Chapter 6 第六章-双语名著无障碍阅读丛书——《动物农场Animal Farm》

Chapter VI All that year the animals worked like slaves.But they were happy in their work; they grudged no effort or sacrifice,well aware that everything that they did was for the benefit of themselves and those of their kind who would come after them,and not for a pack of idle,thieving human beings. Throughout the spring and summer they worked a sixty-hour week,and in August Napoleon announced that there would be work on Sunday afternoons as well.This work was strictly voluntary,but any animal who absented himself from it would have his rations reduced by half.Even so,it was found necessary to leave certain tasks undone.The harvest was a little less successful than in the previous year,and two fields which should have been sown with roots in the early summer were not sown because the ploughing had not been completed early enough.It was possible to foresee that the coming winter would be a hard one. The windmill presented unexpected difficulties.There was a good quarry of limestone on the farm,and plenty of sand and cement had been found in one of the outhouses,so that all the materials for building were at hand.But the problem the animals could not at first solve was how to break up the stone into pieces of suitable size.There seemed no way of doing this except with picks and crowbars,which no animal could use,because no animal could ·078· 第六章 整个一年期间，动物们像奴隶一样干着活儿。但是， ①grudge[qrwd3]v吝惜 他们干得很快乐，不偷懒，不怕牺牲，心里很清楚，他 们所做的一切都是为了自己的福祉，还有他们后代的福 祉，而不是为了那帮游手好闲、偷盗成性的人类。 整个春夏两季，他们实行每星期六十小时工作制。 到了八月，拿破仑宣布，星期天下午也得干活儿。这种 额外的活儿严格实行自愿原则，但是，若是有动物缺席 了，那他的饲料配额就得减半。即便如此，大家发现， 有些工作任务还是完不成。比较上一年，当年的收割显 得有些逊色。有两片地本来初复是应该种植根菜植物的， 但因为没有尽早耕耘而未能种上。可以预料得到，即将 到来的冬季将会很艰难。 建造风车的工程出现了始料未及的困难。农场里 有一处高质量的采石场，同时，动物们在一间棚屋里 ②quarry[kwori]n.采石场 还发现存有大量沙子和水泥，建筑材料都是现成的。 但是，动物们开始就遇到了无法解决的问题，即不知 道如何将石料破开，形成大小适中的小块。这项工作 看起来只能使用镐和撬棍，否则无法进行。而动物们 偏偏又不会使用那些工具，因为任何动物都不能用后 ③pick[pik]n.镐 腿站立。白费了几个星期的力气之后，才有动物想出 ④crowbar[kru,bcn.撬棍 了好办法，即利用地心力的作用。采石场处处都是巨 ·079· ChapterVI stand on his hind legs.Only after weeks of vain effort did the right idea occur to somebody namely to utilise the force of gravity.Huge boulders,far too big to be used as they were,were lying all over the bed of the quarry.The animals lashed ropes round these,and then all together,cows,horses,sheep,any animal that could lay hold of the rope-even the pigs sometimes joined in at critical moments-they dragged them with desperate slowness up the slope to the top of the quarry,where they were toppled over the edge,to shatter to pieces below. Transporting the stone when it was once broken was comparatively simple.The horses carried it off in cart-loads,the sheep dragged single blocks,even Muriel and Benjamin yoked themselves into an old governess-cart and did their share. By late summer a sufficient store of stone had accumulated,and then the building began,under the superintendence of the pigs. But