1984

As usual, the face of Emmanuel Goldstein, the Enemy of the People, had flashed (мелькнул) on to the screen. There were hisses (шипение) here and there among the audience. The little sandy-haired woman gave a squeak (взвизгнул) of mingled (смесь) fear and disgust (отвращение). Goldstein was the renegade and backslider (отступник) who once, long ago (how long ago, nobody quite remembered), had been one of the leading figures of the Party, almost on a level with Big Brother himself, and then had engaged (занимался) in counter revolutionary activities, had been condemned (приговорен) to death, and had mysteriously escaped (бежал) and disappeared. The programmes of the Two Minutes Hate varied from day to day, but there was none in which Goldstein was not the principal figure. He was the primal (первобытным) traitor (предатель) the earliest defiler (осквернителем) of the Party’s purity (чистота). All subsequent (последующий) crimes against the Party, all treacheries (предательство), acts of sabotage, heresies (ересь), deviations (уклоны), sprang (вытекал) directly out of his teaching. Somewhere or other (где-то) he was still alive and hatching (вынашивал) his conspiracies (заговоры): perhaps somewhere beyond the sea, under the protection of his foreign paymasters, perhaps even – so it was occasionally (иногда) rumoured (ходили слухи) – in some hidingplace (тайник) in Oceania itself.

Winston’s diaphragm was constricted (сужен). He could never see the face of Goldstein without a painful mixture (болезненная смесь) of emotions. It was a lean (худощавый) Jewish face, with a great fuzzy (пушистый) aureole of white hair and a small goatee beard – a clever face, and yet (в то же время) somehow (как-то) inherently (по своей сути) despicable (презренный), with a kind of senile (до сих пор) silliness (глупость) in the long thin (тонкий) nose, near the end of which a pair (пара) of spectacles (очки) was perched (взгромоздился). It resembled the face of a sheep (овцы), and the voice, too, had a sheep-like quality (качество). Goldstein was delivering (обрушивал) his usual venomous (ядовитый) attack upon the doctrines of the Party – an attack so exaggerated (преувеличенный) and perverse (извращенный) that a child should have been able to see through it, and yet just plausible (правдоподобный) enough to fill (вызвать) one with an alarmed (тревожный) feeling that other people, less level-headed (уравновешенный) than oneself, might be taken in by it. He was abusing (ругал) Big Brother, he was denouncing (обличал) the dictatorship of the Party, he was demanding (требовал) the immediate (немедленный) conclusion (заключение) of peace with Eurasia, he was advocating freedom of speech, freedom of the Press, freedom of assembly, freedom of thought, he was crying hysterically that the revolution had been betrayed (предана) – and all this in rapid polysyllabic (многосложной) speech which was a sort of parody of the habitual style of the orators of the Party, and even contained Newspeak words: more Newspeak words, indeed, than any Party member would normally use in real life. And all the while (и все это время), lest (чтобы) one should be in any doubt as to the reality, which Goldstein’s specious claptrap covered, behind his head on the telescreen there marched the endless columns of the Eurasian army – row after row of solid-looking men with expressionless (невыразительный) Asiatic faces, who swam up to the surface (поверхность) of the screen and vanished (исчез), to be replaced (сменившись) by others exactly (точно) similar. The dull (глухой) rhythmic tramp (топот) of the soldiers’ boots formed the background (фон) to Goldstein’s bleating (блеющий) voice. 7 8

Before the Hate had proceeded (прошел) for thirty seconds, uncontrollable exclamations (возгласы) of rage (ярость) were breaking (вырвавшийся) out from half the people in the room. The self-satisfied sheep-like (овечье) face on the screen, and the terrifying (ужасающий) power of the Eurasian army behind it, were too much to be borne (невыносимый): besides (к тому же), the sight (вид) or even the thought of Goldstein produced fear (страх) and anger (гнев) automatically. He was an object of hatred (ненависть) more constant than either Eurasia or Eastasia, since (поскольку) when Oceania was at war with one of these Powers it was generally (обычно) at peace with the other. But what was strange (странно) was that although Goldstein was hated (ненавидел) and despised (презирал) by everybody, although every day and a thousand times a day, on platforms, on the telescreen, in newspapers, in books, his theories were refuted (опровергался), smashed (высмеивался), ridiculed (громился), held up (доводился) to the general gaze (взгляд) for the pitiful (жалкий) rubbish (дрянь) that they were – in spite (несмотря на) of all this, his influence never seemed to grow less. Always there were fresh (новый) dupes (обманщики) waiting to be seduced (был соблазнен) by him. A day never passed when spies (шпионы) and saboteurs (диверсанты) acting under his directions were not unmasked (разоблачал) by the Thought Police. He was the commander of a vast shadowy (теневой) army, an underground network (сеть) of conspirators dedicated (нацеленный) to the overthrow (свержение) of the State. The Brotherhood (братство), its name was supposed (предполагаемый) to be. There were also whispered (ходил) stories of a terrible book, a compendium (сборник) of all the heresies (ереси), of which Goldstein was the author and which circulated (распространялся) clandestinely (тайно) here and there. It was a book without a title. People referred (упоминал) to it, if at all, simply as THE BOOK. But one knew of such things only through vague (смутный) rumours (слухи). Neither the Brotherhood nor THE BOOK was a subject that any ordinary (рядовой) Party member would mention (упомянул бы) if there was a way of avoiding (избежать) it.

