7-0-0-2 Chapter 7-2

【點此下載上課解說mp3檔】

Chapter 7_2

    Nevertheless, towards the end of January it became obvious that it would be necessary to procure some more grain from somewhere. In these days Napoleon rarely appeared in public, but spent all his time in the farmhouse, which was guarded at each door by fierce-looking dogs. When he did emerge, it was in a ceremonial manner, with an escort of six dogs who closely surrounded him and growled if anyone came too near. Frequently he did not even appear on Sunday mornings, but issued his orders through one of the other pigs, usually Squealer. 

※單字及片語※
nevertheless (adv.)然而
procure (v.)取得
grain (n.)穀物
rarely (adv.)很少；難得
appear (v.)出現
※in public (ph.)公開地
guard (v.)守衛；護衛
fierce-looking (a.)看起來很兇猛的
emerge (v.)出現
ceremonial (a.)正式的
manner (n.)方式
escort (n.)護衛隊
surround (v.)包圍；圍繞
growl (v.)咆哮
frequently (adv.)經常地
issue (v.)發佈
through (prep.)藉由

    One Sunday morning Squealer announced that the hens, who had just come in to lay again, must surrender their eggs. Napoleon had accepted, through Whymper, a contract for four hundred eggs a week. The price of these would pay for enough grain and meal to keep the farm going till summer came on and conditions were easier. 

※單字及片語※
announce (v.)宣佈
※come in (ph.)上市 [此指母雞準備下蛋了。]
lay (v.)下蛋
surrender (v.)交出
accept (v.)接受
contract (n.)合約
※pay for (ph.)償付….
※keep…going (ph.)保持/維持…運作
※come on (ph.)開始
condition (n.)狀況
easier (a.) 較緩和

    When the hens heard this, they raised a terrible outcry. They had been warned earlier that this sacrifice might be necessary, but had not believed that it would really happen. They were just getting their clutches ready for the spring sitting, and they protested that to take the eggs away now was murder. For the first time since the expulsion of Jones, there was something resembling a rebellion. Led by three young Black Minorca pullets, the hens made a determined effort to thwart Napoleon’s wishes. Their method was to fly up to the rafters and there lay their eggs, which smashed to pieces on the floor. Napoleon acted swiftly and ruthlessly. He ordered the hens’ rations to be stopped, and decreed that any animal giving so much as a grain of corn to a hen should be punished by death. The dogs saw to it that these orders were carried out. For five days the hens held out, then they capitulated and went back to their nesting boxes. Nine hens had died in the meantime. Their bodies were buried in the orchard, and it was given out that they had died of coccidiosis. Whymper heard nothing of this affair, and the eggs were duly delivered, a grocer’s van driving up to the farm once a week to take them away. 

※單字及片語※
raise (v.)提出；發出
outcry (n.) 喊叫；吶喊；強烈的抗議(或反對)
warn (v.)警告
sacrifice (n.)犧牲
※get ready for (ph.)把…準備好
clutch (n.) 一窩蛋
sitting (n.)孵蛋
protest (v.)抗議
murder (n.)謀殺
expulsion (n.) 驅逐
resemble (v.)看起來像
rebellion (n.)叛變
pullet (n.) 小母雞
rafter (n.) 椽
determined (a.) 果斷的；決然的；堅定的
effort (n.) 努力
thwart (v.)阻撓
※smash to piece (ph.) 摔得粉碎
act (v.)反應；回應
swiftly (adv.)很快地
ruthlessly (adv.)殘忍地
ration (n.)配額
decreed (v.)下令[decree的過去式]
※see to it that (ph.) 請注意要;監視…;別忘記...
※carry out (ph.)執行
※hold out (ph.)堅持
capitulate (v.)投降
※nesting box (ph.)下蛋箱；下蛋槽
※in the meantime (ph.)同時
bury (v.)埋葬
orchard (n.)果園
※give out (ph.)公佈
※die of (ph.)死於….
coccidiosis (n.) 球蟲症
※hear of (ph.)聽說…
affair (n.) 事情；事；事件
duly (adv.) 按時地；準時地
deliver (v.) 運送

    All this while no more had been seen of Snowball. He was rumoured to be hiding on one of the neighbouring farms, either Foxwood or Pinchfield. Napoleon was by this time on slightly better terms with the other farmers than before. It happened that there was in the yard a pile of timber which had been stacked there ten years earlier when a beech spinney was cleared. It was well seasoned, and Whymper had advised Napoleon to sell it; both Mr. Pilkington and Mr. Frederick were anxious to buy it. Napoleon was hesitating between the two, unable to make up his mind. It was noticed that whenever he seemed on the point of coming to an agreement with Frederick, Snowball was declared to be in hiding at Foxwood, while, when he inclined toward Pilkington, Snowball was said to be at Pinchfield. 

※單字及片語※
rumour (v.) 【英】=rumor謠傳
neighbouring (a.) 【英】=neighbor鄰近的
※either…or… (ph.)不是…就是…
slightly (adv.)些微地
terms (n.) 關係；友誼；地位
on better good terms (ph.) 處於較良好關係（關係改善）
※on good terms (ph.)處於良好關係；和睦相處
※it happened that (ph.)碰巧
pile (n.)堆
timber (n.) 【英】木材,木料
stack (v.) 堆放
beech (n.) 【植】山毛櫸；椈
spinney (n.) 【英】樹叢;雜樹林
clear (v.) 清除
season (v.) 使(木材)乾燥以備用
advise (v.)建議
anxious (a.) 渴望的；焦慮的
hesitate (v.)猶豫不決；躊躇；猶豫
※make one’s mind (ph.)下定決心
declare (v.) 聲明；表示
incline (v.) 心裡傾向；有意
※was said to be (ph.) 據說；謠傳【= was rumoured to be】