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.
那一年,動物們干起活來就像奴隸一樣。但他們樂在其中,流血流汗甚至犧牲也心甘情愿,因為他們深深地意識到:他們干的每件事都是為他們自己和未來的同類的利益,而不是為了那幫游手好閑、偷摸成性的人類。
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.
從初春到夏末這段時間里,他們每周工作六十個小時。到了八月,拿破侖又宣布,星期天下午也要安排工作。這項工作完全是自愿性的,不過,無論哪個動物缺勤,他的口糧就要減去一半。即使這樣,大家還是發(fā)覺,有些活就是干不完。收獲比去年要差一些,而且,因為耕作沒有及早完成,本來應(yīng)該在初夏播種薯類作物的兩快地也沒種成。可以預(yù)見,來冬將是一個艱難的季節(jié)。
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 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.
風(fēng)車的事引起了意外的難題。按說,莊園里就有一個質(zhì)地很好的石灰石礦,又在一間小屋里發(fā)現(xiàn)了大量的沙子和水泥,這樣,所有的建筑材料都已齊備。但問題是,動物們剛開始不知道如何才能把石頭弄碎到適用的規(guī)格。似乎除了動用十字鎬和撬棍外,沒有別的辦法??墒?,動物們都不能用后腿站立,也就無法使用鎬和撬棍。在他們徒勞幾個星期之后,才有動物想出了一個好主意,就是利用重力的作用。再看那些巨大的圓石,雖然大都無法直接利用,但整個采石場上到處都是。于是,動物們用繩子綁住石頭,然后,由牛、馬、羊以及所有能抓住繩子的動物合在一起——甚至豬有時也在關(guān)鍵時刻搭個幫手——一起拖著石頭,慢慢地、慢慢地沿著坡拖到礦頂。到了那兒,把石頭從邊上堆下去,在底下就摔成了碎塊。這樣一來,運送的事倒顯得相對簡一些了。馬駕著滿載的貨車運送,羊則一塊一塊地拖,就連穆麗爾和本杰明也套上一輛舊兩輪座車,貢獻(xiàn)出了他們的力量。這樣到了夏末,備用的石頭便積累足了,接著,在豬的監(jiān)督下,工程就破土動工了。
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.
但是,整個采石過程在當(dāng)時卻進(jìn)展緩慢,歷盡艱辛。把一塊圓石拖到礦頂,常常要竭盡全力干整整一天,有些時候,石頭從崖上推下去了,卻沒有摔碎。要是沒有鮑克瑟,沒有他那幾乎能與所有其他動物合在一起相匹敵的力氣,恐怕什么事都干不成。每逢動物們發(fā)現(xiàn)圓石開始往下滑,他們自己正被拖下山坡而絕望地哭喊時,總是多虧鮑克瑟拉住了繩索才穩(wěn)了下來??粗阕蛹饩o扣著地面,一吋一吋吃力地爬著坡;看著他呼吸急促,巨大的身軀浸透了汗水,動物們無不滿懷欽佩和贊嘆??死コ38嬲]他小心點,不要勞累過度了,但他從不放在心上。對他來說,“我要更加努力工作”和“拿破侖同志永遠(yuǎn)正確”這兩句口頭禪足以回答所有的難題。他已同那只小公雞商量好了,把原來每天早晨提前半小時叫醒他,改為提前三刻鐘。同時,盡管近來業(yè)余時間并不多,但他仍要在空閑時間里,獨自到采石場去,在沒有任何幫手的情況下,裝上一車碎石,拖去倒在風(fēng)車的地基里。
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, 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 them selves felt. There was need of paraffin oil, nails, 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.
這一夏季,盡管動物們工作得十分辛苦,他們的境況還不算太壞,雖然他們得到的飼料不比瓊斯時期多,但至少也不比那時少。除了自己食用外,動物們不必去并供養(yǎng)那五個驕奢淫逸的人,這個優(yōu)越性太顯著了,它足以使許多不足之處顯得不足為道。另外,動物們干活的方式,在許多情況下,不但效率高而且省力。比如鋤草這類活,動物們可以干得完美無缺,而對人來說,這一點遠(yuǎn)遠(yuǎn)做不到。再說,如今的動物們都不偷不摸了,也就不必用籬笆把牧場和田地隔開,因此便省去了大量的維護(hù)樹籬和柵欄的勞力。話雖如此,過了夏季,各種各樣意料不到的缺欠就暴露出來了。莊園里需要煤油、釘子、線繩、狗食餅干以及馬蹄上釘?shù)蔫F掌等等,但莊園里又不出產(chǎn)這些東西。后來,又需要種子和人造化肥,還有各類工具以及風(fēng)車用的機(jī)裓??墒牵绾胃愕竭@些東西,動物們就都想像不出了。
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.
一個星期天早晨,當(dāng)動物們集合起來接受任務(wù)時,拿破侖宣布,他已經(jīng)決定了一項新政策。說是往后動物莊園將要同鄰近的莊園做些交易,這當(dāng)然不是為了任何商業(yè)目的,而是僅僅為了獲得某些急需的物資。他說,為風(fēng)車所需要的東西一定要不惜一切代價。因此,他正在準(zhǔn)備出賣一堆干草和和當(dāng)年的部分小麥?zhǔn)粘?,而且,再往后如果需要更多的錢的話,就得靠賣雞蛋來補(bǔ)充了,因為雞蛋在威靈頓總是有銷路的。拿破侖還說,雞應(yīng)該高興地看到,這一犧牲就是他們對建造風(fēng)車的特殊貢獻(xiàn)。
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 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.