it was a slow,laborious process.Frequently it took a whole day of exhausting effort to drag a single boulder to the top of the quarry,and sometimes when it was pushed over the edge it failed to break.Nothing could have been achieved without Boxer,whose strength seemed equal to that of all the rest of the animals put together.When the boulder began to slip and the animals cried out in despair at finding themselves dragged down the hill,it was always Boxer who strained himself against the rope and brought the boulder to a stop.To see him toiling up the slope inch by inch,his breath coming fast,the tips of his hoofs clawing at the ground,and his great sides matted with sweat,filled everyone with admiration.Clover warned him sometimes to be careful not to overstrain himself,but Boxer would never listen to her.His two slogans,"I will work harder" and"Napoleon is always right,"seemed to him a sufficient answer to all problems. He had made arrangements with the cockerel to call him three-quarters of an hour earlier in the mornings instead of half an hour.And in his spare moments,of which there were not many nowadays,he would go alone to the quarry,collect a load of broken stone,and drag it down to the site of the windmill unassisted. The animals were not badly off throughout that summer,in spite of the hardness of their work.If they had no more food than they had had in Jones's day, ·080· 第六章【 石，但体积过大，无法派上用场。动物们现在用绳子 ①utilise[ju:tilaiz]v:利用 拴住巨石，然后，奶牛、马、绵羊，一齐上阵，但凡 ②boulder'baulda)]i.圆石 能够抓住绳子的动物都上一有时候到了关键的时刻， 连猪都得上阵了一速度极为缓慢，他们把巨石一点 一点地拉到采石场的制高点。然后再把它往悬崖边推， 巨石滚到下面便摔成碎块了。要运输摔碎的石块就比 ③topple[topl,推倒 较简单了。马可以用车把石块拉走。绵羊可以拖单块 石头，连白山羊穆里尔和毛驴本杰明都合着驾起了一 辆老式轻便马车，尽着自己的一份力量。到了夏末， 他们已经集中了足够多的石料，这时，建造工程在几 ④yoke [jauk]用轭连起来 ⑤superintendence 头猪的指挥下开始了。 ['sju:parin'tendons]n. 但是，工程进展缓慢，且颇费劳力。动物们往往 督，指挥 要耗费一天时间，精疲力竭，才能把一块巨石拖到采 石场的制高点。有时候，把巨石从悬崖处推下，却没 有摔碎。拳击手力量巨大，似乎可以抵得上其他动物 合起来的力量。若是没有他，那一定会一事无成。有 时候，巨石开始向下滑动，动物们感觉自己也开始跟 着向山坡下面掉，绝望地大声叫喊起来，拳击手总是 会拼命地拉住绳子，让巨石止住。看着他铆足了力气 把绳子一寸一寸往上拉，气喘吁吁，蹄子尖牢牢地扣 住地面，硕大的身躯被汗水浸透，动物们一个个充满 了敬佩之情。首蓿有时候会提醒他，要注意身体，不 ⑥mat[met)使密集 要劳累过度。但是，拳击手不会听她的劝告。对他而 言，他的两句口头禅“我要更加卖力干活儿”和“拿 破仑总是对的”似乎是对一切问题的最好回答。他已 经同小公鸡约定好了，要小公鸡早晨提前三刻钟叫醒 他，而不是提前半个小时。他在闲暇时间里，现在这 样的闲暇不多了，会独自到采石场去，把碎石装满一 车，拉到风车建造的场地上去，不需要任何动物的 帮助。 整个夏天，动物们虽然工作繁重，但日子过得还 不算很糟糕。即便他们的饲料并不比当初琼斯在的时 ·081· ChapterVI at least they did not have less.The advantage of only having to feed themselves, and not having to support five extravagant human beings as well,was so great that it would have taken a lot of failures to outweigh it.And in many ways the animal method of doing things was more efficient and saved labour.Such jobs as weeding,for instance,could be done with a thoroughness impossible to human beings.And again,since no animal now stole,it was unnecessary to fence off pasture from arable land,which saved a lot of labour on the upkeep of hedges and gates.Nevertheless,as the summer wore on,various unforeseen shortages