A Modest Proposal by Dr. Jonathan Swift. 1729 个人试译（二）

I have reckoned upon a medium, that a child just born will weigh 12 pounds, and in a solar year, if tolerably nursed, encreaseth to 28 pounds.

愚曾推算，幼儿初生，重约莫12磅，若照料有度，期年之后，可达28磅。

I grant this food will be somewhat dear, and therefore very proper for landlords, who, as they have already devoured most of the parents, seem to have the best title to the children.

devour /dɪ'vaʊə/ vt.  毁灭；吞食；凝视（指狼吞虎咽地吃，强调吃得既快又彻底）

玉食千金，非常人能受，是以量位而供、衡财而给。名门贵胄，既已刮骨吸髓其亲，自可大快朵颐其形。高门大族，受之无愧，无出其右。

Infant’s flesh will be in season throughout the year, but more plentiful in March, and a little before and after; for we are told by a grave author, an eminent French physician, that fish being a prolific diet, there are more children born in Roman Catholic countries about nine months after Lent, than at any other season; therefore, reckoning a year after Lent, the markets will be more glutted than usual, because the number of Popish infants, is at least three to one in this kingdom, and therefore it will have one other collateral advantage, by lessening the number of Papists among us.

eminent /'emɪnənt/ adj. 杰出的；有名的；明显的

Lent 大斋节，也叫“封斋节”，“四旬斋”，基督教节日之一，自“圣灰星期三”(Ash Wednesday)持续40日，期间不可以吃恒温动物的肉，但可以吃鱼、虾、蟹、蚌等变温动物。

gult /glʌt/ vt. 暴食；纵情过度；使厌腻；供过于求 n.供过于求；放纵；纵容；尽量

collateral /kə'læt(ə)r(ə)l/ n. 附属担保品 adj.相关的

婴儿肉体四序当令，而三月前后，供量充足。某一作家（声名显赫的法国内科医生）严词指出：鱼类食物促产，故大斋之后，天主教国家新生儿数量急剧攀升。而我帝国，天主教婴儿数量至少为三倍于非天主教徒婴儿。据此估量，大斋节之后一年，肉孩市场之盛非常日可拟。正所谓牵一发而动全身，如此行为，我国天主教徒数量亦可调控。

I have already computed the charge of nursing a beggar’s child (in which list I reckon all cottagers, labourers, and four-fifths of the farmers) to be about two shillings per annum, rags included; and I believe no gentleman would repine to give ten shillings for the carcass of a good fat child, which, as I have said, will make four dishes of excellent nutritive meat, when he hath only some particular friend, or his own family to dine with him. Thus the squire will learn to be a good landlord, and grow popular among his tenants, the mother will have eight shillings neat profit, and be fit for work till she produces another child.

愚已核算，一年仅需约两先令即可负担乞丐幼儿的衣食住行（对全体佃户、劳工与超八成农户同样成立）；也相信没有乡绅会为花费十先令购买一具肥而不腻、肉质鲜美的孩童躯体而后悔不已，毕竟，如前所述，宴高朋、饮亲友之时，一个小孩等同于四道佳肴。由此，地主们必改弦易调，施恩于民而受敬于民；而孩童母亲可获八先令净利润，下次生产之前，她还可以参与劳作（不必照顾幼儿）。

Those who are more thrifty (as I must confess the times require) may flay the carcass; the skin of which, artificially dressed, will make admirable gloves for ladies, and summer boots for fine gentlemen.

时世不济，勤俭之家自可剥去小孩皮毛精工细作一番，制成精美手套以乐贵妇，裁成夏季革履以欢豪绅。

As to our City of Dublin, shambles may be appointed for this purpose, in the most convenient parts of it, and butchers we may be assured will not be wanting; although I rather recommend buying the children alive, and dressing them hot from the knife, as we do roasting pigs.

shambles /'ʃæmb(ə)lz/  n. <口>混乱,杂乱；毁坏(景象)；废墟；屠宰场；大屠杀场面

butcher /'bʊtʃə/  vt. 屠杀  n. 屠夫

于我们都柏林，屠宰场或是这一举措的最佳实现场所，我们也将保证屠工人数充足（尽管愚以为，如烤乳猪一般，购买鲜活小孩，再用刀活生生地把他们的皮剥下来会更好）。

A very worthy person, a true lover of his country, and whose virtues I highly esteem, was lately pleased in discoursing on this matter, to offer a refinement upon my scheme. He said, that many gentlemen of this kingdom, having of late destroyed their deer, he conceived that the want of venison might be well supplied by the bodies of young lads and maidens, not exceeding fourteen years of age, nor under twelve; so great a number of both sexes in every county being now ready to starve for want of work and service: and these to be disposed of by their parents if alive, or otherwise by their nearest relations. But with due deference to so excellent a friend, and so deserving a patriot, I cannot be altogether in his sentiments; for as to the males, my American acquaintance assured me from frequent experience, that their flesh was generally tough and lean, like that of our schoolboys, by continual exercise, and their taste disagreeable, and to fatten them would not answer the charge. Then as to the females, it would, I think, with humble submission, be a loss to the publick, because they soon would become breeders themselves: and besides, it is not improbable that some scrupulous people might be apt to censure such a practice, (although indeed very unjustly) as a little bordering upon cruelty, which, I confess, hath always been with me the strongest objection against any project, how well soever intended.

