Chapter 8 第八章-双语名著无障碍阅读丛书——《动物农场Animal Farm》

Chapter VIII A few days later,when the terror caused by the executions had died down, some of the animals remembered-or thought they remembered that the Sixth Commandment decreed "No animal shall kill any other animal."And though no one cared to mention it in the hearing of the pigs or the dogs,it was felt that the killings which had taken place did not square with this.Clover asked Benjamin to read her the Sixth Commandment,and when Benjamin,as usual, said that he refused to meddle in such matters,she fetched Muriel.Muriel read the Commandment for her.It ran:"No animal shall kill any other animal without cause."Somehow or other3,the last two words had slipped out of the animals'memory.But they saw now that the Commandment had not been violated;for clearly there was good reason for killing the traitors who had leagued themselves with Snowball. Throughout the year the animals worked even harder than they had worked in the previous year.To rebuild the windmill,with walls twice as thick as before, and to finish it by the appointed date,together with the regular work of the farm,was a tremendous labour.There were times when it seemed to the animals that they worked longer hours and fed no better than they had done in Jones's day.On Sunday mornings Squealer,holding down a long strip of paper with his trotter,would read out to them lists of figures proving that the production of ·116· 第八章 几天过后，因杀戮引起的恐慌消散了，一些动物回 想起来了一或者觉得他们回想起来了一“七戒”中 的第六条明文规定：“任何动物都不杀戮别的动物。”尽 管他们谁也不想在猪或者狗可能听到的场所提及此事， 但他们心里总是觉得，已经发生的诸多杀戮行为与“戒 ①square with与…协调或 一致 律”不符。苜蓿请求本杰明把“第六条戒律”念给她听， 而当本杰明还是和平常一样说自己拒绝掺和此事时，她 ②meddle in千涉，干预 便去找穆里尔。穆里尔把戒律的内容念给她听了。内容 是：“任何动物都不得无缘无故杀戮别的动物。”不知什 ③somehow or other莫名其 么原因，动物们的记忆中没有“无缘无故”几个字。但 妙地 是，他们现在明白了，杀戮行为并没有违背“戒律”的 规定，因为很显然，叛徒同雪球狼狈为奸，杀戮他们是 有充分理由的。 一整年，动物们干活儿比上一年更加卖力。重建 风车，墙壁的厚度比先前增加了一倍。要在预定的日 期完成工程，农场上的正常活儿照干，这可是巨大的 劳动量啊。有些时候，动物们觉得，同琼斯统治的时 代相比，他们干活儿的时间更长，吃得反而更糟。每 当星期天的早上，尖嗓子就会用蹄子夹着一张长长的 ·117· Chapter VIII every class of foodstuff had increased by two hundred per cent,three hundred per cent,or five hundred per cent,as the case might be.The animals saw no reason to disbelieve him,especially as they could no longer remember very clearly what conditions had been like before the Rebellion.All the same,there were days when they felt that they would sooner have had less figures and more food. All orders were now issued through Squealer or one of the other pigs. Napoleon himself was not seen in public as often as once in a fortnight.When he did appear,he was attended not only by his retinue of dogs but by a black cockerel who marched in front of him and acted as a kind of trumpeter, letting out a loud "cock-a-doodle-doo"before Napoleon spoke.Even in the farmhouse,it was said,Napoleon inhabited separate apartments from the others. He took his meals alone,with two dogs to wait upon him,and always ate from the Crown Derby dinner service which had been in the glass cupboard in the drawing-room.It was also announced that the gun would be fired every year on Napoleon's birthday,as well as on the other two anniversaries. Napoleon was now never spoken of simply as "Napoleon."He was always