Animal Farm（67）

In January food fell short. The corn ration was drastically【adv. 彻底地；激烈地】 reduced，and it was announced that an extra potato ration would be issued to make up for it.  Then it was discovered that the greater part of the potato crop had been frosted in the clamps【n. [机] 夹子；钳夹】，which had not been covered thickly enough.  The potatoes had become soft and discolored，and only a few were edible【adj. 可食用的】. For days at a time the animals had nothing to eat but chaff and mangles.  Starvation【n. 饿死；挨饿；绝食】 seemed to stare them in the face.

一月份食物短缺。玉米口粮大幅度减少，并宣布要额外发给马铃薯口粮来补足。后来发现，大部分的土豆作物都冻在夹钳里了，因为夹钳上覆盖得不够厚。土豆变软了，变色了，只有少数还能吃。有一段时间，动物们有好几天除了吃糠和mangels外没有别的东西可吃。他们似乎面临饥饿的威胁。

It was vitally【adv. 极其；紧要地；生死攸关地】 necessary to conceal this fact from the outside world.  Emboldened【v. （使）有胆量，更勇敢；鼓励；（使）有信心；将文本变成粗体】 by the collapse of the windmill，the human beings were inventing fresh lies about Animal Farm.  Once again it was being put about that all the animals were dying for a famine【n. 饥荒；饥饿，奇缺】 and disease，and that they were continually fighting among themselves and had resorted to cannibalism【n. 食人；嗜食同类；残忍的行为】 and infanticide【n. 杀婴，杀婴者；杀婴犯；杀婴罪】.  Napoleon was well aware of the bad results that might follow if the real facts of the food situation were known，and he decided to make use of Mr. Whymoer to spread a coutrary impression.  Hitherto【adv. 迄今；至今】 the animals had had little or no contract with Whymper on his weekly visits：now，however，a few selected animals，mostly sheep，were instructed to remark casually in his hearing that rations had been increased. In addition，Napoleon ordered the almost empty bins in the store-shed to be filled nearly to the brim【n. 边；边缘；帽檐】 with sand，which was then covered up with what remained of the grain and meal.  On some suitable pretext Whymper was led through the store-shed and allowed to catch a glimpse of the bins.  He was deceived，and continued to report to the outside world that there was no food shortage on Animal Farm.

向外界隐瞒这一事实是非常必要的。由于风车倒塌，人们胆子大了起来，正在编造有关动物庄园的新谎言。又有谣言说，所有的动物都在饿死和生病，它们不断自相残杀，已到了以同类相食和杀婴为手段的地步。拿破仑很清楚，如果粮食状况的真相被人知道，可能会有不好的结果，所以他决定利用怀默尔先生来传播一种令人印象深刻的印象。到目前为止，动物们与温普尔每周一次的来访，几乎没有什么或根本没有什么联系。不过，现在他们要挑选几只动物，主要是羊，要他们在温普尔能听到的地方，漫不经心地谈论饲料粮增加了的事。此外，拿破仑命令贮藏棚里几乎空了的大箱子装满沙子，沙子几乎没过边沿，然后把剩下的谷物和面粉盖在上面。最后找个合适的借口，把温普尔领过贮藏棚，让他瞥上一眼。他被骗了，继续向外界报告说动物庄园不缺食物。