1984

«One of these days, thought Winston with sudden deep conviction (убежденность), Syme will be vaporized (испарится). He is too intelligent. He sees too clearly and speaks too plainly (прямолинейно). The Party does not like such people. One day he will disappear. It is written in his face.

Winston had finished his bread and cheese. He turned a little sideways (боком) in his chair to drink his mug of coffee. At the table on his left the man with the strident (резкий) voice was still talking remorselessly (безжалостно) away. A young woman who was perhaps his secretary, and who was sitting with her back to Winston, was listening to him and seemed to be eagerly (охотно) agreeing with everything that he said. From time to time Winston caught (улавливал) some such remark as «I think you’re so right, I do so agree with you’, uttered (произнесенный) in a youthful (юношеский) and rather silly (глуповатый) feminine voice. But the other voice never stopped for an instant (на мгновение), even when the girl was speaking. Winston knew the man by sight (в лицо), though he knew no more about him than that he held some important post in the Fiction Department. He was a man of about thirty, with a muscular throat (шея) and a large, mobile mouth. His head was thrown back a little, and because of the angle (угол) at which he was sitting, his spectacles caught (поймал) the light and presented to Winston two blank discs instead (вместо) of eyes. What was slightly (немного) horrible, was that from the stream (поток) of sound that poured out (вырывавшийся) of his mouth it was almost impossible to distinguish (различить) a single word. Just once Winston caught (уловил) a phrase —’complete and final elimination (уничтожение) of Goldsteinism’ – jerked out (вырвавшийся) very rapidly (быстро) and, as it seemed, all in one piece (целиком), like a line of type cast solid (отлитый из цельного материала). For the rest (и все же) it was just a noise, a quack-quack-quacking (кря-кря-кряканье). And yet, though you could not actually hear what the man was saying, you could not be in any doubt about its general nature. He might be denouncing (осуждать) Goldstein and demanding (требовать) sterner (более суровый) measures against thought-criminals and saboteurs, he might be fulminating (осуждать) against the atrocities (зверства) of the Eurasian army, he might be praising (восхвалять) Big Brother or the heroes on the Malabar front – it made no difference. Whatever it was, you could be certain (уверен) that every word of it was pure (чистый) orthodoxy, pure Ingsoc. As he watched the eyeless face with the jaw (челюсть) moving rapidly up and down, Winston had a curious (странный) feeling that this was not a real human being but some kind of dummy (манекен). It was not the man’s brain (мозг) that was speaking, it was his larynx (гортань). The stuff (материал) that was coming out of him consisted of words, but it was not speech in the true sense: it was a noise uttered (издаваемый) in unconsciousness, like the quacking (кряканье) of a duck (утка).

Syme had fallen silent for a moment, and with the handle (ручка) of his spoon (ложка) was tracing (выводил) patterns (узоры) in the puddle (лужа) of stew (тушеное мясо). The voice from the other table quacked (крякнул) rapidly on, easily audible (услышать) in spite (несмотря на) of the surrounding (окружающий) din (шум).

«There is a word in Newspeak,» said Syme, «I don’t know whether you know it: DUCKSPEAK (утиный язык), to quack (крякать) like a duck. It is one of those interesting words that have two contradictory meanings. Applied (применительно) to an opponent, it is abuse (оскорбление), applied to someone you agree with, it is praise (похвала).

«Unquestionably Syme will be vaporized (испарился), Winston thought again.

He thought it with a kind of sadness (грусть), although well knowing that Syme despised (презирал) him and slightly (слегка) disliked him, and was fully capable (способен) of denouncing (осуждение) him as a thought-criminal if he saw any reason for doing so. There was something subtly (неуловимо) wrong with Syme. There was something that he lacked (не доставал): discretion (осмотрительность), aloofness (отчужденность), a sort of saving stupidity (глупость). You could not say that he was unorthodox. He believed in the principles of Ingsoc, he venerated (почитал) Big Brother, he rejoiced (радовался) over victories, he hated heretics, not merely with sincerity (искренность) but with a sort of restless (неугомонный) zeal (рвение), an up-to-dateness (актуальность) of information, which the ordinary Party member did not approach. Yet a faint (легкий) air (налет) of disreputability (дурная репутация) always clung (цеплялся) to him. He said things that would have been better unsaid, he had read too many books, he frequented (посещал) the Chestnut (Каштановое) Tree Cafe, haunt (пристанище) of painters and musicians. There was no law, not even an unwritten law, against frequenting (посещение) the Chestnut Tree Cafe, yet the place was somehow (каким-то) ill-omened. Оld, discredited leaders of the Party had been used to gather (собираться) there before they were finally purged (изгнан). Goldstein himself, it was said, had sometimes been seen there, years and decades ago. Syme’s fate (судьба) was not difficult to foresee (предвидеть). And yet it was a fact that if Syme grasped (осознал), even for three seconds, the nature of his, Winston’s, secret opinions (мнения), he would betray (выдал бы) him instantly to the Thought Police. So would anybody else, for that matter: but Syme more than most. Zeal (усердие) was not enough. Orthodoxy was unconsciousness. 29 30

Syme looked up (поднял глаза). «Here comes Parsons,» he said.