venison /'venɪs(ə)n/  n. 鹿肉；[古]野味

due /dju:/ adj. 到期的；应得的；应付的；预期的  n. 应付款；应得之物  adv.正（置于方位词前）

scrupulous /'skruːpjʊləs/  adj. 严格认真的，一丝不苟的；绝对正直的  adv.&n. 一丝不苟

soever /səʊ'evə/  adv. 任何，不论何种；无论

近来，一位爱国财主乐于谈论此事，并就我的计策提出了改进措施。他德高望重，为人亲善，愚深表景仰。他指出：近期，帝国豪绅狩猎无度以致群鹿绝迹，未来十二至十四周岁童男童女的肉或将成为鹿肉的替代品；英国各郡，工位缺乏、服务缺失，不数男女早已准备忍饥挨饿，若他们幸存于世，则将由他们的父母或近亲处置。然而，纵其人才高八斗，赤胆忠心，愚亦不敢苟同这一论断。我的美国朋友以经验告诉我，男孩，例如学校男生，因常锻炼，肉质柴瘦，食而无味，喂胖再吃则得不酬失。而愚以为，女孩较男孩虽更易规训，但她们即将成为生儿育女，食之损益于公。此外，正直之士或将责难于此着实不公的残忍行径。这种责难常有，不论方案意图所在。

But in order to justify my friend, he confessed, that this expedient was put into his head by the famous Psalmanaazor, a native of the island Formosa, who came from thence to London, above twenty years ago, and in conversation told my friend, that in his country, when any young person happened to be put to death, the executioner sold the carcass to persons of quality, as a prime dainty; and that, in his time, the body of a plump girl of fifteen, who was crucified for an attempt to poison the Emperor, was sold to his imperial majesty’s prime minister of state, and other great mandarins of the court in joints from the gibbet, at four hundred crowns. Neither indeed can I deny, that if the same use were made of several plump young girls in this town, who without one single groat to their fortunes, cannot stir abroad without a chair, and appear at a playhouse and assemblies in foreign fineries which they never will pay for, the kingdom would not be the worse.

expedient /'venɪs(ə)n/  adj. 应急有效的;权宜之计的  n. 应急办法，权宜之计

Psalmanaazor 即George Psalmanazar，自称来自于福尔摩沙（今台湾岛），著有《福尔摩沙的历史与地理描述》，欺瞒欧洲近百年才被识破。

dainty  /'deɪntɪ/  adj. 精致的, 娇俏的, 优雅的, 美味的；（指人）品位高雅的, 难以取悦的, 讲究的, 挑剔的

finery /'faɪn(ə)rɪ/  n. 服饰；装饰；华丽的服饰，鲜艳服装

但必须表明，此番权宜之计源于著名的“福尔摩沙”的原住民——普萨尔玛纳扎。玛纳扎自20多年前来到伦敦。他在与我的好友交谈时透露了一件事：在他们国家，年轻人处死之后，刽子手便以珍馐之名，将其血肉卖与名门大族。曾经，一丰腴女子，及笄之年，欲以毒弑君。然事迹败露，缚于木，受凌迟，最后更以400克朗之价卖与达官贵胄。无可厚非，若以相同手段招待帝国的丰腴少女，帝国前路或将开朗。毕竟，她们身无分文却无轿不行，一毛不拔而人前锦衣。

Some persons of a desponding spirit are in great concern about that vast number of poor people, who are aged, diseased, or maimed; and I have been desired to employ my thoughts what course may be taken, to ease the nation of so grievous an incumbrance. But I am not in the least pain upon that matter, because it is very well known, that they are every day dying, and rotting, by cold and famine, and filth, and vermin, as fast as can be reasonably expected. And as to the young labourers, they are now in almost as hopeful a condition. They cannot get work, and consequently pine away from want of nourishment, to a degree, that if at any time they are accidentally hired to common labour, they have not strength to perform it, and thus the country and themselves are happily delivered from the evils to come.

rot /rɒt/  n. 腐烂, 腐朽  v. (使)腐烂, (使)腐朽

个人观点：“ They cannot get work ... from the evils to come.”句的意思是年轻人找不到工作便会挨饿，从而导致无力参与工作，逐渐加入老弱病残的行列之中，过上忍饥挨饿，同疾病、害虫等共生的生活，日渐虚弱直至死亡腐烂，这对于年轻人自己是一种解脱，对于“国家”而言，“有助于”削减老弱病残的穷人这一负担。这句话与该段开头紧密联系，讽刺深刻。

悲情之人，哀悯苍生，见老弱则苦，逢病残则恸。老弱之多，病残之盈，实乃国家重负。愚亦常谋算于此，欲为国分忧，而今却似无益之功。如各位所见，他们以饥寒为朋、与秽物成伙、同虫豸为伍，朝死夕腐，何足忧虑？年轻劳力更无需担忧。他们无处工作，缺乏吃食，日渐消瘦，纵使有幸受雇于人，亦无力行事。如此一来，于国于民，自与苦难相悖而行。