A Modest Proposal by Dr. Jonathan Swift. 1729 个人试译（三）
I have too long digressed, and therefore shall return to my subject. I think the advantages by the proposal which I have made are obvious and many, as well as of the highest importance.
digress /daɪ'gres/ vi. 离题；走向岔道
愚已离题千里，还须言归正传。愚以为，拙见益处鲜明良多，非同小可。
For first, as I have already observed, it would greatly lessen the number of Papists, with whom we are yearly overrun, being the principal breeders of the nation, as well as our most dangerous enemies, and who stay at home on purpose with a design to deliver the kingdom to the Pretender, hoping to take their advantage by the absence of so many good Protestants, who have chosen rather to leave their country than stay at home and pay tithes against their conscience to an episcopal curate.
其一，国家稳定，危险可控。如前所述，有效控制天主教徒数量。天主教徒繁育过多，是国家的主要生育者，亦是最危险之敌。他们久居国内，静待新教徒奔走他乡以对抗什一税；他们趁隙而出，图谋向圣公会进贡整个国度。
Secondly, the poorer tenants will have something valuable of their own, which by law may be made liable to a distress, and help to pay their landlord’s rent, their corn and cattle being already seized, and money a thing unknown.
其二，贫农有财，租金自来。穷苦佃农将拥有独立资产。谷物牛羊已然上贡，金钱财宝不曾窥见，他们一穷二白。若施行此举，纵有三灾八难，他们亦可偿付地租。
Thirdly, whereas the maintainance of a hundred thousand children, from two years old, and upwards, cannot be computed at less than ten shillings a piece per annum, the nation’s stock will be thereby encreased fifty thousand pounds per annum, besides the profit of a new dish, introduced to the tables of all gentlemen of fortune in the kingdom, who have any refinement in taste. And the money will circulate among ourselves, the goods being entirely of our own growth and manufacture.
refinement /rɪ'faɪnm(ə)nt/ n. 细微的改良；优雅或高贵的动作、举止等
其三，国库充盈，资金内流。自两岁起，每个儿童每年花销至少十先令，十万儿童的养育经费每年可为国库净增五万镑。同时，品味高雅的上流人士既能拥有安全可靠的新佳肴，又能保障金钱只在我国内部流通。
Fourthly, the constant breeders, besides the gain of eight shillings sterling per annum by the sale of their children, will be rid of the charge of maintaining them after the first year.
其四，人民增收，生活美好。穷苦大众不断生育、售卖儿童，既能保障每年八先令的收入，育儿第一年后亦可免去相关的抚养费用。
Fifthly, this food would likewise bring great custom to taverns, where the vintners will certainly be so prudent as to procure the best receipts for dressing it to perfection; and consequently have their houses frequented by all the fine gentlemen, who justly value themselves upon their knowledge in good eating; and a skilful cook, who understands how to oblige his guests, will contrive to make it as expensive as they please.
其五，酒馆厚利，商贸繁荣。这食物将促使酒家精心烹制以揽客，店内亦将汇聚众多“博吃强饮”的富贵豪绅；主厨心思细腻，厨艺高超，菜肴必物有所值。
Sixthly, this would be a great inducement to marriage, which all wise nations have either encouraged by rewards, or enforced by laws and penalties. It would encrease the care and tenderness of mothers towards their children, when they were sure of a settlement for life to the poor babes, provided in some sort by the publick, to their annual profit instead of expence. We should soon see an honest emulation among the married women, which of them could bring the fattest child to the market. Men would become as fond of their wives, during the time of their pregnancy, as they are now of their mares in foal, their cows in calf, or sows when they are ready to farrow; nor offer to beat or kick them (as is too frequent a practice) for fear of a miscarriage.