Something in the tone of his voice seemed to add, «that bloody fool’ (этот чертов дурак). Parsons, Winston’s fellow-tenant (коллега-арендатор) at Victory Mansions, was in fact threading (пробирающий) his way across the room – a tubby (коренастый), middle-sized (среднего роста) man with fair (светлый) hair and a froglike (лягушачий) face. At thirty-five he was already putting on (появился) rolls (складки) of fat (жир) at neck (шея) and waistline (талия), but his movements were brisk (быстрый) and boyish (мальчишеский). His whole appearance was that of a little boy grown (выросший) large (большой), so much so (настолько) that although he was wearing (носящий) the regulation overalls, it was almost impossible not to think of him as being dressed (одетый) in the blue shorts, grey shirt, and red neckerchief (шейный платок) of the Spies. In visualizing (представляя) him one saw always a picture of dimpled (ямочки) knees (колени) and sleeves (рукава) rolled back (закатанный) from pudgy (пухлый) forearms (предплечия). Parsons did, indeed, invariably revert (возвращался) to shorts when a community hike (поход) or any other physical activity gave him an excuse (повод) for doing so. He greeted (приветствовал) them both with a cheery (радостный) «Hullo, hullo!» and sat down at the table, giving off (источая) an intense (сильный) smell (запах) of sweat (пот). Beads (капли) of moisture (влаги) stood out all overhis (по всему) pink face. His powers of sweating (потоотделение) were extraordinary. At the Community Centre you could always tell when he had been playing table-tennis by the dampness (влажность) of the bat (бита) handle (рукоятка). Syme had produced a strip (полоска) of paper on which there was a long column of words, and was studying it with an ink-pencil between his fingers. 31

«Look at him working away in the lunch hour,» said Parsons, nudging (подталкивая локтем) Winston. «Keenness (проницательность), eh (да)? What’s that you’ve got there, old boy? Something a bit too (что-то слишком) brainy (умный) for me, I expect. Smith, old boy, I’ll tell you why I’m chasing (преследую) you. It’s that sub (подписка) you forgot to give me.»

«Which sub is that?» said Winston, automatically feeling (нащупывая) for money. About a quarter of one’s salary (около четверти зарплаты) had to be earmarked (выделять) for voluntary subscriptions (подписки), which were so numerous that it was difficult to keep track (уследить) of them.

«For Hate Week. You know – the house-by-house fund. I’m treasurer for our block. We’re making an all-out effort – going to put on a tremendous show. I tell you, it won’t be my fault if old Victory Mansions doesn’t have the biggest outfit (количество) of flags in the whole street. Two dollars you promised (обещал) me.»

Winston found and handed over (передал) two creased (мятый) and filthy (замызганный) notes, which Parsons entered in a small notebook, in the neat (аккуратный) handwriting (почерк) of the illiterate (неграмотный).

«By the way (кстати), old boy,» he said. «I hear that little beggar of mine (мой нищий -попрошайка) let fly (запустил) at you with his catapult (катапульта) yesterday. I gave him a good dressing-down for it. In fact I told him I’d take the catapult away if he does it again.» 32

«I think he was a little upset (расстроен) at not going to the execution (казнь),» said Winston.

«Ah, well – what I mean to say, shows the right spirit (настрой), doesn’t it? Mischievous (озорной) little beggars (попрошайки) they are, both of them, but talk about keenness (чуткость)! All they think about is the Spies, and the war, of course. D’you know what that little girl of mine did last Saturday, when her troop (отряд) was on a hike (поход) out Berkhamsted way? She got two other girls to go with her, slipped off (ускользнул) from the hike, and spent the whole afternoon following a strange (незнакомый) man. They kept on his tail (хвост) for two hours, right through the woods (леса), and then, when they got into Amersham, handed (вручил) him over to the patrols.»

