5-0-0-7 Chapter 5-7

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Chapter 5_7
    By this time the weather had broken and the spring ploughing had begun. The shed where Snowball had drawn his plans of the windmill had been shut up and it was assumed that the plans had been rubbed off the floor. Every Sunday morning at ten o’clock the animals assembled in the big barn to receive their orders for the week. The skull of old Major, now clean of flesh, had been disinterred from the orchard and set up on a stump at the foot of the flagstaff, beside the gun. After the hoisting of the flag, the animals were required to file past the skull in a reverent manner before entering the barn. Nowadays they did not sit all together as they had done in the past. Napoleon, with Squealer and another pig named Minimus, who had a remarkable gift for composing songs and poems, sat on the front of the raised platform, with the nine young dogs forming a semicircle round them, and the other pigs sitting behind. The rest of the animals sat facing them in the main body of the barn. Napoleon read out the orders for the week in a gruff soldierly style, and after a single singing of ‘Beasts of England’, all the animals dispersed. 

※單字及片語※
weather (n.) 惡劣天氣；暴風雨；自然力
break (v.) (惡劣天氣)停止；中斷；中止
plough (v.)【英】=plow犁；耕
shed (n.) 棚；小屋；堆房
assume (v.) 假設；假定為
rub (v.) 擦；磨擦
＊句型分析＊
The shed (where Snowball had drawn his plans of the windmill) had been shut up and it was assumed (that the plans had been rubbed off the floor)
＊ and為連接詞，在此連接兩個句子
＊ where為關係副詞引導一個關係子句修飾shed
＊ it為虛主詞，that the plans had been rubbed off the floor為真主詞
assemble (v.)聚集
＊句型分析＊
Every Sunday morning at ten o’clock the animals assembled in the big barn to receive their orders (for the week).
＊for the week為形容詞片語，修飾order
skull (n.)頭顱
flesh (n.)肉
disinter (v.) 挖掘;掘出
※set up (ph.)設立
stump (n.) (樹倒或被砍後遺留下的)殘幹；根株
foot (n.) 最下部；底部
flagstaff (n.)旗桿
hoist (v.) 升起
require (v.)要求
file (v.)排成縱對
in (prep.) (表示手段,方法,材料)用；以
reverent (a.)尊敬的；恭敬的；虔誠的
manner (n.) 方式,
※in the past (ph.)過去；以前
※a remarkable gift for…(ph.)對於…有卓越的天分
compose (v.) 作(詩,曲等)
poem (n.) 詩
※the raised platform (ph.)高起的平台
semicircle (a.)半圓的
＊句型分析＊
Napoleon, with Squealer and another pig named Minimus, (who had a remarkable gift for composing songs and poems), sat on the front of the raised platform, with (the nine young dogs) forming a semicircle round them, and (the other pigs) sitting behind.
＊ Napoleon為本句主詞
＊ sat為動詞
＊ who had a remarkable gift for composing songs and poems為關係代名詞的非限定用法，修飾Minimus
＊ With +名詞，所形的一個片語表示…狀態，the nine young dogs為介詞with的受詞後 + 現在分詞forming表主動修飾dogs的狀態
＊ the other pigs仍然為介詞with的受詞，後接現在分詞sitting修飾pigs表示狀態
※the rest (ph.)其餘的
in (prep.)以…方式
gruff (a.) 粗魯的；(聲音)粗啞的
soldierly (adv.) 軍人的
disperse (v.)解散

    On the third Sunday after Snowball’s expulsion, the animals were somewhat surprised to hear Napoleon announce that the windmill was to be built after all. He did not give any reason for having changed his mind, but merely warned the animals that this extra task would mean very hard work, it might even be necessary to reduce their rations. The plans, however, had all been prepared, down to the last detail. A special committee of pigs had been at work upon them for the past three weeks. The building of the windmill, with various other improvements, was expected to take two years. 

※單字及片語※
expulsion (n.) 驅逐
somewhat (adv.)有點
hear (v.)聽【hear為感官動詞後接一個受詞（Napoleon） + 原形動詞（announce） / 分詞做受詞補語】
announce (v.)宣佈
※after all (ph.)結果；終究
※was to be build即將被建造【be + to V不定詞，可表示未來】
merely (adv.)只有；僅僅
task (n.)任務；工作
reduce (v.)減低
ration (n.)配額
※down to the last detail (ph.)甚至到最後細節部分
committee (n.)委員會
※at work (ph.)運作中
※with various other improvements (ph.)加上各式各樣的改善措施
＊句型分析＊
He did not give any reason (for having changed his mind), but merely warned the animals that this extra task would mean very hard work, it might even be necessary to reduce their rations.
＊ 句中for為介詞 + Ving當受詞
＊ for having changed his mind修飾reason

    That evening Squealer explained privately to the other animals that Napoleon had never in reality been opposed to the windmill. On the contrary, it was he who had advocated it in the beginning, and the plan which Snowball had drawn on the floor of the incubator shed had actually been stolen from among Napoleon’s papers. The windmill was, in fact, Napoleon’s own creation. Why, then, asked somebody, had he spoken so strongly against it? Here Squealer looked very sly. That, he said, was Comrade Napoleon’s cunning. He had seemed to oppose the windmill, simply as a manoeuvre to get rid of Snowball, who was a dangerous character and a bad influence. Now that Snowball was out of the way, the plan could go forward without his interference. This, said Squealer, was something called tactics. He repeated a number of times, ‘Tactics, comrades, tactics!’ skipping round and whisking his tail with a merry laugh. The animals were not certain what the word meant, but Squealer spoke so persuasively, and the three dogs who happened to be with him growled so threateningly, that they accepted his explanation without further questions.

※單字及片語※
explain (v.)解釋
privately (adv.)私底下
※in reality (ph.)事實上
※be opposed to (ph.)反對
※on the contrary (ph.)相反地
advocate (v.) 支持
※in the beginning (ph.)一開始
incubator (n.) 孵卵器
＊句型分析＊
On the contrary, it was he (who had advocated it in the beginning), and the plan (which Snowball had drawn on the floor of the incubator shed) had actually been stolen from among Napoleon’s papers.
＊ it was he…為強調句型
＊ who had advocated it in the beginning為關係代名詞所引導的形容詞子句修飾he
＊ which Snowball had drawn on the floor of the incubator shed亦為關係代名詞所引導的形容詞子句修飾plan【had been stolen為主體的動詞】
creation (n.)創作
sly (a.)狡猾的
cunning (a.) 狡猾的,奸詐的
manoeuvre (n.) = maneuver策略；謀略
※get rid of (ph.)除去….
interference (n.)影響
※now that (ph.)既然【在此當連接詞】
※out of the way (ph.)不再是障礙
※go forward (ph.)繼續前進
tactics (n.)策略
※a number of times (ph.)幾次
skip (v.)跳
whisk (v.)搖動；迅速移動
persuasively (adv.)有說服力地
happen to (ph.)恰巧
growl (v.)咆哮
threateningly (adv.)具威脅性地
further (adv.)進一步