Orwell: Animal farm – 16


On Sundays there was no work. Breakfast was an hour later than usual, and after breakfast there was a ceremony which was observed every week without fail. First came the hoisting of the flag. Snowball had found in the harness-room an old green tablecloth of Mrs. Jones’s and had painted on it a hoof and a horn in white. This was run up the flagstaff in the farmhouse garden every Sunday 8, morning. The flag was green, Snowball explained, to represent the green fields of England, while the hoof and horn signified the future Republic of the Animals which would arise when the human race had been finally overthrown. After the hoisting of the flag all the animals trooped into the big barn for a general assembly which was known as the Meeting. Here the work of the coming week was planned out and resolutions were put forward and debated. It was always the pigs who put forward the resolutions. The other animals understood how to vote, but could never think of any resolutions of their own. Snowball and Napoleon were by far the most active in the debates. But it was noticed that these two were never in agreement: whatever suggestion either of them made, the other could be counted on to oppose it. Even when it was resolved-a thing no one could object to in itself-to set aside the small paddock behind the orchard as a home of rest for animals who were past work, there was a stormy debate over the correct retiring age for each class of animal. The Meeting always ended with the singing of Beasts of England, and the afternoon was given up to recreation.

The pigs had set aside the harness-room as a headquarters for themselves. Here, in the evenings, they studied blacksmithing, carpentering, and other necessary arts from books which they had brought out of the farmhouse. Snowball also busied himself with organising the other animals into what he called Animal Committees. He was indefatigable at this. He formed the Egg Production Committee for the hens, the Clean Tails League for the cows, the Wild Comrades’ Re-education Committee (the object of this was to tame the rats and rabbits), the Whiter Wool Movement for the sheep, and various others, besides instituting classes in reading and writing. On the whole, these projects were a failure. The attempt to tame the wild creatures, for instance, broke down almost immediately. They continued to behave very much as before, and when treated with generosity, simply took advantage of it. The cat joined the Re-education Committee and was very active in it for some days. She was seen one day sitting on a roof and talking to some sparrows who were just out of her reach. She was telling them that all animals were now comrades and that any sparrow who chose could come and perch on her paw; but the sparrows kept their distance.

 

Sunday niedziela
breakfast śniadanie
was an hour later than usual było godzinę później niż zazwyczaj
ceremony ceremonia
observed przestrzegany
without fail obowiązkowo
to hoist wciągać, podnosić
flag flaga
green zielony
tablecloth obrus
hoof kopyto
horn róg
in white na biało
garden ogród
to explain wyjaśniać, tłumaczyć
to represent reprezentować, być symbolem
to signify oznaczać
future Republic of the Animals przyszła republika zwierząt
to arise powstawać
finally ostatecznie
to overthrow obalać
to troop wchodzić gromadnie
general główny
assembly zgromadzenie
the work of the coming week was planned out planowano pracę na przyszły tydzień
to put forward przedstawiać, wysuwać
resolutions rozwiązanie, rezolucja
to vote głosować
debate debata
in agreement with zgadzać się z kimś
suggestion propozycja
to count on liczyć na
to oppose sprzeciwiać się
resolved zdecydowany
to object sprzeciwiać się
aside oprócz, poza
paddock wybieg (dla koni); padok
orchard sad
stormy burzliwy
retiring ustępujący
age wiek
recreation rekreacja
to give up to oddawać się
headquarters siedziba, kwatera główna
blacksmithing rzemiosło kowalskie
carpentering stolarstwo
necessary niezbędny
art sztuka
to busy zajmować się
Committee komitet
indefatigable niestrudzony, niezmordowany
egg jajko
Tail ogon
League liga
the object of this was jego celem było
tame oswojony
rat szczur
rabitt królik
Wool wełna
Movement ruch
sheep owca
various różne
to institute ustanawiać
failure niepowodzenie
attempt próba
wild dziki
failure. The attempt to tame the wild creature stworzenie
to brake down załamywać się, psuć się
immediately natychmiast
to behave zachowywać się
to treat traktować
generosity wspaniałomyślność, wielkoduszność
to take advantage of wykorzystywać
to join dołączać, wstępować
for some days przez kilka dni
roof dach
sparrow wróbel
out of her reach poza jej zasięgiem
to perch on przysiadać
paw łapa
kept their distance zachowywały dystans