動(dòng)物莊園：Chapter 10

YEARS passed. The seasons came and went, the short animal lives fled by. A time came when there was no one who remembered the old days before the Rebellion, except Clover, Benjamin, Moses the raven, and a number of the pigs.

春去秋來，年復(fù)一年。隨著歲月的流逝，壽命較短的動(dòng)物都已相繼死去。眼下，除了克拉弗、本杰明、烏鴉摩西和一些豬之外，已經(jīng)沒有一個(gè)能記得起義前的日子了。

Muriel was dead; Bluebell, Jessie, and Pincher were dead. Jones too was dead-he had died in an inebriates' home in another part of the country. Snowball was forgotten. Boxer was forgotten, except by the few who had known him. Clover was an old stout mare now, stiff in the joints and with a tendency to rheumy eyes. She was two years past the retiring age, but in fact no animal had ever actually retired. The talk of setting aside a corner of the pasture for superannuated animals had long since been dropped. Napoleon was now a mature boar of twenty-four stone. Squealer was so fat that he could with difficulty see out of his eyes. Only old Benjamin was much the same as ever, except for being a little greyer about the muzzle, and, since Boxer's death, more morose and taciturn than ever.

穆麗爾死了，布魯拜爾、杰西、平徹爾都死了，瓊斯也死了，他死在國(guó)內(nèi)其他一個(gè)地方的一個(gè)酒鬼家里。斯諾鮑被忘掉了。鮑克瑟也被忘掉了，所不同的是，唯有幾個(gè)本來就相識(shí)的動(dòng)物還記得?？死ト缃褚怖狭?，她身體肥胖，關(guān)節(jié)僵硬，眼里總帶著一團(tuán)眼屎。按退休年齡來說，她的年齡已超過兩年了，但實(shí)際上，從未有一個(gè)動(dòng)物真正退休。撥出大牧場(chǎng)一角給退休動(dòng)物享用的話題也早就擱到一邊了。如今的拿破侖已是一頭完全成熟的雄豬，體重三百多磅。斯奎拉胖得連睜眼往外看都似乎感到困難。只有老本杰明，幾乎和過去一個(gè)樣，就是鼻子和嘴周圍有點(diǎn)發(fā)灰，再有一點(diǎn)，自從鮑克瑟死去后，他比以前更加孤僻和沉默寡言。

There were many more creatures on the farm now, though the increase was not so great as had been expected in earlier years. Many animals had been born to whom the Rebellion was only a dim tradition, passed on by word of mouth, and others had been bought who had never heard mention of such a thing before their arrival. The farm possessed three horses now besides Clover. They were fine upstanding beasts, willing workers and good comrades, but very stupid. None of them proved able to learn the alphabet beyond the letter B. They accepted everything that they were told about the Rebellion and the principles of Animalism, especially from Clover, for whom they had an almost filial respect; but it was doubtful whether they understood very much of it.

現(xiàn)在，莊園里的牲口比以前多得多了，盡管增長(zhǎng)的數(shù)目不象早些年所預(yù)見的那么大。很多動(dòng)物生在莊園，還有一些則來自別的地方。對(duì)于那些出生在莊園的動(dòng)物來說，起義只不過是一個(gè)朦朦朧朧的口頭上的傳說而已;而對(duì)那些來自外鄉(xiāng)的動(dòng)物來說，他們?cè)趤淼角f園之前，還從未聽說過起義的事?，F(xiàn)在的莊園，除了克拉弗之外，另外還有三匹馬，他們都是好同志，都很了不起，也都十分溫順，可惜反應(yīng)都很慢?？雌饋恚麄冎虚g沒有一個(gè)能學(xué)會(huì)字母表上“B”以后的字母。對(duì)于有關(guān)起義和動(dòng)物主義原則的事，凡是他們能聽到的，他們都毫無(wú)保留地全盤接受，尤其是對(duì)出自克拉弗之口的更是如此。他們對(duì)克拉弗的尊敬，已近乎于孝順。但是，他們究竟是不是能弄通這些道理，仍然值得懷疑。

The farm was more prosperous now, and better organised: it had even been enlarged by two fields which had been bought from Mr. Pilkington. The windmill had been successfully completed at last, and the farm possessed a threshing machine and a hay elevator of its own, and various new buildings had been added to it. Whymper had bought himself a dogcart. The windmill, however, had not after all been used for generating electrical power. It was used for milling corn, and brought in a handsome money profit. The animals were hard at work building yet another windmill; when that one was finished, so it was said, the dynamos would be installed. But the luxuries of which Snowball had once taught the animals to dream, the stalls with electric light and hot and cold water, and the three-day week, were no longer talked about. Napoleon had denounced such ideas as contrary to the spirit of Animalism. The truest happiness, he said, lay in working hard and living frugally.

