Animal farm（85）

At about the same time it was given out that Napoleon had arranged to sell the pile of timber to Mr. Pilkington； he was also going to enter into a regular agreement for the exchange of certain products between Animal Farm and Foxwood.  The relations between Napoleon and Pilkingdon，though the they were only conducted through Whymper，were now almost friendly.  The animals distrusted【v. 不信任，怀疑】 Pilkington，as a human being，but greatly preferred【vt. 更喜欢；宁愿；提出；提升】 him to Fredrick，whom they both feared and hated.  As the summer wore on，and the windmill neared completion，the rumours of impending【adj. 即将发生的；迫切的；悬挂的】 treacherous【adj. 奸诈的，叛逆的，背叛的；危险的；不牢靠的】 attack grew stronger and stronger.  Fredrick，it was said，intended to bring against them twenty men all armed with guns，and he had already bribed【v. 向……行贿；诱哄（尤指小孩）】 the magistrates【n. 地方法官；文职官员；治安推事】 and police，so that if he could once get hold of the title deeds of Animal Farm they would ask no questions.  Moreover，terrible stories were leaking out from Pinchfield about the cruelties【n. 残酷；残忍；残酷的行为】 that Frederick practised upon his animals.  He had flogged an old horse to death，he starved his cows，he had killed a dog by throwing it into the furnace，he amused himself in the evenings by making cocks fight with splinters of razor-blade tied to their spurs.  The animal’s blood boiled with rage when they heard of these things being done to their comrades，and sometimes they clamoured to be allowed to go out in a body and attack Pinchfield Farm，drive out the humans，and set the animals free.  But Squealer counselled them to avoid rash actions and trust in Comrade Napoleon’s strategy.

差不多与此同时，有通知说，拿破仑已安排把那堆木材卖给皮尔金顿先生;他还将就动物庄园和福克斯伍德庄园交换某些产品达成一项定期协议。拿破仑和皮尔金顿的关系，虽然只通过温普尔来往，现在几乎是友好的了。动物们不信任皮尔金顿这个人，但他们更喜欢他，而不是弗雷德里克，他们对他又怕又恨。夏天过去了，风车即将竣工，关于危险的袭击即将来临的谣言越来越多。据说，弗雷德里克打算带二十个全副武装的人来对付他们，而且他已经贿赂了地方官员和警察，这样一来，一旦他能弄到动物庄园的地契，他们就不会再盘问他了。此外，从平彻菲尔德庄园泄露出一些可怕的消息，说弗雷德里克虐待他的动物。他用鞭子抽死一匹老马，让牛挨饿，把一条狗扔进火炉里活活打死，到了晚上就把剃须刀片绑在鸡马刺上斗鸡取乐。当他们听说这种事情发生在他们的伙伴身上时，动物的血液沸腾了，有时他们大声叫嚷着要让他们一起出去攻击平彻菲尔德庄园，把人赶出去，把动物放走。但斯奎拉告诫他们，要避免鲁莽行动，要相信拿破仑同志的战略。