Orwell: Animal farm – 24


All the men were gone except one. Back in the yard Boxer was pawing with his hoof at the stable-lad who lay face down in the mud, trying to turn him over. The boy did not stir.

‚He is dead,’ said Boxer sorrowfully. ‚I had no intention of doing that. I forgot that I was wearing iron shoes. Who will believe that I did not do this on purpose?’

‚No sentimentality, comrade!’ cried Snowball from whose wounds the blood was still dripping. ‚War is war. The only good human being is a dead one.’

‚I have no wish to take life, not even human life,’ repeated Boxer, and his eyes were full of tears.

‚Where is Mollie?’ exclaimed somebody.

Mollie in fact was missing. For a moment there was great alarm; it was feared that the men might have harmed her in some way, or even carried her off with them. In the end, however, she was found hiding in her stall with her head buried among the hay in the manger. She had taken to flight as soon as the gun went off. And when the others came back from looking for her, it was to find that the stable-lad, who in fact was only stunned, had already recovered and made off.

The animals had now reassembled in the wildest excitement, each recounting his own exploits in the battle at the top of his voice. An impromptu celebration of the victory was held immediately. The flag was run up and Beasts of England was sung a number of times, then the sheep who had been killed was given a solemn funeral, a hawthorn bush being planted on her grave. At the graveside Snowball made a little speech, emphasising the need for all animals to be ready to die for Animal Farm if need be.

The animals decided unanimously to create a military decoration, ‚Animal Hero, First Class,’ which was conferred there and then on Snowball and Boxer. It consisted of a brass medal (they were really some old horse-brasses which had been found in the harness-room), to be worn on Sundays and holidays. There was also ‚Animal Hero, Second Class,’ which was conferred posthumously on the dead sheep.

 

except poza
the horse was pawing the ground koń darł kopytami ziemię
stable-lad chłopak stajenny
who lay face down in the mud który leżał z twarzą w błocie
to turn over obrócić
to stir drgać; poruszać się
dead martwy
he is dead nie żyje
sorrowful przygnębiony
I had no intention of doing that nie miałem zamiaru zrobić tego
I forgot that I was wearing iron shoes zapomniałem, że noszę żelazne pokowy
Who will believe kto uwierzy
on purpose celowo
sentimentality sentymentalność, czułostkowość
wound rana
blood krew
the blood was still dripping krew nadal kapała
war wojna
The only good human being is a dead one jedyna dobra istota ludzka, to martwa istota
wish życzenie
to repeat powtarzać
eye oko
full pełny
tears łzy
to exclaim zawołać, wykrzynąć
missing zaginiony
in fact faktycznie
alarm zaniepokojenie, niepokój
to fear bać się, obawiać się
to harm krzywdzić, skrzywdzić
in some way w jakiś sposób
to carry nieść z sobą
to find znaleźć
to hide chować się
stall przegroda
head głowa
buried schowany
among wśród
hay siano
flight ucieczka
to go off wypalić, eksplodować
to look for szukać
stunned ogłuszony, oszołomiony
to recover (from shock, experience) dochodzić (dojść perf) do siebie
to make off umykać
to reassemble zbierać się ponownie
excitement podniecenie, podekscytowanie
each każdy
to recount opowiadać
re-count ponowne przeliczenie
exploit wyczyn
battle bitwa, wojna
voice głos
impromptu improwizowany, zaimprowizowany
celebration świętowanie
victory zwycięstwo
immediately natychmiast
flag flaga, sztandar, chorągiew
to run up zaciągać
a number of times kilka razy
sheep owca
killed zabity
solemn uroczysty
funeral pogrzeb
hawthorn głóg
bush krzak
to plant sadzić
grave grób
a little speech mała przemowa
to emphasize akcentować, podkreślać
need potrzeba, konieczność
to be ready być gotowym
to die umierać
to decide decydować
unanimously jednomyślnie, jednogłośnie
to create stworzyć
military militarny, wojskowy
decoration order, odznaczenie
hero bohater
First Class pierwszej klasy
to confer nadawać komuś coś
to consist of składać się z +gen
brass mosiądz; mosiężny
medal medal
to wear (worn) nosić, zakładać
holiday święto
Second Class drugiej klasy
posthumously pośmiertnie