referred to in formal style as "our Leader,Comrade Napoleon,"and this pigs liked to invent for him such titles as Father of All Animals,Terror of Mankind,Protector of the Sheep-fold,Ducklings'Friend,and the like. In his speeches,Squealer would talk with the tears rolling down his cheeks of Napoleon's wisdom the goodness of his heart,and the deep love he bore to all animals everywhere,even and especially the unhappy animals who still lived in ignorance and slavery on other farms.It had become usual to give Napoleon the credit for every successful achievement and every stroke of good fortune.You would often hear one hen remark to another:"Under the guidance of our Leader, Comrade Napoleon,I have laid five eggs in six days";or two cows,enjoying a drink at the pool,would exclaim:"Thanks to the leadership of Comrade Napoleon,how excellent this water tastes!"The general feeling on the farm was well expressed in a poem entitled Comrade Napoleon,which was composed by ·118· 第八章「 纸条，向他们宣读一串数字，以此证明，各类饲料产 量增加了百分之二百，百分之三百，百分之五百，百分比 视情况而定。动物们没有理由不相信他说的话，尤其是， 他们不再清楚地记得反抗运动爆发之前的情况如何了。 与此同时，他们有时候觉得，宁可数字小一点，饲料 多一点。 所有命令现在都是由尖嗓子或者另外某头猪发布 的。拿破仑自己则每两个星期公开露面一次。他一旦露 面，不仅有恶犬护卫队陪伴，还有一只黑色小公鸡在前 ①retinue[retinju]n.随员 ②trumpeter['trAmpita]h.号 面开道，扮演类似于吹号手的角色。拿破仑开口说话之 兵 前，小公鸡会响亮地“喔—喔—喔”大叫一通。据说， 即便在农场主住宅里，拿破仑也是独居套间，与其他猪 分开居住。他独自用餐，由两条狗伺候着他，使用的一 直都是先前摆放在客厅玻璃柜中的王冠德比餐具。另外 还宣布了：如同另外两个周年纪念日一样，拿破仑每年 生日时要鸣枪庆祝。 现在，人们提到拿破仑时，决不能简简单单地称 之为“拿破仑”了，而一直都要用正式的称谓，即“我 们的领袖拿破仑同志”。那些猪则替他发明创造出了诸 如“动物之父”“人类的恐惧神”“羊圈的守护神”“小 ③and the like诸如此类 鸭之友”等等头衔。尖嗓子发表演讲时，总会泪流满面， 谈及拿破仑的智慧，其心地如何悲悯善良，对各地的 动物如何怀有深切的爱意一特别是对其他农场那些 不幸的动物们，因为他们仍然生活在愚昧无知和奴役 状态中。每一项成就，每一次好运，都会归功于拿破仑， 此事已经成为惯例了。大家常常可以听见一只母鸡对 另外一只母鸡说：“在我们的领袖拿破仑同志的指引下， 我六天当中下了五枚蛋。”或者听见在池塘边美滋滋地 喝水的两头奶牛激动地说：“多亏有了拿破仑同志的领 导，这水喝起来真是甜美啊！”农场上一般动物的感受 很充分地体现在一首题为《拿破仑同志》的诗中，诗 是小不点写的，内容如下： ·119· Chapter VIII Minimus and which ran as follows: Friend of fatherless! Fountain of happiness! Lord of the swill-bucket! Oh,how my soul is on Fire when I gaze at thy Calm and commanding eye, Like the sun in the sky, Comrade Napoleon! Thou are the giver of All that thy creatures love, Full belly twice a day,clean straw to roll upon; Every beast great or small Sleeps at peace in his stall, Thou watchest over all, Comrade Napoleon! Had I a sucking-pig, Ere he had grown as big Even as a pint bottle or as a rolling-pin, He should have learned to be Faithful and true to thee, Yes,his first squeak should be “Comrade Napoleon!"' Napoleon approved of this poem and caused it to be inscribed on the wall of the big barn,at the opposite end from the Seven Commandments.It was surmounted?by a portrait of Napoleon,in profile,executed by Squealer in ·120· 第八章 孤儿的朋友！ 幸福的源泉！ 赐予食物的主啊！ 您平静威严的目光， 犹如烈日当空。 啊，每当我凝视着您， 拿破仑同志， 我的心充满了火一般的热情！ 您恩赐了 一切生灵所爱的一切。 有一日两顿饱餐， 有洁净的千草打滚躺卧。 每一只牲畜，无论大小， 能够在圈舍里平静入眠。 您守护着一切啊， 拿破仑同志！ 我若是有一幼总， 未及他长大到成年， 即便如奶瓶或擀面杖般大小时， 也要教育他学会对您， 怀有耿耿衷心。 是啊，他的第一声呼喊应该是， ①squeak[skwi:k]n吱吱的 “拿破仑同志！” 叫声 拿破仑对这首诗倍加赞赏，并责令动物们把它书写 在大谷仓的墙壁上，同“七戒”内容相对应。诗上面用 白色颜料画了一幅拿破仑的侧面肖像。肖像画出自尖嗓 ②surmount[sg'maunt]g覆 盖在…顶上 子之手。 ·121· Chapter VIII white paint. Meanwhile,through the agency of Whymper,Napoleon was engaged in complicated negotiations with Frederick and Pilkington.The pile of timber was still unsold.Of the two,Frederick was the more anxious to get hold of it,but he would not offer a reasonable price.At the same time there were renewed rumours that Frederick and his men were plotting to attack Animal Farm and to destroy the windmill,the building of which had aroused furious jealousy in him. Snowball was known to be still skulking on Pinchfield Farm.In the middle of the summer the animals were alarmed to hear that three hens had come forward and confessed that,inspired by Snowball,they had entered into a plot to murder Napoleon.They were executed immediately,and fresh precautions for Napoleon's safety were taken.Four dogs guarded his bed at night,one at each corner,and a young pig named Pinkeye was given the task of tasting all his food before he ate it,lest it should be poisoned. At about the same time it was given out that Napoleon had arranged to sell the pile of timber to Mr.Pilkington;he was also going to enter into a regular agreement for the exchange of certain products between Animal Farm and Foxwood.The relations between Napoleon and Pilkington,though they were only conducted through Whymper,were now almost friendly.The animals distrusted Pilkington,as a human being,but greatly preferred him to Frederick,whom they both feared and hated.As the summer wore on,and the windmill neared completion,the rumours of an impending?treacherous attack grew stronger and stronger.Frederick,it was said,intended to bring against them twenty men all armed with guns,and he had already bribed the magistrates and police, so that if he could once get hold of the title-deeds of Animal Farm they would ask no questions.Moreover,terrible stories were leaking out from Pinchfield about the cruelties that Frederick practised upon his animals.He had flogged an old horse to death,he starved his cows,he had killed a dog by throwing it into the furnace,he amused himself in the evenings by making cocks fight with splinters of razor-blade tied to their spurs.The animals'blood boiled with ·122· 第八章 与此同时，通过中间人温佩尔牵线搭桥，拿破仑同 弗里德里克和皮尔金顿进行了一次次复杂的谈判，那一 堆木料尚未成交。两个人当中，弗里德里克更加迫不及 待想要购买木料，但是，他出的价钱不合理。同时，又 出现了新的传闻，说弗里德里克和他的雇员正在密谋对 动物农场发起攻击，想要摧毁风车工程，因为建造风车 的事情已经令他心里酸溜溜的。据说雪球仍然藏匿在窄 ①skulk[sklk]躲藏 地农场。仲夏时节，动物们诚惶诚恐，听到三只母鸡主 动坦白交代说，她们受到雪球的蛊惑，参与了一场旨在 谋杀拿破仑的阴谋。三只母鸡立刻被处决了。为了保护 拿破仑的安全，动物们采取了新的安保措施。四条狗夜 间守护在他的床边，每条狗守住一个角。有头名叫粉红 眼的小猪接受了一项任务，即但凡拿破仑要吃的东西， 粉红眼都要先品尝一番，防止食物被下过毒。 大概在同一时间，动物们得到了通知，说拿破仑己 经安排好了，准备把那堆木料卖给皮尔金顿先生。他还 打算签订一份长期协议，拟在动物农场和狐狸林农场之 间就某些产品进行交换。拿破仑和皮尔金顿之间虽说只 是通过温佩尔建立关系的，但他们的关系现在几乎可以 说是很友好了。作为人类，动物们信不过皮尔金顿，但 是，相对于他们既害怕又仇视的弗里德里克，他们还是 更加愿意同皮尔金顿打交道。夏季慢慢过去，风车工程 接近竣工了。风声越来越紧，动物们纷纷传言说，弗里 2impending [im'pendin]a. 即将发生的 德里克即将对农场发起一次恶意袭击。据说，他打算率 3 treacherous ['tretfaras]a. 奸诈的 领二十个人，荷枪实弹地对付他们，而且已经买通了地 magistrate['mad3istreit]n. 方治安官和警察，一旦他拿到了农场的地契，那些人便 地方官员 会对此事不闻不问。此外，各种可怕的说法也从窄地农 场传出，说弗里德里克如何对自己的动物施暴。他曾用 ⑤ogg]￥鞭打 ⑥furnace['fanis]n.熔炉 鞭子抽打一匹老马，导致其死亡；他让奶牛们忍饥挨饿： 他把一条狗扔进炉膛里烧死：傍晚时分，他把剃刀片绑 ⑦splinter['splinta)]n.裂片 在公鸡的爪子上，让他们互相打斗，以此来取乐。动物 ⑧spur [spa]n.