動物農(nóng)場Animal Farm 第7章(9)

The animals huddled about Clover, not speaking.

動物們擠在克拉弗周圍默默不語。

The knoll where they were lying gave them a wide prospect across the countryside.

從他們躺著的地方，可以俯視整個村莊。

Most of Animal Farm was within their view--the long pasture stretching down to the main road, the hayfield, the spinney, the drinking pool,

在那里，動物莊園的絕大部分都盡收眼底。他們看到：狹長的牧場伸向那條大路，耕種過的地里長著茁壯而碧綠的麥苗，還有草灘、樹林、飲水池塘，

the ploughed fields where the young wheat was thick and green, and the red roofs of the farm buildings with the smoke curling from the chimneys.

以及莊園里的紅色屋頂和那煙囪里冒出的裊裊青煙。

It was a clear spring evening.

這是一個晴朗的春天的傍晚。

The grass and the bursting hedges were gilded by the level rays of the sun.

夕陽的光輝灑在草地和茂盛的叢林上，蕩漾著片片金輝。

Never had the farm--and with a kind of surprise they remembered that it was their own farm, every inch of it their own property--appeared to the animals so desirable a place.

他們此刻忽然想到，這是他們自己的莊園，每一吋土地都歸他們自己所有，這是他們感到十分驚訝，因為在此之前，他們從未發(fā)現(xiàn)這里竟是如此令他們心馳神往。

As Clover looked down the hillside her eyes filled with tears.

克拉弗看著下面的山坡，熱淚不禁涌上眼眶。

If she could have spoken her thoughts, it would have been to say that this was not what they had aimed at when they had set themselves years ago to work for the overthrow of the human race.

如果她有辦法說出此時的想法的話，她肯定就會這樣說，現(xiàn)在的情形可不是幾年前他們?yōu)橥品祟惗^斗的目標。

These scenes of terror and slaughter were not what they had looked forward to on that night when old Major first stirred them to rebellion.

這些可怕的情形以及這種殺戮并不是他們在老麥哲第一次鼓動起義的那天晚上所向往的。

If she herself had had any picture of the future, it had been of a society of animals set free from hunger and the whip, all equal,

對于未來，如果說她還曾有過什么構(gòu)想，那就一定是構(gòu)想了這樣一個社會：在那里，沒有饑餓和鞭子的折磨，一律平等，

each working according to his capacity, the strong protecting the weak, as she had protected the lost brood of ducklings with her foreleg on the night of Major's speech.

各盡其能，強者保護弱者，就象是在麥哲講演的那天晚上，她曾經(jīng)用前腿保護著那是最后才到的一群小鴨子一樣。

Instead--she did not know why--they had come to a time when no one dared speak his mind, when fierce,

但現(xiàn)在她不明白，為什么他們現(xiàn)在竟處在一個不敢講真話的世界里，

growling dogs roamed everywhere, and when you had to watch your comrades torn to pieces after confessing to shocking crimes.

那些氣勢洶洶的狗到處咆哮，眼看著自己的同志在坦白了可怕的罪行后被撕成碎片而無可奈何。

There was no thought of rebellion or disobedience in her mind.

就是這些時候，她的心里沒有反叛或者違命的念頭。

She knew that, even as things were, they were far better off than they had been in the days of Jones.

她知道，盡管如此，他們現(xiàn)在也比瓊斯在的時候強多了。

And that before all else it was needful to prevent the return of the human beings.

再說，他們的當務之急還是要防備人類卷土重來。

Whatever happened she would remain faithful, work hard, carry out the orders that were given to her, and accept the leadership of Napoleon.

不管出了什么事，她都要依然忠心耿耿，辛勤勞動，服從拿破侖的領導，完成交給自己的任務。

But still, it was not for this that she and all the other animals had hoped and toiled.

然而，她仍相信，她和其他的動物曾期望并為之操勞的，并不是今天這般情景。

It was not for this that they had built the windmill and faced the bullets of Jones's gun.

他們建造風車，勇敢地冒著瓊斯的槍林彈雨沖鋒陷陣也不是為著這些。