動物們再一次感到一種說不出的別扭。決不和人打交道,決不從事交易,決不使用錢,這些最早就有的誓言,在瓊斯被逐后的第一次大會議上,不就已經(jīng)確立了嗎?訂立這些誓言的情形至今都還歷歷在目;或者至少他們自以為還記得有這回事。那四只曾在拿破侖宣布廢除大會議時提出抗議的幼豬膽怯地發(fā)言了,但在狗那可怕的咆哮聲下,很快又不吱聲了。接著,羊又照例咩咩地叫起“四條腿好,兩條腿壞!”一時間的難堪局面也就順利地對付過去了。最后,拿破侖抬起前蹄,平靜一下氣氛,宣布說他已經(jīng)作好了全部安排,任何動物都不必介入和人打交道這種明顯最為討厭的事體中。而他有意把全部重?fù)?dān)放在自己肩上。一個住在威靈頓的叫溫普爾先生的律師,已經(jīng)同意擔(dān)當(dāng)動物莊園和外部社會的中介人,并且將在每個星期一早晨來訪以接受任務(wù)。最后,拿破侖照例喊一聲:“動物莊園萬歲!”就結(jié)束了整個講話。接著,動物們在唱完“英格蘭獸”后,紛紛散場離去。
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.
后來,斯奎拉在莊園里轉(zhuǎn)了一圈才使動物們安心下來。他向他們打保票說,反對從事交易和用錢的誓言從來沒有通過過,搞不好連提議都不曾有過。這純粹是臆想,追溯其根源,很可能是斯諾鮑散布的一個謊言。對此,一些動物還是半信半疑,斯奎拉就狡黠問他們:“你們敢肯定這不是你們夢到一些事嗎?同志們!你們有任何關(guān)于這個誓約的記錄嗎?它寫在哪兒了?”自然,這類東西都從沒有見諸文字。因此,動物們便相信是他們自己搞錯了。
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 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 simultaneously.
那個溫普爾是個律師,長著絡(luò)腮胡子,矮個子,看上去一臉奸詐相。他經(jīng)辦的業(yè)務(wù)規(guī)模很小,但他卻精明過人,早就看出了動物莊園會需要經(jīng)紀(jì)人,并且傭金會很可觀的。按協(xié)議,每個星期一溫普爾都要來莊園一趟。動物們看著他來來去去,猶有幾分畏懼,避之唯恐不及。不過,在他們這些四條腿的動物看來,拿破侖向靠兩條腿站著的溫普爾發(fā)號施令的情景,激發(fā)了他們的自豪,這在一定程度上也讓他們感到這個新協(xié)議是順心的。現(xiàn)在,他們同人類的關(guān)系確實今非昔比了。但是,人們對動物莊園的嫉恨不但沒有因為它的興旺而有所消解,反而恨之彌深。而且每個人都懷著這樣一個信條:動物莊園遲早要破產(chǎn),并且關(guān)鍵是,那個風(fēng)車將是一堆廢虛。他們在小酒店聚會,相互用圖表論證說風(fēng)車注定要倒塌;或者說,即便它能建成,那也永遠(yuǎn)運轉(zhuǎn)不起來云云。雖然如此,他們對動物們管理自己莊園能力,也不由自主地刮目相看了。其中一個跡象就是,他們在稱呼動物莊園時,不再故意叫它曼納莊園,而開始用動物莊園這個名正言順的名稱。他們放棄了對瓊斯的支持,而瓊斯自己也已是萬念俱焚,不再對重主他的莊園抱有希望,并且已經(jīng)移居到國外另一個地方了。如今,多虧了這個溫普爾,動物莊園才得以和外部社會接觸,但是不斷有小道消息說,拿破侖正準(zhǔn)備同福克斯伍德的皮爾金頓先生,或者是平徹菲爾德的弗雷德里克先生簽訂一項明確的商業(yè)協(xié)議,不過還提到,這個協(xié)議永遠(yuǎn)不會同時和兩家簽訂的。
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 sty. 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.
大概就是在這個時候,豬突然搬進(jìn)了莊主院,并且住在那里了。這一下,動物們又似乎想起了,有一條早先就立下的誓愿是反對這樣做的??伤箍纸趟麄冋J(rèn)識到,事實并非如此。他說,豬是莊園的首腦,應(yīng)該有一個安靜的工作場所,這一點絕對必要。再說,對領(lǐng)袖(近來他在談到拿破侖時,已經(jīng)開始用“領(lǐng)袖”這一尊稱)的尊嚴(yán)來說,住在房屋里要比住在純粹的豬圈里更相稱一些。盡管這樣,在一聽到豬不但在廚房里用餐,而且把客廳當(dāng)作娛樂室占用了之后,還是有一些動物為此深感不安。鮑克瑟到蠻不在乎,照例說了一句“拿破侖同志永遠(yuǎn)正確。”但是克拉弗卻認(rèn)為她記得有一條反對床鋪的誡律,她跑到大谷倉那里,試圖從題寫在那兒的“七誡”中找出答案。結(jié)果發(fā)現(xiàn)她自己連單個的字母都不認(rèn)不過來。她便找來穆麗爾。
"Muriel," she said, "read me the Fourth Commandment. Does it not say something about never sleeping in a bed?"