其六，婚姻幸福，家庭和谐。明智国家或以嘉奖鼓励婚姻发生，或以戒律强制婚姻执行。若施拙见，则母亲其子，夫爱其妻。幼儿有公家资助，年年创收；已婚妇女诚实竞价，拍卖所养最肥嘟嘟的孩子；丈夫将对孕妻关爱有加，视若珍宝，不言殴打踢踹（时下流行）以保障顺利生产。
Many other advantages might be enumerated. For instance, the addition of some thousand carcasses in our exportation of barreled beef: the propagation of swine’s flesh, and improvement in the art of making good bacon, so much wanted among us by the great destruction of pigs, too frequent at our tables; which are no way comparable in taste or magnificence to a well grown, fat yearling child, which roasted whole will make a considerable figure at a Lord Mayor’s feast, or any other publick entertainment. But this, and many others, I omit, being studious of brevity.
enumerate /ɪ'njuːməreɪt/ vt. 列举，枚举；数
propagation /ˌprɒpə'ɡeɪʃən/ n. 繁殖；增殖；宣传；波及；遗传
益处众多，不胜枚举。例如，桶装牛肉的出口量将攀升；猪肉的产量将增加，培根制作工艺将提高（现下，我们过于频繁吃猪肉以至猪肉短缺）。自然，这些无法媲美肥美多汁、发育良好的一岁孩童。一道烤乳孩足以在达官显贵，或者公共娱乐的宴会上大放异彩。奈何篇幅所致，只得扼要简写。
Supposing that one thousand families in this city, would be constant customers for infants flesh, besides others who might have it at merry meetings, particularly at weddings and christenings, I compute that Dublin would take off annually about twenty thousand carcasses; and the rest of the kingdom (where probably they will be sold somewhat cheaper) the remaining eighty thousand.
假定城里有一千户人家经常光顾婴儿肉铺，其他人仅逢遇喜事，尤其是婚礼与洗礼时才会购买，那么都柏林每年将消耗两万具婴儿肉体，王国的其他地方（可能相对便宜些）将消耗剩下的8万具肉体。
I can think of no one objection, that will possibly be raised against this proposal, unless it should be urged, that the number of people will be thereby much lessened in the kingdom. This I freely own, and was indeed one principal design in offering it to the world. I desire the reader will observe, that I calculate my remedy for this one individual Kingdom of Ireland, and for no other that ever was, is, or, I think, ever can be upon Earth. Therefore let no man talk to me of other expedients: Of taxing our absentees at five shillings a pound: Of using neither clothes, nor houshold furniture, except what is of our own growth and manufacture: Of utterly rejecting the materials and instruments that promote foreign luxury: Of curing the expensiveness of pride, vanity, idleness, and gaming in our women: Of introducing a vein of parsimony, prudence and temperance: Of learning to love our country, wherein we differ even from Laplanders, and the inhabitants of Topinamboo: Of quitting our animosities and factions, nor acting any longer like the Jews, who were murdering one another at the very moment their city was taken: Of being a little cautious not to sell our country and consciences for nothing: Of teaching landlords to have at least one degree of mercy towards their tenants. Lastly, of putting a spirit of honesty, industry, and skill into our shopkeepers, who, if a resolution could now be taken to buy only our native goods, would immediately unite to cheat and exact upon us in the price, the measure, and the goodness, nor could ever yet be brought to make one fair proposal of just dealing, though often and earnestly invited to it.
remedy /'remɪdɪ/ n. 药品, 治疗法；补救办法, 纠正办法
除却王国人口锐减的可能性，愚以为拙见完美无缺，而这却是建议提出的初衷。期盼各位明白，拙见仅针对爱尔兰独立王国，不适用于其他曾经、现在及未来的国家。因此，莫论其他权宜之策，如：向外出者征收五先令的税；不使用国产以外的衣物家具；杜绝助长国外奢靡风气的材料乐器；改变女性骄傲虚荣、慵懒豪赌的现状；推广节俭节欲的行为习惯；推崇爱国精神（这一点连拉普兰德斯人和托皮南布人都比我们强）；放下纠纷、停止内斗，莫如犹太人一般，危亡之时仍自相残杀；小心谨慎，以防白白卖国、违背良知；告诫地主慈悲待农……最后，向店主们宣扬诚信、勤劳的精神以及精湛的本领，因为若即刻下令只得购买本国产品，他们会迅速联合，粗糙滥制、缺斤少两、哄抬物价。尽管诚意满满，恳求公平交易，他们也必不会接受。
Therefore I repeat, let no man talk to me of these and the like expedients, till he hath at least some glimpse of hope, that there will ever be some hearty and sincere attempt to put them into practice.
