At the beginning, when the laws of Animal Farm were first formulated, the retiring age had been fixed for horses and pigs at twelve, for cows at fourteen, for dogs at nine, for sheep at seven, and for hens and geese at five.
Liberal old−age pensions (养老金) had been agreed upon. As yet no animal had actually retired on pension, but of late the subject had been discussed more and more.{1}
Now that the small field beyond the orchard had been set aside for barley (大麦), it was rumoured that a corner of the large pasture was to be fenced off and turned into a grazing−ground (放牧地) for superannuated (退休的) animals.
For a horse, it was said, the pension would be five pounds of corn a day and, in winter, fifteen pounds of hay, with a carrot or possibly an apple on public holidays.
Boxer's twelfth birthday was due (预计的) in the late summer of the following year.
Meanwhile life was hard. The winter was as cold as the last one had been, and food was even shorter. Once again all rations (配给) were reduced, except those of the pigs and the dogs.
A too rigid (固定的) equality in rations, Squealer explained, would have been contrary to the principles of Animalism.
In any case he had no difficulty in proving to the other animals that they were not in reality short of food, whatever the appearances might be.{2}
For the time being, certainly, it had been found necessary to make a readjustment of rations (Squealer always spoke of it as a "readjustment," never as a "reduction"), but in comparison with the days of Jones, the improvement was enormous.
Reading out the figures in a shrill, rapid voice, he proved to them in detail that they had more oats (燕麦), more hay, more turnips than they had had in Jones's day, that they worked shorter hours, that their drinking water was of better quality, that they lived longer, that a larger proportion (比例) of their young ones survived infancy (婴儿期), and that they had more straw in their stalls and suffered less from fleas (跳蚤).
The animals believed every word of it. Truth to tell, Jones and all he stood for had almost faded (逐渐消失) out of their memories.
They knew that life nowadays was harsh (严酷的) and bare, that they were often hungry and often cold, and that they were usually working when they were not asleep.
But doubtless it had been worse in the old days. They were glad to believe so. Besides, in those days they had been slaves and now they were free, and that made all the difference, as Squealer did not fail to point out.
There were many more mouths to feed now. In the autumn the four sows (母猪) had all littered (产仔) about simultaneously (同时地), producing thirty−one young pigs between them.
The young pigs were piebald, and as Napoleon was the only boar (种猪) on the farm, it was possible to guess at their parentage. It was announced that later, when bricks (砖) and timber had been purchased, a schoolroom would be built in the farmhouse garden.
For the time being, the young pigs were given their instruction by Napoleon himself in the farmhouse kitchen. They took their exercise in the garden, and were discouraged (阻止) from playing with the other young animals.
About this time, too, it was laid down as a rule that when a pig and any other animal met on the path, the other animal must stand aside: and also that all pigs, of whatever degree, were to have the privilege of wearing green ribbons (饰带) on their tails on Sundays.
The farm had had a fairly successful year, but was still short of money. There were the bricks, sand, and lime (石灰) for the schoolroom to be purchased, and it would also be necessary to begin saving up again for the machinery for the windmill.
Then there were lamp oil and candles for the house, sugar for Napoleon's own table (he forbade this to the other pigs, on the ground that it made them fat), and all the usual replacements such as tools, nails (钉子), string (绳子), coal, wire, scrap−iron (铁块), and dog biscuits.{3}
A stump of hay and part of the potato crop were sold off, and the contract for eggs was increased to six hundred a week, so that that year the hens barely hatched enough chicks (小鸡) to keep their numbers at the same level.
Rations, reduced in December, were reduced again in February, and lanterns in the stalls were forbidden to save oil. But the pigs seemed comfortable enough, and in fact were putting on weight if anything.
One afternoon in late February a warm, rich, appetising (令人垂涎的) scent, such as the animals had never smelt before, wafted (飘荡) itself across the yard from the little brew−house, which had been disused in Jones's time, and which stood beyond the kitchen.
Someone said it was the smell of cooking barley (大麦). The animals sniffed the air hungrily and wondered whether a warm mash (糊糊) was being prepared for their supper.
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But no warm mash appeared, and on the following Sunday it was announced that from now onwards all barley would be reserved (专门留给) for the pigs.
The field beyond the orchard had already been sown with barley. And the news soon leaked out that every pig was now receiving a ration of a pint of beer daily, with half a gallon for Napoleon himself, which was always served to him in the Crown Derby soup tureen (有盖汤碗).{4}
But if there were hardships to be borne (忍受), they were partly offset (抵消) by the fact that life nowadays had a greater dignity than it had had before.
There were more songs, more speeches, more processions. Napoleon had commanded that once a week there should be held something called a Spontaneous (自发的) Demonstration, the object of which was to celebrate the struggles and triumphs of Animal Farm.
At the appointed time the animals would leave their work and march (游行) round the precincts (区域) of the farm in military formation, with the pigs leading, then the horses, then the cows, then the sheep, and then the poultry (家禽). The dogs flanked (在…侧面) the procession and at the head of all marched Napoleon's black cockerel.
Boxer and Clover always carried between them a green banner marked with the hoof and the horn and the caption (说明文字), "Long live Comrade Napoleon! " Afterwards there were recitations (朗诵) of poems composed in Napoleon's honour, and a speech by Squealer giving particulars of the latest increases in the production of foodstuffs, and on occasion a shot was fired from the gun.
The sheep were the greatest devotees of the Spontaneous Demonstration, and if anyone complained (as a few animals sometimes did, when no pigs or dogs were near) that they wasted time and meant a lot of standing about in the cold, the sheep were sure to silence him with a tremendous bleating of "Four legs good, two legs bad!"
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But by and large the animals enjoyed these celebrations. They found it comforting to be reminded that, after all, they were truly their own masters and that the work they did was for their own benefit.
So that, what with the songs, the processions, Squealer's lists of figures, the thunder of the gun, the crowing of the cockerel, and the fluttering of the flag, they were able to forget that their bellies were empty, at least part of the time.{5}