In its second minute the Hate rose to a frenzy (неистовство). People were leaping up (подпрыгивали вверх) and down in their places and shouting at the tops (верхушка) of their voices in an effort to drown (утонуть) the maddening (сводящий с ума) bleating (блеющий) voice that came from the screen. The little sandy-haired (рыжеволосый) woman had turned (превращаться) bright pink, and her mouth was opening and shutting like that of a landed fish. Even O’Brien’s heavy face was flushed (раскраснелся). He was sitting very straight (прямо) in his chair, his powerful chest swelling (вздымался) and quivering (подрагивал) as though (как будто) he were standing up (противостоял) to the assault (натиск) of a wave. The dark-haired girl behind Winston had begun crying out «Swine! Swine! Swine!» and suddenly she picked up (схватил) a heavy Newspeak dictionary and flung (швырнул) it at the screen. It struck (ударил) Goldstein’s nose and bounced off (отскочил); the voice continued inexorably (неумолимо). In a lucid (ясный) moment Winston found that he was shouting with the others and kicking (бьет) his heel (пятка) violently against the rung (спинка) of his chair. The horrible thing about the Two Minutes Hate was not that one was obliged (обязан) to act a part, but, on the contrary, that it was impossible to avoid joining (присоединиться) in. Within (в течение) thirty seconds any pretence (притворство) was always unnecessary (излишне). A hideous (отвратительный) ecstasy of fear and vindictiveness (мстительность), a desire to kill, to torture (пытать), to smash (разбивать) faces in with a sledgehammer (кувалда), seemed to flow (пронизывал) through the whole group of people like an electric current (ток), turning one even against one’s will into a grimacing, screaming (кричащий) lunatic (сумасшедший). And yet (И все же) the rage (гнев) that one felt was an abstract, undirected emotion which could be switched (переключать) from one object to another like the flame of a blowlamp (паяльная лампа). Thus (таким образом), at one moment (в какой-то момент) Winston’s hatred (ненависть) was not turned against Goldstein at all, but, on the contrary, against Big Brother, the Party, and the Thought Police; and at such moments his heart went out (тянулся) to the lonely (одинокий), derided (осмеянный) heretic (еретик) on the screen, sole (единственный) guardian (хранитель) of truth and sanity (здравомыслие) in a world of lies. And yet (и все же уже) the very next instant (мгновение) he was at one (заодно) with the people about him, and all that was said of Goldstein seemed to him to be true. At those moments his secret loathing (ненависть) of Big Brother changed into adoration (обожание), and Big Brother seemed to tower up (возвышался), an invincible (непобедимый), fearless (бесстрашный) protector (защитник), standing like a rock (скала) against the hordes (орды) of Asia, and Goldstein, in spite of his isolation, his helplessness, and the doubt that hung (витал) about his very existence, seemed like some sinister (зловещий) enchanter (чародей), capable (способный) by the mere power of his voice of wrecking (разрушить) the structure of civilization.

It was even possible, at moments, to switch (переключить) one’s hatred (ненависть) this way or that by a voluntary act. Suddenly, by the sort of violent effort with which one wrenches (отрывает) one’s head away from the pillow (подушка) in a nightmare (кошмарный сон), Winston succeeded (удался) in transferring (перенести) his hatred from the face on the screen to the dark-haired girl behind him. Vivid (яркие), beautiful hallucinations flashed (пронесся) through his mind. He would flog (забьет) her to death with a rubber (резиновый) truncheon (дубинка). He would tie (привяжет) her naked (голый) to a stake (столб) and shoot (стрелять) her full of arrows (стрелы) like Saint Sebastian. He would ravish (насиловал) her and cut (перерезал) her throat (горло) at the moment of climax. Better than before (раньше), moreover (более того), he realized WHY it was that he hated her. He hated her because she was young and pretty and sexless, because he wanted to go to bed with her and would never do so, because round her sweet supple (гибкий) waist (талия), which seemed (казалось) to ask you to encircle (обнять) it with your arm, there was only the odious scarlet (алый) sash (кушак), aggressive symbol of chastity (целомудрие).