began to make themselves felt.There was need of paraffin oil,nails3,string, dog biscuits,and iron for the horses'shoes,none of which could be produced on the farm.Later there would also be need for seeds and artificial manures, besides various tools and,finally,the machinery for the windmill.How these were to be procured,no one was able to imagine. One Sunday morning,when the animals assembled to receive their orders, Napoleon announced that he had decided upon a new policy.From now onwards Animal Farm would engage in trade with the neighbouring farms:not,of course, for any commercial purpose,but simply in order to obtain certain materials which were urgently necessary.The needs of the windmill must override everything else,he said.He was therefore making arrangements to sell a stack of hay and part of the current year's wheat crop,and later on,if more money were needed, it would have to be made up by the sale of eggs,for which there was always a market in Willingdon.The hens,said Napoleon,should welcome this sacrifice as their own special contribution towards the building of the windmill. Once again the animals were conscious of a vague uneasiness.Never to have any dealings with human beings,never to engage in trade,never to make use of money-had not these been among the earliest resolutions passed at that first triumphant Meeting after Jones was expelled?All the animals remembered passing such resolutions:or at least they thought that they remembered it.The four young pigs who had protested when Napoleon abolished the Meetings raised their voices timidly,but they were promptly silenced by a tremendous ·082· 第六章【 候丰富，但至少不至于比那个时候更匮乏。他们只需 要喂饱自己，而无须再供养生活奢华的五口人。这种 优越性显而易见，足以抵消掉大量工作中的失败。在 很多方面，动物们做事的方法更加高效，更加省力 比如，清除杂草这一类的活儿，他们可以清除得一干 二净，而换了人类那是绝不可能的。还有，由于动物 当中没有了偷盗行为，牧场和耕地之间就没有必要用 ①arable[T'erabl]a.适耕的 ②paraffin[p:erafin]n.石蜡 围栏隔开了，这样便节省了大量维护树篱和围栏的劳 ③nail[neil]n.钉子 力。不过，随着夏季过去，出现了各种各样未曾料想 到的短缺现象。农场上需要煤油、钉子、绳索、狗吃 的饼干、马蹄铁，这些东西都不是农场上可以生产的。 后来，除了不同种类的工具之外，还需要各种种子和 化肥，还有建造风车所需的机械。这些东西如何才能 得到满足，谁也想不出办法来。 有个星期天的上午，动物们聚集在一块儿接受劳动 任务时，拿破仑宣布，他决定实施一项新政策。从今往 后，动物农场将同附近的几座农场进行贸易活动：当然 不是为了商业目的，而仅仅是为了获取一些急需的物 品。满足建造风车的需要是当务之急，压倒一切，他是 这样说的。因此，他做出了安排，准备卖掉一垛干草和 当年收获的一部分小麦。随后，若是还需要资金，那就 通过卖蛋来筹措，因为威灵登的市场一直都有销路。拿 破仑说，母鸡应该勇于牺牲，以此作为自己对建造风车 工程的一份特殊贡献。 动物们再次感到莫名地不安起来。决不同人类打 交道，决不从事贸易活动，决不使用金钱，他们在驱 逐琼斯后的第一聚会上，那些最早通过的决定中不是 已经包含了这些条文吗？所有动物记得通过了这些决 定：或者他们至少认为，他们记得这件事。当时拿破仑 提出取消“会议”时，那四头小猪曾表示反对。他们 此刻发出了怯生生的声音，但是，其声音立刻被狗的 ④timidly ['timidli时ad.羞怯 地 狂吠声掩盖掉了。