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  • a unique fast read that will keep your attention the whole time...

  • George Orwell wrote this fable about farm animals that realize how terrible the humans treat them. The animals fought the humans, pushing the people out of their farm to create an entirely new society from the humans. Once the humans are out, the animals make laws that were built to completely set ... Continue

    George Orwell wrote this fable about farm animals that realize how terrible the humans treat them. The animals fought the humans, pushing the people out of their farm to create an entirely new society from the humans. Once the humans are out, the animals make laws that were built to completely set them apart from the people.

    

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• ― SAAS MS said on Sep 24, 2008 about the Paperback edition| Add your feedback

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  • This has to be one of my favorite books of all time. I have read it a few times and it never gets old. You can get through it quite quickly as it isn't very long. Just a fantastic book that everyone should read

    

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• ― Dave Sanders said on Feb 12, 2008 about the Paperback edition| Add your feedback

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  • If you ever get a chance, go to youtube and look up the animal farm vid. Someone took that Hallmark special and merged it with Pink Floyd's "Animals". Very cool.

    

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• ― darkwalker said on Jan 23, 2008 about the Paperback edition| Add your feedback

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  • I think if I had read this one before 1984, I would have enjoyed it better. However, I read it after and 1984 beat it so much I could hardly enjoy this book. I got to the last page and was about to regret reading it when I read the very last sentence. That line was enough to keep the book and put ... Continue

    I think if I had read this one before 1984, I would have enjoyed it better. However, I read it after and 1984 beat it so much I could hardly enjoy this book. I got to the last page and was about to regret reading it when I read the very last sentence. That line was enough to keep the book and put it down as classic and powerful.

    

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• ― RaechelM said on Nov 8, 2008 about the Paperback edition| Add your feedback

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  • When allegory gets this heavy-handed, you have to wonder if fiction really served the author's purposes best.

    

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• ― baftaboo said on Apr 18, 2008 about the Paperback edition| Add your feedback

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  • Read the first time in 7th grade & have read it several times since.... Most recently about 6 months ago

    

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• ― Alex Highgate said on Feb 6, 2008 about the Paperback edition| Add your feedback

来自 - 英美文学之家 ( http://www.e-Literature.com.cn/ )

'All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.'
(凡动物一律平等, 但有些动物比其它动物更加平等).

看到这句话,是不是有些啼笑皆非的感觉? 没错,George.Orwell的这本薄薄的政治寓言小说,正如Swift的<格列佛游记>一般,尖锐深刻却又带着黑色幽默式的讽刺本部小说所针对的对象.

故事讲的是: 农场主Jones(影射俄国沙皇)虐待动物,且酗酒并耽于享乐. 一头聪明的老猪(影射列宁),召集全农场的动物号召它们起来反抗人类,并且说出自己梦中所想起的革命歌曲,激情飞扬的号召着被压迫的动物们造反. 只是在造反前夕老猪便去世了. 革命的任务就留给了两头聪明的青年猪 - Snowball and Napoleon(分别影射托洛斯基与斯大林). 他们归纳了老猪的革命理论,成功的领导动物们推翻了人类私有的"庄园农场",改名为"Animal Farm". 并且订立了标准的革命制度 - 七戒.

1. 凡是用两条腿走路的人都是敌人；
2. 凡是用四条腿走路或用翅膀的都是朋友；
3. 一切动物都不许穿衣服；
4. 一切动物都不许睡床铺；
5. 一切动物都不许喝酒；
6. 一切动物都不允许杀害其它动物；
7. 所有动物都是平等的。

革命成功的开始,每种动物都兴致勃勃,干劲冲天,为自己所得到的全新的"自由"而欢庆喜悦. 它们高唱革命歌,学习七戒,由绵羊群大声呼喊"四条腿好,两条腿坏!" 只是有一丝不和谐的是动物们不大用得上的牛奶,还有成熟了的苹果,猪享受优先享用的资格.

这时,人类安排了反攻. 虽然拥有枪炮弹药,但在Snowball与Napoleon的领导下动物们还是勇敢无畏的击败了人类. "牛棚战役"成了革命成功后的一次大胜仗,大大鼓舞了动物们的信心.

