George Orwell

喬治·奧威爾（George Orwell， 1903～1950），本名埃里克·阿瑟·布萊爾（Eric Arthur Blair），英國著名小說家、雜文作家、記者和評論家，生于英國殖民下的印度，在緬甸當過警察，參加過西班牙內(nèi)戰(zhàn)。喬治·奧威爾一生短暫，但他以敏銳的洞察力和犀利的文筆審視和記錄著他所生活的那個時代，并做出了許多超越時代的預言，被稱為“一代人的冷峻良知”。他的作品以揭露社會不公現(xiàn)象、反對極權(quán)主義為特點，其中最著名的代表作就是《1984》（1984）和《動物莊園》（Animal Farm）?！秳游锴f園》出版于1945年，講述了一個農(nóng)場的眾多動物不堪人類主人的壓迫，在豬的領導下革命成功后，又在陰謀與權(quán)力的傾軋下，回歸極權(quán)主義悲慘生活的故事。小說生動地講述了極權(quán)主義形成的過程，借豬喻人，體現(xiàn)了作者對人類社會的深刻洞悉，讀來令人膽戰(zhàn)心驚。

下文選自小說第九章，講述了農(nóng)場里最忠誠、干活最賣力的老馬拳師（Boxer）在受傷后落得一個最悲慘的下場。

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）！"

夏天的一個夜晚，一個謠言突然在莊園里傳開：拳師出事了。他獨自跑出去，往風車那兒拉了一車石頭。果不其然，謠言是真的。幾分鐘后，兩只鴿子急速飛進莊園，帶來消息說：“拳師倒下了！他側(cè)躺在地，站不起來了！”

莊園里大約一半的動物都沖了出去，跑到了建風車的小山丘上。拳師躺在那里，卡在馬車的兩根車轅之間，伸著脖子，連頭也抬不起來了。他的雙眼呆滯無神，身體兩側(cè)的毛因沾滿了汗水而粘作一團，嘴邊淌出一股細細的鮮血。苜蓿跪倒在他身邊。

“拳師，”她哭喊道，“你怎么樣了？”

“是我的肺，”拳師聲音虛弱地說，“沒關系的。我想沒有我，你們也能建好風車。積攢的石頭已經(jīng)儲備很多了。不管怎么樣，我也只有一個月的時間了。和你說實話，我一直盼望著退休。反正本杰明也上年紀了，說不定他們會讓他和我同時退休，和我做個伴?！?/p>

“我們必須馬上求援，”苜蓿說，“快，誰去跑一趟，告訴聲響器這兒發(fā)生的事。”

其他所有動物立刻跑回莊園，去給聲響器報信。只有苜蓿還留在原地，而本杰明則躺在拳師身邊，默默地用他的長尾巴為拳師驅(qū)趕蒼蠅。過了大概有一刻鐘，聲響器出現(xiàn)了，滿懷同情與關心。他說拿破侖同志已經(jīng)知道本莊園最忠誠的工人之一遭遇了如此不幸，對此深感痛心，并已經(jīng)在安排送拳師去威靈登的醫(yī)院接受治療。動物們對此覺得有點不安。除了莫莉和雪球，還沒有其他動物離開過莊園，而且他們也不愿去想他們這位病重的同志落入人類手中的樣子。不過，聲響器輕而易舉地就讓他們相信，讓威靈登的獸醫(yī)給拳師治病會比拳師在莊園里得到的治療更令人滿意。大約半個小時后，拳師稍微恢復了一點體力，他艱難地站起身來，掙扎著一瘸一拐地走回他的廄欄，苜蓿和本杰明已經(jīng)用稻草在那里給他鋪了一張很舒服的床。

接下來的兩天，拳師就待在他的廄欄里。豬們送來了一大瓶粉紅色的藥，那是他們在浴室的藥盒里找到的，苜蓿每天分兩次在飯后喂拳師服用。晚上，她就躺在拳師的廄欄里和他說話，本杰明則在一邊幫他趕蒼蠅。拳師說他不會為已經(jīng)發(fā)生的事情感到難過。如果恢復得好，他或許希望能再活三年，他很期待在大牧場的角落里享受那平靜安寧的日子。那將是他第一次有閑暇時間來學習并提高自己的才智。他說，他打算把余生都用于學習字母表上剩下的那22個字母。

