Atelier de lecture à voix haute "en VO"

Dans le cadre du PACTE, "Donner à entendre, mise en voix des mots et des maux"

English adaptation from the original text

1 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 his lantern dancing from side to side, he 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.
2 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. 3 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 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.
"Comrades, you have heard already about the strange dream that I had last night. But I will come to the dream later. I have something else to say first.
4 "Now, comrades, what is the nature of this life of ours ? Let us face it : our lives are miserable, laborious, and short. We are born, we are given just so much food as will keep the breath in our bodies, and those of us who are capable of it are forced to work to the last atom of our strength, 5 and the very instant that our usefulness has come to an end we are slaughtered with hideous cruelty. No animal in England is free. The life of an animal is misery and slavery : that is the plain truth.
"But is this simply part of the order of nature ? Is it because this land of ours is so poor that it cannot afford a decent life to those who dwell* upon it ? 6 No, comrades, a thousand times no ! This single farm of ours would support a dozen horses, twenty cows, hundreds of sheep-and all of them living in a comfort and a dignity that are now almost beyond our imagining.
Dwell* = live
7 Why then do we continue in this miserable condition ? Because nearly the whole of the produce of our labour is stolen from us by human beings. There, comrades, is the answer to all our problems. It is summed up in a single word-Man. Man is the only real enemy we have. Remove Man from the scene, and the root cause of hunger and overwork is abolished for ever.
8 "Man is the only creature that consumes without producing. He does not give milk, he does not lay eggs, he is too weak to pull the plough. Yet he is lord of all the animals. He sets them to work, he gives back to them the bare minimum that will prevent them from starving, and the rest he keeps for himself.
9 "Is it not crystal clear, then, comrades, that all the evils of this life of ours spring from the tyranny of human beings ? Only get rid of Man, and the produce of our labour would be our own. Almost overnight we could become rich and free. What then must we do ? 10 Why, work night and day, body and soul, for the overthrow of the human race ! That is my message to you, comrades : Rebellion !
"And remember, comrades, your resolution must never falter. No argument must lead you astray. Never listen when they tell you that Man and the animals have a common interest, that the prosperity of the one is the prosperity of the others. It is all lies. 11 Man serves the interests of no creature except himself. And among us animals let there be perfect unity, perfect comradeship in the struggle. All men are enemies. All animals are comrades." At this moment there was a tremendous uproar.
12 "I have little more to say. I merely repeat, remember always your duty of enmity towards Man and all his ways. Whatever goes upon two legs is an enemy. Whatever goes upon four legs, or has wings, is a friend. And remember also that in fighting against Man, we must not come to resemble him.
13 Even when you have conquered him, do not adopt his vices. No animal must ever live in a house, or sleep in a bed, or wear clothes, or drink alcohol, or smoke tobacco, or touch money, or engage in trade. All the habits of Man are evil. And, above all, no animal must ever tyrannise over his own kind. Weak or strong, clever or simple, we are all brothers. No animal must ever kill any other animal. All animals are equal. »