現(xiàn)在的莊園更是欣欣向榮，也更是井然有序了。莊園里增加了兩塊地，這兩塊地是從皮爾金頓先生那里買來的。風(fēng)車最終還是成功地建成了，莊園里也有了自己的一臺(tái)打谷機(jī)及草料升降機(jī)。另外，還加蓋了許多種類不一的新建筑。溫普爾也為自己買了一輛雙輪單駕馬車。不過，風(fēng)車最終沒有用來發(fā)電，而是用來磨谷子啦，并且為莊園創(chuàng)收了數(shù)目可觀的利潤(rùn)。如今，動(dòng)物們又為建造另一座風(fēng)車而辛勤勞作，據(jù)說，等這一座建成了，就要安裝上發(fā)電機(jī)。但是，當(dāng)年談?wù)擄L(fēng)車時(shí)，斯諾鮑引導(dǎo)動(dòng)物們所想像的那種享受不盡的舒適，那種帶電燈和冷熱水的窩棚，那種每周三天工作制，如今不再談?wù)摿?。拿破侖早就斥?zé)說，這些想法是與動(dòng)物主義的精神背道而馳的。他說，最純粹的幸福在于工作勤奮和生活儉樸。

Somehow it seemed as though the farm had grown richer without making the animals themselves any richer-except, of course, for the pigs and the dogs. Perhaps this was partly because there were so many pigs and so many dogs. It was not that these creatures did not work, after their fashion. There was, as Squealer was never tired of explaining, endless work in the supervision and organisation of the farm. Much of this work was of a kind that the other animals were too ignorant to understand. For example, Squealer told them that the pigs had to expend enormous labours every day upon mysterious things called "files," "reports," "minutes," and "memoranda." These were large sheets of paper which had to be closely covered with writing, and as soon as they were so covered, they were burnt in the furnace. This was of the highest importance for the welfare of the farm, Squealer said. But still, neither pigs nor dogs produced any food by their own labour; and there were very many of them, and their appetites were always good.

不知道為什么，反正看上去，莊園似乎已經(jīng)變得富裕了，但動(dòng)物們自己一點(diǎn)沒有變富，當(dāng)然豬和狗要排除在外。也許，其中的部分原因是由于豬和狗都多吧。處在他們這一等級(jí)的動(dòng)物，都是用他們自己的方式從事勞動(dòng)。正像斯奎拉樂于解釋的那樣，在莊園的監(jiān)督和組織工作中，有很多沒完沒了的事，在這類事情中，有大量工作是其它動(dòng)物由于無(wú)知而無(wú)法理解的。例如，斯奎拉告訴他們說，豬每天要耗費(fèi)大量的精力，用來處理所謂“文件”、“報(bào)告”、“會(huì)議記錄”和“備忘錄”等等神秘的事宜。這類文件數(shù)量很大，還必須仔細(xì)填寫，而且一旦填寫完畢，又得把它們?cè)跔t子里燒掉。斯奎拉說，這是為了莊園的幸福所做的最重要的工作。但是至今為止，無(wú)論是豬還是狗，都還沒有親自生產(chǎn)過一粒糧食，而他們?nèi)匀粸閿?shù)眾多，他們的食欲還總是十分旺盛。

As for the others, their life, so far as they knew, was as it had always been. They were generally hungry, they slept on straw, they drank from the pool, they laboured in the fields; in winter they were troubled by the cold, and in summer by the flies. Sometimes the older ones among them racked their dim memories and tried to determine whether in the early days of the Rebellion, when Jones's expulsion was still recent, things had been better or worse than now. They could not remember. There was nothing with which they could compare their present lives: they had nothing to go upon except Squealer's lists of figures, which invariably demonstrated that everything was getting better and better. The animals found the problem insoluble; in any case, they had little time for speculating on such things now. Only old Benjamin professed to remember every detail of his long life and to know that things never had been, nor ever could be much better or much worse-hunger, hardship, and disappointment being, so he said, the unalterable law of life.

至于其它動(dòng)物，迄今就他們所知，他們的生活還是一如既往。他們普遍都在挨餓，睡的是草墊，喝的是池塘里的水，干的是田間里的活，冬天被寒冷所困，夏天又換成了蒼蠅。有時(shí)，他們中間的年長(zhǎng)者絞盡腦汁，竭盡全力從那些淡漠的印象中搜索著回憶的線索，他們?cè)噲D以此來推定起義后的早期，剛趕走瓊斯那會(huì)，情況是比現(xiàn)在好呢還是糟，但他們都記不得了。沒有一件事情可以用來和現(xiàn)在的生活做比較，除了斯奎拉的一系列數(shù)字以外，他們沒有任何憑據(jù)用來比較，而斯奎拉的數(shù)字總是千篇一律地表明，所有的事正變得越來越好。動(dòng)物們發(fā)現(xiàn)這個(gè)問題解釋不清，不管怎么說，他們現(xiàn)在很少有時(shí)間去思索這類事情。唯有老本杰明與眾不同，他自稱對(duì)自己那漫長(zhǎng)的一生中的每個(gè)細(xì)節(jié)都記憶猶新，還說他認(rèn)識(shí)到事物過去沒有，將來也不會(huì)有什么更好或更糟之分。因此他說，饑餓、艱難、失望的現(xiàn)實(shí)，是生活不可改變的規(guī)律。

