5-0-0-1 Chapter 5-1

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Chapter 5_1
AS winter drew on, Mollie became more and more troublesome. She was late for work every morning and excused herself by saying that she had overslept, and she complained of mysterious pains, although her appetite was excellent. On every kind of pretext she would run away from work and go to the drinking pool, where she would stand foolishly gazing at her own reflection in the water. But there were also rumours of something more serious. One day, as Mollie strolled blithely into the yard, flirting her long tail and chewing at a stalk of hay, Clover took her aside.

※單字及片語※
drew (v.) [draw的過去式] 漸漸移動
draw on (ph.)臨近
※more and more (ph.)越來越
troublesome (a.)麻煩的；棘手的
excuse (v.)找藉口
overslept (v.) [oversleep的過去式與過去分詞] 睡過頭
complain (v.)訴說(病痛等)[通常和of / about等介系詞連用]
mysterious (a.)神祕的
pain (n.)身體特定部位的)疼痛
appetite (n.)食慾；胃口
on (prep.)使用；憑
pretext (n.)藉口；託辭
drinking pool (n.)飲水池
foolishly (adv.)愚蠢地;可笑地
※gaze at (ph.)注視…；盯著…
reflection (n.)映象,倒影
rumour (n.)【英】=rumor謠言,謠傳
stroll (v.)散步,溜達;緩步走
blithely (adv.)歡樂地;快活地
flirt (v.)輕快地擺動,揮動(尾巴,扇子等)[在此作者玩文字遊戲，暗示Mollie有點愛調情及賣俏的個性。]
chew (v.)咀嚼
stalk (n.)(植物的)莖；葉柄

‘Mollie,’ she said, ‘I have something very serious to say to you. This morning I saw you looking over the hedge that divides Animal Farm from Foxwood. One of Mr. Pilkington’s men was standing on the other side of the hedge. And - I was a long way away, but I am almost certain I saw this - he was talking to you and you were allowing him to stroke your nose. What does that mean, Mollie?’
＊ 句型分析＊
This morning I saw you looking over the hedge that divides Animal Farm from Foxwood.
※that divides Animal Farm from Foxwood為形容詞子句修飾hedge
※單字及片語※
divide (v.)使分開；使隔開
ex. A wall divides our garden from theirs.
一道牆把我們的花園和他們的隔開。
hedge (n.)樹籬
stroke (v.) [用手]撫；摸

‘He didn’t! I wasn’t! It isn’t true!’ cried Mollie, beginning to prance about and paw the ground. 

※單字及片語※
cry (v.)大聲說
prance (v.) (馬)騰躍
paw (v.)[ 用腳爪等]抓
ground (n.)地面

‘Mollie! Look me in the face. Do you give me your word of honour that that man was not stroking your nose?’

※單字及片語※
※look sb or sth in the face (ph.)正視某人或某物
honour (n.)為英式拼法= honor 信譽；信用

 
‘It isn’t true!’ repeated Mollie, but she could not look Clover in the face, and the next moment she took to her heels and galloped away into the field. 

※單字及片語※
heel  (n.)腳跟
※take to one’s heels = run away (phr.)逃跑
gallop (v.) (馬等)疾馳,飛跑

A thought struck Clover. Without saying anything to the others, she went to Mollie’s stall and turned over the straw with her hoof. Hidden under the straw was a little pile of lump sugar and several bunches of ribbon of different colours. 

※單字及片語※
thought (n.)想法
struck (v.)[strike的過去式和過去分詞] 使突然想起
It struck sb + that 子句  某人突然想起….
It struck me that there was no one at home.
= It occurred to me that there was no one at home.
我突然想起家中沒有人。
stall (n.) (牲畜的)欄,廄,柵,棚
※turn over (ph.)翻
straw (n.)乾草
hoof (n.)蹄
＊句型分析＊
Hidden under the straw was a little pile of lump sugar and several bunches of ribbon of different colours.
※此句為倒裝句，原為A little pile of lump of lump sugar and several bunches of ribbon of different colours was hidden under the straw.
※使用倒裝句是為了強調hidden這個字，hidden是.過去分詞，表達這些東西是鬼鬼祟祟地、偷偷摸摸地被藏起來。
lump (n.) 小方塊;方(糖);(煤)塊
bunch (n.) 串,束
ribbon (n.) 緞帶;絲帶;飾帶

Three days later Mollie disappeared. For some weeks nothing was known of her whereabouts, then the pigeons reported that they had seen her on the other side of Willingdon. She was between the shafts of a smart dogcart painted red and black, which was standing outside a public-house. A fat red-faced man in check breeches and gaiters, who looked like a publican, was stroking her nose and feeding her with sugar. Her coat was newly clipped and she wore a scarlet ribbon round her forelock. She appeared to be enjoying herself, so the pigeons said. None of the animals ever mentioned Mollie again.

※單字及片語※
※know of (ph.)知道
whereabouts (n.) 去處；行蹤；下落
shaft (n.) 【機】軸
smart (adj.) 漂亮的；時髦的
dogcart (n.) 輕便的雙輪馬車
＊句型分析＊
She was between the shafts of a smart dogcart painted red and black, which was standing outside a public-house.
※句中painted是過去分詞，此句為形容子句簡化，省略which was painted red and black
stand (v.) 坐落
public-house (n.) 旅舍或酒館
※in + 衣服或顏色 (ph.)穿… [此乃用介系詞in來表達穿著（wear）的意思]
check (n.) 方格圖案;格子布
breeches (n.) 馬褲;褲腳束緊長及膝部的褲子
gaiter (n.) 綁腿
publican (n.) 酒館老闆
stroke (v.) (用手)撫；摸
coat (n.) (動物的)皮毛
newly (a.)剛剛；最近；新近
clip (v.)修剪
scarlet (a.) 鮮紅色的；紅的
forelock (n.) 額髮；額毛
appear (v.) 似乎；看來好像 = seem
※enjoy oneself (ph.)某人很滿足；過得快活
mention (v.) 提到,說起