Now when Squealer described the scene so graphically (生动地), it seemed to the animals that they did remember it.
At any rate, they remembered that at the critical moment of the battle Snowball had turned to flee. But Boxer was still a little uneasy.
"I do not believe that Snowball was a traitor (叛徒) at the beginning," he said finally. "What he has done since is different.
But I believe that at the Battle of the Cowshed he was a good comrade."
"Our Leader, Comrade Napoleon," announced Squealer, speaking very slowly and firmly (坚决地), "has stated categorically (明确地)−categorically, comrade−that Snowball was Jones's agent from the very beginning−yes, and from long before the Rebellion was ever thought of."
"Ah, that is different!" said Boxer. "If Comrade Napoleon says it, it must be right."
"That is the true spirit, comrade!" cried Squealer, but it was noticed he cast a very ugly look at Boxer with his little twinkling eyes.
He turned to go, then paused and added impressively: "I warn every animal on this farm to keep his eyes very wide open.
For we have reason to think that some of Snowball's secret agents are lurking (潜伏) among us at this moment!"
Four days later, in the late afternoon, Napoleon ordered all the animals to assemble in the yard.
When they were all gathered together, Napoleon emerged from the farmhouse, wearing both his medals (for he had recently awarded himself "Animal Hero, First Class," and "Animal Hero, Second Class"), with his nine huge dogs frisking round him and uttering growls that sent shivers down all the animals' spines.
They all cowered silently in their places, seeming to know in advance that some terrible thing was about to happen.
Napoleon stood sternly surveying (审视) his audience; then he uttered a high−pitched whimper. Immediately the dogs bounded (跳跃) forward, seized four of the pigs by the ear and dragged them, squealing with pain and terror, to Napoleon's feet.
The pigs' ears were bleeding, the dogs had tasted blood, and for a few moments they appeared to go quite mad.
To the amazement of everybody, three of them flung themselves upon Boxer. Boxer saw them coming and put out his great hoof (蹄子), caught a dog in mid−air, and pinned (按住) him to the ground.
The dog shrieked for mercy and the other two fled with their tails between their legs. Boxer looked at Napoleon to know whether he should crush the dog to death or let it go.
Napoleon appeared to change countenance (面部表情), and sharply ordered Boxer to let the dog go, whereat Boxer lifted his hoof, and the dog slunk away, bruised and howling.
Presently the tumult (骚乱) died down. The four pigs waited, trembling, with guilt written on every line of their countenances.
Napoleon now called upon them to confess (供认) their crimes.
They were the same four pigs as had protested when Napoleon abolished the Sunday Meetings.{1}
Without any further prompting they confessed that they had been secretly in touch with Snowball ever since his expulsion, that they had collaborated (勾结) with him in destroying the windmill, and that they had entered into an agreement with him to hand over Animal Farm to Mr. Frederick.
They added that Snowball had privately admitted to them that he had been Jones's secret agent for years past.
When they had finished their confession, the dogs promptly tore their throats out, and in a terrible voice Napoleon demanded whether any other animal had anything to confess.
The three hens who had been the ringleaders in the attempted rebellion over the eggs now came forward and stated that Snowball had appeared to them in a dream and incited (煽动) them to disobey Napoleon's orders.
They, too, were slaughtered (屠杀). Then a goose came forward and confessed to having secreted six ears of corn during the last year's harvest and eaten them in the night.
鹅有罪小.jpg
Then a sheep confessed to having urinated in the drinking pool−urged to do this, so she said, by Snowball-and two other sheep confessed to having murdered an old ram (公羊), an especially devoted follower of Napoleon, by chasing him round and round a bonfire when he was suffering from a cough.{2}
羊有罪小.jpg
They were all slain (杀死) on the spot. And so the tale of confessions and executions went on, until there was a pile of corpses (尸体) lying before Napoleon's feet and the air was heavy with the smell of blood, which had been unknown there since the expulsion of Jones.{3}
When it was all over, the remaining animals, except for the pigs and dogs, crept away in a body. They were shaken and miserable.
They did not know which was more shocking−the treachery of the animals who had leagued themselves with Snowball, or the cruel retribution they had just witnessed.
In the old days there had often been scenes of bloodshed (杀戮) equally terrible, but it seemed to all of them that it was far worse now that it was happening among themselves.
Since Jones had left the farm, until today, no animal had killed another animal. Not even a rat had been killed.{4}
They had made their way on to the little knoll (圆丘) where the half−finished windmill stood, and with one accord they all lay down as though huddling together for warmth−Clover, Muriel, Benjamin, the cows, the sheep, and a whole flock of geese and hens−everyone, indeed, except the cat, who had suddenly disappeared just before Napoleon ordered the animals to assemble.
For some time nobody spoke. Only Boxer remained on his feet. He fidgeted (坐立不安) to and fro, swishing his long black tail against his sides and occasionally uttering a little whinny of surprise. Finally he said:
"I do not understand it. I would not have believed that such things could happen on our farm. It must be due to some fault in ourselves.
The solution, as I see it, is to work harder. From now onwards I shall get up a full hour earlier in the mornings."
And he moved off at his lumbering (缓慢笨拙地移动) trot and made for the quarry. Having got there, he collected two successive (连续的) loads of stone and dragged them down to the windmill before retiring for the night.
