The picture of the thin cows given here is not in the first telling in Gen 41.4.

That they had eaten them: that is, “that the thin cows had eaten the fat ones.”

No one would have known that …: that is, “you could see no difference” or “by looking you could not tell that….”

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Genesis. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .