Day2 动物初登场（3）猪老少校（ Old Major）

Word had gone round during the day that old Major, the prize Middle White boar, had had a strange dream on the previous night and wished to communicate it to the other animals. It had been agreed that they should all meet in the big barn as soon as Mr. Jones was safely out of the way. Old Major (so he was always called, though the name under which he had been exhibited was Willingdon Beauty) was so highly regarded on the farm that everyone was quite ready to lose an hour’s sleep in order to hear what he had to say.
At one end of the big barn, on a sort of raised platform, Major was already ensconced on his bed of straw, under a lantern which hung from a beam. He was twelve year sold and had lately grown rathe stout, but he was still a majestic-looking pig, with a wise and benevolent appearance in spite of the fact that his tushes had never been cut. Before long the other animals began to arrive and make themselves comfortable after their different fashions.
内容解析
动物造反的鼻祖。猪老少校（Old Major）提出了动物主义的思想，影射马克思和列宁等共产主义领袖。在故事中，他是一头得过奖的灰白色大公猪，号称“威灵顿美人”（Willington Beauty）。
单词注释
major /'meɪdʒə/ n. 主修科目；少校
boar [bɔː] n.（未阉的）公猪；野猪
barn [bɑːn] n. 谷仓；畜棚
exhibit [ɪgˈzɪbɪt] v. 展览，展示
straw [strɔː] n. 稻草
stout [staʊt] adj.结实的；矮胖的
majestic-looking [məˈdʒestɪkˌlʊkɪŋ] adj. 威风凛凛的
tush [tʌʃ] n. 犬齿，长牙（其复数为tushes）
语法解析
1. Old Major (so he was always called, though the name under which he had been exhibited was Willingdon Beauty) was so highly regarded on the farm that everyone was quite ready to lose an hour’s sleep in order to hear what he had to say.
老少校（大家一直这么叫他， 虽然当年展示他时用的是“威灵顿美人”这个名字）在庄园里深受尊敬，所以大家都十分乐意少睡一小时，来听听他要讲的事
句法
Ø  though（连词）表转折，翻译为“虽然”;
Ø  which引导定语从句修饰name，可理解为he had been exhibited under the name Wilingdon Beauty。
重点词汇
be highly regarded 受到高度重视、尊重
2. At one end of the big barn, on a sort of raised platform, Major was already ensconced on his bed of straw, under a lantern which hung from a beam. He was twelve years old and had lately grown rather stout, but he was still a majestic-looking pig, with a wise and benevolent appearance in spite of the fact that his tushes had never been cut. Before long the other animals began to arrive and make themselves comfortable after their different fashions.
在大谷仓一头一个凸起的台子上，老少校已经安稳地坐在草垫子上了，在他头顶上方的房梁上悬挂着一盏灯。他已经十二岁了，近来长得有些发胖，但他依然仪表堂堂。尽管事实上他的犬牙从来没有割剪过，这也并不妨碍他面带着智慧和慈祥。不一会，动物们开始陆续赶来，并按各自不同的方式坐稳了。
重点词汇：
ensconce /ɪnˈskɒns/ v.安顿；使安坐
e.g. He ensconced himself in the closet in order to eavesdrop.
他为了偷听躲到了储藏间里。
同义词:settle, install
beam /biːm/ v. 1. 发送，发射
e.g. The satellite beamed back radio signals to scientists on Earth.
卫星将广播信号发射给地球上的科学家。
同义词:broadcast, transmit


2. 照射；射出光（或热）
e.g. The sun's rays beamed down.
大阳光照射下来。
同义词:glare, glitter, gleam, glimmer, twinkle
benevolent/ bɪˈnev(ə)l(ə)nt/ adj.仁慈的，慈爱的
（前缀bene-：好的，如benefit，利益、好处；mal-：坏的，如maltreat，虐待）
e.g. He was something of a benevolent despot.
他是一位有几分仁慈的专制君主。
同义词: kind, tender-hearted , good-natured


In spite of: 尽管，与despite是同义词，后接名词。
e.g. She was quite agile in spite of being terribly overweight.
尽管她体重严重超胖，但她身手敏捷。
 
Before long: 不久以后（soon）
※long before 在…之前很久
（long在前—很久前，long在后—不久后）
e.g. Before long he got married.
不久，他结婚了。










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