There are probably dozens of classics most people pretend to have read. George Orwell's book "Nineteen Eighty-Four" is one of those classics that absolutely everyone should have read, especially in these troubled times of mass surveillance. Let me remind you of its beginning:
"It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen. Winston Smith, his chin nuzzled into his breast in an effort to escape the vile wind, slipped quickly through the glass doors of Victory Mansions, though not quickly enough to prevent a swirl of gritty dust from entering along with him.
The hallway smelt of boiled cabbage and old rag mats. At one end of it a coloured poster, too large for indoor display, had been tacked to the wall. It depicted simply an enormous face, more than a metre wide: the face of a man of about forty-five, with a heavy black moustache and ruggedly handsome features. Winston made for the stairs. It was no use trying the lift. Even at the best of times it was seldom working, and at present the electric current was cut off during daylight hours. It was part of the economy drive in preparation for Hate Week. The flat was seven flights up, and Winston, who was thirty-nine and had a varicose ulcer above his right ankle, went slowly, resting several times on the way. On each landing, opposite the lift-shaft, the poster with the enormous face gazed from the wall. It was one of those pictures which are so contrived that the eyes follow you about when you move. BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU, the caption beneath it ran." [continue here]
And here's the Chinese version:
四月间,天气寒冷晴朗,钟敲了十三下。温斯顿史密斯为了要躲寒风,紧缩着脖子, 很快地溜进了胜利大厦的玻璃门,不过动作不够迅速,没有能够防止一阵沙土跟着他刮进 了门。
门厅里有一股熬白菜和旧地席的气味。门厅的一头,有一张彩色的招贴画钉在墙上, 在室内悬挂略为嫌大了一些。
画的是一张很大的面孔,有一米多宽。这是一个大约四十五岁的男人的脸,留着浓密 的黑胡子,面部线条粗犷英俊。温斯顿朝楼梯走去。用不着试电梯。即使最顺利的时候, 电梯也是很少开的,现在又是白天停电。这是为了筹备举行仇恨周而实行节约。温斯顿的 住所在七层楼上。他三十九岁,右脚脖子上患静脉曲张,因此爬得很慢,一路上休息了好 几次。每上一层楼,正对着电梯门的墙上就有那幅画着很大脸庞的招贴画凝视着。这是属 于这样的一类画,你不论走到哪里,画面中的眼光总是跟着你。下面的文字说明是: 老大 哥在看着你。 [continue here]
So what happens to Winston Smith - or 温斯顿·史密斯 ? Maybe you want to jump straight to the ending where Winston sits in the Chestnut Tree Café, with two gin-scented tears trickling down the sides of his nose:
他抬头看着那张庞大的脸。他花了四十年的功夫才知道那黑色的大胡子后面的笑容是 什么样的笑容。哦,残酷的、没有必要的误会!哦,背离慈爱胸怀的顽固不化的流亡者! 他鼻梁两侧流下了带着酒气的泪。但是没有事,一切都很好,斗争已经结束了。他战 胜了自己。他热爱老大哥。
