AnimalFarm动物庄园GeorgeOrwell.IMR.JONES,oftheManorFarm,hadlockedthehen-housesforthenight,butwastoodrunktoremembertoshutthepopholes.Withtheringoflightfromhislanterndancingfromsidetoside,helurchedacrosstheyard,kickedoffhisbootsatthebackdoor,drewhimselfalastglassofbeerfromthebarrelinthescullery,andmadehiswayuptobed,whereMrs.Joneswasalreadysnoring.Assoonasthelightinthebedroomwentouttherewasastirringandaflutteringallthroughthefarmbuildings.WordhadgoneroundduringthedaythatoldMajor,theprizeMiddleWhiteboar,hadhadastrangedreamonthepreviousnightandwishedtocommunicateittotheotheranimals.IthadbeenagreedthattheyshouldallmeetinthebigbarnassoonasMr.Joneswassafelyoutoftheway.OldMajor(sohewasalwayscalled,thoughthenameunderwhichhehadbeenexhibitedwasWillingdonBeauty)wassohighlyregardedonthefarmthateveryonewasquitereadytoloseanhour'ssleepinordertohearwhathehadtosay.Atoneendofthebigbarn,onasortofraisedplatform,Majorwasalreadyensconcedonhisbedofstraw,underalanternwhichhungfromabeam.Hewastwelveyearsoldandhadlatelygrownratherstout,buthewasstillamajestic-lookingpig,withawiseandbenevolentappearanceinspiteofthefactthathistusheshadneverbeencut.Beforelongtheotheranimalsbegantoarriveandmakethemselvescomfortableaftertheirdifferentfashions.Firstcamethethreedogs,Bluebell,Jessie,andPincher,andthenthepigs,whosettleddowninthestrawimmediatelyinfrontoftheplatform.Thehensperchedthemselvesonthewindow-sills,thepigeonsfluttereduptotherafters,thesheepandcowslaydownbehindthepigsandbegantochewthecud.Thetwocart-horses,BoxerandClover,cameintogether,walkingveryslowlyandsettingdowntheirvasthairyhoofswithgreatcarelestthereshouldbesomesmallanimalconcealedinthestraw.Cloverwasastoutmotherlymareapproachingmiddlelife,whohadneverquitegotherfigurebackafterherfourthfoal.Boxerwasanenormousbeast,nearlyeighteenhandshigh,andasstrongasanytwoordinaryhorsesputtogether.Awhitestripedownhisnosegavehimasomewhatstupidappearance,andinfacthewasnotoffirst-rateintelligence,buthewasuniversallyrespectedforhissteadinessofcharacterandtremendouspowersofwork.AfterthehorsescameMuriel,thewhitegoat,andBenjamin,thedonkey.Benjaminwastheoldestanimalonthefarm,andtheworsttempered.Heseldomtalked,andwhenhedid,itwasusuallytomakesomecynicalremark—forinstance,hewouldsaythatGodhadgivenhimatailtokeepthefliesoff,butthathewouldsoonerhavehadnotailandnoflies.Aloneamongtheanimalsonthefarmheneverlaughed.Ifaskedwhy,hewouldsaythathesawnothingtolaughat.Nevertheless,withoutopenlyadmittingit,hewasdevotedtoBoxer;thetwoofthemusuallyspenttheirSundaystogetherinthesmallpaddockbeyondtheorchard,grazingsidebysideandneverspeaking.用心爱心专心1Thetwohorseshadjustlaindownwhenabroodofducklings,whichhadlosttheirmother,filedintothebarn,cheepingfeeblyandwanderingfromsidetosidetofindsomeplacewheretheywouldnotbetroddenon.Clovermadeasortofwallroundthemwithhergreatforeleg,andtheducklingsnestleddowninsideitandpromptlyfellasleep.AtthelastmomentMollie,thefoolish,prettywhitemarewhodrewMr.Jones'strap,camemincingdaintilyin,chewingatalumpofsugar.Shetookaplacenearthefrontandbeganflirtingherwhitemane,hopingtodrawattentiontotheredribbonsitwasplaitedwith.Lastofallcamethecat,wholookedround,asusual,forthewarmestplace,andfinallysqueezedherselfinbetweenBoxerandClover;thereshepurredcontentedlythroughoutMajor'sspeechwithoutlisteningtoawordofwhathewassaying.AlltheanimalswerenowpresentexceptMoses,thetameraven,whosleptonaperchbehindthebackdoor.WhenMajorsawthattheyhadallmadethemselvescomfortableandwerewaitingattentively,heclearedhisthroatandbegan:"Comrades,youhaveheardalreadyaboutthestrangedreamthatIhadlastnight.ButIwillcometothedreamlater.Ihavesomethingelsetosayfirst.Idonotthink,comrades,thatIshallbewithyouformanymonthslonger,andbeforeIdie,IfeelitmydutytopassontoyousuchwisdomasIhaveacquired.Ihavehadalonglife,IhavehadmuchtimeforthoughtasIlayaloneinmystall,andIthinkImaysaythatIunderstandthenatureoflifeonthisearthaswellasanyanimalnowliving.ItisaboutthisthatIwishtospeaktoyou.用心爱心专心2
