動(dòng)物農(nóng)場(chǎng)Animal Farm 第8章(8)

But Benjamin was watching the movements of the men intently.

但本杰明仍在急切地注視著那些人的活動(dòng)。

The two with the hammer and the crowbar were drilling a hole near the base of the windmill.

拿著鋼釬和大鐵錘的兩個(gè)人，正在風(fēng)車的地基附近打孔。

Slowly, and with an air almost of amusement, Benjamin nodded his long muzzle.

本杰明帶著幾乎是戲謔的神情，慢騰騰地呶了呶他那長(zhǎng)長(zhǎng)的嘴巴。

"I thought so," he said.

"我看是這樣"他說(shuō)。

"Do you not see what they are doing?

"你們沒(méi)看見(jiàn)他們?cè)诟墒裁磫?

In another moment they are going to pack blasting powder into that hole."

過(guò)一會(huì)兒，他們就要往打好的孔里裝炸藥。"

Terrified, the animals waited.

太可怕了，動(dòng)物們只好等待著。

It was impossible now to venture out of the shelter of the buildings.

因?yàn)榇藭r(shí)此刻，他們不敢冒險(xiǎn)沖出窩棚。

After a few minutes the men were seen to be running in all directions.

過(guò)了幾分鐘，眼看著那些人朝四下散開(kāi)。

Then there was a deafening roar.

接著，就是一聲震耳欲聾的爆炸聲。

The pigeons swirled into the air, and all the animals, except Napoleon, flung themselves flat on their bellies and hid their faces.

頓時(shí)，鴿子就立刻飛到空中，其它動(dòng)物，除了拿破侖外，全都轉(zhuǎn)過(guò)臉去，猛地趴倒在地。

When they got up again, a huge cloud of black smoke was hanging where the windmill had been.

他們起來(lái)后，風(fēng)車上空飄蕩著一團(tuán)巨大的黑色煙云。

Slowly the breeze drifted it away.

微風(fēng)慢慢吹散了煙云。

The windmill had ceased to exist!

風(fēng)車已蕩然無(wú)存!

At this sight the animals' courage returned to them.

看到這情景，動(dòng)物們又重新鼓起勇氣。

The fear and despair they had felt a moment earlier were drowned in their rage against thisvile, contemptible act.

他們?cè)谄讨八械降哪懬雍涂謶?，此刻便被這種可恥卑鄙的行為所激起的狂怒淹沒(méi)了。

A mighty cry for vengeance went up, and without waiting for further orders they charged forth in a body and made straight for the enemy.

他們發(fā)出一陣強(qiáng)烈的復(fù)仇吶喊，不等下一步的命令，便一齊向敵人沖去。

This time they did not heed the cruel pellets that swept over them like hail.

這一次，他們顧不上留意那如冰雹一般掃射而來(lái)的殘忍的子彈了。

It was a savage, bitter battle.

這是一場(chǎng)殘酷、激烈的戰(zhàn)斗。

The men fired again and again, and, when the animals got to close quarters, lashed out with their sticks and their heavy boots.

那幫人在不斷地射擊，等到動(dòng)物們接近他們時(shí)，他們就又用棍棒和那沉重的靴子大打出手。

A cow, three sheep, and two geese were killed, and nearly everyone was wounded.

一頭牛、三只羊、兩只鵝被殺害了，幾乎每個(gè)動(dòng)物都受了傷。

Even Napoleon, who was directing operations from the rear, had the tip of his tail chipped by a pellet.

就連一直在后面指揮作戰(zhàn)的拿破侖也被子彈削去了尾巴尖。

But the men did not go unscathed either.

但人也并非沒(méi)有傷亡。

Three of them had their heads broken by blows from Boxer's hoofs; another wasgored in the belly by a cow's horn; another had his trousers nearly torn off by Jessie and Bluebell.

三個(gè)人的頭被鮑克瑟的蹄掌打破;另一個(gè)人的肚子被一頭牛的犄角刺破;還有一個(gè)人，褲子幾乎被杰西和布魯拜爾撕掉。

And when the nine dogs of Napoleon's own bodyguard, whom he had instructed to make a detour under cover of the hedge, suddenly appeared on the men's flank, bayingferociously, panic overtook them.

給拿破侖作貼身警衛(wèi)的那九條狗，奉他的命令在樹(shù)籬的遮掩下迂回過(guò)去，突然出現(xiàn)在敵人的側(cè)翼，兇猛地吼叫起來(lái)，把那幫人嚇壞了。

They saw that they were in danger of being surrounded.

他們發(fā)現(xiàn)有被包圍的危險(xiǎn)。

Frederick shouted to his men to get out while the going was good, and the next moment the cowardly enemy was running for dear life.

弗雷德里克趁退路未斷便喊他的同伙撤出去，不一會(huì)兒，那些貪生怕死的敵人便沒(méi)命似地逃了。

The animals chased them right down to the bottom of the field, and got in some last kicks at them as they forced their way through the thorn hedge.

動(dòng)物們一直把他們追到莊園邊上，在他們從那片樹(shù)籬中擠出去時(shí)，還踢了他們最后幾下。