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It was a bitter winter.
那是一個寒冷的冬天。
The stormy weather was followed by sleet and snow, and then by a hard frost which did not break till well into February.
狂風暴雨的天氣剛剛過去，這又下起了雨夾雪，接著嚴寒來了，直到二月才見和緩。
The animals carried on as best they could with the rebuilding of the windmill,
動物們都在全力以赴地趕建風車，
well knowing that the outside world was watching them and that the envious human beings would rejoice and triumph if the mill were not finished on time.
因為他們都十分清楚：外界正在注視著他們，如果風車不能重新及時建成，那些妒火中燒的人類便會為此幸災樂禍的。
Out of spite, the human beings pretended not to believe that it was Snowball who had destroyed the windmill.
那些人不懷好意，佯稱他們不相信風車會是斯諾鮑毀壞的。
They said that it had fallen down because the walls were too thin.
他們說，風車之所以倒塌純粹是因為墻座太薄。
The animals knew that this was not the case.
而動物們認為事實并非如此。
Still, it had been decided to build the walls three feet thick this time instead of eighteen inches as before, which meant collecting much larger quantities of stone.
不過，他們還是決定這一次要把墻筑到三尺厚，而不是上一次的一尺半。這就意味著得采集更多的石頭。
For a long time the quarry was full of snowdrifts and nothing could be done.
但采石場上好長時間積雪成堆，什么事也干不成。
Some progress was made in the dry frosty weather that followed, but it was cruel work, and the animals could not feel so hopeful about it as they had felt before.
后來，嚴冬的天氣變得干燥了，倒是干了一些活，但那卻是一項苦不堪言的勞作，動物們再也不象先前那樣滿懷希望、信心十足。
They were always cold, and usually hungry as well.
它們總感到冷，又常常覺得餓。
Only Boxer and Clover never lost heart.
只有鮑克瑟和克拉弗從不氣餒。
Squealer made excellent speeches on the joy of service and the dignity of labor,
斯奎拉則時不時來一段關于什么勞動的樂趣以及勞工神圣之類的精彩演講，
but the other animals found more inspiration in Boxer's strength and his never-failing cry of "I will work harder!"
但使其他動物受到鼓舞更大的，卻來自鮑克瑟的踏實肯干和他總是掛在嘴邊的口頭禪："我要更加努力工作。"
In January food fell short.
一月份，食物就開始短缺了。
The corn ration was drastically reduced, and it was announced that an extra potato ration would be issued to make up for it.
谷類飼料急驟減少，有通知說要發給額外的土豆來彌補。
Then it was discovered that the greater part of the potato crop had been frosted in the clamps, which had not been covered thickly enough.
可隨后卻發現絕大部分土豆都已受凍了，因為地窖上面蓋得不夠厚。
The potatoes had become soft and discolored, and only a few were edible.
土豆發軟變壞了，只有很少一些還可以吃。
For days at a time the animals had nothing to eat but chaff and mangles.
這段時間里，動物們已有好些天除了吃谷糠和蘿卜外，再也沒有別的可吃的了。
Starvation seemed to stare them in the face.
他們差不多面臨著饑荒。