«What did they do that for?» said Winston, somewhat taken aback. Parsons went on triumphantly: 33

«My kid made sure he was some kind of enemy agent – might have been dropped (сбросил) by parachute, for instance (например). But here’s the point, old boy. What do you think put her on to him in the first place? She spotted (запятнал – заметил) he was wearing (носил) a funny (забавный) kind of shoes – said she’d never seen anyone wearing shoes like that before. So the chances were he was a foreigner. Pretty smart for a nipper of seven, eh? (неплохо для семилетнего возраста, а?)»

«What happened to the man?» said Winston.

«Ah, that I couldn’t say, of course. But I wouldn’t be altogether (вообще) surprised if —’ Parsons made the motion of aiming a rifle, and clicked (щелкнул) his tongue (язык) for the explosion (взрыв).

«Good,» said Syme abstractedly (рассеянно), without looking up from his strip (полоска) of paper.

«Of course we can’t afford to take chances,» agreed Winston dutifully (послушно). 34

«What I mean to say, there is a war on,» said Parsons.

As though (словно) in confirmation (подтверждение) of this, a trumpet (трубный) call floated (проплыл) from the telescreen just above (над) their heads. However, it was not the proclamation of a military victory this time, but merely an announcement (объявление) from the Ministry of Plenty.

«Comrades!» cried (воскликнул) an eager (энергичный) youthful voice. «Attention, comrades! We have glorious news for you. We have won the battle for production! Returns (отчеты) now completed of the output (выпуск) of all classes of consumption goods show that the standard of living has risen by no less than 20 per cent over the past year. All over (по всей) Oceania this morning there were irrepressible (неудержимый) spontaneous (спонтанный) demonstrations when workers marched out of factories and offices and paraded (прошли) through the streets with banners voicing (выражающий) their gratitude (благодарность) to Big Brother for the new, happy life which his wise (мудрый) leadership has bestowed upon us (даровал). Here are some of the completed (законченный) figures. Foodstuffs (продовольственные товары) —»

The phrase «our new, happy life’ recurred (повторялся) several times. It had been a favourite of late (в последнее время) with the Ministry of Plenty. Parsons, his attention caught (привлек) by the trumpet (труба) call, sat listening with a sort of gaping (зияющий) solemnity (торжественность), a sort of edified (назидательный) boredom (скука). He could not follow the figures, but he was aware that they were in some way a cause for satisfaction. He had lugged (вытащил) out a huge (огромный) and filthy (грязный) pipe (трубка) which was already half full of charred (обгоревший) tobacco. With the tobacco ration at 100 grammes a week it was seldom possible to fill (набить) a pipe (трубка) to the top (доверху). Winston was smoking a Victory Cigarette which he held carefully horizontal. The new ration did not start till tomorrow and he had only four cigarettes left (остался). For the moment he had shut his ears to the remoter (прислушивался) noises and was listening to the stuff (материал) that streamed (лился) out of the telescreen. It appeared (оказался) that there had even been demonstrations to thank Big Brother for raising the chocolate ration to twenty grammes a week. And only yesterday, he reflected (подумал), it had been announced that the ration was to be REDUCED (СОКРАЩЕН) to twenty grammes a week. Was it possible that they could swallow (проглотить) that, after only twenty-four hours? Yes, they swallowed it. Parsons swallowed it easily, with the stupidity (глупость) of an animal. The eyeless (безглазый) creature at the other table swallowed it fanatically, passionately (страстно), with a furious (бешеный) desire to track down (выследить), denounce (разоблачить), and vaporize (испарить) anyone who should suggest (предположит) that last week the ration had been thirty grammes. Syme, too – in some more complex way (сложным способом), involving (включающий) doublethink, Syme swallowed it. Was he, then (значит), ALONE in the possession of a memory?

