The animals were all at work weeding turnips under the supervision of a pig, when they were astonished to see Benjamin come galloping from the direction of the farm buildings, braying at the top of his voice.

动物们都在猪的监督下做婚礼用的萝卜，忽然，他们惊讶地看着本杰明从庄园窝棚那边飞奔而来，一边还扯着嗓子大叫着。

It was the first time that they had ever seen Benjamin excited.

这是他们第一次见到本杰明如此激动。

Indeed, it was the first time that anyone had ever seen him gallop.

事实上，也是第一次看到他奔跑。

"Quick, quick!" he shouted. "Come at once! They're taking Boxer away!"

"快，快！"他大声喊着，"快来呀！他们要拉走鲍克瑟！"

Without waiting for orders from the pig, the animals broke off work and raced back to the farm buildings.

没等猪下命令，动物们全都放下活计，迅速跑回去了。

Sure enough, there in the yard was a large closed van, drawn by two horses,

果然，院子里停着一辆大篷车，由两匹马拉着，

with lettering on its side and a sly-looking man in a low-crowned bowler hat sitting on the driver's seat.

车边上写着字，驾车人的位置上坐着一个男人，阴沉着脸，头戴一顶低檐圆礼帽。

And Boxer's stall was empty.

鲍克瑟的棚子空着。

The animals crowded round the van.

动物们围住车。

"Good-bye, Boxer!" they chorused, "good-bye!"

异口同声地说："再见，鲍克瑟！再见！"

"Fools! Fools!" shouted Benjamin, prancing round them and stamping the earth with his small hoofs.

"笨蛋！傻瓜！"本杰明喊着，绕着他们一边跳，一边用他的小蹄掌敲打着地面。

"Fools! Do you not see what is written on the side of that van?"

"傻瓜！你们没看见车边上写着什么吗？"

That gave the animals pause, and there was a hush.

这下子，动物们犹豫了，场面也静了下来。

Muriel began to spell out the words.

穆丽尔开始拼读那些字。

But Benjamin pushed her aside and in the midst of a deadly silence he read:

可本杰明却把她推到了一边，他自己就在死一般的寂静中念到：

"'Alfred Simmonds, Horse Slaughterer and Glue Boiler, Willingdon.

"'威灵顿，艾夫列?西蒙兹，屠马商兼煮胶商。

Dealer in Hides and Bone-Meal. Kennels Supplied.'

皮革商兼供应狗食的骨粉商。'

Do you not understand what that means?

你们不明白这是什么意思吗？

They are taking Boxer to the knacker's!"

他们要把鲍克瑟拉到在宰马场去！"

A cry of horror burst from all the animals.

听到这些，所有的动物都突然迸发出一阵恐惧的哭嚎。

At this moment the man on the box whipped up his horses and the van moved out of the yard at a smart trot.

就在这时，坐在车上的那个人扬鞭催马，马车在一溜小跑中离开大院。

All the animals followed, crying out at the tops of their voices.

所有的动物都跟在后面，拼命地叫喊着。

Clover forced her way to the front.

克拉弗硬挤到最前面。

The van began to gather speed.

这时，马车开始加速。

Clover tried to stir her stout limbs to a gallop, and achieved a canter.

克拉弗也试图加快她那粗壮的四肢赶上去，并且越跑越快。

"Boxer!" she cried, "Boxer! Boxer! Boxer!"

"鲍克瑟！"她哭喊道，"鲍克瑟！鲍克瑟！鲍克瑟！"

And just at this moment, as though he had heard the uproar outside, Boxer's face, with the white stripe down his nose,

恰在这时，好像鲍克瑟听到了外面的喧嚣声，他的面孔，带着一道直通鼻子的白毛，

appeared at the small window at the back of the van.

出现在车后的小窗子里。