But if there were hardships to be borne, they were partly offset by the fact that life nowadays had a greater dignity than it had had before.
但是,不管受了什么氣,不管日子多么難熬,只要一想到他們現在活得比從前體面,他們也就覺得還可以說得過去。
There were more songs, more speeches, more processions.
現在歌聲多,演講多,活動多。
Napoleon had commanded that once a week there should be held something called a Spontaneous Demonstration,
拿破侖已經指示,每周應當舉行一次叫做"自發游行"的活動,
the object of which was to celebrate the struggles and triumphs of Animal Farm.
目的在于慶祝動物莊園的奮斗成果和興旺景象。
At the appointed time the animals would leave their work and march round the precincts of the farm in military formation,
每到既定時刻,動物們便紛紛放下工作,列隊繞著莊園的邊界游行,
with the pigs leading, then the horses, then the cows, then the sheep, and then the poultry.
豬帶頭,然后是馬、牛、羊,接著是家禽。
The dogs flanked the procession and at the head of all marched Napoleon's black cockerel.
狗在隊伍兩側,拿破侖的黑公雞走在隊伍的最前頭。
Boxer and Clover always carried between them a green banner marked with the hoof and the horn and the caption, "Long live Comrade Napoleon!"
鮑克瑟和克拉弗還總要扯著一面綠旗,旗上標著蹄掌和犄角,以及"拿破侖同志萬歲!"的標語。
Afterwards there were recitations of poems composed in Napoleon's honour, and a speech by Squealer giving particulars of the latest increases in the production of foodstuffs,
游行之后,是背誦贊頌拿破侖的詩的活動,接著是演講,由斯奎拉報告飼料增產的最新數據。
and on occasion a shot was fired from the gun.
而且不時還要鳴槍慶賀。
The sheep were the greatest devotees of the Spontaneous Demonstration, and if anyone complained (as a few animals sometimes did, when no pigs or dogs were near)
羊對"自發游行"活動最為熱心,如果哪個動物抱怨(個別動物有時趁豬和狗不在場就會發牢騷)
that they wasted time and meant a lot of standing about in the cold, the sheep were sure to silence him with a tremendous bleating of "Four legs good, two legs bad!"
說這是浪費時間,只不過意味著老是站在那里受凍,羊就肯定會起響亮地叫起"四條腿號,兩條腿壞",頓時就叫得他們啞口無言。
But by and large the animals enjoyed these celebrations.
但大體上說,動物們搞這些慶祝活動還是興致勃勃的。
They found it comforting to be reminded that, after all, they were truly their own masters and that the work they did was for their own benefit.
歸根到底,他們發現正是在這些活動中,他們才感到他們真正是當家做主了,所做的一切都是在為自己謀福利,想到這些,他們也就心滿意足。
So that, what with the songs, the processions, Squealer's lists of figures, the thunder of the gun, the crowing of the cockerel,
因而,在歌聲中,在游戲中,在斯奎拉列舉的數字中,在鳴槍聲中,在黑公雞的啼叫聲中,
and the fluttering of the flag, they were able to forget that their bellies were empty, at least part of the time.
在綠旗的飄揚中,他們就可以至少在部分時間里忘卻他們的肚子還是空蕩蕩的。
In April, Animal Farm was proclaimed a Republic, and it became necessary to elect a President.
四月份,動物莊園宣告成為"動物共和國",在所難免的是要選舉一位總統。