And yet the animals never gave up hope. More, they never lost, even for an instant, their sense of honour and privilege in being members of Animal Farm. They were still the only farm in the whole county-in all England!-owned and operated by animals. Not one of them, not even the youngest, not even the newcomers who had been brought from farms ten or twenty miles away, ever ceased to marvel at that. And when they heard the gun booming and saw the green flag fluttering at the masthead, their hearts swelled with imperishable pride, and the talk turned always towards the old heroic days, the expulsion of Jones, the writing of the Seven Commandments, the great battles in which the human invaders had been defeated. None of the old dreams had been abandoned. The Republic of the Animals which Major had foretold, when the green fields of England should be untrodden by human feet, was still believed in. Some day it was coming: it might not be soon, it might not be with in the lifetime of any animal now living, but still it was coming. Even the tune of Beasts of England was perhaps hummed secretly here and there: at any rate, it was a fact that every animal on the farm knew it, though no one would have dared to sing it aloud. It might be that their lives were hard and that not all of their hopes had been fulfilled; but they were conscious that they were not as other animals. If they went hungry, it was not from feeding tyrannical human beings; if they worked hard, at least they worked for themselves. No creature among them went upon two legs. No creature called any other creature "Master." All animals were equal.

不過，動(dòng)物們?nèi)匀粵]有放棄希望。確切地說，他們身為動(dòng)物莊園的一員，從來沒有失去自己的榮譽(yù)感和優(yōu)越感，哪怕是一瞬間也沒有過。他們的莊園依然是整個(gè)國(guó)家——所有英倫三島中——唯一的歸動(dòng)物所有、并由動(dòng)物管理的莊園。他們中間的成員，就連最年輕的，甚至還有那些來自十英里或二十英里以外莊園的新成員，每每想到這一點(diǎn)，都無(wú)不感到驚喜交加。當(dāng)他們聽到鳴槍，看到旗桿上的綠旗飄揚(yáng)，他們內(nèi)心就充滿了不朽的自豪，話題一轉(zhuǎn)，也就時(shí)常提起那史詩(shī)般的過去，以及驅(qū)除瓊斯、刻寫“七誡”、擊退人類來犯者的偉大戰(zhàn)斗等等。那些舊日的夢(mèng)想一個(gè)也沒有丟棄。想當(dāng)年麥哲預(yù)言過的“動(dòng)物共和國(guó)”，和那個(gè)英格蘭的綠色田野上不再有人類足跡踐踏的時(shí)代，至今依然是他們信仰所在。他們依然相信：總有一天，那個(gè)時(shí)代會(huì)到來，也許它不會(huì)馬上到來，也許它不會(huì)在任何現(xiàn)在健在的動(dòng)物的有生之年到來，但它終究要到來。而且至今，說不定就連“英格蘭獸”的曲子還在被到處偷偷得哼唱著，反正事實(shí)上，莊園里的每個(gè)動(dòng)物都知道它，盡管誰(shuí)也不敢放聲大唱。也許，他們生活艱難;也許，他們的希望并沒有全部實(shí)現(xiàn)，但他們很清楚，他們和別的動(dòng)物不一樣。 如果他們還沒有吃飽，那么也不是因?yàn)榘咽澄锬萌ノ沽吮┡暗娜祟?如果他們干活苦了，那么至少他們是在為自己辛勞。在他們中間，誰(shuí)也不用兩條腿走路，誰(shuí)也不把誰(shuí)稱做“老爺”，所有動(dòng)物一律平等。

One day in early summer Squealer ordered the sheep to follow him, and led them out to a piece of waste ground at the other end of the farm, which had become overgrown with birch saplings. The sheep spent the whole day there browsing at the leaves under Squealer's supervision. In the evening he returned to the farmhouse himself, but, as it was warm weather, told the sheep to stay where they were. It ended by their remaining there for a whole week, during which time the other animals saw nothing of them. Squealer was with them for the greater part of every day. He was, he said, teaching them to sing a new song, for which privacy was needed.

