Orwell: Animal farm – 9


Unfortunately, the uproar awoke Mr. Jones, who sprang out of bed, making sure that there was a fox in the yard. He seized the gun which always stood in a corner of his bedroom, and let fly a charge of number 6 shot into the darkness. The pellets buried themselves in the wall of the barn and the meeting broke up hurriedly. Everyone fled to his own sleeping-place. The birds jumped on to their perches, the animals settled down in the straw, and the whole farm was asleep in a moment.

THREE nights later old Major died peacefully in his sleep. His body was buried at the foot of the orchard.

This was early in March. During the next three months there was much secret activity. Major’s speech had given to the more intelligent animals on the farm a completely new outlook on life. They did not know when the Rebellion predicted by Major would take place, they had no reason for thinking that it would be within their own lifetime, but they saw clearly that it was their duty to prepare for it. The work of teaching and organising the others fell naturally upon the pigs, who were generally recognised as being the cleverest of the animals. Pre-eminent among the pigs were two young boars named Snowball and Napoleon, whom Mr. Jones was breeding up for sale. Napoleon was a large, rather fierce-looking Berkshire boar, the only Berkshire on the farm, not much of a talker, but with a reputation for getting his own way. Snowball was a more vivacious pig than Napoleon, quicker in speech and more inventive, but was not considered to have the same depth of character. All the other male pigs on the farm were porkers. The best known among them was a small fat pig named Squealer, with very round cheeks, twinkling eyes, nimble movements, and a shrill voice. He was a brilliant talker, and when he was arguing some difficult point he had a way of skipping from side to side and whisking his tail which was somehow very persuasive. The others said of Squealer that he could turn black into white.

These three had elaborated old Major’s teachings into a complete system of thought, to which they gave the name of Animalism. Several nights a week, after Mr. Jones was asleep, they held secret meetings in the barn and expounded the principles of Animalism to the others. At the beginning they met with much stupidity and apathy. Some of the animals talked of the duty of loyalty to Mr. Jones, whom they referred to as ‚Master,’ or made elementary remarks such as ‚Mr. Jones feeds us. If he were gone, we should starve to death.’ Others asked such questions as ‚Why should we care what happens after we are dead?’ or ‚If this Rebellion is to happen anyway, what difference does it make whether we work for it or not?’, and the pigs had great difficulty in making them see that this was contrary to the spirit of Animalism. The stupidest questions of all were asked by Mollie, the white mare. The very first question she asked Snowball was: ‚Will there still be sugar after the Rebellion?’

‚No,’ said Snowball firmly. ‚We have no means of making sugar on this farm. Besides, you do not need sugar. You will have all the oats and hay you want.’

‚And shall I still be allowed to wear ribbons in my mane?’ asked Mollie.

‚Comrade,’ said Snowball, ‚those ribbons that you are so devoted to are the badge of slavery. Can you not understand that liberty is worth more than ribbons? ‚

Mollie agreed, but she did not sound very convinced.

 

unfortunately niestety
uproar hałas, wrzawa
awoke zbudził
to spring out of bed wyskoczyć z łóżka
to make sure that upewniać się
fox lis
yard podwórko, ogródek
seized chwycił
gun pistolet
to stand (stood) stać
corner róg
bedroom sypialnia
shot wystrzał, strzał
darkness ciemność
pellet kulka śrutu
barn stodoła
buried wbiły się
wall ściana
meeting spotkanie, zebranie
to break up skończyć się
hurriedly pospiesznie, w pośpiechu
to flee (fled) uciekać
sleeping-place miejsce do spania
to jump skakać
bird ptak
perch grzęda
straw słoma
to settle porządkować, zasiedlać
to die umierać
peacefully spokojnie
sleep sen
body ciało
to bury zakopać
orchard sad
foot podłoże
early wcześnie
in march w marcu
next następny
month mieisąc
secret tajny, potajemny
activity działalność
speech mowa, przemówienie
completely zupełnie, całkowicie, kompletnie
new outlook on life nowy pogląd na życie
rebellion rebelia, bunt
to predict przewidywać
would take place będzie miała miejsce
reason powód
thinking myślenie
within w przeciągu
lifetime życie
clearly wyraźnie
duty obowiązek
to prepare przygotowywać
work praca
organising organizowanie
fell spadło
naturally naturalnie
recognised uznawane
cleverest njazdolniejsze, najsprytniejsze, najbardziej bystre
eminent znakomity, wybitny
among między, wśód
boar knur
named o imieniu
breeding up for sale hodowane na sprzedaż
rather dość, dosyć
fierce dziki
vivacious żywotny
quicker szybszy
in speech w mowie
inventive pomysłowy
considered to uważany za
depth głębia
character charakter
male męski, płci męskiej
porker wieprz
fat tłusty, gruby
round okrągły
cheek policzek
twinkling skrzące, migoczące
eye oko
nimble zwinny, bystry
movements ruchy
shrill piskliwy
brilliant błyskotliwy
talker mówca
to argue kłócic się, sprzeczać; argumentować
difficult trudny
piont punkt, sedno sprawy
to skip podskakiwać
tail ogon
somehow jakoś
persuasive przekonujący
turn black into white zamienić czarne w białe
elaborated złożony, zawiły
teachings nauki, nauczania
thought myśl
several kilka
after po tym, jak
held secret meetings odbywali tajemne spotkania
to expound wykładać
principles zasady
at the beginning na początku
stupidity głupota
apathy apatia
loyalty lojalność
elementary elementarny
remarks uwagi
feeds us karmił nas
starve to death zagłodzić się na śmierć
to care troszczyć się, martwić się
to happen zdarzać się
difference różnica
whether czy
contrary przeciwieństwo
spirit dusza, duch
mare klacz
very first zupełnie pierwsze
sugar cukier
firmly pewnie, stanowczo
besides poza tym
to need potrzebować
to allow pozwalać
ribbons wstążki, taśmy
mane grzywa
shall i still be allowed to wear czy nadal będę mogła nosić
devoted ofiarny, oddany
badge oznaka
slavery niewolnictwo, niewola
to understand rozumieć
liberty wolność, swoboda
worth warta
to agree zgadzać się
to sound brzmieć
convinced przekonany