《动物庄园》

2015-05-30GeorgeOrwell

新东方英语·中学版 2015年9期

George Orwell

乔治·奥威尔（George Orwell， 1903～1950），本名埃里克·阿瑟·布莱尔（Eric Arthur Blair），英国著名小说家、杂文作家、记者和评论家，生于英国殖民下的印度，在缅甸当过警察，参加过西班牙内战。乔治·奥威尔一生短暂，但他以敏锐的洞察力和犀利的文笔审视和记录着他所生活的那个时代，并做出了许多超越时代的预言，被称为“一代人的冷峻良知”。他的作品以揭露社会不公现象、反对极权主义为特点，其中最著名的代表作就是《1984》（1984）和《动物庄园》（Animal Farm）。《动物庄园》出版于1945年，讲述了一个农场的众多动物不堪人类主人的压迫，在猪的领导下革命成功后，又在阴谋与权力的倾轧下，回归极权主义悲惨生活的故事。小说生动地讲述了极权主义形成的过程，借猪喻人，体现了作者对人类社会的深刻洞悉，读来令人胆战心惊。

下文选自小说第九章，讲述了农场里最忠诚、干活最卖力的老马拳师（Boxer）在受伤后落得一个最悲惨的下场。

Late one evening in the summer， a sudden rumour ran round the farm that something had happened to Boxer1）. He had gone out alone to drag a load of stone down to the windmill. And sure enough， the rumour was true. A few minutes later two pigeons came racing in with the news： "Boxer has fallen！ He is lying on his side and can't get up！"

About half the animals on the farm rushed out to the knoll2） where the windmill stood. There lay Boxer， between the shafts3） of the cart， his neck stretched out4）， unable even to raise his head. His eyes were glazed5）， his sides matted6） with sweat. A thin stream of blood had trickled7） out of his mouth. Clover8） dropped to her knees at his side.

"Boxer，" she cried， "how are you？"

"It is my lung，" said Boxer in a weak voice. "It does not matter. I think you will be able to finish the windmill without me. There is a pretty good store of stone accumulated. I had only another month to go in any case. To tell you the truth， I had been looking forward to my retirement. And perhaps， as Benjamin9） is growing old too， they will let him retire at the same time and be a companion to me."

"We must get help at once，" said Clover. "Run， somebody， and tell Squealer10） what has happened."

All the other animals immediately raced back to the farmhouse to give Squealer the news. Only Clover remained， and Benjamin who lay down at Boxer's side， and， without speaking， kept the flies off him with his long tail. After about a quarter of an hour Squealer appeared， full of sympathy and concern. He said that Comrade Napoleon11） had learned with the very deepest distress12） of this misfortune to one of the most loyal workers on the farm， and was already making arrangements to send Boxer to be treated in the hospital at Willingdon. The animals felt a little uneasy at this. Except for Mollie13） and Snowball14）， no other animal had ever left the farm， and they did not like to think of their sick comrade in the hands of human beings. However， Squealer easily convinced them that the veterinary15） surgeon16） in Willingdon could treat Boxer's case more satisfactorily than could be done on the farm. And about half an hour later， when Boxer had somewhat recovered， he was with difficulty got on to his feet， and managed to limp17） back to his stall18）， where Clover and Benjamin had prepared a good bed of straw for him.

For the next two days Boxer remained in his stall. The pigs had sent out a large bottle of pink medicine which they had found in the medicine chest in the bathroom， and Clover administered19） it to Boxer twice a day after meals. In the evenings she lay in his stall and talked to him， while Benjamin kept the flies off him. Boxer professed20） not to be sorry for what had happened. If he made a good recovery， he might expect to live another three years， and he looked forward to the peaceful days that he would spend in the corner of the big pasture21）. It would be the first time that he had had leisure to study and improve his mind. He intended， he said， to devote the rest of his life to learning the remaining twenty-two letters of the alphabet22）.

However， Benjamin and Clover could only be with Boxer after working hours， and it was in the middle of the day when the van came to take him away. The animals were all at work weeding23） turnips24） under the supervision of a pig， when they were astonished to see Benjamin come galloping25） from the direction of the farm buildings， braying26） at the top of his voice. It was the first time that they had ever seen Benjamin excited—indeed， it was the first time that anyone had ever seen him gallop. "Quick， quick！" he shouted. "Come at once！ They're taking Boxer away！" Without waiting for orders from the pig， the animals broke off27） work and raced back to the farm buildings. Sure enough， there in the yard was a large closed van， drawn by two horses， with lettering on its side and a sly28）-looking man in a low-crowned bowler hat29） sitting on the driver's seat. And Boxer's stall was empty.