初夏的一天，斯奎拉讓羊跟著他出去，他把他們領(lǐng)到莊園的另一頭，那地方是一塊長(zhǎng)滿樺樹苗的荒地。在斯奎拉的監(jiān)督下，羊在那里吃了整整一天樹葉子，到了晚上，斯奎拉告訴羊說，既然天氣暖和了，他們就呆在那兒算了。然后，他自己返回了莊主院。羊在那里呆了整整一個(gè)星期。在這期間，別的動(dòng)物連他們的一絲影子也沒見著。斯奎拉每天倒是耗費(fèi)大量時(shí)間和他們泡在一起。他解釋說，他正在給他們教唱一首新歌，因此十分需要清靜。

It was just after the sheep had returned, on a pleasant evening when the animals had finished work and were making their way back to the farm buildings, that the terrified neighing of a horse sounded from the yard. Startled, the animals stopped in their tracks. It was Clover's voice. She neighed again, and all the animals broke into a gallop and rushed into the yard. Then they saw what Clover had seen.

那是一個(gè)爽朗的傍晚，羊回來了。當(dāng)時(shí)，動(dòng)物們才剛剛收工，正走在回窩棚的路上。突然，從大院里傳來了一聲馬的悲鳴，動(dòng)物們嚇了一跳，全都立即停下腳步。是克拉弗的聲音，她又嘶叫起來。于是，所有的動(dòng)物全都奔跑著沖進(jìn)了大院。這一下，他們看到了克拉弗看到的情景。

It was a pig walking on his hind legs.

是一頭豬在用后腿走路。

Yes, it was Squealer. A little awkwardly, as though not quite used to supporting his considerable bulk in that position, but with perfect balance, he was strolling across the yard. And a moment later, out from the door of the farmhouse came a long file of pigs, all walking on their hind legs. Some did it better than others, one or two were even a trifle unsteady and looked as though they would have liked the support of a stick, but every one of them made his way right round the yard successfully. And finally there was a tremendous baying of dogs and a shrill crowing from the black cockerel, and out came Napoleon himself, majestically upright, casting haughty glances from side to side, and with his dogs gambolling round him.

是的，是斯奎拉。他還有點(diǎn)笨拙好象還不大習(xí)慣用這種姿勢(shì)支撐他那巨大的身體，但他卻能以熟練的平衡，在院子里散步了。不大一會(huì)，從莊主院門里又走出一長(zhǎng)隊(duì)豬，都用后腿在行走。他們走到好壞不一，有一兩頭豬還有點(diǎn)不穩(wěn)當(dāng)，看上去好像他們本來更適于找一根棍子支撐著。不過，每頭豬都繞著院子走得相當(dāng)成功。最后，在一陣非常響亮的狗叫聲和那只黑公雞尖細(xì)的啼叫聲中，拿破侖親自走出來了，他大模大樣地直立著，眼睛四下里輕慢地瞥了一下。他的狗則活蹦亂跳地簇?fù)碓偎闹車?/p>

He carried a whip in his trotter.

他蹄子中捏著一根鞭子。

There was a deadly silence. Amazed, terrified, huddling together, the animals watched the long line of pigs march slowly round the yard. It was as though the world had turned upside-down. Then there came a moment when the first shock had worn off and when, in spite of everything-in spite of their terror of the dogs, and of the habit, developed through long years, of never complaining, never criticising, no matter what happened-they might have uttered some word of protest. But just at that moment, as though at a signal, all the sheep burst out into a tremendous bleating of-

一陣死一般的寂靜。驚訝、恐懼的動(dòng)物們擠在一堆，看著那一長(zhǎng)溜豬慢慢地繞著院子行走。仿佛這世界已經(jīng)完全顛倒了。接著，當(dāng)他們從這場(chǎng)震驚中緩過一點(diǎn)勁的時(shí)候，有那么一瞬間，他們顧不上顧慮任何事——顧不上他們對(duì)狗的害怕，顧不上他們多少年來養(yǎng)成的，無(wú)論發(fā)生什么事，他們也從來不抱怨、從批評(píng)的習(xí)慣——他們馬上要大聲抗議了，但就在這時(shí)，象是被一個(gè)信號(hào)激了一下一樣，所有的羊爆發(fā)出一陣巨大的咩咩聲——

"Four legs good, two legs better! Four legs good, two legs better! Four legs good, two legs better!"

“四條腿好，兩條腿更好!四條腿好，兩條腿更好!四條腿好，兩條腿更好!”

It went on for five minutes without stopping. And by the time the sheep had quieted down, the chance to utter any protest had passed, for the pigs had marched back into the farmhouse.

喊叫聲不間歇地持續(xù)了五分鐘。等羊安靜下來后，已經(jīng)錯(cuò)過了任何抗議的機(jī)會(huì)了，因?yàn)樨i已列隊(duì)走回莊主院。

Benjamin felt a nose nuzzling at his shoulder. He looked round. It was Clover. Her old eyes looked dimmer than ever. Without saying anything, she tugged gently at his mane and led him round to the end of the big barn, where the Seven Commandments were written. For a minute or two they stood gazing at the tatted wall with its white lettering.

