動物農(nóng)場 Animal Farm 第1章(4)

"Man is the only creature that consumes without producing.

“人是一種最可憐的家伙，什么都產(chǎn)不了，只會揮霍。

He does not give milk, he does not lay eggs, he is too weak to pull the plough, he cannot run fast enough to catch rabbits.

那些家伙產(chǎn)不了奶，也下不了蛋，瘦弱得拉不動犁跑起來也是慢吞吞的，連個兔子都逮不住。

Yet he is lord of all the animals.

可那家伙卻是所有動物的主宰。

He sets them to work, he gives back to them the bare minimum that will prevent them from starving, and the rest he keeps for himself.

他驅(qū)使他們?nèi)ジ苫?，給他們報償卻只是一點少得不能再少的草料，僅夠他們糊口而已。而他們勞動所得的其余的一切則都被他據(jù)為己有。

Our labour tills the soil, our dung fertilises it, and yet there is not one of us that owns more than his bare skin.

是我們流血流汗在耕耘這塊土地，是我們的糞便使它肥沃，可我們自己除了這一副空皮囊之外，又得到了什么呢!

You cows that I see before me, how many thousands of gallons of milk have you given during this last year?

你們這些坐在我面前的牛，去年一年里，你們已產(chǎn)過多少加侖的奶呢!

And what has happened to that milk which should have been breeding up sturdy calves?

那些本來可以喂養(yǎng)出許多強壯的牛犢的奶又到哪兒去了呢?

Every drop of it has gone down the throats of our enemies.

每一滴都流進了我們仇敵的喉嚨里。

And you hens, how many eggs have you laid in this last year, and how many of those eggs ever hatched into chickens?

還有你們這些雞、這一年里你們已下了多少只蛋呢?可又有多少孵成了小雞?

The rest have all gone to market to bring in money for Jones and his men.

那些沒有孵化的雞蛋都被拿到市場上為瓊斯和他的伙計們換成了鈔票!

And you, Clover, where are those four foals you bore, who should have been the support and pleasure of your old age?

你呢，克拉弗，你的四匹小馬駒到哪兒去了?他們本來是你晚年的安慰和寄托!

Each was sold at a year old--you will never see one of them again.

而他們卻都在一歲時給賣掉了，你永遠也無法再見到他們了。

In return for your four confinements and all your labour in the fields, what have you ever had except your bare rations and a stall?

補償給你這四次坐月子和在地里勞作的，除了那點可憐的飼料和一間馬廄外，還有什么呢?

"And even the miserable lives we lead are not allowed to reach their natural span.

“就是過著這樣悲慘的生活，我們也不能被允許享盡天年。

For myself I do not grumble, for I am one of the lucky ones.

拿我自己來說，我無可抱怨，因為我算是幸運的。

I am twelve years old and have had over four hundred children.

我十二歲了，已有四百多個孩子。

Such is the natural life of a pig.

這對一個豬來說就是應(yīng)有的生活了。

But no animal escapes the cruel knife in the end.

但是，到頭來沒有一個動物能逃過那殘忍的一刀。

You young porkers who are sitting in front of me, every one of you will scream your lives out at the block within a year.

你們這些坐在我面前的小肉豬們，不出一年，你們都將在刀架上嚎叫著斷送性命。

To that horror we all must come--cows, pigs, hens, sheep, everyone.

這恐怖就是我們——牛、豬、雞、羊等等每一位都難逃的結(jié)局。