“穆麗爾”她說道,“你給我念一下第四條誡律,它是不是說決不睡在床上什么的?”
With some difficulty Muriel spelt it out.
穆麗爾好不容易才拼讀出來。
"It says, 'No animal shall sleep in a bed with sheets,"' she announced finally.
“它說,‘任何動物不得臥床鋪蓋被褥’,”她終于念道。
Curiously enough, Clover had not remembered that the Fourth Commandment mentioned sheets; but as it was there on the wall, it must have done so. And Squealer, who happened to be passing at this moment, attended by two or three dogs, was able to put the whole matter in its proper perspective.
克拉弗覺得太突兀了,她從不記得第四條誡律提到過被褥,可它既然就寫在墻上,那它一定本來就是這樣。趕巧這時候,斯奎拉在兩三條狗的陪伴下路過這兒,他能從特殊的角度來說明整個問題。
"You have heard then, comrades," he said, "that we pigs now sleep in the beds of the farmhouse? And why not? You did not suppose, surely, that there was ever a ruling against beds? A bed merely means a place to sleep in. A pile of straw in a stall is a bed, properly regarded. The rule was against sheets, which are a human invention. We have removed the sheets from the farmhouse beds, and sleep between blankets. And very comfortable beds they are too! But not more comfortable than we need, I can tell you, comrades, with all the brainwork we have to do nowadays. You would not rob us of our repose, would you, comrades? You would not have us too tired to carry out our duties? Surely none of you wishes to see Jones back?"
“那么,同志們,你們已經(jīng)聽到我們豬現(xiàn)在睡到莊主院床上的事了?為什么不呢?你們不想想,真的有過什么誡律反對床嗎?床只不過是指一個睡覺的地方。如果正確看待的話,窩棚里的稻草堆就是一張床。這條誡律是反對被褥的,因為被褥是人類發(fā)明的。我們已經(jīng)把莊主院床上的被褥全撤掉了,而睡在毯子里。它們也是多么舒服的床啊!可是同志們,我可以告訴你們,現(xiàn)在所有的腦力工作得靠我們來做,和我們所需要的程度相比,這些東西并不見得舒服多少。同志們,你們不會不讓我們休息吧?你們不愿使我們過于勞累而失職吧?肯定你們誰都不愿意看到瓊斯回來吧?”
The animals reassured him on this point immediately, and no more was said about the pigs sleeping in the farmhouse beds. And when, some days afterwards, it was announced that from now on the pigs would get up an hour later in the mornings than the other animals, no complaint was made about that either.
在這一點上,動物們立刻就使他消除了疑慮,也不再說什么有關(guān)豬睡在莊主院床上的事了。而且數(shù)日之后,當(dāng)宣布說,往后豬的起床時間要比其他動物晚一小時,也沒有誰對此抱怨。
By the autumn the animals were tired but happy. They had had a hard year, and after the sale of part of the hay and corn, the stores of food for the winter were none too plentiful, but the windmill compensated for everything. It was almost half built now. After the harvest there was a stretch of clear dry weather, and the animals toiled harder than ever, thinking it well worth while to plod to and fro all day with blocks of stone if by doing so they could raise the walls another foot. Boxer would even come out at nights and work for an hour or two on his own by the light of the harvest moon. In their spare moments the animals would walk round and round the half-finished mill, admiring the strength and perpendicularity of its walls and marvelling that they should ever have been able to build anything so imposing. Only old Benjamin refused to grow enthusiastic about the windmill, though, as usual, he would utter nothing beyond the cryptic remark that donkeys live a long time.
直到秋天,動物們都挺累的,卻也愉快。說起來他們已經(jīng)在艱難中熬過整整一年了,并且在賣了部分干草和玉米之后,準(zhǔn)備過冬的飼料就根本不夠用了,但是,風(fēng)車補(bǔ)償這一切,它這時差不多建到一半了。秋收以后,天氣一直晴朗無雨,動物們干起活來比以前更勤快了。他們整天拖著石塊,辛勞地來回奔忙。他們想著這樣一來,便能在一天之內(nèi)把墻又加高一呎了,因而是多么富有意義啊!鮑克瑟甚至在夜間也要出來,借著中秋的月光干上一兩個小時。動物們則樂于在工余時間繞著進(jìn)行了一半的工程走來走去,對于那墻壁的強(qiáng)度和垂直度贊嘆一番。并為他們竟能修建如此了不起的工程而感到驚喜交加。唯獨老本杰明對風(fēng)車毫無熱情,他如同往常一樣,除了說驢都長壽這句話神乎其神的話之外,就再也無所表示了。
November came, with raging south-west winds. Building had to stop because it was now too wet to mix the cement. Finally there came a night when the gale was so violent that the farm buildings rocked on their foundations and several tiles were blown off the roof of the barn. The hens woke up squawking with terror because they had all dreamed simultaneously of hearing a gun go off in the distance. In the morning the animals came out of their stalls to find that the flagstaff had been blown down and an elm tree at the foot of the orchard had been plucked up like a radish. They had just noticed this when a cry of despair broke from every animal's throat. A terrible sight had met their eyes. The windmill was in ruins.
