BBC：100部英国人最喜欢的文学作品].AnimalFarm.pdf

Animal Farm
e Orwell
1945
I
Mr. Jones, of the Manor Farm, had locked the hen-houses for the night, but
was too drunk to remember to shut the popholes. With the ring of light from
his lantern dancing from side to side, he lurched across the yard, kicked off his
boots at the back door, drew himself a last glass of beer from the barrel in the
scullery, and made his way up to bed, where Mrs. Jones was already snoring.
As soon as the light in the bedroom went out there was a stirring and a
fluttering all through the farm buildings. Word had gone round during the day
that old Major, the prize Middle White boar, had had a strange dream on the
previous night and wished municate it to the other animals. It had been
agreed that they should all meet in the big barn as soon as Mr. Jones was safely
out of the way. Old Major (so he was always called, though the name under
which he had been exhibited was Willingdon Beauty) was so highly regarded on
the farm that everyone was quite ready to lose an hour’s sleep in order to hear
what he had to say.
At one end of the big barn, on a sort of raised platform, Major was already
ensconced on his bed of straw, under a lantern which hung from a beam. He was
twelve years old and had lately grown rather stout, but he was still a majestic-
looking pig, with a wise and benevolent appearance in spite of the fact that his
tushes had never been cut. Before long the other animals began to arrive and
make fortable after their different fashions. First came the three
dogs, Bluebell, Jessie, and Pincher, and then the pigs, who settled down in the
straw immediately in front of the platform. The hens perched themselves on
the window-sills, the pigeons fluttered up to the rafters, the sheep and cows lay
down behind the pigs and began to chew the cud. The two cart-horses, Boxer
and Clover, came in together, walking very slowly and setting down their vast
hairy hoofs with great care lest there should be some small animal concea