All these rumors had probably originated with Snowball and his agents.

所有的谣言都极可能来自斯诺鲍及其同伙。

It now appeared that Snowball was not, after all, hiding on Pinchfield Farm, and in fact had never been there in his life.

总之，现在看来斯诺鲍并没有藏在平彻菲尔德庄园。事实上他生平从来没有到过那儿。

He was living--in considerable luxury, so it was said--at Foxwood, and had in reality been a pensioner of Pilkington for years past.

他正住在福克斯伍德庄园，据说生活得相当奢侈，而且多年来，他一直就是皮尔金顿门下的一个地地道道的食客。

The pigs were in ecstasies over Napoleon's cunning.

猪无不为拿破仑的老练欣喜若狂。

By seeming to be friendly with Pilkington he had forced Frederick to raise his price by twelve pounds.

他表面上与皮尔金顿友好，这就迫使弗雷德里克把价钱提高了十二英镑。

But the superior quality of Napoleon's mind, said Squealer, was shown in the fact that he trusted nobody, not even Frederick.

斯奎拉说，拿破仑思想上的卓越之处，实际上就体现在他对任何人都不信任上，即使对弗雷德里克也是如此。

Frederick had wanted to pay for the timber with something called a check, which, it seemed, was a piece of paper with a promise to pay written upon it.

弗雷德里克曾打算用一种叫做支票的东西支付木料钱，那玩意儿差不多只是一张纸，只不过写着保证支付之类的诺言而已。

But Napoleon was too clever for him.

但拿破仑根本不是他能糊弄得了的。

He had demanded payment in real five-pound notes, which were to be handed over before the timber was removed.

他要求用真正的五英镑票子付款，而且要在运木料之前交付。

Already Frederick had paid up; and the sum he had paid was just enough to buy the machinery for the windmill.

弗雷德里克已经如数付清，所付的数目刚好够为大风车买机器用。

Meanwhile the timber was being carted away at high speed.

这期间，木料很快就被拉走了。

When it was all gone, another special meeting was held in the barn for the animals to inspect Frederick's bank-notes.

等全部拉完之后，在大谷仓里又召开了一次特别会议，让动物们观赏弗雷德里克付给的钞票。

Smiling beatifically, and wearing both his decorations, Napoleon reposed on a bed of straw on the platform,

拿破仑笑逐颜开，心花怒放，他戴着他的两枚勋章，端坐在那个凸出的草垫子上，

with the money at his side, neatly piled on a china dish from the farmhouse kitchen.

钱就在他身边，整齐地堆放在从庄主院厨房里拿来的瓷盘子上。

The animals filed slowly past, and each gazed his fill.

动物们排成一行慢慢走过，无不大饱眼福。

And Boxer put out his nose to sniff at the bank-notes, and the flimsy white things stirred and rustled in his breath.

鲍克瑟还伸出鼻子嗅了嗅那钞票，随着他的呼吸，还激起了一股稀稀的白末屑和嘶嘶作响声。

Three days later there was a terrible hullabaloo.

三天以后，出现一阵震耳的嘈杂声。

Whymper, his face deadly pale, came racing up the path on his bicycle, flung it down in the yard and rushed straight into the farmhouse.

只见温普尔骑着自行车飞快赶来，面色如死人一般苍白，他把自行车在院子里就地一扔，就径直冲进庄主院。

The next moment a choking roar of rage sounded from Napoleon's apartments.

过来一会，就在拿破仑的房间里响起一阵哽噎着嗓子的怒吼声。

The news of what had happened sped round the farm like wildfire.

出事了，这消息象野火一般传遍整个庄园。

The banknotes were forgeries!

钞票是假的！

Frederick had got the timber for nothing!

弗雷德里克白白地拉走了木料！