本杰明感覺到有一個(gè)鼻子在他肩上磨蹭?；仡^一看，是克拉弗。只見她那一雙衰勞的眼睛比以往更加灰暗。她沒說一句話，輕輕地拽他的鬃毛，領(lǐng)著他轉(zhuǎn)到大谷倉(cāng)那一頭，那兒是寫著“七誡”的地方。他們站在那里注視著有白色字體的柏油墻，足有一兩分鐘。

"My sight is failing," she said finally. "Even when I was young I could not have read what was written there. But it appears to me that that wall looks different. Are the Seven Commandments the same as they used to be, Benjamin?"

“我的眼睛不行了”，他終于說話了，“就是年輕時(shí)，我也認(rèn)不得那上面所寫的東西。可是今天，怎么我看這面墻不同以前了。‘七誡’還是過去那樣嗎?本杰明?”

For once Benjamin consented to break his rule, and he read out to her what was written on the wall. There was nothing there now except a single Commandment. It ran:

只有這一次，本杰明答應(yīng)破個(gè)例，他把墻上寫的東西念給她聽，而今那上面已經(jīng)沒有別的什么了，只有一條誡律，它是這樣寫的：

ALL ANIMALS ARE EQUAL

所有動(dòng)物一例平等

BUT SOME ANIMALS ARE MORE EQUAL THAN OTHERS

但有些動(dòng)物比其他動(dòng)物更加平等

After that it did not seem strange when next day the pigs who were supervising the work of the farm all carried whips in their trotters. It did not seem strange to learn that the pigs had bought themselves a wireless set, were arranging to install a telephone, and had taken out subscriptions to John Bull, TitBits, and the Daily Mirror. It did not seem strange when Napoleon was seen strolling in the farmhouse garden with a pipe in his mouth-no, not even when the pigs took Mr. Jones's clothes out of the wardrobes and put them on, Napoleon himself appearing in a black coat, ratcatcher breeches, and leather leggings, while his favourite sow appeared in the watered silk dress which Mrs. Jones had been used to wear on Sundays.

從此以后，似乎不再有什么可稀奇的了：第二天所有的豬在莊園監(jiān)督干活時(shí)蹄子上都捏著一根鞭子，算不得稀奇;豬給他們自己買一臺(tái)無(wú)線電收音機(jī)，并正在準(zhǔn)備安裝一部電話，算不得稀奇;得知他們已經(jīng)訂閱了《約翰·牛報(bào)》、《珍聞報(bào)》及《每日鏡報(bào)》，算不得稀奇;看到拿破侖在莊主院花園里散步時(shí)，嘴里含著一根煙斗，也算不得稀奇。是的，不必再大驚小怪了。哪怕豬把瓊斯先生的衣服從衣柜里拿出來穿在身上也沒有什么。如今，拿破侖已經(jīng)親自穿上了一件黑外套和一條特制的馬褲，還綁上了皮綁腿，同時(shí)，他心愛的母豬則穿上一件波紋綢裙子，那裙子是瓊斯夫人過去常在星期天穿的。

A week later, in the afternoon, a number of dogcarts drove up to the farm. A deputation of neighbouring farmers had been invited to make a tour of inspection. They were shown all over the farm, and expressed great admiration for everything they saw, especially the windmill. The animals were weeding the turnip field. They worked diligently hardly raising their faces from the ground, and not knowing whether to be more frightened of the pigs or of the human visitors.

一周后的一天下午，一位兩輪單駕馬車駛進(jìn)莊園。一個(gè)由鄰近莊園主組成的代表團(tuán)，已接受邀請(qǐng)來此進(jìn)行考查觀光。他們參觀了整個(gè)莊園，并對(duì)他們看到的每件事都贊不絕口，尤其是對(duì)風(fēng)車。那時(shí)，動(dòng)物們正在蘿卜地里除草，他們干得細(xì)心認(rèn)真，很少揚(yáng)起臉，搞不清他們是對(duì)豬更害怕呢，還是對(duì)來參觀的人更害怕。

That evening loud laughter and bursts of singing came from the farmhouse. And suddenly, at the sound of the mingled voices, the animals were stricken with curiosity. What could be happening in there, now that for the first time animals and human beings were meeting on terms of equality? With one accord they began to creep as quietly as possible into the farmhouse garden.