The Hate rose to its climax (апогей). The voice of Goldstein had become an actual sheep’s bleat (блеяние овец), and for an instant (на мгновение) the face changed into that of a sheep. Then the sheep-face (баранье лицо) melted (растворился) into the figure of a Eurasian soldier who seemed to be advancing (наступал), huge (огромный) and terrible (страшный), his sub-machine gun (автомат) roaring (ревущий), and seeming to spring out (выпрыгивающий) of the surface of the screen, so that some of the people in the front row actually flinched backwards (отшатнулся назад) in their seats.

But in the same moment, drawing (вызвав) a deep sigh (вздох) of relief (облегчение) from everybody, the hostile (враждебный) figure melted (слился) into the face of Big Brother, black-haired, black-moustachio’d, full of power and mysterious calm (спокойствие), and so vast that it almost filled up the screen. Nobody heard what Big Brother was saying. It was merely a few words of encouragement (ободрение), the sort of words that are uttered (произносимый) in the din (грохот) of battle, not distinguishable (различимый) individually but restoring (восстанавливающий) confidence (доверие) by the fact of being spoken. Then the face of Big Brother faded away (исчез) again, and instead (вместо) the three slogans of the Party stood out (выступил) in bold (жирный) capitals (буквы):

But the face of Big Brother seemed to persist (сохраняться) for several seconds on the screen, as though the impact (воздействие) that it had made on everyone’s eyeballs (глазные яблоки) was too vivid (яркий) to wear off (исчезнуть) immediately. The little sandy-haired woman had flung (броситься) herself forward over the back of the chair in front of her. With a tremulous (дрожащий) murmur (бормотание) that sounded like «My Saviour (Спаситель)!» she extended (протянул) her arms towards the screen. Then she buried (закрыл) her face in her hands. It was apparent that she was uttering (произносить) a prayer (молитва).

At this moment the entire (вся) group of people broke (разразился) into a deep, slow, rhythmical chant (скандирование) of «B-B!…B-B!» – over and over again (снова и снова), very slowly, with a long pause between the first «B» and the second – a heavy, murmurous (ропотный) sound, somehow (какой-то) curiously savage (дикий), in the background of which one seemed to hear the stamp (топот) of naked (босой) feet (ноги) and the throbbing (стук) of tomtoms (тамтамы). For perhaps as much as thirty seconds they kept it up (продолжал это делать). It was a refrain that was often heard in moments of overwhelming emotion. Partly (отчасти) it was a sort of hymn to the wisdom and majesty (величие) of Big Brother, but still more it was an act of self-hypnosis (самовнушение), a deliberate (преднамеренный) drowning (заглушение) of consciousness (сознание) by means (с помощью) of rhythmic noise. Winston’s entrails (внутренности) seemed to grow cold (похолодел). In the Two Minutes Hate he could not help sharing (участвовать) in the general delirium (бред), but this sub-human (недочеловеческое) chanting of «B-B!…B-B!» always filled him with horror. Of course he chanted (изменился) with the rest (остальные): it was impossible to do otherwise (иначе). To dissemble (скрывать) your feelings, to control your face, to do what everyone else was doing, was an instinctive reaction. But there was a space (промежуток) of a couple (пара) of seconds during which the expression of his eyes might conceivably (возможно) have betrayed (выдал) him. And it was exactly (именно) at this moment that the significant (важный) thing happened – if, indeed, it did happen.

Momentarily (на мгновение) he caught (поймал) O’Brien’s eye. O’Brien had stood up. He had taken off his spectacles and was in the act of resettling (водружение) them on his nose with his characteristic gesture (жест). But there was a fraction (доля) of a second when their eyes met, and for as long as (столько времени, сколько) it took to happen Winston knew – yes, he KNEW! – that O’Brien was thinking the same thing as himself. An unmistakable message had passed. It was as though (как будто) their two minds had opened and the thoughts were flowing (перетекал) from one into the other through their eyes. «I am with you,» O’Brien seemed to be saying to him. «I know precisely (точно) what you are feeling. I know all about your contempt (презрение), your hatred, your disgust (отвращение). But don’t worry (беспокоиться), I am on your side!» And then the flash (вспышка) of intelligence (отвращение) was gone, and O’Brien’s face was as inscrutable (непроницаемый) as everybody else’s.

