Animal Farm（126）

When the cheering had died down，Napoleon，who had remained on his feet，intimated【vt. 暗示；通知；宣布】 that he too had a few words to say.

欢呼声平息后，仍然站着的拿破仑示意说，他也有几句话要说。

Like all of Napoleon’s speeches，it was short and to the point.  He too，he said，was happy that the period of misunderstanding was at an end.  For a long time there had been rumours—circulated，he had reason to think，by some malignant【adj. [医] 恶性的；有害的；有恶意的】 enemy—that there was something subversive and even revolutionary in the outlook of himself and his colleagues. They had been credited with attempting to stir up rebellion among the animals on neighbouring  farms.  Nothing could be further from the truth！Their sole wish，now and in the past，was to live at peace and in normal business relations with their neighbors.  This farm which he had the honour to control，he added，was a co-operative enterprise.  The title-deeds，which were in his own possession，were owned by the pigs jointly.

就像拿破仑所有的演讲一样，这篇演讲既简短又切题。他说，他也很高兴误解的时期结束了。在很长一段时间里，一直有谣言——他有理由认为是某些恶毒的敌人散布的——说他和他的同事的观点具有颠覆性，甚至革命性。人们认为他们企图煽动邻近庄园的动物造反。没有什么比这更远离事实了!无论是过去还是现在，他们唯一的愿望就是与邻国和平相处，保持正常的商业关系。他补充说，他有幸掌管的这个农场是一个合作企业。地契属于他自己，属于猪的共同所有。

He did not believe，he said，that any of the old suspicions still lingered，but certain changes had been made recently in the routine of the farm which should have the effect of promoting confidence still further.  Hitherto the animals on the farm had had a rather foolish custom of addressing one another as “Comrade. ” This was to be suppressed. There had also been a very strange custom，whose origin was unknown，of marching every Sunday morning past a boar’s skull which was nailed to a post in the garden.

他说，他不相信过去的猜疑还在继续，但是最近庄园的日常事务发生了一些变化，这应该会进一步增强人们的信心。庄园里的动物们一直有一个相当愚蠢的习惯，互相称呼“同志”。这是被压制的。还有一个非常奇怪的风俗，来历不明，就是每个星期天早晨要走过钉在花园里一根柱子上的野猪头盖骨。