The fabulous (невероятный) statistics continued to pour (литься) out of the telescreen. As compared (по сравнению) with last year there was more food, more clothes, more houses, more furniture, more cooking-pots (кастрюль), more fuel (топливо), more ships, more helicopters, more books, more babies —more of everything except disease (болезнь), crime, and insanity (безумие). Year by year and minute by minute, everybody and everything was whizzing (устремлялся) rapidly upwards (вверх). As Syme had done earlier Winston had taken up his spoon (ложка) and was dabbling (принялся возиться) in the pale-coloured (бледный) gravy (соус) that dribbled (растекался) across the table, drawing a long streak (полоса) of it out into a pattern (узор). He meditated resentfully (обиженно) on the physical texture (структура) of life. Had it always been like this? Had food always tasted (пробовал) like this? He looked round the canteen (столовая). A low-ceilinged (низкий потолок), crowded (тесный) room, its walls grimy (грязный) from the contact of innumerable (бесчисленный) bodies; battered (потрепанный) metal tables and chairs, placed so close together that you sat with elbows (локти) touching; bent (гнутый) spoons (ложка), dented (помятый) trays (подносы), coarse (грубый) white mugs (кружки); all surfaces (поверхности) greasy (жирный), grime (грязь) in every crack (щель); and a sourish (кисловатый), composite (сложный) smell (запах) of bad gin and bad coffee and metallic stew (похлебка) and dirty clothes. Always in your stomach (живот) and in your skin (кожа) there was a sort of protest, a feeling that you had been cheated (лишил) of something that you had a right to. It was true that he had no memories of anything greatly different. In any time that he could accurately (точно) remember, there had never been quite enough to eat, one had never had socks (носки) or underclothes (нижнее белье) that were not full of holes (дыры), furniture had always been battered (потрепанный) and rickety (расшатанный), rooms underheated (неотапливаемый), tube (трубка) trains (поезда – метро) crowded, houses falling to pieces (куски), bread dark-coloured, tea a rarity (редкость), coffee filthy-tasting (скверный на вкус), cigarettes insufficient (недостаточный) – nothing cheap and plentiful (обильный) except synthetic gin. And though, of course, it grew worse as one’s body aged (по мере старения тела оно становилось все хуже), was it not a sign that this was NOT the natural order of things, if one’s heart sickened (тошнил) at the discomfort and dirt and scarcity (неудобство), the interminable (бесконечный) winters (зимы), the stickiness (липкость) of one’s socks, the lifts that never worked, the cold water, the gritty (песчанный) soap, the cigarettes that came to pieces, the food with its strange (странный). Why should one feel (чувствовать) it to be intolerable (невыносимый) unless (если) one had some kind of ancestral (родовой) memory that things had once been different?

He looked round the canteen again. Nearly (почти) everyone (все) was ugly (уродливый), and would still have been ugly even if dressed (одет) otherwise (иначе) than in the uniform (форменный) blue overalls (комбинезоны). On the far side of the room, sitting at a table alone, a small, curiously (странно) beetle-like (похожий на жука) man was drinking a cup of coffee, his little eyes darting (бегал) suspicious (подозрительно) glances (глазки) from side to side. How easy it was, thought Winston, if you did not look about you, to believe that the physical type set up (созданный) by the Party as an ideal – tall (высокий) muscular youths and deep-bosomed (пышногрудый) maidens (девушки), blond-haired, vital (живой), sunburnt (загорелый), carefree – existed and even predominated (преобладал). Actually, so far as he could judge (насколько он мог судить), the majority of people in Airstrip One were small, dark, and ill-favoured (некрасивый). It was curious (любопытно) how that beetle-like type (жукоподобный тип) proliferated (размножился) in the Ministries: little dumpy (коренастый) men, growing stout (толстый) very early in life, with short legs, swift (быстрый) scuttling (бегущий) movements, and fat (толстый) inscrutable (непроницаемый) faces with very small eyes. It was the type that seemed to flourish (процветать) best under the dominion of the Party.

The announcement from the Ministry of Plenty ended on another trumpet (трубный) call (зов) and gave way to tinny (жестяной) music. Parsons, stirred (перемешал) to vague (расплываться) enthusiasm by the bombardment (обилие) of figures, took his pipe (рот) out of his mouth.

«The Ministry of Plenty’s certainly done a good job this year,» he said with a knowing shake (покачав) of his head. «By the way (кстати), Smith old boy, I suppose (полагать) you haven’t got any razor blades (бритвенные лезвия) you can let me have?» 35

«Not one,» said Winston. «I’ve been using the same blade for six weeks myself.»

«Ah, well – just (просто) thought I’d ask you, old boy.»

«Sorry,» said Winston.

The quacking (крякающий) voice from the next table, temporarily (временно) silenced during the Ministry’s announcement (объявление), had started up again, as loud as ever (громко, как всегда). For some reason Winston suddenly found himself thinking of Mrs Parsons, with her wispy (вьющийся) hair and the dust in the creases (складки) of her face. Within two years those children would be denouncing (доносить) her to the Thought Police. Mrs Parsons would be vaporized (испарится). Syme would be vaporized. Winston would be vaporized. O’Brien would be vaporized. Parsons, on the other hand, would never be vaporized. The eyeless creature (существо) with the quacking (крякающий) voice would never be vaporized. The little beetle-like (похожие на жуков) men who scuttle (носятся) so nimbly (проворно) through the labyrinthine (лабиринтный) corridors of Ministries they, too, would never be vaporized. And the girl with dark hair, the girl from the Fiction Department – she would never be vaporized either. It seemed to him that he knew instinctively (инстинктивно) who would survive and who would perish (погибнет): though just what it was that made for survival, it was not easy to say.

