain their rage when they heard this song, though they pretended to think it merely ridiculous.
更有甚者，“英格兰兽”的曲子甚至还有歌词已经无处不知。它以惊异的速度流传着。尽管人们故意装作不屑一顾，认为它滑稽可笑，但是，当他们听到了这支歌，便怒不可遏。
They could not understand, they said, how even animals could bring themselves to sing such contemptible rubbish. Any animal caught singing it was given a flogging on the spot.
他们说，他们简直弄不明白，怎么就连畜牲们也竟能唱这样无耻的下流小调。那些因为唱这支歌而被逮住的动物，当场就会被责以鞭笞。
And yet the song was irrepressible. 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. And when the human beings listened to it, they secretly trembled, hearing in it a prophecy of their future doom.
可这支歌还是压抑不住的。乌鸦在树篱上啭鸣着唱它。鸽子在榆树上咕咕着唱它。歌声渗进铁匠铺的喧声，渗进教堂的钟声。它预示着人所面临的厄运，因而，他们听到这些便暗自发抖。
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，玉米收割完毕并且堆放好了，其中有些已经脱了粒。有一天，一群鸽子从空中急速飞回，兴高采烈地落在动物庄园的院子里。
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. They were all carrying sticks, except Jones, who was marching ahead with a gun in his hands.
原来琼斯和他的所有伙计们，以及另外六个来自福克斯伍德庄园和平彻菲尔德庄园的人，已经进了五栅门，正沿着庄园的车道向这走来。除了一马当先的琼斯先生手里握着一支枪外，他们全都带着棍棒。
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.
显然，他们企图夺回这座庄园。这是早就预料到了的，所有相应的准备工作也已经就绪。斯诺鲍负责这次防御战，他曾在庄主院的屋子里找到一本谈论儒略?凯撒征战的旧书，并且钻研过。此时，他迅速下令，不出两分钟，动物们已经各就各位。