然后，和平常一样，那些绵羊突然 ·083· ChapterVI growling from the dogs.Then,as usual,the sheep broke into"Four legs good, two legs bad!"and the momentary awkwardness was smoothed over.Finally Napoleon raised his trotter for silence and announced that he had already made all the arrangements.There would be no need for any of the animals to come in contact with human beings,which would clearly be most undesirable.He intended to take the whole burden upon his own shoulders.A Mr.Whymper, a solicitor living in Willingdon,had agreed to act as intermediary between Animal Farm and the outside world,and would visit the farm every Monday morning to receive his instructions.Napoleon ended his speech with his usual cry of "Long live Animal Farm!"and after the singing of Beasts of England the animals were dismissed. Afterwards Squealer made a round of the farm and set the animals'minds at rest.He assured them that the resolution against engaging in trade and using money had never been passed,or even suggested.It was pure imagination, probably traceable in the beginning to lies circulated by Snowball.A few animals still felt faintly doubtful,but Squealer asked them shrewdly,"Are you certain that this is not something that you have dreamed,comrades?Have you any record of such a resolution?Is it written down anywhere?"And since it was certainly true that nothing of the kind existed in writing,the animals were satisfied that they had been mistaken. Every Monday Mr.Whymper visited the farm as had been arranged.He was a sly-looking little man with side whiskers,a solicitor in a very small way of business,but sharp enough to have realised earlier than anyone else that Animal Farm would need a broker and that the commissions would be worth having.The animals watched his coming and going with a kind of dread and avoided him as much as possible.Nevertheless,the sight of Napoleon,on all fours,delivering orders to Whymper,who stood on two legs,roused their pride and partly reconciled them to the new arrangement.Their relations with the human race were now not quite the same as they had been before.The human beings did not hate Animal Farm any less now that it was prospering;indeed,they hated it more ·084· 第六章【 咩咩地念叨起“四条腿好，两条腿坏！”，短暂的尴尬 局面化解掉了。最后，拿破仑抬起一只蹄子，示意肃 静，并且宣布说，所有事项他都己经做出了安排。所 有动物都无需同人类有任何接触，因为同人类接触是 大家最不愿意做的事情。他打算把所有重担独自挑起 来，有位名叫温佩尔的律师住在威灵登。他同意充任 动物农场和外界的中间人。他每个星期一上午来动物 ①solicitor[sa'lisita]n.律师 农场接受吩附。拿破仑还和平常一样，用高呼“动物 农场万岁”的口号来结束自己的演讲。动物们唱过《英 格兰的牲畜》后便四散开了。 过后，尖嗓子在农场兜了一圈，这才让动物们的心 平静了下来。他向他们保证说，他们根本就没有通过禁 止从事贸易活动和使用金钱的决定，甚至都没有提出过 这方面的动议。这纯粹是凭着想象捏造出来的，或许可 以追溯到开始时由雪球传播的谣言。少数一些动物仍然 ②traceable['treisabl]a.可追 踪的 没有释然，心存疑虑，但尖嗓子显得很有策略，问他们： “你们能够断定，这不是你们梦到过的一些事情吗，同 志们？你们有这样一个决议的记录吗？决议是不是写在 什么地方呢？”诸如此类的东西当然没有记录在案，动 物们这才心服口服，是他们弄错了。 根据己经做出的安排，温佩尔先生每个星期一要拜 访农场。他身材矮小，相貌诡异，长着络腮胡，是一 ③whisker[hwiska]m.腮须 位业务范围很狭窄的律师，但头脑精明，比谁都更早 就看出了，动物农场需要一名经纪人，佣金可观。动 物们目睹着他进进出出，心里怀着一种恐惧感，而且 尽可能避开他。不过，他们看见四条腿走路的拿破仑 ④dread[dred]n,恐惧 对着两条腿走路的温佩尔先生发号施令时，心里洋溢 着自豪感，从而对于这种新的安排也一定程度上释然 了。同过去相比，他们现在与人类的关系不是一回事了。 ⑤reconcile['rekonsail]k使 顺从 动物农场现在兴旺发达了，人类对它的仇视并没有因 此减弱，事实上，比以往任何时候都更加强烈了。