那天晚上，從莊主院里傳來一陣陣哄笑聲和歌聲。動(dòng)物們突然被這混雜的聲音吸引住了。他們感到好奇的是，既然這是動(dòng)物和人第一次在平等關(guān)系下濟(jì)濟(jì)一堂，那么在那里會(huì)發(fā)生什么事呢?于是他們便不約而同地，盡量不出一點(diǎn)聲音地往莊主院的花園里爬去。

At the gate they paused, half frightened to go on but Clover led the way in. They tiptoed up to the house, and such animals as were tall enough peered in at the dining-room window. There, round the long table, sat half a dozen farmers and half a dozen of the more eminent pigs, Napoleon himself occupying the seat of honour at the head of the table. The pigs appeared completely at ease in their chairs The company had been enjoying a game of cards but had broken off for the moment, evidently in order to drink a toast. A large jug was circulating, and the mugs were being refilled with beer. No one noticed the wondering faces of the animals that gazed in at the window.

到了門口，他們又停住了，大概是因?yàn)楹ε露桓以偻白?，但克拉弗帶頭進(jìn)去了，他們踮著蹄子，走到房子跟前，那些個(gè)頭很高的動(dòng)物就從餐廳的窗戶上往里面看。屋子里面，在那張長(zhǎng)長(zhǎng)的桌子周圍，坐著六個(gè)莊園主和六頭最有名望的豬，拿破侖自己坐在桌子上首的東道主席位上，豬在椅子上顯出一副舒適自在的樣子。賓主一直都在津津有味地玩撲克牌，但是在中間停了一會(huì)，顯然是為了準(zhǔn)備干杯。有一個(gè)很大的罐子在他們中間傳來傳去，杯子里又添滿了啤酒。他們都沒注意到窗戶上有很多詫異的面孔正在凝視著里面。

Mr. Pilkington, of Foxwood, had stood up, his mug in his hand. In a moment, he said, he would ask the present company to drink a toast. But before doing so, there were a few words that he felt it incumbent upon him to say.

福克斯伍德莊園的皮爾金頓先生舉著杯子站了起來。他說道，稍等片刻，他要請(qǐng)?jiān)趫?chǎng)的諸位干杯。在此之前，他感到有幾句話得先講一下。

It was a source of great satisfaction to him, 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. There had been a time-not that he, or any of the present company, had shared such sentiments-but there had been a time when the respected proprietors of Animal Farm had been regarded, he would not say with hostility, but perhaps with a certain measure of misgiving, by their human neighbours. Unfortunate incidents had occurred, mistaken ideas had been current. 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 neighbourhood. Too many farmers had assumed, without due enquiry, that on such a farm a spirit of licence and indiscipline would prevail. They had been nervous about the effects upon their own animals, or even upon their human employees. But all such doubts were now dispelled. Today he and his friends had visited Animal Farm and inspected every inch of it with their own eyes, and what did they find? Not only the most up-to-date methods, but a discipline and an orderliness which should be an example to all farmers everywhere. He believed that he was right in saying that the lower animals on Animal Farm did more work and received less food than any animals in the county. Indeed, he and his fellow-visitors today had observed many features which they intended to introduce on their own farms immediately.

他說，他相信，他還有其他在場(chǎng)的各位都感到十分喜悅的是，持續(xù)已久的猜疑和誤解時(shí)代已經(jīng)結(jié)束了。曾有這樣一個(gè)時(shí)期，無(wú)論是他自己，還是在座的諸君，都沒有今天這種感受，當(dāng)時(shí)，可敬的動(dòng)物莊園的所有者，曾受到他們的人類鄰居的關(guān)注，他情愿說這關(guān)注多半是出于一定程度上的焦慮，而不是帶著敵意。不幸的事件曾發(fā)生過，錯(cuò)誤的觀念也曾流行過。一個(gè)由豬所有并由豬管理經(jīng)營(yíng)的莊園也曾讓人覺得有些名不正言不順，而且有容易給鄰近莊園帶來擾亂因素的可能。相當(dāng)多的莊園主沒有做適當(dāng)?shù)恼{(diào)查就信口推斷說，在這樣的莊園里，肯定會(huì)有一種放蕩不羈的歪風(fēng)邪氣在到處蔓延。他們擔(dān)心這種狀況會(huì)影響到他們自己的動(dòng)物，甚至影響他們的雇員。但現(xiàn)在，所有這種懷疑都已煙消云散了。今天，他和他的朋友們拜訪了動(dòng)物莊園，用他們自己的眼睛觀察了莊園的每一個(gè)角落。他們發(fā)現(xiàn)了什么呢?這里不僅有最先進(jìn)的方法，而且紀(jì)律嚴(yán)明，有條不紊，這應(yīng)該是各地莊園主學(xué)習(xí)的榜樣。他相信，他有把握說，動(dòng)物莊園的下級(jí)動(dòng)物，比全國(guó)任何動(dòng)物干的活都多，吃的飯都少。的確，他和他的代表團(tuán)成員今天看到了很多有特色之處，他們準(zhǔn)備立即把這些東西引進(jìn)到他們各自的莊園中去。

He would end his remarks, he said, by emphasising once again the friendly feelings that subsisted, and ought to subsist, between Animal Farm and its neighbours. Between pigs and human beings there was not, and there need not be, any clash of interests whatever. Their struggles and their difficulties were one. Was not the labour problem the same everywhere? Here it became apparent that Mr. Pilkington was about to spring some carefully prepared witticism on the company, but for a moment he was too overcome by amusement to be able to utter it. After much choking, during which his various chins turned purple, he managed to get it out: "If you have your lower animals to contend with," he said, "we have our lower classes!" This bon mot set the table in a roar; and Mr. Pilkington once again congratulated the pigs on the low rations, the long working hours, and the general absence of pampering which he had observed on Animal Farm.