十二月到了,帶來了猛烈的西北風(fēng)。這時常常是雨天,沒法和水泥,建造工程不得不中斷。后來有一個夜晚,狂風(fēng)大作,整個莊園里的窩棚從地基上都被搖撼了,大谷倉頂棚的一些瓦片也刮掉了。雞群在恐懼中嘎嘎亂叫著驚醒來,因為他們在睡夢中同時聽見遠(yuǎn)處在打槍。早晨,動物們走出窩棚,發(fā)現(xiàn)旗桿已被風(fēng)吹倒,果園邊上的一棵榆樹也象蘿卜一樣被連根拔起。就在這個時候,所有的動物喉嚨里突然爆發(fā)出一陣絕望的哭喊。一幅可怕的景象呈現(xiàn)在他們面前:風(fēng)車毀了。
With one accord they dashed down to the spot. Napoleon, who seldom moved out of a walk, raced ahead of them all. Yes, there it lay, the fruit of all their struggles, levelled to its foundations, the stones they had broken and carried so laboriously scattered all around. Unable at first to speak, they stood gazing mournfully at the litter of fallen stone. Napoleon paced to and fro in silence, occasionally snuffing at the ground. His tail had grown rigid and twitched sharply from side to side, a sign in him of intense mental activity. Suddenly he halted as though his mind were made up.
他們不約而同地沖向現(xiàn)場。很少外出散步的拿破侖,率先跑在最前頭。是的,他們的全部奮斗成果躺在那兒了,全部夷為平地了,他們好不容易弄碎又拉來的石頭四下散亂著。動物們心酸地凝視著倒塌下來的碎石塊,一下子說不出話來。拿破侖默默地來回踱著步,偶爾在地面上聞一聞,他的尾巴變得僵硬,并且還忽左忽右急劇地抽動,對他來說,這是緊張思維活動的表現(xiàn)。突然,他不動了,似乎心里已有了主意。
"Comrades," he said quietly, "do you know who is responsible for this? Do you know the enemy who has come in the night and overthrown our windmill? SNOWBALL!" he suddenly roared in a voice of thunder. "Snowball has done this thing! In sheer malignity, thinking to set back our plans and avenge himself for his ignominious expulsion, this traitor has crept here under cover of night and destroyed our work of nearly a year. Comrades, here and now I pronounce the death sentence upon Snowball. 'Animal Hero, Second Class,' and half a bushel of apples to any animal who brings him to justice. A full bushel to anyone who captures him alive!"
“同志們,”他平靜地說,“你們知道這是誰做的孽嗎?那個昨晚來毀了我們風(fēng)車的仇敵你們認(rèn)識嗎?斯諾鮑!”他突然用雷鳴般的嗓音吼道:“這是斯諾鮑干的!這個叛徒用心何其毒也,他摸黑爬到這兒,毀了我們近一年的勞動成果。他企圖借此阻撓我們的計劃,并為他可恥的被逐報復(fù)。同志們,此時此刻,我宣布判處斯諾鮑死刑。并給任何對他依法懲處的動物授予‘二級動物英雄’勛章和半莆式耳蘋果,活捉他的動物將得到一整莆式耳蘋果。”
The animals were shocked beyond measure to learn that even Snowball could be guilty of such an action. There was a cry of indignation, and everyone began thinking out ways of catching Snowball if he should ever come back. Almost immediately the footprints of a pig were discovered in the grass at a little distance from the knoll. They could only be traced for a few yards, but appeared to lead to a hole in the hedge. Napoleon snuffed deeply at them and pronounced them to be Snowball's. He gave it as his opinion that Snowball had probably come from the direction of Foxwood Farm.
動物們得知斯諾鮑竟能犯下如此罪行,無不感到十分憤慨。于是,他們在一陣怒吼之后,就開始想象如何在斯諾鮑再回來時捉住他。差不多就在同時,在離小山包不遠(yuǎn)的草地上,發(fā)現(xiàn)了豬蹄印。那些蹄印只能跟蹤出幾步遠(yuǎn),但看上去是朝著樹籬缺口方向的。拿破侖對著蹄印仔細(xì)地嗅了一番,便一口咬定那蹄印是斯諾鮑的,他個人認(rèn)為斯諾鮑有可能是從??怂刮榈虑f園方向來的。
"No more delays, comrades!" cried Napoleon when the footprints had been examined. "There is work to be done. This very morning we begin rebuilding the windmill, and we will build all through the winter, rain or shine. We will teach this miserable traitor that he cannot undo our work so easily. Remember, comrades, there must be no alteration in our plans: they shall be carried out to the day. Forward, comrades! Long live the windmill! Long live Animal Farm!"
“不要再遲疑了,同志們!”拿破侖在查看了蹄印后說道:“還有工作要干,我們正是要從今天早晨起,開始重建風(fēng)車,而且經(jīng)過這個冬天,我們要把它建成。風(fēng)雨無阻。我們要讓這個卑鄙的叛徒知道,他不能就這樣輕而易舉地破壞我們的工作。記住,同志們,我們的計劃不僅不會有任何變更,反而要一絲不茍地實行下去。前進(jìn),同志們!風(fēng)車萬歲!動物莊園萬歲!”