但是，本杰明和苜蓿只能在工作時間過后來陪拳師，而就在一天的正午時分，一輛貨車前來帶走了拳師。當時動物們?nèi)荚谝活^豬的監(jiān)督下忙著給蘿卜除草，忽然，他們驚訝地看見本杰明從莊園宅子的方向飛奔而來，一邊跑一邊扯著嗓門大喊著。這是他們第一次見本杰明這么激動——實際上，這也是第一次有人見他疾馳。“快，快！”他大喊道，“趕緊來?。∷麄円讶瓗煄ё吡?！”沒等那只豬下命令，動物們?nèi)纪Ｏ率掷锏幕顑?，沖回了莊園。果然，院子中間停了一輛大封閉貨車，拉車的是兩匹馬，貨車側(cè)面寫了些字母，駕駛座上坐著一個戴著低檐圓頂禮帽、樣貌奸詐的人。而拳師的廄欄里則空空如也。

動物們聚到了貨車周圍。“再見，拳師！”他們齊聲說道，“再見！”

“蠢貨！蠢貨！”本杰明大叫著，一邊圍著他們跑來跑去，一邊用他的小蹄子跺著地，“蠢貨！難道你們沒有看見貨車側(cè)面寫的是什么嗎？”在一片死一樣的沉寂中他念道：

“‘艾爾弗雷德·西蒙茲，威靈登屠馬、煮膠商，售賣獸皮、骨粉。你們還不明白那是什么意思嗎？他們要把拳師帶到屠馬場去！”

1. Boxer： 拳師，一匹身強力壯的馬，是動物莊園中最勤勞最忠誠的動物，深受動物們的愛戴。在下文提到的修風車事宜上，拳師一直都是出力最多的。

2. knoll [n??l] n. 圓丘；土墩

3. shaft [?ɑ?ft] n. （機械的）軸，傳動軸

4. stretch out： 伸出

5. glazed [ɡle?zd] adj. （目光）木然的，呆滯的，無神采的

6. matted [?m?t?d] adj. （頭發(fā)）亂成一團的，亂蓬蓬的，纏結(jié)在一起的

7. trickle [?tr?kl] vi. 滴；淌

8. Clover： 苜蓿，是動物莊園中的另一匹馬，同拳師、本杰明一起參與了動物的起義并見證了動物莊園的成立。

9. Benjamin： 本杰明，動物莊園中的一頭驢子，充滿智慧卻不太愛管事，對豬們的掌權(quán)一直冷眼旁觀，與拳師是好朋友。

10. Squealer： 聲響器，是動物莊園中的一只豬，他是動物莊園的領袖拿破侖的發(fā)言人，負責給動物們洗腦。

11. Comrade Napoleon： 拿破侖同志，是動物莊園的一只豬，在起義后趕走競爭對手雪球，成為動物莊園的領袖。

12. distress [d??stres] n. 悲傷；痛苦；憂慮

13. Mollie： 莫莉，動物莊園的一匹馬，在動物自主統(tǒng)治后因留戀人類的東西而主動離開動物莊園，為自己重新找了一個人類主人。

14. Snowball： 雪球，動物莊園的一只豬，聰明能干，一心為動物謀福利，在動物中很有威望，是拿破侖的競爭對手，但后來被拿破侖陷害，不得已逃離了動物莊園。

15. veterinary [?vetr?n?ri] adj. 獸醫(yī)的

16. surgeon [?s??d??n] n. 外科醫(yī)生

17. limp [l?mp] vi. 一瘸一拐地走；跛行；蹣跚

18. stall [st??l] n. （農(nóng)場建筑中圈養(yǎng)單只牲畜的）隔欄，分隔間

19. administer [?d?m?n?st?（r）] vt. 給予（藥物）

20. profess [pr??fes] vt. 表達，表明（感情、觀點、信仰等）

21. pasture [?pɑ?st??（r）] n. 牧場；牧草地

22. 雪球曾開展掃盲計劃，號召動物們學習知識，但大部分動物都只學了一兩個字母就放棄了。拳師只學會了字母表的前四個字母。

23. weed [wi?d] vt. 給……除雜草

24. turnip [?t??n?p] n. 蕪菁；蘿卜

25. gallop [?ɡ?l?p] vi. （馬）飛奔；（馬）疾馳

26. bray [bre?] vi. （驢）嘶叫

27. break off： 突然中止

28. sly [sla?] adj. 狡猾的；詭詐的

29. bowler hat： 圓頂硬禮帽

30. chorus [?k??r?s] vt. 齊聲說；齊唱

31. prance [prɑ?ns] vi. （馬）騰躍，奔馳

32. stamp [st?mp] vt. （因生氣等）跺（腳）

33. hoof [hu?f] n. （馬等動物的）蹄

34. knacker [?n?k?（r）] n. 廢馬屠夫（買下老馬并將其屠宰后出售其肉、骨、皮的人）