Orwell: Animal farm – 1 (MP3)

MR. JONES, of the Manor Farm, had locked the hen-houses for the night, but was too drunk to remember to shut the popholes.

MR. JONES, of the Manor Farm, had locked the hen-houses for the night, but was too drunk to remember to shut the popholes. With the ring of light from his lantern dancing from side to side, he lurched across the yard, kicked off his boots at the back door, drew himself a last glass of beer from the barrel in the scullery, and made his way up to bed, where Mrs. Jones was already snoring.

As soon as the light in the bedroom went out there was a stirring and a fluttering all through the farm buildings. Word had gone round during the day that old Major, the prize Middle White boar, had had a strange dream on the previous night and wished to communicate it to the other animals. It had been agreed that they should all meet in the big barn as soon as Mr. Jones was safely out of the way. Old Major (so he was always called, though the name under which he had been exhibited was Willingdon Beauty) was so highly regarded on the farm that everyone was quite ready to lose an hour’s sleep in order to hear what he had to say.

 

to lock zakluczyć
hen-house kurnik
for the night na noc
to shut zamknąć
to shoot zastrzelić
ring of light świetlisty krąg
lantern latarnia
from side to side z jednej strony na drugą
to lurche szarpać
a yard zagroda
to kick off the boots rzucić buty w kąt
to draw a glass of beer wypić kufel piwa
a barrel beczka
scullery izba kuchenna
to snore chrapać
as soon as jak tylko
the light goes out światło gaśnie
stirring zgiełk, zamieszanie
fluttering trzepot skrzydeł
through przez, poprzez
word had gone round krążyła plotka
a prize nagroda
a boar knur
on the previous night ubiegłej nocy
to agree zgadzać się
a barn stodoła
safely bezpiecznie
out of the way na uboczu
to be called być nazywanym
though chociaż
to exhibit legitymować się
to be regarded być szanowanym
on the farm na folwarku
an hour’s sleep godzinny sen
in order to w celu