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 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, 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 them selves felt. There was need of paraffin oil, nails, 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 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 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 simultaneously.
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 sty. 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?"
With some difficulty Muriel spelt it out.
"It says, 'No animal shall sleep in a bed with sheets,"' she announced finally.
Curiously enough, Clover had not remembered that the Fourth Commandment mentioned sheets; but as it was there on the wall, it must have done so. And Squealer, who happened to be passing at this moment, attended by two or three dogs, was able to put the whole matter in its proper perspective.
"You have heard then, comrades," he said, "that we pigs now sleep in the beds of the farmhouse? And why not? You did not suppose, surely, that there was ever a ruling against beds? A bed merely means a place to sleep in. A pile of straw in a stall is a bed, properly regarded. The rule was against sheets, which are a human invention. We have removed the sheets from the farmhouse beds, and sleep between blankets. And very comfortable beds they are too! But not more comfortable than we need, I can tell you, comrades, with all the brainwork we have to do nowadays. You would not rob us of our repose, would you, comrades? You would not have us too tired to carry out our duties? Surely none of you wishes to see Jones back?"
The animals reassured him on this point immediately, and no more was said about the pigs sleeping in the farmhouse beds. And when, some days afterwards, it was announced that from now on the pigs would get up an hour later in the mornings than the other animals, no complaint was made about that either.
By the autumn the animals were tired but happy. They had had a hard year, and after the sale of part of the hay and corn, the stores of food for the winter were none too plentiful, but the windmill compensated for everything. It was almost half built now. After the harvest there was a stretch of clear dry weather, and the animals toiled harder than ever, thinking it well worth while to plod to and fro all day with blocks of stone if by doing so they could raise the walls another foot. Boxer would even come out at nights and work for an hour or two on his own by the light of the harvest moon. In their spare moments the animals would walk round and round the half-finished mill, admiring the strength and perpendicularity of its walls and marvelling that they should ever have been able to build anything so imposing. Only old Benjamin refused to grow enthusiastic about the windmill, though, as usual, he would utter nothing beyond the cryptic remark that donkeys live a long time.
November came, with raging south-west winds. Building had to stop because it was now too wet to mix the cement. Finally there came a night when the gale was so violent that the farm buildings rocked on their foundations and several tiles were blown off the roof of the barn. The hens woke up squawking with terror because they had all dreamed simultaneously of hearing a gun go off in the distance. In the morning the animals came out of their stalls to find that the flagstaff had been blown down and an elm tree at the foot of the orchard had been plucked up like a radish. They had just noticed this when a cry of despair broke from every animal's throat. A terrible sight had met their eyes. The windmill was in ruins.
With one accord they dashed down to the spot. Napoleon, who seldom moved out of a walk, raced ahead of them all. Yes, there it lay, the fruit of all their struggles, levelled to its foundations, the stones they had broken and carried so laboriously scattered all around. Unable at first to speak, they stood gazing mournfully at the litter of fallen stone. Napoleon paced to and fro in silence, occasionally snuffing at the ground. His tail had grown rigid and twitched sharply from side to side, a sign in him of intense mental activity. Suddenly he halted as though his mind were made up.
"Comrades," he said quietly, "do you know who is responsible for this? Do you know the enemy who has come in the night and overthrown our windmill? SNOWBALL!" he suddenly roared in a voice of thunder. "Snowball has done this thing! In sheer malignity, thinking to set back our plans and avenge himself for his ignominious expulsion, this traitor has crept here under cover of night and destroyed our work of nearly a year. Comrades, here and now I pronounce the death sentence upon Snowball. 'Animal Hero, Second Class,' and half a bushel of apples to any animal who brings him to justice. A full bushel to anyone who captures him alive!"
The animals were shocked beyond measure to learn that even Snowball could be guilty of such an action. There was a cry of indignation, and everyone began thinking out ways of catching Snowball if he should ever come back. Almost immediately the footprints of a pig were discovered in the grass at a little distance from the knoll. They could only be traced for a few yards, but appeared to lead to a hole in the hedge. Napoleon snuffed deeply at them and pronounced them to be Snowball's. He gave it as his opinion that Snowball had probably come from the direction of Foxwood Farm.
"No more delays, comrades!" cried Napoleon when the footprints had been examined. "There is work to be done. This very morning we begin rebuilding the windmill, and we will build all through the winter, rain or shine. We will teach this miserable traitor that he cannot undo our work so easily. Remember, comrades, there must be no alteration in our plans: they shall be carried out to the day. Forward, comrades! Long live the windmill! Long live Animal Farm!"
