Animal Farm（96）

It was a few days later than this that the pigs came upon【偶遇，邂逅；要求；成为...的负担；突然产生】 a case of whiskey in the cellars【[建] 地窖】 of the farmhouse.  It had been overlooked at the time when the house was first occupied.  That night there came from the farmhouse the south of loud singing，in which，to everyone's surprise， the strains【n. 张力；拉紧；负担；扭伤；血缘】 of Beasts of England were mixed up. At about half-past nine Napoleon，wearing an old bowler hat of Mr. Jones’s，was distinctly seen to emerge from the back door，gallop rapidly round the yard，and disappear indoors again.  But in the morning a deep silence hung over the farmhouse.  Not a pig appeared to be stirring【v. 搅动，搅拌；（使）微动，活动；打动，激发；萌动；拨弄是非】.  It was nearly nine o’clock when Squealer made his apoearance，walking slowly and dejectedly【adv. 沮丧地；灰心地】，his eyes dull，his tail hanging likely behind him，and with every appearance of being seriously ill.  He called the animals together and told them that he had a terrible piece of news to impart.  Comrade Napoleon was dying！

过了几天，猪在庄主院的地窖里偶然发现了一箱威士忌。在这所房子刚开始有人住的时候，它就被忽略了。那天晚上，从庄主院传来一阵响亮的歌声，令每个人吃惊的是，歌声里还夹杂着英国兽的曲调。大约九点半钟的时候，人们清楚地看到拿破仑戴着琼斯先生的一顶旧圆顶礼帽，从后门出来，绕着院子飞快地跑了一圈，又消失在屋里。但是到了早晨，庄主院笼罩在一片深深的寂静之中。似乎没有一头猪在走动。快九点的时候，斯奎拉出来了。他走得很慢，神情沮丧，眼睛呆呆的，尾巴好像耷拉在身后，一副病入膏肓的样子。他把动物们叫到一起，告诉他们他有一个可怕的消息要告诉大家。拿破仑同志快要死了!

A cry of lamentation【n. 悲痛，悲叹】 went up. Straw was laid down outside the doors of the farmhouse，and the animals walked on tiptoe.  With tears in their eyes they asked one another what they should do if their Leader were taken away from them.  A rumour went round that Snowball had after all contrived to introduce poison into Napoleon’s food.  At eleven o’clock Squealer came out to make another announcement.  As his last act upon earth，Comrade Napoleon had pronounced a solemn decree：the drinking of alcohol was to be punished by death.

一阵哀鸣响起来。庄主院的门外铺着稻草，动物们踮着脚尖走着。他们含泪互相询问，如果他们的领袖离开他们，他们该怎么办。谣传说斯诺鲍终究还是设法在拿破仑的食物里下了毒。11点钟，斯奎拉出来宣布另一项消息。作为他在人间的最后一件事，拿破仑同志宣布了一项庄严的法令:喝酒要处以死刑。