1984
Chapter 4
Winstonwasgoodatthiskindofthing. Onoccasionhehadevenbeenentrustedwiththerectificationof‘TheTimes’leadingarticles,whichwerewrittenentirelyinNewspeak. Heunrolledthemessagethathehadsetasideearlier.Itran:
times3.12.83reportingbbdayorderdoubleplusungoodrefsunpersonsrewritefullwiseupsubantefiling
InOldspeak(orstandardEnglish)thismightberendered:
ThereportingofBigBrother’sOrderfortheDayin‘TheTimes’ofDecember3rd1983isextremelyunsatisfactoryandmakesreferencestonon-existentpersons. Rewriteitinfullandsubmityourdrafttohigherauthoritybeforefiling.
Winstonreadthroughtheoffendingarticle. BigBrother’sOrderfortheDay,itseemed,hadbeenchieflydevotedtopraisingtheworkofanorganizationknownasFFCC, whichsuppliedcigarettesandothercomfortstothesailorsintheFloatingFortresses. AcertainComradeWithers,aprominentmemberoftheInnerParty,hadbeensingledoutforspecialmentionandawardedadecoration,theOrderofConspicuousMerit,SecondClass.
ThreemonthslaterFFCChadsuddenlybeendissolvedwithnoreasonsgiven. OnecouldassumethatWithersandhisassociateswerenowindisgrace,buttherehadbeennoreportofthematterinthePressoronthetelescreen. Thatwastobeexpected,sinceitwasunusualforpoliticaloffenderstobeputontrialorevenpubliclydenounced.
