評論
打印
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.
盡管這樣，在一聽到豬不但在廚房里用餐，而且把客廳當作娛樂室占用了之后，還是有一些動物為此深感不安。
Boxer passed it off as usual with "Napoleon is always right!".
鮑克瑟到蠻不在乎，照例說了一句“拿破侖同志永遠正確。”
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.
但是克拉弗卻認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。
Finding herself unable to read more than individual letters, she fetched Muriel.
結果發現她自己連單個的字母都不認不過來。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;
克拉弗覺得太突兀了，她從不記得第四條誡律提到過被褥，
but as it was there on the wall, it must have done so.
可它既然就寫在墻上，那它一定本來就是這樣。
And Squealer, who happened to be passing at this moment, attended by two or three dogs,
趕巧這時候，斯奎拉在兩三條狗的陪伴下路過這兒，
was able to put the whole matter in its proper perspective.
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?
“那么，同志們，你們已經聽到我們豬現在睡到莊主院床上的事了？為什么不呢？
You did not suppose, surely, that there was ever a ruling against beds?
你們不想想，真的有過什么誡律反對床嗎？
A bed merely means a place to sleep in.
床只不過是指一個睡覺的地方。
A pile of straw in a stall is a bed, properly regarded.
如果正確看待的話，窩棚里的稻草堆就是一張床。
The rule was against sheets, which are a human invention.
這條誡律是反對被褥的，因為被褥是人類發明的。
We have removed the sheets from the farmhouse beds, and sleep between blankets.
我們已經把莊主院床上的被褥全撤掉了，而睡在毯子里。
And very comfortable beds they are too!
它們也是多么舒服的床啊！
But not more comfortable than we need, I can tell you, comrades, with all the brainwork we have to do nowadays.
可是同志們，我可以告訴你們，現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。
You would not rob us of our repose, would you, comrades?
同志們，你們不會不讓我們休息吧？
You would not have us too tired to carry out our duties?
你們不愿使我們過于勞累而失職吧？
Surely none of you wishes to see Jones back?"
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.
在這一點上，動物們立刻就使他消除了疑慮，也不再說什么有關豬睡在莊主院床上的事了。
And when, some days afterwards, it was announced that
而且數日之后，當宣布說，
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.
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。