他說，他愿在結(jié)束發(fā)言的時(shí)候，再次重申動(dòng)物莊園及其鄰居之間已經(jīng)建立的和應(yīng)該建立的友好感情。在豬和人之間不存在，也不應(yīng)該存在任何意義上的利害沖突。他們的奮斗目標(biāo)和遇到的困難是一致的。勞工問題不是到處都相同嘛?講到這里，顯然，皮爾金頓先生想突然講出一句經(jīng)過仔細(xì)琢磨的妙語(yǔ)，但他好一會(huì)兒樂不可支，講不出話來，他竭力抑制住，下巴都憋得發(fā)紫了，最后才蹦出一句：“如果你們有你們的下層動(dòng)物在作對(duì)，”他說，“我們有我們的下層階級(jí)!”這一句意味雋永的話引起一陣哄堂大笑。皮爾金頓先生再次為他在動(dòng)物莊園看到的飼料供給少、勞動(dòng)時(shí)間長(zhǎng)，普遍沒有嬌生慣養(yǎng)的現(xiàn)象等等向豬表示祝賀。

And now, he said finally, he would ask the company to rise to their feet and make certain that their glasses were full. "Gentlemen," concluded Mr. Pilkington, "gentlemen, I give you a toast: To the prosperity of Animal Farm!"

他最后說道，到此為止，他要請(qǐng)各位站起來，實(shí)實(shí)在在地斟滿酒杯。“先生們，”皮爾金頓先生在結(jié)束時(shí)說，“先生們，我敬你們一杯：為動(dòng)物莊園的繁榮昌盛干杯!”

There was enthusiastic cheering and stamping of feet. Napoleon was so gratified that he left his place and came round the table to clink his mug against Mr. Pilkington's before emptying it. When the cheering had died down, Napoleon, who had remained on his feet, intimated that he too had a few words to say.

一片熱烈的喝彩聲和跺腳聲響起。拿破侖頓時(shí)心花怒放，他離開座位，繞著桌子走向皮爾金頓先生，和他碰了杯便喝干了，喝采聲一靜下來，依然靠后腿站立著的拿破侖示意，他也有幾句話要講。

Like all of Napoleon's speeches, it was short and to the point. He too, he said, was happy that the period of misunderstanding was at an end. For a long time there had been rumours-circulated, he had reason to think, by some malignant enemy-that there was something subversive and even revolutionary in the outlook of himself and his colleagues. They had been credited with attempting to stir up rebellion among the animals on neighbouring farms. Nothing could be further from the truth! Their sole wish, now and in the past, was to live at peace and in normal business relations with their neighbours. This farm which he had the honour to control, he added, was a co-operative enterprise. The title-deeds, which were in his own possession, were owned by the pigs jointly.

這個(gè)講話就象拿破侖所有的演講一樣，簡(jiǎn)明扼要而又一針見血。他說，他也為那個(gè)誤解的時(shí)代的結(jié)束而感到高興。曾經(jīng)有很長(zhǎng)一個(gè)時(shí)期，流傳著這樣的謠言，他有理由認(rèn)為，這些謠言是一些居心叵測(cè)的仇敵散布的，說在他和他的同僚的觀念中，有一種主張顛覆、甚至是從根本上屬于破壞性的東西。他們一直被看作是企圖煽動(dòng)鄰近莊園的動(dòng)物造反。但是，事實(shí)是任何謠言都掩蓋不了的。他們唯一的愿望，無(wú)論是在過去還是現(xiàn)在，都是與他們的鄰居和平共處，保持正常的貿(mào)易關(guān)系。他補(bǔ)充說，他有幸掌管的這個(gè)莊園是一家合營(yíng)企業(yè)。他自己手中的那張地契，歸豬共同所有。

He did not believe, he said, that any of the old suspicions still lingered, but certain changes had been made recently in the routine of the farm which should have the effect of promoting confidence stiff further. Hitherto the animals on the farm had had a rather foolish custom of addressing one another as "Comrade." This was to be suppressed. There had also been a very strange custom, whose origin was unknown, of marching every Sunday morning past a boar's skull which was nailed to a post in the garden. This, too, would be suppressed, and the skull had already been buried. His visitors might have observed, too, the green flag which flew from the masthead. If so, they would perhaps have noted that the white hoof and horn with which it had previously been marked had now been removed. It would be a plain green flag from now onwards.

