動物農(nóng)場 Animal Farm 第1章(1)

Animal Farm by George Orwell

動物莊園 喬治·奧威爾

Mr. Jones, of the Manor Farm, had locked the hen-houses for the night, but was too drunk to remember to shut the pop-holes.

故事發(fā)生在曼納莊園里。這天晚上，莊園的主人瓊斯先生說是已經(jīng)鎖好了雞棚，由于他喝得醉意十足，竟把里面的那些小門都忘了關(guān)上。

With the ring of light from his lantern dancing from side to side, he lurched across the yard, kicked off his boots at the back door,

他提著馬燈踉踉蹌蹌地穿過院子，馬燈光也跟著一直不停地晃來晃去，到了后門，他把靴子一腳一只踢了出去，

drew himself a last glass of beer from the barrel in the scullery, and made his way up to bed, where Mrs. Jones was already snoring.

又從洗碗間的酒桶里舀起最后一杯啤酒，一飲而盡，然后才上床休息。此時，床上的瓊斯夫人已是鼾聲如雷了。

As soon as the light in the bedroom went out there was a stirring and a fluttering all through the farm buildings.

等那邊莊主院臥室里的燈光一熄滅，整個莊園窩棚里就泛起一陣撲撲騰騰的騷動。

Word had gone round during the day that old Major, the prize Middle White boar,

還在白天的時候，莊園里就風(fēng)傳著一件事，說是老麥哲，就是得過“中等白鬃毛”獎的那頭雄豬，

had had a strange dream on the previous night and wished to communicate it to the other animals.

在前一天晚上作了一個奇怪的夢，想要傳達(dá)給其他動物。

It had been agreed that they should all meet in the big barn as soon as Mr. Jones was safely out of the way.

當(dāng)時，大家都已經(jīng)同意，等瓊斯先生完全走開后，他們就到大谷倉內(nèi)集合。

Old Major (so he was always called, though the name under which he had been exhibited was Willingdon Beauty)

老麥哲(他一直被這樣稱呼，盡管他在參加展覽時用的名字是“威靈頓美神”)

was so highly regarded on the farm that everyone was quite ready to lose an hour's sleep in order to hear what he had to say.

在莊園里一直德高望重，所以動物們?yōu)榱笋雎犓胍v的事情，都十分樂意犧牲一小時的睡眠。

At one end of the big barn, on a sort of raised platform, Major was already ensconced on his bed of straw, under a lantern which hung from a beam.

在大谷倉一頭一個凸起的臺子上，麥哲已經(jīng)安穩(wěn)地坐在草墊子上了，在他頭頂上方的房梁上懸掛著一盞馬燈。

He was twelve years old and had lately grown rather stout, but he was still a majestic-looking pig,

他已經(jīng)十二歲了，近來長得有些發(fā)胖，但他依然儀表堂堂。

with a wise and benevolent appearance in spite of the fact that his tushes had never been cut.

盡管事實上他的犬牙從來沒有割剪過，這也并不妨礙他面帶著智慧和慈祥。

Before long the other animals began to arrive and make themselves comfortable after their different fashions.

不一會，動物們開始陸續(xù)趕來，并按各自不同的方式坐穩(wěn)了。

First came the three dogs, Bluebell, Jessie, and Pincher, and then the pigs,

最先到來的是三條狗，布魯拜爾、杰西和平徹，豬隨后走進(jìn)來，

who settled down in the straw immediately in front of the platform.

并立即坐在臺子前面的稻草上。

The hens perched themselves on the window-sills, the pigeons fluttered up to the rafters,

雞棲在窗臺上，鴿子撲騰上了房梁，

the sheep and cows lay down behind the pigs and began to chew the cud.

羊和牛躺在豬身后并開始倒嚼起來。

The two cart-horses, Boxer and Clover, came in together,

兩匹套四輪貨車的馬，鮑克瑟和克拉弗，一塊趕來，

walking very slowly and setting down their vast hairy hoofs with great care lest there should be some small animal concealed in the straw.

他們走進(jìn)時走得很慢，每當(dāng)他們在落下那巨大的毛乎乎的蹄子時，總是小心翼翼，生怕草堆里藏著什么小動物。

Clover was a stout motherly mare approaching middle life, who had never quite got her figure back after her fourth foal.

克拉弗是一匹粗壯而慈愛的母馬，接近中年。她在生了第四個小駒之后，體形再也沒有能恢復(fù)原樣。