That was all, and he was already uncertain (не уверен) whether it had happened. Such incidents never had any sequel (продолжение). All that they did was to keep alive (поддерживал) in him the belief, or hope, that others besides himself were the enemies of the Party. Perhaps the rumours (слухи) of vast underground conspiracies (заговоры) were true after all-perhaps the Brotherhood really existed! It was impossible, in spite of (несмотря на) the endless arrests and confessions (признания) and executions, to be sure that the Brotherhood was not simply a myth. Some days he believed in it, some days not. There was no evidence (доказательство), only fleeting (мимолетный) glimpses (проблески) that might mean anything or nothing: snatches (обрывки) of overheard (подслушанный) conversation (разговор), faint (слабый) scribbles (каракули) on lavatory (туалет) walls – once, even, when two strangers met, a small movement of the hand which had looked as though it might be a signal of recognition (узнавание). It was all guesswork (догадка): very likely he had imagined (вообразил) everything. He had gone back to his cubicle (кабинка) without looking at O’Brien again. The idea of following up their momentary contact hardly crossed his mind. It would have been inconceivably (невообразимо) dangerous even if he had known how to set about doing it. For a second, two seconds, they had exchanged (обменялся) an equivocal (двусмысленный) glance (взгляд), and that was the end of the story. But even that was a memorable event, in the locked (замкнутый) loneliness (одиночество) in which one had to live.

Winston roused himself (встрепенулся) and sat up straighter (сел прямее). He let out a belch (издал отрыжку). The gin was rising from his stomach (желудок).

His eyes re-focused on the page. He discovered that while (пока) he sat helplessly (беспомощно) musing (размышляя) he had also been writing, as though (как бы) by automatic action. And it was no longer (уже) the same cramped (неразборчивый), awkward (неловкий) handwriting (почерк) as before. His pen had slid (скользил) voluptuously (сладострастно) over the smooth (гладкий) paper, printing in large neat (заглавный) capitals (буквы) —

DOWN WITH BIG BROTHER (ДОЛОЙ СТАРШЕГО

БРАТА)

DOWN WITH BIG BROTHER

DOWN WITH BIG BROTHER

DOWNWITH BIG BROTHER

DOWN WITH BIG BROTHER

over and over again, filling (заполняя) half a page.

He could not help feeling a twinge (приступ) of panic. It was absurd, since the writing of those particular (конкретный) words was not more dangerous than the initial (первоначальный) act of opening the diary, but for a moment he was tempted (искушенный) to tear out (вырвать) the spoiled (испорченный) pages and abandon (отказаться) the enterprise (предприятие) altogether (вообще).

He did not do so, however, because he knew that it was useless. Whether he wrote DOWN WITH BIG BROTHER, or whether he refrained from writing it, made no difference. Whether he went on with the diary, or whether he did not go on with it, made no difference. The Thought Police would get (достанет) him just the same (все равно). He had committed (совершил) – would still (все равно) have committed, even if he had never set pen to paper – the essential (важнейший) crime that contained all others in itself. Thoughtcrime, they called it. Thoughtcrime was not a thing that could be concealed (скрывать) for ever. You might dodge (уворачиваться) successfully for a while, even for years, but sooner or later they were bound to get (доберется) you.

It was always at night – the arrests invariably (неизменно) happened at night. The sudden jerk out (рывок) of sleep, the rough (грубый) hand shaking your shoulder (плечо), the lights glaring (яркий) in your eyes, the ring of hard faces round the bed. In the vast majority of cases there was no trial, no report (протокол) of the arrest. People simply disappeared, always during the night. Your name was removed (удалено) from the registers (реестры), every record of everything you had ever done was wiped out (стерт), your one-time existence was denied (отвергнут) and then forgotten. You were abolished, annihilated: VAPORIZED (ИСПАРЕНИЕ) was the usual word.

For a moment he was seized (охватил) by a kind of hysteria. He began writing in a hurried (торопливый) untidy (неаккуратный) scrawl (каракули) :

theyll shoot (пристрелят) me i don’t care theyll shoot me in the back of the neck (затылок) i dont care down with (долой) big brother they always shoot you in the back of the neck i dont care down with big brother.

He sat back in his chair, slightly (слегка) ashamed (стыдясь) of himself, and laid (отложил) down the pen. The next moment he started violently (яростно). There was a knocking (стук) at the door.

Already! He sat as still (неподвижно) as a mouse, in the futile (тщетный) hope that whoever it was might go away after a single attempt. But no, the knocking was repeated. The worst thing of all would be to delay (промедление). His heart was thumping (стучал) like a drum (барабан), but his face, from long habit, was probably expressionless (невыразительно). He got up (встал) and moved heavily towards the door.

