And a moment later, out from the door of the farmhouse came a long file of pigs, all walking on their hind legs.
不大一會,從莊主院門里又走出一長隊豬,都用后腿在行走。
Some did it better than others, one or two were even a trifle unsteady and looked as though they would have liked the support of a stick,
他們走到好壞不一,有一兩頭豬還有點不穩當,看上去好像他們本來更適于找一根棍子支撐著。
but every one of them made his way right round the yard successfully.
不過,每頭豬都繞著院子走得相當成功。
Finally there was a tremendous baying of dogs and a shrill crowing from the black cockerel, and out came Napoleon himself,
最后,在一陣非常響亮的狗叫聲和那只黑公雞尖細的啼叫聲中,拿破侖親自走出來了,
majestically upright, casting haughty glances from side to side, and with his dogs gamboling round him.
他大模大樣地直立著,眼睛四下里輕慢地瞥了一下。他的狗則活蹦亂跳地簇擁再他的周圍。
He carried a whip in his trotter.
他蹄子中捏著一根鞭子。
There was a deadly silence.
一陣死一般的寂靜。
Amazed, terrified, huddling together, the animals watched the long line of pigs march slowly round the yard.
驚訝、恐懼的動物們擠在一堆,看著那一長溜豬慢慢地繞著院子行走。
It was as though the world had turned upside-down.
仿佛這世界已經完全顛倒了。
Then there came a moment when the first shock had worn off and when,
接著,當他們從這場震驚中緩過一點勁的時候,
in spite of everything-in spite of their terror of the dogs, and of the habit,
有那么一瞬間,他們顧不上顧慮任何事——顧不上他們對狗的害怕,顧不上他們多少年來養成的,
developed through long years, of never complaining, never criticizing, no matter what happened--they might have uttered some word of protest.
無論發生什么事,他們也從來不抱怨、從批評的習慣——他們馬上要大聲抗議了。
But just at that moment, as though at a signal,
但就在這時,象是被一個信號激了一下一樣,
all the sheep burst out into a tremendous bleating of-- "Four legs good, two legs BETTER!
所有的羊爆發出一陣巨大的咩咩聲——四條腿好,兩條腿更好!
Four legs good, two legs BETTER! Four legs good, two legs BETTER!"
四條腿好,兩條腿更好!四條腿好,兩條腿更好!
It went on for five minutes without stopping.
喊叫聲不間歇地持續了五分鐘。
And by the time the sheep had quieted down, the chance to utter any protest had passed,
等羊安靜下來后,已經錯過了任何抗議的機會了,
for the pigs had marched back into the farmhouse.
因為豬已列隊走回莊主院。
Benjamin felt a nose nuzzling at his shoulder.
本杰明感覺到有一個鼻子在他肩上磨蹭。
He looked round. It was Clover.
回頭一看,是克拉弗。
Her old eyes looked dimmer than ever.
只見她那一雙衰勞的眼睛比以往更加灰暗。
Without saying anything, she tugged gently at his mane and led him round to the end of the big barn,
她沒說一句話,輕輕地拽他的鬃毛,領著他轉到大谷倉那一頭,
where the Seven Commandments were written.
那兒是寫著“七誡”的地方。
For a minute or two they stood gazing at the tatted wall with its white lettering.
他們站在那里注視著有白色字體的柏油墻,足有一兩分鐘。
"My sight is failing," she said finally.
“我的眼睛不行了”,她終于說話了。
Even when I was young I could not have read what was written there.
就是年輕時,我也認不得那上面所寫的東西。
But it appears to me that that wall looks different.
可是今天,怎么我看這面墻不同以前了。
Are the Seven Commandments the same as they used to be, Benjamin?"
‘七誡’還是過去那樣嗎?本杰明?”
For once Benjamin consented to break his rule, and he read out to her what was written on the wall.
只有這一次,本杰明答應破個例,他把墻上寫的東西念給她聽。
There was nothing there now except a single Commandment.
而今那上面已經沒有別的什么了,只有一條誡律。
It ran: ALL ANIMALS ARE EQUAL/ BUT SOME ANIMALS ARE MORE EQUAL THAN OTHERS
它是這樣寫的:所有動物一例平等/ 但有些動物比其他動物更加平等