At this moment he was dragged (вырвал) out of his reverie (задумчивость) with a violent jerk (рывок). The girl at the next table had turned partly round and was looking at him. It was the girl with dark hair. She was looking at him in a sidelong way (искоса), but with curious (любопытный) intensity (внимание). The instant (момент) she caught (поймал) his eye she looked away again.

The sweat (пот) started out on Winston’s backbone (позвоночник). A horrible (страшный) pang (приступ) of terror went through him. It was gone almost at once, but it left (оставил) a sort of nagging (щемящий) uneasiness (беспокойство) behind. Why was she watching him? Why did she keep following him about? Unfortunately he could not remember whether she had already been at the table when he arrived, or had come there afterwards (потом). But yesterday, at any rate (случай), during the Two Minutes Hate, she had sat immediately behind him when there was no apparent (очевидный) need to do so. Quite likely (вероятно) her real object had been to listen to him and make sure whether he was shouting loudly (громко) enough.

His earlier thought returned to him: probably she was not actually a member of the Thought Police, but then it was precisely (именно) the amateur (любитель) spy who was the greatest danger of all. He did not know how long she had been looking at him, but perhaps for as much as five minutes, and it was possible that his features had not been perfectly under control. It was terribly dangerous to let your thoughts wander (блуждать) when you were in any public place or within range (досягаемость) of a telescreen. The smallest thing could give you away (выдать вас). A nervous tic, an unconscious look of anxiety (беспокойство), a habit of muttering (бормотание) to yourself – anything that carried with it the suggestion (намек) of abnormality (ненормальность), of having something to hide (скрывать). In any case, to wear (носить) an improper (неподходящий) expression on your face (to look incredulous (недоверчивый) when a victory was announced, for example) was itself a punishable offence (наказуемое преступление). There was even a word for it in Newspeak: FACECRIME (ПРЕСТУПЛЕНИЕ ЛИЦА), it was called.

The girl had turned her back on him again. Perhaps after all (все-таки) she was not really following him about, perhaps it was coincidence (совпадение) that she had sat so close to him two days running. His cigarette had gone out (погас), and he laid it carefully on the edge (край) of the table. He would finish smoking it after work, if he could keep the tobacco in it. Quite likely the person at the next table was a spy of the Thought Police, and quite likely he would be in the cellars (подвалы) of the Ministry of Love within three days, but a cigarette end must not be wasted (потрачен). Syme had folded up (сложил) his strip (полоска) of paper and stowed (сунул) it away in his pocket. Parsons had begun talking again. 36

«Did I ever tell you, old boy,» he said, chuckling (посмеиваясь) round the stem (мундштук) of his pipe (трубка) «about the time when those two nippers of mine (мои кусачки) set fire (подожгли) to the old market-woman’s skirt (юбка) because they saw her wrapping up (заворачивает) sausages (сосиски) in a poster of B.B.? Sneaked up (подкрался) behind her and set fire (поджег) to it with a box of matches (спички). Burned (обжег) her quite badly, I believe. Little beggars (попрошайки), eh? But keen as mustard! That’s a first-rate (первоклассный) training (подготовка) they give them in the Spies nowadays (сейчас) – better than in my day, even. What d’you think’s the latest thing they’ve served them out with? Ear (ушные) trumpets (трубы) for listening through keyholes (замочные скважины)! My little girl brought one (ушные трубки) home the other night – tried it out (попробовал) on our sitting-room (гостиная) door, and reckoned (прикинул) she could hear twice as much as (в два раза больше) with her ear to the hole (дырка). Of course it’s only a toy (игрушка), mind you (заметьте). Still (Тем не менее), gives «em (им) the right idea, eh?» 37

At this moment the telescreen let out (издал) a piercing (пронзительный) whistle (свист). It was the signal to return to work. All three men sprang (свист) to their feet to join in the struggle round the lifts, and the remaining (остатки) tobacco fell out (высыпался) of Winston’s cigarette.

Chapter 6

Winston was writing in his diary:

It was three years ago. It was on a dark evening, in a narrow side-street near one of the big railway stations. She was standing near a doorway (дверной проем) in the wall, under a street lamp that hardly gave any light. She had a young face, painted very thick (толстый). It was really the paint that appealed (понравился) to me, the whiteness (белизна) of it, like a mask, and the bright red lips (губы). Party women (тусовщицы) never paint their faces. There was nobody else in the street, and no telescreens. She said two dollars. I —