Day4 是否要造反 （3）动物主义传播遇阻

    These three had elaborated old Major’s teachings into a complete system of thought, to which they gave the name of Animalism. Several nights a week, after Mr. Jones was asleep, they held secret meetings in the barn and expounded the principles of Animalism to the others. At the beginning they met with much stupidity and apathy. Some of the animals talked of the duty of loyalty to Mr. Jones, whom they referred to as “Master,” or made elementary remarks such as “Mr. Jones feeds us. If he were gone, we should starve to death.” Others asked such questions as “Why should we care what happens after we are dead?” or “If this Rebellion is to happen anyway, what difference does it make whether we work for it or not?”, and the pigs had great difficulty in making them see that this was contrary to the spirit of Animalism. The stupidest questions of all were asked by Mollie, the white mare. The very first question she asked Snowball was: “Will there still be sugar after the Rebellion?”


    “No,” said Snowball firmly. “We have no means of making sugar on this farm. Besides, you do not need sugar. You will have all the oats and hay you want.”


    “And shall I still be allowed to wear ribbons in my mane?” asked Mollie.


   “Comrade,” said Snowball, “those ribbons that you are so devoted to are the badge of slavery. Can you not understand that liberty is worth more than ribbons? ”


      Mollie agreed, but she did not sound very convinced.


    Their most faithful disciples were the two cart-horses, Boxer and Clover. These two had great difficulty in thinking anything out for themselves, but having once accepted the pigs as their teachers, they absorbed everything that they were told, and passed it on to the other animals by simple arguments. They were unfailing in their attendance at the secret meetings in the barn, and led the singing of Beasts of England, with which the meetings always ended.

【内容隐喻】

Animalism（动物主义）对应历史上的 Communism（共产主义），ism 表“主义”

“猪传播Animalism”暗喻在工人中传播马克思主义的运动，进而使其成为信仰，因此领袖也应运而生；“猪遇到阻力”暗喻“苏联建立之前底层人民的愚昧和对领导者的忠心、不愿改变”。

sugar和ribbons对应现实生活中好吃好玩等享乐的东西

[角色分析]

Mollie 代表小资产阶级(Bourgeoisie，布尔乔亚，中产阶级），对革命既支持又怀疑

Boxer 代表 无产阶级（proletarian），名字来源于义和团运动（Boxer Rebellion）。

Clover 代表无产阶级（proletarian），意为“三叶草、苜蓿”，是农场动物奶牛、羊等的饲料。

单词注释

elaborate [ɪˈlæb(ə)rət] v. 详细地说明

expound [ɪkˈspaʊnd] v. 解释；详细说明

apathy [ˈæpəθɪ] n. 冷漠，无兴趣，漠不关心

refer to as 把……称作……

elementary [elɪˈment(ə)rɪ] adj. 基本的，初级的

starve to death 饿死

badge [bædʒ]n.标记；徽章；证章

disciple [dɪˈsaɪp(ə)l]n.门徒，信徒；弟子

unfailing [ʌnˈfeɪlɪŋ]adj.可靠的，经久不衰的

attendance [əˈtend(ə)ns]n.出席，到场

【修饰词解读】

Other barnyard animals：stupidity and apathy,loyalty, elementary, stupidest

Horses: faithful,difficulty in thinking, simple, unfailing

Feature: stupid,loyal—Most animals can NOT think independently and can be easily controlled.They are content with things as they are and reluctant to change.

（这些动物不能独立思考，不聪明，满意现在的状态，不愿改变。）

语法讲解

And the pigs had great difficulty in making them see that this was contrary to the spirit of Animalism.

因而，猪就下了很大的功夫，教他们懂得这些说法都是与动物主义相悖离的.

have difficulty indoing  做…有困难

be contrary tosth  与…相反