?那一年,動物們干起活來就像奴隸一樣。但他們樂在其中,流血流汗甚至犧牲也心甘情愿,因為他們深深地意識到:他們干的每件事都是為他們自己和未來的同類的利益,而不是為了那幫游手好閑、偷摸成性的人類。
從初春到夏末這段時間里,他們每周工作六十個小時。到了八月,拿破侖又宣布,星期天下午也要安排工作。這項工作完全是自愿性的,不過,無論哪個動物缺勤,他的口糧就要減去一半。即使這樣,大家還是發(fā)覺,有些活就是干不完。收獲比去年要差一些,而且,因為耕作沒有及早完成,本來應(yīng)該在初夏播種薯類作物的兩快地也沒種成??梢灶A(yù)見,來冬將是一個艱難的季節(jié)。
風(fēng)車的事引起了意外的難題。按說,莊園里就有一個質(zhì)地很好的石灰石礦,又在一間小屋里發(fā)現(xiàn)了大量的沙子和水泥,這樣,所有的建筑材料都已齊備。但問題是,動物們剛開始不知道如何才能把石頭弄碎到適用的規(guī)格。似乎除了動用十字鎬和撬棍外,沒有別的辦法??墒?,動物們都不能用后腿站立,也就無法使用鎬和撬棍。在他們徒勞幾個星期之后,才有動物想出了一個好主意,就是利用重力的作用。再看那些巨大的圓石,雖然大都無法直接利用,但整個采石場上到處都是。于是,動物們用繩子綁住石頭,然后,由牛、馬、羊以及所有能抓住繩子的動物合在一起——甚至豬有時也在關(guān)鍵時刻搭個幫手——一起拖著石頭,慢慢地、慢慢地沿著坡拖到礦頂。到了那兒,把石頭從邊上堆下去,在底下就摔成了碎塊。這樣一來,運送的事倒顯得相對簡一些了。馬駕著滿載的貨車運送,羊則一塊一塊地拖,就連穆麗爾和本杰明也套上一輛舊兩輪座車,貢獻(xiàn)出了他們的力量。這樣到了夏末,備用的石頭便積累足了,接著,在豬的監(jiān)督下,工程就破土動工了。
但是,整個采石過程在當(dāng)時卻進(jìn)展緩慢,歷盡艱辛。把一塊圓石拖到礦頂,常常要竭盡全力干整整一天,有些時候,石頭從崖上推下去了,卻沒有摔碎。要是沒有鮑克瑟,沒有他那幾乎能與所有其他動物合在一起相匹敵的力氣,恐怕什么事都干不成。每逢動物們發(fā)現(xiàn)圓石開始往下滑,他們自己正被拖下山坡而絕望地哭喊時,總是多虧鮑克瑟拉住了繩索才穩(wěn)了下來??粗阕蛹饩o扣著地面,一吋一吋吃力地爬著坡;看著他呼吸急促,巨大的身軀浸透了汗水,動物們無不滿懷欽佩和贊嘆??死コ38嬲]他小心點,不要勞累過度了,但他從不放在心上。對他來說,“我要更加努力工作”和“拿破侖同志永遠(yuǎn)正確”這兩句口頭禪足以回答所有的難題。他已同那只小公雞商量好了,把原來每天早晨提前半小時叫醒他,改為提前三刻鐘。同時,盡管近來業(yè)余時間并不多,但他仍要在空閑時間里,獨自到采石場去,在沒有任何幫手的情況下,裝上一車碎石,拖去倒在風(fēng)車的地基里。
這一夏季,盡管動物們工作得十分辛苦,他們的境況還不算太壞,雖然他們得到的飼料不比瓊斯時期多,但至少也不比那時少。除了自己食用外,動物們不必去并供養(yǎng)那五個驕奢淫逸的人,這個優(yōu)越性太顯著了,它足以使許多不足之處顯得不足為道。另外,動物們干活的方式,在許多情況下,不但效率高而且省力。比如鋤草這類活,動物們可以干得完美無缺,而對人來說,這一點遠(yuǎn)遠(yuǎn)做不到。再說,如今的動物們都不偷不摸了,也就不必用籬笆把牧場和田地隔開,因此便省去了大量的維護(hù)樹籬和柵欄的勞力。話雖如此,過了夏季,各種各樣意料不到的缺欠就暴露出來了。莊園里需要煤油、釘子、線繩、狗食餅干以及馬蹄上釘?shù)蔫F掌等等,但莊園里又不出產(chǎn)這些東西。后來,又需要種子和人造化肥,還有各類工具以及風(fēng)車用的機(jī)裓。可是,如何搞到這些東西,動物們就都想像不出了。
一個星期天早晨,當(dāng)動物們集合起來接受任務(wù)時,拿破侖宣布,他已經(jīng)決定了一項新政策。說是往后動物莊園將要同鄰近的莊園做些交易,這當(dāng)然不是為了任何商業(yè)目的,而是僅僅為了獲得某些急需的物資。他說,為風(fēng)車所需要的東西一定要不惜一切代價。因此,他正在準(zhǔn)備出賣一堆干草和和當(dāng)年的部分小麥?zhǔn)粘?,而且,再往后如果需要更多的錢的話,就得靠賣雞蛋來補(bǔ)充了,因為雞蛋在威靈頓總是有銷路的。拿破侖還說,雞應(yīng)該高興地看到,這一犧牲就是他們對建造風(fēng)車的特殊貢獻(xiàn)。
