书城文学问世界:一个初中女孩的成长记
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第4章 一头猪的胜利关于《动物农场》的荐书演讲

[英文演讲原文]

Hello everyone,I'm Wendy.Today,I will be recommending a dystopian novel,written by George Orwell,called Animal Farm.

Have you seen farms before?Especially the well organized ones,with a farm owner running through everything,and with animals working as hard as ever.This story takes place in such a farm.One day,two pigs,Snowball and Napoleon,led a rebellion and set the farm free from the cruel owner,Mr.Jones.But Napoleon had the ambition to rule on his own.He chased away Snowball with a pack of dogs and took over Animal Farm as the ruler.He did whatever he wanted to the animals,and at last,it turned out to be Napoleon's utopia,and the other animals' dystopia.

It was fascinating how every pig started their speech with the word,“comrades”.For example,Napoleon's loyal follower,Animal Farm's secondincommand,Squealer,once started a speech like this:“Comrades,I trust that every animal here appreciates the sacrifice that Comrade Napoleon has made.”I don't know what the word“comrade”sounds like to you,but to me,it sounds friendly like allies through thick and thin.It seemed like there was freedom between the animals and no one ever again is going to control and compress them.

The“Seven Commandments”was another interesting thing.Those commandments were like rules,or laws in real life.The animals obeyed,they thought every animal should obey,since everything was fair and everyone was equal.But did Napoleon obey to those commandments?That's something for you to guess.He was the creator of them and he changed it in any way he liked.So it's sort of like this,it seemed like the“Seven Commandments”controls every animal,but it's actually Napoleon's the one who controls the“Seven Commandments”which controls the others.

What is freedom and equality in this book?Basically,it's overthrowing a dictator and replace it with another one.It's having the rules and other animals under Napoleon's control.If he's happy,he changes them.If he's mad,he kills them.But,freedom! Still cheered the ignorant animals.Equality! They hoorayed.Now,you might ask,how did Napoleon do all those brainwash?With power,I'll answer.And what is real power?Oops,it's the animals' obsessions for freedom and equality,and the teethbaring dogs and whips—violence.

“The creatures outside looked from pig to man,and from man to pig,and from pig to man again;but already it was impossible to say which was which.”Exactly,what is the difference between Mr.Jones the Dictator with a whip and Napoleon the Dictator with a whip?Except for Napoleon having fatter ears,I see no difference.

As a reader,watching Napoleon become the dictator step by step surprised me.I was astonished by how every movement Napoleon made was planned out so neatly.I was startled by how he ruled the farm with a“system”.He looked through the animals' hearts,caught them by their own love and fear,and eventually,used them.

If I were an animal from the farm,I would be like any other animals,loving the so called“freedom and equality”,and fearing Mr.Jones and his whip.Instead of analyzing and criticizing what Napoleon did,I would be a great follower.Under the kind of environment and situation where everyone complains about reality but no one is persuasive enough to stand out and lead,I have not a single idea on how I'm going to keep my consciousness and to disagree with“Napoleon is always right”.It's actually pretty ironic how I would laugh at the ignorant animals as an outsider but to be part of them if I really took part.This is the main feeling this book brought to me,although it's complicated and contradicting.But,politics were never a piece of cake,right?

“All animals are equal,but some are more equal than others.”

Long live Comrade Napoleon! Thank you!

[演讲译文]

大家好,我是之问。今天,我想为大家推荐一部乔治·奥威尔所著的反乌托邦小说——《动物农场》。

你见过农场吗?特别是有组织的那种,一般会有一个农场主来管理,和一群拼了命干活的动物。这个故事就是在这样一个农场里发生的。有一天,两头名叫雪球和拿破仑的猪,领导了一场造反,并将农场从残暴的农场主,琼斯先生手里解放了。但拿破仑是头野心勃勃的猪。他命令一群狗赶走了雪球,并在动物农场顺利地当上了统治者。他在动物农场里为所欲为,最后,一切成了拿破仑的乌托邦,其他动物的地狱。

让我吃惊的是,每一头猪的演讲都会以“同志”这个称呼开头。举个例子,声响器,拿破仑的忠实追随者,动物农场的二把手,曾经发表过这样一段演讲:“同志们,我相信在座的每一位都感激拿破仑同志所做出的牺牲。”我不知道这个词对大家来说听起来像什么,但对我而言,“同志”听起来非常友好,像同甘共苦的伙伴一样。看起来好像在动物们之间有自由可言,没有人再会去支配和压榨它们了。

“七诫”又是另一个有趣的东西。它们就像现实生活中的规则,或是法律一样。动物们都遵守了这些规则,它们觉得这是理所当然的事,毕竟,一切都是公平的,每个动物都是平等的。但拿破仑遵守了吗?这是个值得猜想的问题。他是“七诫”的创始人,于是他可以随心所欲地根据自己的爱好改变他们。所以,事情大概是这样的,表面上看起来“七诫”约束了所有动物,但实际上,拿破仑才是在幕后控制一切的黑手。

这本书中的自由和平等是什么?基本上就是推翻了一个独裁者再用另一个代替。是拿破仑掌握着规则与其他动物的生命。如果他开心的话,他就会改变它们;如果他感到愤怒,他便会杀了它们。所以,拿破仑开心就好。但,愚昧的动物们依然在庆祝这虚假的自由与平等。现在你会问,拿破仑是如何给它们洗脑的?我会回答,是力量。那力量又是什么?是动物们对自由与平等的热衷和向往,是龇着牙的狗和鞭子——暴力。

“窗外的动物们先看看猪,再看看人,又反过来先看人,后看猪,但他们再也分辨不出人和猪有什么分别了。”的确,手握鞭子的独裁者琼斯先生与手握鞭子的独裁者拿破仑又有什么区别?除了拿破仑的耳朵更肥以外,我看不出任何不同。

作为一个读者,我很惊讶看着拿破仑一步步成为独裁者。我惊奇拿破仑把每一步都盘算得那么精细。而他管理动物农场的“系统”也让我大开眼界。他看透了动物的心,以它们的爱与恐惧深深抓住了动物们的心,并最终,利用了它们的心。

假如我是动物农场的一个动物,我大概会与任何其他的动物一样,热爱着所谓的“自由与平等”,恐惧着琼斯先生的鞭子。我会成为拿破仑的一个好的追随者,而不是像现在一样分析和批判他。当所有动物都在抱怨现实,却没有动物有能力站出来领导的情况下,我完全不知道我将如何保持我的理智,并是否怀疑唯一的领导者“拿破仑是永远正确的”。这种换位思考挺讽刺的,作为一个局外人,我会嘲笑那些愚昧的动物,但假如我处在同样的环境中,我会与它们一样愚昧吗?这就是这本书为我带来的最大的感受,尽管这种感受既复杂又矛盾。但是,政治从来不是小菜一碟,不是吗?

“所有动物生来平等,但有些动物比其他动物更平等。”

拿破仑同志万岁!谢谢大家!

2017年6月

我的英文演讲