WAR IS PEACEFREEDOM IS SLAVERYIGNORANCE IS STRENGTHApril 4th, 1984WAR IS PEACEFREEDOM IS SLAVERYIGNORANCE IS STRENGTH

Chapter 2

As he put his hand to the door-knob (дверная ручка) Winston saw that he had left the diary open on the table. DOWN WITH BIG BROTHER was written all over (повсюду) it, in letters almost big enough to be legible (разборчивый) across the room. It was an inconceivably (невообразимо) stupid thing to have done. But, he realized, even in his panic he had not wanted to smudge (пачкать) the creamy (кремовый) paper by shutting (закрывая) the book while the ink (чернила) was wet (влажный).

He drew in his breath (перевел дыхание) and opened the door. Instantly (мгновенно) a warm wave of relief (облегчение) flowed (прокатился) through him. A colourless, crushed-looking (измученный) woman, with wispy (жидкий) hair and a lined (морщинистый) face, was standing outside.

«Oh, comrade,» she began in a dreary (тоскливый), whining (скулящий) sort of voice, «I thought I heard you come in. Do you think you could come across and have a look at our kitchen sink (раковина)? It’s got blocked up (заблокирован) and —»

It was Mrs Parsons, the wife of a neighbour on the same floor. («Mrs’ was a word somewhat (несколько) discountenanced (обесцениваемый) by the Party – you were supposed (должен был) to call everyone «comrade’ – but with some women one used it instinctively (инстинктивно) She was a woman of about thirty, but looking much older. One had the impression that there was dust (пыль) in the creases (складки) of her face. Winston followed her down the passage (проход). These amateur (любительский) repair (ремонтный) jobs were an almost daily irritation (раздражение). Victory Mansions (дома «Победы») were old flats, built in 1930 or thereabouts (около того), and were falling (разваливался) to pieces (куски). The plaster (штукатурка) flaked (осыпался) constantly from ceilings (потолки) and walls, the pipes (трубы) burst (лопался) in every hard frost (мороз), the roof (крыша) leaked (протекал) whenever (всякий раз) there was snow, the heating (отопление) system was usually running at half steam (оборот) when it was not closed down altogether (совсем) from motives of economy. Repairs (ремонт), except what you could do for yourself, had to be sanctioned (должен был санкционироваться) by remote (удаленный) committees which were liable to hold up (могли задержать) even the mending (починка) of a window-pane (оконное стекло) for two years. 9

«Of course it’s only because Tom isn’t home,» said Mrs Parsons vaguely (неопределенно).

The Parsons’ flat was bigger than Winston’s, and dingy (грязноват) in a different way (по-другому). Everything had a battered (потрепанный), trampled-on (растоптанный) look, as though (как будто) the place had just (только что) been visited by some large violent (жестокий) animal. Games impedimenta (принадлежности) – hockey-sticks (хоккейные клюшки), boxing-gloves (боксерские перчатки), a burst (лопнувший) football, a pair (пара) of sweaty (потный) shorts (шорты) turned inside out – lay all over the floor (пол), and on the table there was a litter of dirty (грязный) dishes (посуда) and dog-eared exercise-books. On the walls were scarlet banners of the Youth League and the Spies (шпионы), and a full-sized poster of Big Brother. There was the usual boiled-cabbage (вареная капуста) smell (запах), common to the whole building, but it was shot (простреливал) through by a sharper (более резкий) reek (запах) of sweat (пот), which – one knew this at the first sniff (вдох), though it was hard to say how – was the sweat of some person not present at the moment. In another room someone (кто-то) with a comb (расческа) and a piece of toilet paper was trying to keep tune (подстроиться) with the military music which was still issuing from the telescreen. 10

«It’s the children,» said Mrs Parsons, casting (бросив) a half-apprehensive (слегка встревоженный) glance (взгляд) at the door. «They haven’t been out today. And of course —»

She had a habit (привычка) of breaking off her sentences (предложения) in the middle. The kitchen sink (кухонная раковина) was full nearly to the brim (почти до краев) with filthy (грязный) greenish (зеленоватый) water which smelt (пахло) worse (хуже) than ever of cabbage. Winston knelt down (опустился на колени) and examined (осмотрел) the angle-joint (угловое соединение) of the pipe (трубы). He hated using his hands, and he hated bending down (наклоняться), which was always liable (склонный, ответственный) to start him coughing (кашель). Mrs Parsons looked on helplessly.