動物們再一次感到一種說不出的別扭。決不和人打交道,決不從事交易,決不使用錢,這些最早就有的誓言,在瓊斯被逐后的第一次大會議上,不就已經(jīng)確立了嗎?訂立這些誓言的情形至今都還歷歷在目;或者至少他們自以為還記得有這回事。那四只曾在拿破侖宣布廢除大會議時提出抗議的幼豬膽怯地發(fā)言了,但在狗那可怕的咆哮聲下,很快又不吱聲了。接著,羊又照例咩咩地叫起“四條腿好,兩條腿壞!”一時間的難堪局面也就順利地對付過去了。最后,拿破侖抬起前蹄,平靜一下氣氛,宣布說他已經(jīng)作好了全部安排,任何動物都不必介入和人打交道這種明顯最為討厭的事體中。而他有意把全部重?fù)?dān)放在自己肩上。一個住在威靈頓的叫溫普爾先生的律師,已經(jīng)同意擔(dān)當(dāng)動物莊園和外部社會的中介人,并且將在每個星期一早晨來訪以接受任務(wù)。最后,拿破侖照例喊一聲:“動物莊園萬歲!”就結(jié)束了整個講話。接著,動物們在唱完“英格蘭獸”后,紛紛散場離去。
后來,斯奎拉在莊園里轉(zhuǎn)了一圈才使動物們安心下來。他向他們打保票說,反對從事交易和用錢的誓言從來沒有通過過,搞不好連提議都不曾有過。這純粹是臆想,追溯其根源,很可能是斯諾鮑散布的一個謊言。對此,一些動物還是半信半疑,斯奎拉就狡黠問他們:“你們敢肯定這不是你們夢到一些事嗎?同志們!你們有任何關(guān)于這個誓約的記錄嗎?它寫在哪兒了?”自然,這類東西都從沒有見諸文字。因此,動物們便相信是他們自己搞錯了。
那個溫普爾是個律師,長著絡(luò)腮胡子,矮個子,看上去一臉奸詐相。他經(jīng)辦的業(yè)務(wù)規(guī)模很小,但他卻精明過人,早就看出了動物莊園會需要經(jīng)紀(jì)人,并且傭金會很可觀的。按協(xié)議,每個星期一溫普爾都要來莊園一趟。動物們看著他來來去去,猶有幾分畏懼,避之唯恐不及。不過,在他們這些四條腿的動物看來,拿破侖向靠兩條腿站著的溫普爾發(fā)號施令的情景,激發(fā)了他們的自豪,這在一定程度上也讓他們感到這個新協(xié)議是順心的?,F(xiàn)在,他們同人類的關(guān)系確實今非昔比了。但是,人們對動物莊園的嫉恨不但沒有因為它的興旺而有所消解,反而恨之彌深。而且每個人都懷著這樣一個信條:動物莊園遲早要破產(chǎn),并且關(guān)鍵是,那個風(fēng)車將是一堆廢虛。他們在小酒店聚會,相互用圖表論證說風(fēng)車注定要倒塌;或者說,即便它能建成,那也永遠(yuǎn)運轉(zhuǎn)不起來云云。雖然如此,他們對動物們管理自己莊園能力,也不由自主地刮目相看了。其中一個跡象就是,他們在稱呼動物莊園時,不再故意叫它曼納莊園,而開始用動物莊園這個名正言順的名稱。他們放棄了對瓊斯的支持,而瓊斯自己也已是萬念俱焚,不再對重主他的莊園抱有希望,并且已經(jīng)移居到國外另一個地方了。如今,多虧了這個溫普爾,動物莊園才得以和外部社會接觸,但是不斷有小道消息說,拿破侖正準(zhǔn)備同??怂刮榈碌钠柦痤D先生,或者是平徹菲爾德的弗雷德里克先生簽訂一項明確的商業(yè)協(xié)議,不過還提到,這個協(xié)議永遠(yuǎn)不會同時和兩家簽訂的。
大概就是在這個時候,豬突然搬進(jìn)了莊主院,并且住在那里了。這一下,動物們又似乎想起了,有一條早先就立下的誓愿是反對這樣做的??伤箍纸趟麄冋J(rèn)識到,事實并非如此。他說,豬是莊園的首腦,應(yīng)該有一個安靜的工作場所,這一點絕對必要。再說,對領(lǐng)袖(近來他在談到拿破侖時,已經(jīng)開始用“領(lǐng)袖”這一尊稱)的尊嚴(yán)來說,住在房屋里要比住在純粹的豬圈里更相稱一些。盡管這樣,在一聽到豬不但在廚房里用餐,而且把客廳當(dāng)作娛樂室占用了之后,還是有一些動物為此深感不安。鮑克瑟到蠻不在乎,照例說了一句“拿破侖同志永遠(yuǎn)正確。”但是克拉弗卻認(rèn)為她記得有一條反對床鋪的誡律,她跑到大谷倉那里,試圖從題寫在那兒的“七誡”中找出答案。結(jié)果發(fā)現(xiàn)她自己連單個的字母都不認(rèn)不過來。她便找來穆麗爾。
“穆麗爾”她說道,“你給我念一下第四條誡律,它是不是說決不睡在床上什么的?”