踢马刺，靴 刺 们听到自己的同志受到如此这般的虐待，怒火中烧，热 ·123· Chapter VIII rage when they heard of these things being done to their comrades,and sometimes they clamoured to be allowed to go out in a body and attack Pinchfield Farm, drive out the humans,and set the animals free.But Squealer counselled them to avoid rash actions and trust in Comrade Napoleon's strategy. Nevertheless,feeling against Frederick continued to run high.One Sunday morning Napoleon appeared in the barn and explained that he had never at any time contemplated selling the pile of timber to Frederick;he considered it beneath his dignity,he said,to have dealings with scoundrels of that description.The pigeons who were still sent out to spread tidings of the Rebellion were forbidden to set foot anywhere on Foxwood,and were also ordered to drop their former slogan of "Death to Humanity"in favour of "Death to Frederick."In the late summer yet another of Snowball's machinations was laid bare.The wheat crop was full of weeds,and it was discovered that on one of his nocturnal visits Snowball had mixed weed seeds with the seed corn.A gander who had been privy to the plot had confessed his guilt to Squealer and immediately committed suicide by swallowing deadly nightshade berries.The animals now also learned that Snowball had never as many of them had believed hitherto received the order of"Animal Hero First Class."This was merely a legend which had been spread some time after the Battle of the Cowshed by Snowball himself.So far from being decorated,he had been censured for showing cowardice in the battle.Once again some of the animals heard this with a certain bewilderment,but Squealer was soon able to convince them that their memories had been at fault. In the autumn,by a tremendous,exhausting effort for the harvest had to be gathered at almost the same time the windmill was finished.The machinery had still to be installed,and Whymper was negotiating the purchase of it,but the structure was completed.In the teeth of every difficulty,in spite of inexperience, of primitive implements,of bad luck and of Snowball's treachery,the work had been finished punctually to the very day!Tired out but proud,the animals walked round and round their masterpiece,which appeared even more beautiful in their eyes than when it had been built the first time.Moreover,the walls were ·124· 第八章 血沸腾。有时候，他们大声嚷嚷着，请求允许倾巢出动， ①clamour[klama]v吵闹 着要求 对窄地农场发起进攻，驱逐人类，让那儿的动物获得自 由。但是，尖嗓子劝说他们不要鲁葬行事，要相信拿破 ②rash action冒失的行为 仑同志的战略战术。 然而，反对弗里德里克的情绪依然持续高涨。一 个星期天的上午，拿破仑出现在大谷仓，向大家解释 说，他任何时候都没有考虑要把那堆木料卖给弗里德 scoundrel ['skaundral]n. 里克。他说，同那样的无赖货色进行交易，有损自己 恶棍，无赖 的尊严。那些被派遣出去散布要爆发反抗运动消息的 鸽子禁止涉足狐狸林农场的任何地方。他们接到传令， 把先前“消灭人类”的口号改为“消灭弗里德里克”。 到了夏末，他们还揭穿了雪球的另一次阴谋。麦地里 ④machination [maeki'neifon]n.阴谋 杂草丛生，动物们弄清楚了，雪球有一次夜间潜入农 ⑤noctumal[nok'ta:nol]a.夜 间的 场时，在麦种里掺入了野草籽。有只公鹅曾经参与了 ⑥gander[gaenda]n.雄鹅 ⑦privy[privi]a.暗中参与 这一阴谋，他向尖嗓子坦白交代了自己的罪行后便立 的 刻吞食毒浆果自杀身亡了。动物们现在还得知，雪球 8 nightshade ['nait.Jeid]n. 茄属植物 并非像他们中许多成员至今仍然相信的那样得过什么 ⑨bemy[beri]n.浆果 “一级动物英雄”勋章。这事纯属传说，是“牛棚之战” 过后不久雪球自己传播扩散的。他不仅根本没有被授 予勋章，而且还因为在战斗中的懦弱表现受到了大众 ⑩censure[senfa)k谴责 ①cowardice[kauadis]n.懦 的谴责。一些动物听到这个情况之后，还是显得迷惑 弱 不解，但是，尖嗓子很快便说服了他们，让他们相信 是自己的记忆力出了问题。 秋天到了，动物们竭尽全力，艰苦劳作，因为他们 完成风车建造工程的同时，还必须要抢收庄稼。不过， 机械设备还有待安装，温佩尔正在协商购置事宜，但主 体结构已经完成了。动物们面对着每一个困难，尽管缺 乏经验，设备落后，运气不佳，雪球背叛，但他们还是 如期完成了工程！动物们精疲力竭，但倍感自豪。他们 绕着自己的杰作走了一圈又一圈。在他们看来，风车工 程甚至比第一次建造得还要更加完美。此外，墙体的厚 度比先前增加了一倍。这一次，除非使用炸药，否则任 ·125·