Animal Farm（86）

Nevertheless，feeling against Frederick continued to run high.  One sunday morning Napoleon appeared in the barn and explained that he had never at any time contemplated【vt. 沉思；注视；思忖；预期】 selling the pile of timber to Frederick；he considered it beneath【prep. 在……之下；（对某人来说）不够好，不相称；低于，次于】 his dignity【n. 尊严；高贵】，he said，to have dealings with scoundrels【n. 恶棍；无赖；流氓】 of that description【n. 描述，描写；类型；说明书】.  The pigeons who were still sent out to spread tidings of the Rebellion were forbidden to set foot anywhere on Foxwood，and were also ordered to drop theit former slogan of “Death to humanity” in favour of “Death to a Fredrick.” In the last summer yet another of Snowball’s machinations【n. 阴谋诡计；奸计】 were laid bare. The wheat crop was full of weeds，and it was discovered that on one of his noctural visits Snowball had mixed weed seeds with the seed corn.  A gander who had been privy to the plot had confessed his guilt to Squealer and immediately committed suicide by swallowing deadly nightshade berries.  The animals now also learned that Snowball had never—as many of them had believed hitherto【adv. 迄今；至今】—received the order of “Animal Hero，First Class.” This was merely a legend which had been spread some time after the Battle of the Cowshed buy Snowball himself.  So far from being decorated，he had been censured【v. 严厉谴责，责备】 for showing cowardice【n. 怯懦；胆小】 in the battle.  Once again some of the animals heard this with a certain bewilderment，but Squealer was soon able to convince them that their memories had been at fault.

然而，反对弗雷德里克的情绪继续高涨。一个星期天的早晨，拿破仑出现在大谷仓里，解释说，他从来没有打算把那堆木料卖给弗雷德里克，他说，他认为跟那种无赖打交道有失他的身份。那些仍然被派去传播起义消息的鸽子被禁止到福克斯伍德庄园的任何地方去，还被命令放弃原来的口号“消灭人类”，改为“消灭弗雷德里克一家”。去年夏天，斯诺鲍的又一个阴谋被揭露了出来。小麦地里长满了杂草，后来人们发现，在一次夜游中，斯诺鲍把杂草的种子和玉米种子混在了一起。一只知道这个阴谋的公鹅向斯奎拉坦白了自己的罪行，随即吞下了致命的龙葵浆果自杀了。动物们现在也了解到，斯诺鲍从来没有——他们许多人一直相信——得到过“一级动物英雄”的勋章。这不过是牛棚战役后流传开来的一个传说。他非但没有被授予勋章，反而因为在战斗中表现怯懦而受到指责。有些动物又一次听了这话，感到有些迷惑不解，但斯奎拉很快就使他们相信，是他们的记忆出了问题。