In(preposition indicating location or position within [ɪn]) the long pasture(a field or area of grassland used for grazing animals, extending a considerable distance [ðə lɔŋ ˈpæsʧər]), not far from(relatively close to; nearby [nɑt fɑr frəm]) the farm buildings(the structures and buildings associated with a farm, such as barns, sheds, and houses [ðə fɑrm ˈbɪldɪŋz]), there was(indicates the existence or presence of something [ðɛr wɑz]) a small knoll(a small, rounded hill or mound [ə smɔl noʊl]) which was(relative pronoun introducing a clause that provides more information about the knoll [wɪʧ wɑz]) the highest point(the location with the greatest elevation [ðə haɪəst pɔɪnt]) on the farm(within the boundaries or area of the farm [ɔn ðə fɑrm]). After surveying(after examining and assessing [ˈæftər ˈsərˌveɪɪŋ]) the ground(the area of land [ðə graʊnd]) Snowball declared(Snowball, a character, announced or stated firmly [sˈnoʊˌbɔl dɪˈklɛrd]) that this was(that the knoll was [ðət ðɪs wɑz]) just the place(the perfect or ideal location [ʤɪst ðə pleɪs]) for a windmill(a structure with sails that are turned by the wind to generate power [fər ə ˈwɪndˌmɪl]), which could be made(that could be constructed or arranged [wɪʧ kʊd bi meɪd]) to operate(to power or run [tɪ ˈɔpərˌeɪt]) a dynamo(an electrical generator [ə ˈdaɪnəˌmoʊ]) and supply(and provide [ənd səˈplaɪ]) the farm(the agricultural establishment [ðə fɑrm]) with electrical power(with electricity [wɪθ ɪˈlɛktrɪkəl paʊər]). This would light(the electrical power would illuminate [ðɪs wʊd laɪt]) the stalls(the individual compartments or pens for animals [ðə stɔlz]) and warm them(and heat the stalls [ənd wɔrm ðɛm]) in winter(during the cold season [ɪn ˈwɪntər]), and would also run(and would also operate [ənd wʊd ˈɔlsoʊ rən]) a circular saw(a saw with a rotating disc-shaped blade [ə ˈsərkjələr sɔ]), a chaff-cutter(a machine for chopping straw or hay into small pieces [ə chaff-cutter]), a mangel-slicer(a machine for slicing mangelwurzels (a type of beet) into pieces [ə mangel-slicer]) and an electric milking machine(a machine that uses electricity to milk cows [ənd ən ɪˈlɛktrɪk ˈmɪlkɪŋ məˈʃin]). The animals(the creatures living on the farm [ðə ˈænəməlz]) had never heard(had no prior knowledge or experience [hæd ˈnɛvər hərd]) of anything(of any device or concept [əv ˈɛniˌθɪŋ]) of this kind(of this type or nature [əv ðɪs kaɪnd]) before(previously; in the past [ˌbiˈfɔr]) (for(because; since [fər]) the farm(the agricultural establishment [ðə fɑrm]) was an old-fashioned one(was a farm that used traditional methods and equipment [wɑz ən ˌoʊldˈfæʃənd wən]) and had only(and possessed only [ənd hæd ˈoʊnli]) the most primitive machinery(the simplest and least advanced equipment [ðə moʊst ˈprɪmɪtɪv məˈʃinəri])), and they listened(and the animals paid attention [ənd ðeɪ ˈlɪsənd]) in astonishment(with great surprise and wonder [ɪn əˈstɑnɪʃmənt]) while Snowball conjured up(as Snowball vividly imagined and described [waɪl sˈnoʊˌbɔl ˈkɑnʤərd əp]) pictures of fantastic machines(images of elaborate and imaginative devices [ˈpɪkʧərz əv fænˈtæstɪk məˈʃinz]) which would do(that would perform [wɪʧ wʊd du]) their work(the animals' tasks [ðɛr wərk]) for them(on their behalf [fər ðɛm]) while they grazed(while the animals ate grass [waɪl ðeɪ greɪzd]) at their ease(comfortably and without worry [æt ðɛr iz]) in the fields(in the pastures [ɪn ðə fildz]) or improved(or enhanced [ər ˌɪmˈpruvd]) their minds(their intellect and knowledge [ðɛr maɪndz]) with reading(by engaging in the activity of reading [wɪθ ˈrɛdɪŋ]) and conversation(and by engaging in discussions [ənd ˌkɑnvərˈseɪʃən]).