Snowball想出造风车的计划,它描绘了美好的愿望以后每个动物都可以用上电,冬天取暖夏天避暑. 但Napoleon却完全不赞同. 于是革命派分成了两个派系. 虽然在全动物表决大会上Snowball美好的蓝图让大多数动物都准备投它的赞成票. 然而Napoleon使用它养大的七条凶狠的大狗,成功的驱逐了Snowball,做上了领导的位子.

革命稳定之后的农场,动物们很辛苦,每天都在劳动,然而所得到的粮食却并没有增加. 这时,Napoleon宣布要跟外界进行贸易来提高粮食供给. 虽然大家都隐约感到一丝的不对劲,好像与当初说的"不许与人类来往"的政策不一样,但在绵羊们呼喊的"四条腿好,两条腿坏!"后大家还是欣慰的接受了这个事实.

接下来,Napoleon就像这样的住进了Jones的卧室,穿上了以前人类的衣服,还跟四头母猪生下了三十多头小猪,并且把它们与其它动物隔离起来教育培养. 每当动物们有些疑问时,就会被严厉的制止,并且喊出"四条腿好,两条腿坏!"的口号. 动物们也就顺理成章的接受了.

农场的风车第一次被破坏了,农场里散步了各种谣言,根据领导阶层的意见这都是Snowball与人类勾结要摧毁革命成果的事实. 于是,随着Napoleon的意见,革命歌取消了,换成了赞扬领袖的歌曲. 领袖为了做成贸易,与平时大家厌恶的人类达成合约(影射二次大战时苏联与德国的互不侵犯条约). 却又被人类用假钱蒙蔽,开始了第二次大战. 这次战争伤亡惨重,但在领袖的高歌鼓舞下,动物们还是接受了虽然惨烈也算胜利了的事实.

动物成立了共和国,不可争议的Napoleon成了主席. 参加过革命的动物们老了,渐渐死去了. 连只知道劳动的Boxer(影射工人阶级)也因为操劳过度而死去了,虽然他一直喊着"Napoleon的话就是对的!","我会更努力的工作!" 但还是被秘密的送到了屠宰场换来了猪们享用的金钱. 但在领袖的颂扬下动物们还是认为Boxer得到了安宁.

日子一天天过去了,动物们越来越老. 只剩下几种动物参加过革命了. 它们的眼睛也花了,记忆力也变得模糊了. 他们纳闷以前经常唱的革命歌现在怎么不唱了,还有绵羊们喊的口号好像发生了变化,现在似乎听成了
"四条腿好,两条腿更好!"

老马走到刻有七戒的墙前问老骡子上面写了什么. 老骡子说他也不记得了,但是以前似乎没这么少字. 只见以前写着七戒的地方现在只刻有一条,那就是:
'All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.'
(凡动物一律平等, 但有些动物比其它动物更加平等).

有一天动物们惊恐的发现,猪们在用两条腿走路. 并且Napoleon还宴请了人类,他们在一起喝酒,戒律中的"所有动物不许饮酒"也改成了"所有动物不许饮酒过度" Napoleon笑着跟人类说,你们有你们的低等阶级要统治,我们也有我们的低等动物要领导.

最后他们玩起了桥牌,跟以前的Jones一样大声争吵. 动物们看看领袖,看看人类. 看看猪,看看人. 从人移到猪,从猪移到人. 到底哪张是人的脸,哪张是猪的脸. 实际上已经分不清楚了.

___________________________________________________________________

1945年这本薄薄的小册子在伦敦出版时. Orwell忙着去一家又一家书店,把它从儿童读物移到成人读物中. 现在他可以完全不用担忧了. 不说他讽刺的苏联早已解体,人们在嘲笑叹息故事中的各类动物时,也一定会对Orwell在幽默的背后辛辣的提出的警告与讽刺. 不管怎么说,这部小品般的小说,当然不是儿童类的读物,它将作为世界宝贵的财富,永远给人类敲响警钟.

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