故愚复议，若无一线希望——有人真心诚意实践尝试——莫论权宜之策。
But, as to myself, having been wearied out for many years with offering vain, idle, visionary thoughts, and at length utterly despairing of success, I fortunately fell upon this proposal, which, as it is wholly new, so it hath something solid and real, of no expence and little trouble, full in our own power, and whereby we can incur no danger in disobliging England. For this kind of commodity will not bear exportation, and flesh being of too tender a consistence, to admit a long continuance in salt, although perhaps I could name a country, which would be glad to eat up our whole nation without it.
于我而言，多年来，劳而无功、空而无物。自视远见，恰似空中楼阁、黄粱一梦；梦醒时分，不过形如槁木、心若死灰。如今，愚幸得灵光一现，谨提新议。拙见简单易行且行之有效，全权可掌，不致惹怒英国当局，引火上身。毕竟商品肉质过嫩不宜长期盐腌，不便出口。不过，兴许某个国家无需加盐亦可吃光我们整个民族。
After all, I am not so violently bent upon my own opinion, as to reject any offer, proposed by wise men, which shall be found equally innocent, cheap, easy, and effectual. But before something of that kind shall be advanced in contradiction to my scheme, and offering a better, I desire the author or authors will be pleased maturely to consider two points. First, As things now stand, how they will be able to find food and raiment for a hundred thousand useless mouths and backs. And secondly, there being a round million of creatures in humane figure throughout this kingdom, whose whole subsistence put into a common stock, would leave them in debt two million of pounds sterling, adding those who are beggars by profession, to the bulk of farmers, cottagers and labourers, with their wives and children, who are beggars in effect; I desire those politicians who dislike my overture, and may perhaps be so bold to attempt an answer, that they will first ask the parents of these mortals, whether they would not at this day think it a great happiness to have been sold for food at a year old, in the manner I prescribe, and thereby have avoided such a perpetual scene of misfortunes, as they have since gone through, by the oppression of landlords, the impossibility of paying rent without money or trade, the want of common sustenance, with neither house nor clothes to cover them from the inclemencies of the weather, and the most inevitable prospect of intailing the like, or greater miseries, upon their breed for ever.
愚亦非固执愚见。智者山人，若有锦囊妙计，能简便可行地解决问题，自当畅所欲言。但那种成效更好的方案提出之前，愚希望献策者能够充分思考两点。第一，如今惨况，十万无用之人的衣食住行如何解决？第二，加上职业乞丐同实际上也卑微乞食的底层劳动者，整个王国一百万人口，两百万镑的生活费用谁来付款？愚由衷期盼，那些厌恶拙见，勇于尝试突破困局的政治家们，先行询问这些人的父母：现在是否认为孩子一周岁时当食物卖掉是一件大美事？若是如此，地主压迫，债台垒筑，食物匮乏，夏无屋舍、冬无复衣，前景渺茫，祸延子嗣……凡此种种，苦痛长久，又何须承受？
I profess in the sincerity of my heart, that I have not the least personal interest in endeavouring to promote this necessary work, having no other motive than the public good of my country, by advancing our trade, providing for infants, relieving the poor, and giving some pleasure to the rich. I have no children, by which I can propose to get a single penny; the youngest being nine years old, and my wife past child-bearing.
愚谨恭谦呈议，绝无私心。愚膝下无孩童可售，幼子早已九岁，拙荆已过育儿年华，此议于己分文不得，所思所想，莫不过推动商贸发展，提供婴儿服务，减轻百姓负担，增加富人乐趣，仅此而已。
