Orwell: Animal farm – 18


None of the other animals on the farm could get further than the letter A. It was also found that the stupider animals, such as the sheep, hens, and ducks, were unable to learn the Seven Commandments by heart. After much thought Snowball declared that the Seven Commandments could in effect be reduced to a single maxim, namely: ‚Four legs good, two legs bad.’ This, he said, contained the essential principle of Animalism. Whoever had thoroughly grasped it would be safe from human influences. The birds at first objected, since it seemed to them that they also had two legs, but Snowball proved to them that this was not so.

‚A bird’s wing, comrades,’ he said, ‚is an organ of propulsion and not of manipulation. It should therefore be regarded as a leg. The distinguishing mark of man is the hand, the instrument with which he does all his mischief.’

The birds did not understand Snowball’s long words, but they accepted his explanation, and all the humbler animals set to work to learn the new maxim by heart. FOUR LEGS GOOD, TWO LEGS BAD, was inscribed on the end wall of the barn, above the Seven Commandments and in bigger letters. When they had once got it by heart, the sheep developed a great liking for this maxim, and often as they lay in the field they would all start bleating ‚Four legs good, two legs bad! Four legs good, two legs bad!’ and keep it up for hours on end, never growing tired of it.

 

further dalej
stupid głupi
were unable to learn the Seven Commandments by heart nie były w stanie nauczyć się siedmiu przykazań na pamięć
to declare oznajmić
in effect w praktyce
to reduce redukować; zmniejszać
single pojedynczy
maxim maksyma
namely mianowicie
to contain zawierać
essential istotny, zasadniczy
principle zasada
thoroughly gruntownie
to grasp pojmować
safe bezpieczny
influence wpływ
to prove udowodnić, dowodzić
organ organ, narząd
propulsion napęd
therefore dlatego też, zatem
to regarde uważać
distinguishing wyróżniający
mark znak, oznaka
hand ręka
mischief intrygi; psoty
explanation wyjaśnienie, wytłumaczenie, objaśnienie
humbler pokorny
to inscribe wypisać
above nad, ponad
liking upodobanie
to develope rozwijać
and often as they lay in the field i często, kiedy leżały na polu
to bleat beczeć
to keep up utrzymywać
never growing tired of it nigdy tym nie zmęczone