农 场迟早要破产，尤其是，建造风车的工程会归于失败， ·085· ChapterVI than ever.Every human being held it as an article of faith that the farm would go bankrupt sooner or later,and,above all,that the windmill would be a failure. They would meet in the public-houses and prove to one another by means of diagrams that the windmill was bound to fall down,or that if it did stand up, then that it would never work.And yet,against their will,they had developed a certain respect for the efficiency with which the animals were managing their own affairs.One symptom of this was that they had begun to call Animal Farm by its proper name and ceased to pretend that it was called the Manor Farm.They had also dropped their championship of Jones,who had given up hope of getting his farm back and gone to live in another part of the county.Except through Whymper,there was as yet no contact between Animal Farm and the outside world,but there were constant rumours that Napoleon was about to enter into a definite business agreement either with Mr.Pilkington of Foxwood or with Mr. Frederick of Pinchfield-but never,it was noticed,with both simultaneously2. It was about this time that the pigs suddenly moved into the farmhouse and took up their residence there.Again the animals seemed to remember that a resolution against this had been passed in the early days,and again Squealer was able to convince them that this was not the case.It was absolutely necessary,he said,that the pigs,who were the brains of the farm,should have a quiet place to work in.It was also more suited to the dignity of the Leader (for of late he had taken to speaking of Napoleon under the title of"Leader")to live in a house than in a mere sty3.Nevertheless,some of the animals were disturbed when they heard that the pigs not only took their meals in the kitchen and used the drawing- room as a recreation room,but also slept in the beds.Boxer passed it off as usual with"Napoleon is always right!",but Clover,who thought she remembered a definite ruling against beds,went to the end of the barn and tried to puzzle out the Seven Commandments which were inscribed there.Finding herself unable to read more than individual letters,she fetched Muriel. “Muriel,.”she said,.“read me the Fourth Commandment.Does it not say something about never sleeping in a bed?" ·086· 第六章【 这是每个人心里怀有的信念。人们聚集在酒馆里，通 ①bankrupt[benkrapt]a.破 过图表的形式相互印证，风车注定要倒塌，或者，即 产的 便建造起来了，那也无法产生功效。不过，虽说并非 出于意愿，但面对动物们有效地管理着他们自己的事 务的情形，人们不由地产生了一种敬意。这方面的一 个具体体现是，人们不再刻意称这座农场为“庄园农 场”了，而开始使用“动物农场”这个名副其实的称谓。 同时，他们也不再支持琼斯了，况且琼斯也已经放弃 了夺回农场的一切希望，搬到本郡的另外一处地方居 住了。除了通过温佩尔先生，动物农场迄今同外界还 没有任何联系，但是，不断有传言，说拿破仑正准备 同狐狸林农场的皮尔金顿先生或者窄地农场的弗里德 里克先生签订一份实质性的业务协定一但是，大家 注意到，不可能同时与两座农场有业务关系。 ②simultaneously 大概也就是在这个时候，几头猪突然搬进了农场 [simal'teiniasli]ad.同时地 主住宅，并且在那儿居住下来了。动物们再次仿佛记得， 早些时候他们通过了一个禁止这样做的决定，尖嗓子 再次让他们相信，事实并非如此。他说，几头猪是农 场上的脑力劳动者，需要有宁静的工作场所，所以， 这样做绝对必要。再说，相对于住在猪圈里，住在房 舍里更加符合领袖的尊贵地位（最近，他每次提到拿 破仑时，都喜欢冠上“领袖”的头衔)。尽管如此，动 物们可是听说了，那些猪不仅在厨房里用餐，把起居 ③sty[sta时n.猪圈 室用作娱乐室，而且还睡在床上。这时候，他们中有 recreation [.rekri'eifan]n. 一些感到心烦意乱。拳击手还是一如既往，用“拿破 娱乐 仑总是对的！”这句话圆了过去。但是，首蓿感觉自己 记得，有过明确的规定，不允许睡床。她走到了大谷 仓尽头的外墙边，猜谜似的想要琢磨清楚书写在那儿 的“七戒”条文。她发现自己只能认出一些字母，便 去找来了穆里尔。 “穆里尔，”她说，“把‘第四戒’念给我听吧。那 上面不是说到了决不能睡在床上吗？” ·087·