And a moment later, out from the door of the farmhouse came a long file of pigs, all walking on their hind legs.

不大一会，从庄主院门里又走出一长队猪，都用后腿在行走。

Some did it better than others, one or two were even a trifle unsteady and looked as though they would have liked the support of a stick,

他们走到好坏不一，有一两头猪还有点不稳当，看上去好像他们本来更适于找一根棍子支撑着。

but every one of them made his way right round the yard successfully.

不过，每头猪都绕着院子走得相当成功。

Finally there was a tremendous baying of dogs and a shrill crowing from the black cockerel, and out came Napoleon himself,

最后，在一阵非常响亮的狗叫声和那只黑公鸡尖细的啼叫声中，拿破仑亲自走出来了，

majestically upright, casting haughty glances from side to side, and with his dogs gamboling round him.

他大模大样地直立着，眼睛四下里轻慢地瞥了一下。他的狗则活蹦乱跳地簇拥再他的周围。

He carried a whip in his trotter.

他蹄子中捏着一根鞭子。

There was a deadly silence.

一阵死一般的寂静。

Amazed, terrified, huddling together, the animals watched the long line of pigs march slowly round the yard.

惊讶、恐惧的动物们挤在一堆，看着那一长溜猪慢慢地绕着院子行走。

It was as though the world had turned upside-down.

仿佛这世界已经完全颠倒了。

Then there came a moment when the first shock had worn off and when,

接着，当他们从这场震惊中缓过一点劲的时候，

in spite of everything-in spite of their terror of the dogs, and of the habit,

有那么一瞬间，他们顾不上顾虑任何事——顾不上他们对狗的害怕，顾不上他们多少年来养成的，

developed through long years, of never complaining, never criticizing, no matter what happened--they might have uttered some word of protest.

无论发生什么事，他们也从来不抱怨、从批评的习惯——他们马上要大声抗议了。

But just at that moment, as though at a signal,

但就在这时，象是被一个信号激了一下一样，

all the sheep burst out into a tremendous bleating of-- "Four legs good, two legs BETTER!

所有的羊爆发出一阵巨大的咩咩声——四条腿好，两条腿更好！

Four legs good, two legs BETTER! Four legs good, two legs BETTER!"

四条腿好，两条腿更好！四条腿好，两条腿更好！

It went on for five minutes without stopping.

喊叫声不间歇地持续了五分钟。

And by the time the sheep had quieted down, the chance to utter any protest had passed,

等羊安静下来后，已经错过了任何抗议的机会了，

for the pigs had marched back into the farmhouse.

因为猪已列队走回庄主院。

Benjamin felt a nose nuzzling at his shoulder.

本杰明感觉到有一个鼻子在他肩上磨蹭。

He looked round. It was Clover.

回头一看，是克拉弗。

Her old eyes looked dimmer than ever.

只见她那一双衰劳的眼睛比以往更加灰暗。

Without saying anything, she tugged gently at his mane and led him round to the end of the big barn,

她没说一句话，轻轻地拽他的鬃毛，领着他转到大谷仓那一头，

where the Seven Commandments were written.

那儿是写着“七诫”的地方。

For a minute or two they stood gazing at the tatted wall with its white lettering.

他们站在那里注视着有白色字体的柏油墙，足有一两分钟。

"My sight is failing," she said finally.

“我的眼睛不行了”，她终于说话了。

Even when I was young I could not have read what was written there.

就是年轻时，我也认不得那上面所写的东西。

But it appears to me that that wall looks different.

可是今天，怎么我看这面墙不同以前了。

Are the Seven Commandments the same as they used to be, Benjamin?"

‘七诫’还是过去那样吗？本杰明？”

For once Benjamin consented to break his rule, and he read out to her what was written on the wall.

只有这一次，本杰明答应破个例，他把墙上写的东西念给她听。

There was nothing there now except a single Commandment.

而今那上面已经没有别的什么了，只有一条诫律。

It ran: ALL ANIMALS ARE EQUAL/ BUT SOME ANIMALS ARE MORE EQUAL THAN OTHERS

它是这样写的：所有动物一例平等/ 但有些动物比其他动物更加平等