斯諾鮑曾在莊主院里找到一些過期的《農(nóng)場主和畜牧業(yè)者》雜志,并對此作過深入的研究,裝了滿腦子的革新和發(fā)明設(shè)想。
He talked learnedly about field drains, silage, and basic slag,
他談起什么農(nóng)田排水、什么飼料保鮮、什么堿性爐渣,學(xué)究氣十足。
and had worked out a complicated scheme for all the animals to drop their dung directly in the fields, at a different spot every day, to save the labor of cartage.
他還設(shè)計出一個復(fù)雜的系統(tǒng),可以把動物每天在不同地方拉的糞便直接通到地里,以節(jié)省運送的勞力。
Napoleon produced no schemes of his own, but said quietly that Snowball's would come to nothing, and seemed to be biding his time.
拿破侖自己無所貢獻,卻拐彎抹角地說斯諾鮑的這些東西最終將會是一場空,看起來他是在走著瞧了。
But of all their controversies, none was so bitter as the one that took place over the windmill.
但是在他們所有的爭吵中,最為激烈的莫過于關(guān)于風(fēng)車一事的爭辯。
In the long pasture, not far from the farm buildings, there was a small knoll which was the highest point on the farm.
在狹長的大牧場上,離莊園里的窩棚不遠的地方,有一座小山包,那是莊園里的制高點。
After surveying the ground, Snowball declared that this was just the place for a windmill, which could be made to operate a dynamo and supply the farm with electrical power.
斯諾鮑在勘察過那地方之后,宣布說那里是建造風(fēng)車最合適的地方,這風(fēng)車可用來帶動發(fā)電機,從而可為莊園提供電力。
This would light the stalls and warm them in winter, and would also run a circular saw, a chaff-cutter, a mangel-slicer, and an electric milking machine.
也就可以使窩棚里用上電燈并在冬天取暖,還可以帶動圓鋸、鍘草機、切片機和電動擠奶機。
The animals had never heard of anything of this kind before (for the farm was an old-fashioned one and had only the most primitive machinery).
動物們以前還從未聽說過任何這類事情(因為這是一座老式的莊園,只有一臺非常原始的機器)。
And they listened in astonishment while Snowball conjured up pictures of fantastic machines
當(dāng)斯諾鮑繪聲繪色地描述著那些奇妙的機器的情景時,
which would do their work for them while they grazed at their ease in the fields or improved their minds with reading and conversation.
說那些機器可以在他們悠閑地在地里吃草時,在他們修養(yǎng)心性而讀書或聊天時為他們干活,動物們都聽呆了。