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And yet the animals never gave up hope.
不過，動物們仍然沒有放棄希望。
More, they never lost, even for an instant, their sense of honor and privilege in being members of Animal Farm.
確切地說，他們身為動物莊園的一員，從來沒有失去自己的榮譽感和優越感，哪怕是一瞬間也沒有過。
They were still the only farm in the whole county--in all England!--owned and operated by animals.
他們的莊園依然是整個國家——所有英倫三島中——唯一的歸動物所有、并由動物管理的莊園。
Not one of them, not even the youngest, not even the newcomers who had been brought from farms ten or twenty miles away, ever ceased to marvel at that.
他們中間的成員，就連最年輕的，甚至還有那些來自十英里或二十英里以外莊園的新成員，每每想到這一點，都無不感到驚喜交加。
And when they heard the gun booming and saw the green flag fluttering at the masthead, their hearts swelled with imperishable pride,
當他們聽到鳴槍，看到旗桿上的綠旗飄揚，他們內心就充滿了不朽的自豪，
and the talk turned always towards the old heroic days, the expulsion of Jones, the writing of the Seven Commandments, the great battles in which the human invaders had been defeated.
話題一轉，也就時常提起那史詩般的過去，以及驅除瓊斯、刻寫“七誡”、擊退人類來犯者的偉大戰斗等等。
None of the old dreams had been abandoned.
那些舊日的夢想一個也沒有丟棄。
The Republic of the Animals which Major had foretold, when the green fields of England should be untrampled by human feet, was still believed in.
想當年麥哲預言過的“動物共和國”，和那個英格蘭的綠色田野上不再有人類足跡踐踏的時代，至今依然是他們信仰所在。
Some day it was coming: it might not be soon, it might not be with in the lifetime of any animal now living, but still it was coming.
總有一天，那個時代會到來，也許它不會馬上到來，也許它不會在任何現在健在的動物的有生之年到來，但它終究要到來。
Even the tune of 'Beasts of England' was perhaps hummed secretly here and there.
而且至今，說不定就連“英格蘭獸”的曲子還在被到處偷偷得哼唱著。
At any rate, it was a fact that every animal on the farm knew it, though no one would have dared to sing it aloud.
反正事實上，莊園里的每個動物都知道它，盡管誰也不敢放聲大唱。
It might be that their lives were hard and that not all of their hopes had been fulfilled;
也許，他們生活艱難；也許，他們的希望并沒有全部實現，
but they were conscious that they were not as other animals.
但他們很清楚，他們和別的動物不一樣。
If they went hungry, it was not from feeding tyrannical human beings;
如果他們還沒有吃飽，那么也不是因為把食物拿去喂了暴虐的人類；
if they worked hard, at least they worked for themselves.
如果他們干活苦了，那么至少他們是在為自己辛勞。
No creature among them went upon two legs.
在他們中間，誰也不用兩條腿走路。
No creature called any other creature "Master."
誰也不把誰稱做“老爺”。
All animals were equal.
所有動物一律平等。
One day in early summer Squealer ordered the sheep to follow him,
初夏的一天，斯奎拉讓羊跟著他出去，
and led them out to a piece of waste ground at the other end of the farm, which had become overgrown with birch saplings.
他把他們領到莊園的另一頭，那地方是一塊長滿樺樹苗的荒地。
The sheep spent the whole day there browsing at the leaves under Squealer's supervision.
在斯奎拉的監督下，羊在那里吃了整整一天樹葉子。
In the evening he returned to the farmhouse himself, but, as it was warm weather, told the sheep to stay where they were.
到了晚上，斯奎拉告訴羊說，既然天氣暖和了，他們就呆在那兒算了。然后，他自己返回了莊主院。
It ended by their remaining there for a whole week, during which time the other animals saw nothing of them.
羊在那里呆了整整一個星期。在這期間，別的動物連他們的一絲影子也沒見著。
Squealer was with them for the greater part of every day.
斯奎拉每天倒是耗費大量時間和他們泡在一起。
He was, he said, teaching them to sing a new song, for which privacy was needed.
他解釋說，他正在給他們教唱一首新歌，因此十分需要清靜。
It was just after the sheep had returned,
那是一個爽朗的傍晚，羊回來了。
on a pleasant evening when the animals had finished work and were making their way back to the farm buildings,
當時，動物們才剛剛收工，正走在回窩棚的路上。
that the terrified neighing of a horse sounded from the yard.
突然，從大院里傳來了一聲馬的悲鳴。
Startled, the animals stopped in their tracks.
動物們嚇了一跳，全都立即停下腳步。
It was Clover's voice.
是克拉弗的聲音。
She neighed again, and all the animals broke into a gallop and rushed into the yard.
她又嘶叫起來。于是，所有的動物全都奔跑著沖進了大院。
Then they saw what Clover had seen.
這一下，他們看到了克拉弗看到的情景。
It was a pig walking on his hind legs.
是一頭豬在用后腿走路。
Yes, it was Squealer.
是的，是斯奎拉。
A little awkwardly, as though not quite used to supporting his considerable bulk in that position,
他還有點笨拙好象還不大習慣用這種姿勢支撐他那巨大的身體，
but with perfect balance, he was strolling across the yard.
但他卻能以熟練的平衡，在院子里散步了。
