Скотный двор
Chapter 1
"Andeventhemiserablelivesweleadarenotallowedtoreachtheirnaturalspan. FormyselfIdonotgrumble,forIamoneoftheluckyones. Iamtwelveyearsoldandhavehadoverfourhundredchildren. Suchisthenaturallifeofapig. Butnoanimalescapesthecruelknifeintheend. Youyoungporkerswhoaresittinginfrontofme,everyoneofyouwillscreamyourlivesoutattheblockwithinayear. Tothathorrorweallmustcome—cows,pigs,hens,sheep,everyone. Eventhehorsesandthedogshavenobetterfate. You,Boxer,theverydaythatthosegreatmusclesofyourslosetheirpower,Joneswillsellyoutotheknacker,whowillcutyourthroatandboilyoudownforthefoxhounds. Asforthedogs,whentheygrowoldandtoothless,Jonestiesabrickroundtheirnecksanddrownstheminthenearestpond.
"Isitnotcrystalclear,then,comrades,thatalltheevilsofthislifeofoursspringfromthetyrannyofhumanbeings? OnlygetridofMan,andtheproduceofourlabourwouldbeourown. Almostovernightwecouldbecomerichandfree. Whatthenmustwedo? Why,worknightandday,bodyandsoul,fortheoverthrowofthehumanrace! Thatismymessagetoyou,comrades:Rebellion! IdonotknowwhenthatRebellionwillcome,itmightbeinaweekorinahundredyears,butIknow,assurelyasIseethisstrawbeneathmyfeet,thatsoonerorlaterjusticewillbedone. Fixyoureyesonthat,comrades,throughouttheshortremainderofyourlives! Andaboveall,passonthismessageofminetothosewhocomeafteryou,sothatfuturegenerationsshallcarryonthestruggleuntilitisvictorious.
"Andremember,comrades,yourresolutionmustneverfalter. Noargumentmustleadyouastray. NeverlistenwhentheytellyouthatManandtheanimalshaveacommoninterest,thattheprosperityoftheoneistheprosperityoftheothers. Itisalllies. Manservestheinterestsofnocreatureexcepthimself.
