2-0-0-5 Chapter 2-5

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Chapter 2_5
    The pigs now revealed that during the past three months they had taught themselves to read and write from an old spelling book which had belonged to Mr. Jones’s children and which had been thrown on the rubbish heap. Napoleon sent for pots of black and white paint and led the way down to the five-barred gate that gave on to the main road. Then Snowball (for it was Snowball who was best at writing) took a brush between the two knuckles of his trotter, painted out MANOR FARM from the top bar of the gate and in its place painted ANIMAL FARM. This was to be the name of the farm from now onwards. After this they went back to the farm buildings, where Snowball and Napoleon sent for a ladder which they caused to be set against the end wall of the big barn. They explained that by their studies of the past three months the pigs had succeeded in reducing the principles of Animalism to Seven Commandments. These Seven Commandments would now be inscribed on the wall; they would form an unalterable law by which all the animals on Animal Farm must live for ever after. With some difficulty (for it is not easy for a pig to balance himself on a ladder) Snowball climbed up and set to work, with Squealer a few rungs below him holding the paint-pot. The Commandments were written on the tarred wall in great white letters that could be read thirty yards away. They ran thus:

THE SEVEN COMMANDMENTS
1. Whatever goes upon two legs is an enemy.
2. Whatever goes upon four legs, or has wings, is a friend.
3. No animal shall wear clothes.
4. No animal shall sleep in a bed.
5. No animal shall drink alcohol.
6. No animal shall kill any other animal.
7. All animals are equal.

※單字及片語※
reveal (v.)透露；顯露
※teach oneself (ph.)自學
※spelling book (ph.)拼字課本
※belong to (ph.)屬於…人
thrown (throw的過去分詞) (v.) 投,擲,拋,扔
rubbish (n.)垃圾；廢物
heap (n.)堆,堆積
※send for (ph.)派人去叫
pot (n.) 罐;壺;鍋；桶
※five-barred gate (ph.)有五道門閂的大門
※give on to = give onto (ph.)通向
※be best at (ph.)最擅於
knuckle (n.) (四足獸的)膝關節；蹄
trotter (n.) 豬腳,羊腳；蹄
※paint out (ph.)漆掉
※the top bar (ph.)最上面的門閂
onwards (adv). 向前;在前面
※from now onwards = from now on (ph.)從現在開始
※This was to be the name of the farm from now onwards.   be + to be： 即將
ladder (n.)梯子
cause (v.)促使
set (v.)擺
against (prep.) 倚;靠
explain  (v.)解釋；說明
※reduce….to (ph.)減化至….
principle (n.) 主義;信條
commandment (n.) 戒律
※Seven Commandments  七戒（在此作者仿摩西十戒 ，藉此製造笑果。）
inscribe (v.) 書寫；題寫
unalterable (adj.)不可變更的
※live by (ph.) 奉行
※for ever = forever (adv.) 永遠
balance (v.)平衡
※set to (ph.)開始
rung (n.) 梯子之橫檔,梯級
tar (v.) 塗焦油於,用焦油覆蓋
letter (n.)字母
yard (n.)碼
away (adv.) (用在名詞後)隔開...遠
thus (adv.) 如此,這樣,以此方式
enemy (n.)敵人
shall (v.aux.) (用在條約,規章,法令等文件中表示義務或規定,一般用於第三人稱)應,必須
equal (adj.)平等的