Within(inside or not further than an inner boundary [wɪˈθɪn]) a few weeks(a short period of time, more than two but not many [ə fju wiks]) Snowball's plans(referring to the schemes or ideas devised by Snowball [sˈnoʊˌbɔlz plænz]) for the windmill(indicating the purpose or object of the plans, which is the windmill [fər ðə ˈwɪndˌmɪl]) were fully worked out(were completely developed, detailed, and finalized [wər ˈfʊli wərkt aʊt]). The mechanical details(specific aspects related to the mechanics or functioning of something [ðə məˈkænɪkəl ˈditeɪlz]) came mostly from(originated primarily or largely from [keɪm ˈmoʊstli frəm]) three books(a set of three written or printed works [θri bʊks]) which had belonged to Mr Jones(indicating that the books were previously owned by Mr. Jones [wɪʧ hæd bɪˈlɔŋd tɪ ˈmɪstər ʤoʊnz]) – One Thousand Useful Things to Do About the House(title of one of the books [wən ˈθaʊzənd ˈjusfəl θɪŋz tɪ du əˈbaʊt ðə haʊs]), Every Man His Own Bricklayer(title of one of the books [ˈɛvəri mæn hɪz oʊn ˈbrɪˌkleɪər]), and(used to connect words of the same part of speech, clauses, or sentences, that are to be taken jointly [ənd]) Electricity for Beginners(title of one of the books [ɪˌlɛkˈtrɪsəti fər bɪˈgɪnərz]). Snowball(name of a character [sˈnoʊˌbɔl]) used as his study(utilized a particular place as the location for his studying [juzd ɛz hɪz ˈstədi]) a shed(a simple roofed structure used for storage or as a workshop [ə ʃɛd]) which had once been used for incubators(indicating the shed's previous function as a place for incubators [wɪʧ hæd wəns bɪn juzd fər ˈɪŋkjuˌbeɪtərz]) and had(used to connect two clauses, indicating that the shed possessed a certain characteristic [ənd hæd]) a smooth wooden floor(a floor made of wood that is even and without roughness [ə smuð ˈwʊdən flɔr]), suitable for drawing on(appropriate or fitting for the purpose of drawing [ˈsutəbəl fər drɔɪŋ ɔn]). He was closeted there(He secluded himself in that place [hi wɑz ˈklɑzətɪd ðɛr]) for hours at a time(spending many hours on each occasion [fər aʊərz æt ə taɪm]). With his books held open by a stone(describing how the books were kept open using a stone [wɪθ hɪz bʊks hɛld ˈoʊpən baɪ ə stoʊn]), and with(in addition to [ənd wɪθ]) a piece of chalk gripped between the knuckles of his trotter(holding a piece of chalk tightly between the joints of his foot [ə pis əv ʧɔk grɪpt bɪtˈwin ðə ˈnəkəlz əv hɪz ˈtrɑtər]), he would move rapidly to and fro(he would move quickly back and forth [hi wʊd muv ˈræpədli tɪ ənd froʊ]), drawing in line after line(creating drawings with many consecutive lines [drɔɪŋ ɪn laɪn ˈæftər laɪn]) and uttering little whimpers of excitement(making soft, emotional sounds expressing enthusiasm [ənd ˈətərɪŋ ˈlɪtəl whimpers əv ɪkˈsaɪtmənt]). Gradually(slowly, over a period of time [ˈgræʤuəli]) the plans grew into(the plans developed or evolved into [ðə plænz gru ˈɪntu]) a complicated mass of cranks and cog-wheels(an intricate collection of rotating parts and toothed wheels [ə ˈkɑmpləˌkeɪtəd mæs əv kræŋks ənd cog-wheels]), covering more than half the floor(occupying a significant portion of the floor space [ˈkəvərɪŋ mɔr ðən hæf ðə flɔr]), which the other animals found completely unintelligible(that the other animals could not understand at all [wɪʧ ðə ˈəðər ˈænəməlz faʊnd kəmˈplitli ˌənɪnˈtɛləʤəbəl]) but very impressive(but they found it admirable and imposing [bət ˈvɛri ˌɪmˈprɛsɪv]). All of them came to look at Snowball's drawings(Every animal came to see Snowball's drawings [ɔl əv ðɛm keɪm tɪ lʊk æt sˈnoʊˌbɔlz drɔɪŋz]) at least once a day(a minimum of one time each day [æt list wəns ə deɪ]). Even the hens and ducks came(Even the chickens and ducks came [ˈivɪn ðə hɛnz ənd dəks keɪm]), and were at pains not to tread on the chalk marks(and they took great care to avoid stepping on the chalk marks [ənd wər æt peɪnz nɑt tɪ trɛd ɔn ðə ʧɔk mɑrks]). Only Napoleon held aloof(Only Napoleon remained distant and uninvolved [ˈoʊnli nəˈpoʊljən hɛld əˈluf]). He had declared himself against the windmill(He had stated his opposition to the windmill [hi hæd dɪˈklɛrd hɪmˈsɛlf əˈgɛnst ðə ˈwɪndˌmɪl]) from the start(from the beginning [frəm ðə stɑrt]). One day, however(On a particular day, nevertheless [wən deɪ ˌhaʊˈɛvər]), he arrived unexpectedly(he came without prior notice [hi əraɪvd ˌənɪkˈspɛktɪdli]) to examine the plans(for the purpose of inspecting the plans [tɪ ɪgˈzæmɪn ðə plænz]). He walked heavily round the shed(He walked with a weighty step around the shed [hi wɔkt ˈhɛvəli raʊnd ðə ʃɛd]), looked closely at every detail of the plans(carefully examined each aspect of the plans [lʊkt ˈkloʊsli æt ˈɛvəri ˈditeɪl əv ðə plænz]) and snuffed at them once or twice(and sniffed at them a couple of times [ənd snəft æt ðɛm wəns ər twaɪs]), then stood for a little while(then remained standing for a short period [ðɛn stʊd fər ə ˈlɪtəl waɪl]) contemplating them out of the comer of his eye(observing them indirectly or slyly [ˈkɑntəmˌpleɪtɪŋ ðɛm aʊt əv ðə ˈkəmər əv hɪz aɪ]); then suddenly he lifted his leg(then abruptly he raised his leg [ðɛn ˈsədənli hi ˈlɪftɪd hɪz lɛg]), urinated over the plans(released urine onto the plans [urinated ˈoʊvər ðə plænz]) and walked out without uttering a word(and left without saying anything [ənd wɔkt aʊt wɪˈθaʊt ˈətərɪŋ ə wərd]).