Animal Farm(12)

CHAPTER 2

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[v. 预言，预知，预卜；做预报；断言] 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 other fell naturally upon the pigs，who were generally recognised as being the cleverest of the animals.  Preeminent【adj. 卓越的；超群的 】among the pigs were two young boars named Snowball and Napoleon，whom Mr. Johns was breeding up for sale.