The animals crowded round the van. "Good-bye， Boxer！" they chorused30）. "Good-bye！"

"Fools！ Fools！" shouted Benjamin， prancing31） round them and stamping32） the earth with his small hoofs33）. "Fools！ Do you not see what is written on the side of that van？" In the midst of a deadly silence he read：

"'Alfred Simmonds， Horse Slaughterer and Glue Boiler， Willingdon. Dealer in Hides and Bone-Meal.' Do you not understand what that means？ They are taking Boxer to the knacker's34）！"

夏天的一个夜晚，一个谣言突然在庄园里传开：拳师出事了。他独自跑出去，往风车那儿拉了一车石头。果不其然，谣言是真的。几分钟后，两只鸽子急速飞进庄园，带来消息说：“拳师倒下了！他侧躺在地，站不起来了！”

庄园里大约一半的动物都冲了出去，跑到了建风车的小山丘上。拳师躺在那里，卡在马车的两根车辕之间，伸着脖子，连头也抬不起来了。他的双眼呆滞无神，身体两侧的毛因沾满了汗水而粘作一团，嘴边淌出一股细细的鲜血。苜蓿跪倒在他身边。

“拳师，”她哭喊道，“你怎么样了？”

“是我的肺，”拳师声音虚弱地说，“没关系的。我想没有我，你们也能建好风车。积攒的石头已经储备很多了。不管怎么样，我也只有一个月的时间了。和你说实话，我一直盼望着退休。反正本杰明也上年纪了，说不定他们会让他和我同时退休，和我做个伴。”

“我们必须马上求援，”苜蓿说，“快，谁去跑一趟，告诉声响器这儿发生的事。”

其他所有动物立刻跑回庄园，去给声响器报信。只有苜蓿还留在原地，而本杰明则躺在拳师身边，默默地用他的长尾巴为拳师驱赶苍蝇。过了大概有一刻钟，声响器出现了，满怀同情与关心。他说拿破仑同志已经知道本庄园最忠诚的工人之一遭遇了如此不幸，对此深感痛心，并已经在安排送拳师去威灵登的医院接受治疗。动物们对此觉得有点不安。除了莫莉和雪球，还没有其他动物离开过庄园，而且他们也不愿去想他们这位病重的同志落入人类手中的样子。不过，声响器轻而易举地就让他们相信，让威灵登的兽医给拳师治病会比拳师在庄园里得到的治疗更令人满意。大约半个小时后，拳师稍微恢复了一点体力，他艰难地站起身来，挣扎着一瘸一拐地走回他的厩栏，苜蓿和本杰明已经用稻草在那里给他铺了一张很舒服的床。

接下来的两天，拳师就待在他的厩栏里。猪们送来了一大瓶粉红色的药，那是他们在浴室的药盒里找到的，苜蓿每天分两次在饭后喂拳师服用。晚上，她就躺在拳师的厩栏里和他说话，本杰明则在一边帮他赶苍蝇。拳师说他不会为已经发生的事情感到难过。如果恢复得好，他或许希望能再活三年，他很期待在大牧场的角落里享受那平静安宁的日子。那将是他第一次有闲暇时间来学习并提高自己的才智。他说，他打算把余生都用于学习字母表上剩下的那22个字母。

但是，本杰明和苜蓿只能在工作时间过后来陪拳师，而就在一天的正午时分，一辆货车前来带走了拳师。当时动物们全都在一头猪的监督下忙着给萝卜除草，忽然，他们惊讶地看见本杰明从庄园宅子的方向飞奔而来，一边跑一边扯着嗓门大喊着。这是他们第一次见本杰明这么激动——实际上，这也是第一次有人见他疾驰。“快，快！”他大喊道，“赶紧来啊！他们要把拳师带走了！”没等那只猪下命令，动物们全都停下手里的活儿，冲回了庄园。果然，院子中间停了一辆大封闭货车，拉车的是两匹马，货车侧面写了些字母，驾驶座上坐着一个戴着低檐圆顶礼帽、样貌奸诈的人。而拳师的厩栏里则空空如也。

动物们聚到了货车周围。“再见，拳师！”他们齐声说道，“再见！”

“蠢货！蠢货！”本杰明大叫着，一边围着他们跑来跑去，一边用他的小蹄子跺着地，“蠢货！难道你们没有看见货车侧面写的是什么吗？”在一片死一样的沉寂中他念道：

“‘艾尔弗雷德·西蒙兹，威灵登屠马、煮胶商，售卖兽皮、骨粉。你们还不明白那是什么意思吗？他们要把拳师带到屠马场去！”

1. Boxer：拳师，一匹身强力壮的马，是动物庄园中最勤劳最忠诚的动物，深受动物们的爱戴。在下文提到的修风车事宜上，拳师一直都是出力最多的。

2. knoll [n??l] n. 圆丘；土墩

3. shaft [?ɑ?ft] n. （机械的）轴，传动轴

4. stretch out：伸出

5. glazed [ɡle?zd] adj. （目光）木然的，呆滞的，无神采的

6. matted [?m?t?d] adj. （头发）乱成一团的，乱蓬蓬的，缠结在一起的

7. trickle [?tr?kl] vi. 滴；淌

8. Clover：苜蓿，是动物庄园中的另一匹马，同拳师、本杰明一起参与了动物的起义并见证了动物庄园的成立。

9. Benjamin：本杰明，动物庄园中的一头驴子，充满智慧却不太爱管事，对猪们的掌权一直冷眼旁观，与拳师是好朋友。