There, round the long table, sat half a dozen farmers and half a dozen of the more eminent pigs,

屋子里面，在那张长长的桌子周围，坐着六个庄园主和六头最有名望的猪，

Napoleon himself occupying the seat of honor at the head of the table.

拿破仑自己坐在桌子上首的东道主席位上。

The pigs appeared completely at ease in their chairs.

猪在椅子上显出一副舒适自在的样子。

The company had been enjoying a game of cards but had broken off for the moment, evidently in order to drink a toast.

宾主一直都在津津有味地玩扑克牌，但是在中间停了一会，显然是为了准备干杯。

A large jug was circulating, and the mugs were being refilled with beer.

有一个很大的罐子在他们中间传来传去，杯子里又添满了啤酒。

No one noticed the wondering faces of the animals that gazed in at the window.

他们都没注意到窗户上有很多诧异的面孔正在凝视着里面。

Mr. Pilkington, of Foxwood, had stood up, his mug in his hand.

福克斯伍德庄园的皮尔金顿先生举着杯子站了起来。

In a moment, he said, he would ask the present company to drink a toast.

他说道，稍等片刻，他要请在场的诸位干杯。

But before doing so, there were a few words that he felt it incumbent upon him to say.

在此之前，他感到有几句话得先讲一下。

It was a source of great satisfaction to him,

这是一种极大的满足,

he said--and, he was sure, to all others present--to feel that a long period of mistrust and misunderstanding had now come to an end.

他说，他相信，他还有其他在场的各位都感到十分喜悦的是，持续已久的猜疑和误解时代已经结束了。

There had been a time--not that he, or any of the present company, had shared such sentiments,

曾有这样一个时期，无论是他自己，还是在座的诸君，都没有今天这种感受，

but there had been a time when the respected proprietors of Animal Farm had been regarded,

当时，可敬的动物庄园的所有者，曾受到他们的人类邻居的关注，

he would not say with hostility, but perhaps with a certain measure of misgiving, by their human neighbors.

他情愿说这关注多半是出于一定程度上的焦虑，而不是带着敌意。

Unfortunate incidents had occurred, mistaken ideas had been current.

不幸的事件曾发生过，错误的观念也曾流行过。

It had been felt that the existence of a farm owned and operated by pigs was somehow abnormal and was liable to have an unsettling effect in the neighborhood.

一个由猪所有并由猪管理经营的庄园也曾让人觉得有些名不正言不顺，而且有容易给邻近庄园带来扰乱因素的可能。

Too many farmers had assumed, without due inquiry, that on such a farm a spirit of license and indiscipline would prevail.

相当多的庄园主没有做适当的调查就信口推断说，在这样的庄园里，肯定会有一种放荡不羁的歪风邪气在到处蔓延。

They had been nervous about the effects upon their own animals, or even upon their human employees.

他们担心这种状况会影响到他们自己的动物，甚至影响他们的雇员。

But all such doubts were now dispelled.

但现在，所有这种怀疑都已烟消云散了。

Today he and his friends had visited Animal Farm and inspected every inch of it with their own eyes, and what did they find?

今天，他和他的朋友们拜访了动物庄园，用他们自己的眼睛观察了庄园的每一个角落。他们发现了什么呢？

Not only the most up-to-date methods, but a discipline and an orderliness which should be an example to all farmers everywhere.

这里不仅有最先进的方法，而且纪律严明，有条不紊，这应该是各地庄园主学习的榜样。