他說道，他相信任何舊的猜疑不會(huì)繼續(xù)存在下去了。而最近對(duì)莊園的慣例又作了一些修正，會(huì)進(jìn)一步增強(qiáng)這一信心。長(zhǎng)期以來，莊園里的動(dòng)物還有一個(gè)頗為愚蠢的習(xí)慣，那就是互相以“同志”相稱。這要取消。還有一個(gè)怪僻，搞不清是怎么來的，就是在每個(gè)星期天早上，要列隊(duì)走過花園里一個(gè)釘在木樁上的雄豬頭蓋骨。這個(gè)也要取消。頭蓋骨已經(jīng)埋了。他的來訪者也許已經(jīng)看到那面旗桿上飄揚(yáng)著的綠旗。果然如此的話，他們或許已經(jīng)注意到，過去旗面上畫著的白色蹄掌和犄角現(xiàn)在沒有了。從今以后那面旗將是全綠的旗。

He had only one criticism, he said, to make of Mr. Pilkington's excellent and neighbourly speech. Mr. Pilkington had referred throughout to "Animal Farm." He could not of course know-for he, Napoleon, was only now for the first time announcing it-that the name "Animal Farm" had been abolished. Henceforward the farm was to be known as "The Manor Farm"-which, he believed, was its correct and original name.

他說，皮爾金頓先生的精采而友好的演講，他只有一點(diǎn)要作一補(bǔ)充修正。皮爾金頓先生一直提到“動(dòng)物莊園”，他當(dāng)然不知道了，因?yàn)榫瓦B他拿破侖也只是第一次宣告，“動(dòng)物莊園”這個(gè)名字作廢了。今后，莊園的名字將是“曼納莊園”，他相信，這個(gè)名字才是它的真名和原名。

"Gentlemen," concluded Napoleon, "I will give you the same toast as before, but in a different form. Fill your glasses to the brim. Gentlemen, here is my toast: To the prosperity of The Manor Farm! "

“先生們，“他總結(jié)說，“我將給你們以同樣的祝辭，但要以不同的形式，請(qǐng)滿上這一杯。先生們，這就是我的祝辭：為曼納莊園的繁榮昌盛干杯!”

There was the same hearty cheering as before, and the mugs were emptied to the dregs. But as the animals outside gazed at the scene, it seemed to them that some strange thing was happening. What was it that had altered in the faces of the pigs? Clover's old dim eyes flitted from one face to another. Some of them had five chins, some had four, some had three. But what was it that seemed to be melting and changing? Then, the applause having come to an end, the company took up their cards and continued the game that had been interrupted, and the animals crept silently away.

一陣同樣熱烈而真誠(chéng)的喝采聲響起，酒也一飲而盡。但當(dāng)外面的動(dòng)物們目不轉(zhuǎn)睛地看著這一情景時(shí)，他們似乎看到了，有一些怪事正在發(fā)生。豬的面孔上發(fā)生了什么變化呢?克拉弗那一雙衰老昏花的眼睛掃過一個(gè)接一個(gè)面孔。他們有的有五個(gè)下巴，有的有四個(gè)，有的有三個(gè)，但是有什么東西似乎正在融化消失，正在發(fā)生變化。接著，熱烈的掌聲結(jié)束了，他們又拿起撲克牌，繼續(xù)剛才中斷的游戲，外面的動(dòng)物悄悄地離開了。

But they had not gone twenty yards when they stopped short. An uproar of voices was coming from the farmhouse. They rushed back and looked through the window again. Yes, a violent quarrel was in progress. There were shoutings, bangings on the table, sharp suspicious glances, furious denials. The source of the trouble appeared to be that Napoleon and Mr. Pilkington had each played an ace of spades simultaneously.

但他們還沒有走出二十碼，又突然停住了。莊主院傳出一陣吵鬧聲。他們跑回去，又一次透過窗子往里面看。是的，里面正在大吵大鬧。那情景，既有大喊大叫的，也有捶打桌子的;一邊是疑神疑鬼的銳利的目光，另一邊卻在咆哮著矢口否認(rèn)。動(dòng)亂的原因好象是因?yàn)槟闷苼龊推柦痤D先生同時(shí)打出了一張黑桃A。

Twelve voices were shouting in anger, and they were all alike. No question, now, what had happened to the faces of the pigs. The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which.

十二個(gè)嗓門一齊在憤怒地狂叫著，他們何其相似乃爾!而今，不必再問豬的面孔上發(fā)生了什么變化。外面的眾生靈從豬看到人，又從人看到豬，再?gòu)呢i看到人;但他們已分不出誰(shuí)是豬，誰(shuí)是人了。