穆麗爾好不容易才拼讀出來。
“它說,‘任何動物不得臥床鋪蓋被褥’,”她終于念道。
克拉弗覺得太突兀了,她從不記得第四條誡律提到過被褥,可它既然就寫在墻上,那它一定本來就是這樣。趕巧這時候,斯奎拉在兩三條狗的陪伴下路過這兒,他能從特殊的角度來說明整個問題。
“那么,同志們,你們已經(jīng)聽到我們豬現(xiàn)在睡到莊主院床上的事了?為什么不呢?你們不想想,真的有過什么誡律反對床嗎?床只不過是指一個睡覺的地方。如果正確看待的話,窩棚里的稻草堆就是一張床。這條誡律是反對被褥的,因為被褥是人類發(fā)明的。我們已經(jīng)把莊主院床上的被褥全撤掉了,而睡在毯子里。它們也是多么舒服的床啊!可是同志們,我可以告訴你們,現(xiàn)在所有的腦力工作得靠我們來做,和我們所需要的程度相比,這些東西并不見得舒服多少。同志們,你們不會不讓我們休息吧?你們不愿使我們過于勞累而失職吧?肯定你們誰都不愿意看到瓊斯回來吧?”
在這一點上,動物們立刻就使他消除了疑慮,也不再說什么有關(guān)豬睡在莊主院床上的事了。而且數(shù)日之后,當(dāng)宣布說,往后豬的起床時間要比其他動物晚一小時,也沒有誰對此抱怨。
直到秋天,動物們都挺累的,卻也愉快。說起來他們已經(jīng)在艱難中熬過整整一年了,并且在賣了部分干草和玉米之后,準(zhǔn)備過冬的飼料就根本不夠用了,但是,風(fēng)車補(bǔ)償這一切,它這時差不多建到一半了。秋收以后,天氣一直晴朗無雨,動物們干起活來比以前更勤快了。他們整天拖著石塊,辛勞地來回奔忙。他們想著這樣一來,便能在一天之內(nèi)把墻又加高一呎了,因而是多么富有意義啊!鮑克瑟甚至在夜間也要出來,借著中秋的月光干上一兩個小時。動物們則樂于在工余時間繞著進(jìn)行了一半的工程走來走去,對于那墻壁的強(qiáng)度和垂直度贊嘆一番。并為他們竟能修建如此了不起的工程而感到驚喜交加。唯獨老本杰明對風(fēng)車毫無熱情,他如同往常一樣,除了說驢都長壽這句話神乎其神的話之外,就再也無所表示了。
十二月到了,帶來了猛烈的西北風(fēng)。這時常常是雨天,沒法和水泥,建造工程不得不中斷。后來有一個夜晚,狂風(fēng)大作,整個莊園里的窩棚從地基上都被搖撼了,大谷倉頂棚的一些瓦片也刮掉了。雞群在恐懼中嘎嘎亂叫著驚醒來,因為他們在睡夢中同時聽見遠(yuǎn)處在打槍。早晨,動物們走出窩棚,發(fā)現(xiàn)旗桿已被風(fēng)吹倒,果園邊上的一棵榆樹也象蘿卜一樣被連根拔起。就在這個時候,所有的動物喉嚨里突然爆發(fā)出一陣絕望的哭喊。一幅可怕的景象呈現(xiàn)在他們面前:風(fēng)車毀了。
他們不約而同地沖向現(xiàn)場。很少外出散步的拿破侖,率先跑在最前頭。是的,他們的全部奮斗成果躺在那兒了,全部夷為平地了,他們好不容易弄碎又拉來的石頭四下散亂著。動物們心酸地凝視著倒塌下來的碎石塊,一下子說不出話來。拿破侖默默地來回踱著步,偶爾在地面上聞一聞,他的尾巴變得僵硬,并且還忽左忽右急劇地抽動,對他來說,這是緊張思維活動的表現(xiàn)。突然,他不動了,似乎心里已有了主意。
“同志們,”他平靜地說,“你們知道這是誰做的孽嗎?那個昨晚來毀了我們風(fēng)車的仇敵你們認(rèn)識嗎?斯諾鮑!”他突然用雷鳴般的嗓音吼道:“這是斯諾鮑干的!這個叛徒用心何其毒也,他摸黑爬到這兒,毀了我們近一年的勞動成果。他企圖借此阻撓我們的計劃,并為他可恥的被逐報復(fù)。同志們,此時此刻,我宣布判處斯諾鮑死刑。并給任何對他依法懲處的動物授予‘二級動物英雄’勛章和半莆式耳蘋果,活捉他的動物將得到一整莆式耳蘋果。”
動物們得知斯諾鮑竟能犯下如此罪行,無不感到十分憤慨。于是,他們在一陣怒吼之后,就開始想象如何在斯諾鮑再回來時捉住他。差不多就在同時,在離小山包不遠(yuǎn)的草地上,發(fā)現(xiàn)了豬蹄印。那些蹄印只能跟蹤出幾步遠(yuǎn),但看上去是朝著樹籬缺口方向的。拿破侖對著蹄印仔細(xì)地嗅了一番,便一口咬定那蹄印是斯諾鮑的,他個人認(rèn)為斯諾鮑有可能是從??怂刮榈虑f園方向來的。
“不要再遲疑了,同志們!”拿破侖在查看了蹄印后說道:“還有工作要干,我們正是要從今天早晨起,開始重建風(fēng)車,而且經(jīng)過這個冬天,我們要把它建成。風(fēng)雨無阻。我們要讓這個卑鄙的叛徒知道,他不能就這樣輕而易舉地破壞我們的工作。記住,同志們,我們的計劃不僅不會有任何變更,反而要一絲不茍地實行下去。前進(jìn),同志們!風(fēng)車萬歲!動物莊園萬歲!”