是夜，曼纳庄园（Manor Farm）园主琼斯喝得酩酊大醉，给鸡舍上完锁后竟忘了关上平日里供牲畜出入的小洞。琼斯借着摇曳的灯影蹒跚地穿过庭院，在后门口边踢边脱掉脚上的马靴，紧接着又去洗碗间舀干了桶里剩余的一杯啤酒后一饮而尽。琼斯这才摸索着上了床，然而床上的太太早已鼾声大作。
Mr.Jones, of the Manor Farm, had locked the hen-houses for the night, but was too drunk to remember to shut the popholes. With the ring of light from this lantern dancing from side to side, he lurched across the yard, kicked off his boots at the back door, drew himself a last glass of beer from the barrel in the scullery, and made his way up to bed, where Mrs.Jones was already snoring.
随着卧室的灯熄灭，庄园里顿时传来一阵稀里索罗的骚动声。早在白天，就有传闻说“中等白鬃奖”获得者老上校（Old Major）昨晚做了个奇怪的梦，它想趁此机会和庄园里的其他成员分享，所以它们确保琼斯离开后约在大谷仓碰头。老上校（尽管它曾以“威灵顿美人”的称号参展过，但别人最常喊的还是这个名头）在庄园中颇有威望，大家都甘愿付出少睡一小时的代价前来捧它的场。
As soon as the light in the bedroom went out there was a stirring and a fluttering all through the farm buildings. Word had gone round during the day that old Major, the prize Middle White boar, had had a strange dream on the previous night and wished to communicate it to the other animals. It had been agreed that they should all meet in the big barn as soon as Mr Jones was safely out of the way. Old Major (so he was always called, though the name under which he had been exhibited was Willingdon Beauty) was so highly regarded on the farm that everyone was quite ready to lose an hour's sleep in order to hear what he had to say.
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