A_Modest_Proposal英文版

AModestProposalJonathanSwift1.Whatisthepoliticalcontextforthisproposal?2.Whatisthemelancholyobject,accordingtoSwift,whenpeoplewentthroughthecountry?3.Theauthorprovidesstatisticalevidenceforhisproposal.①Howdoesheworkoutthenumberofchildrentobesoldannually?②Whatassumptiondoesheprovideabouttheirweightandprice?③Howdoessuggestthatthebabiesshouldbeconsumed?4.WhatdoesJonathanSwiftmeanby“Igrantthisfoodwillbesomewhatdear,andthereforeveryproperforlandlords,who,astheyhavealreadydevouredmostoftheparents,seemtohavethebesttitletothechildren.”?(P258)5.Whichmonthoffersthebestsupplyofthebabies?6.Thenarrator’sfriendhasanothersuggestion,whydoesherejectit?(P259)7.Explaintheuseofironyandsatireinthisessay.1.Whatisthesocialcontextforthisproposal?SwiftpublishedAModestProposalin1729asapamphlet.Atthattime,Ireland(notanindependentcountry)wasfarpoorerthanEngland.ThisrulingclasswereusuallyProtestants.ManyofthemwerenotborninIreland,nordidtheylivetherepermanently.MostIrishpeoplewereRomanCatholicsandemployedaslabourersortenants.Theyhadbeendriventoextremepoverty.2.Whatisthemelancholyobject,accordingtoSwift,whenpeoplewentthroughthecountry?Inthiscountry,therewereaprodigiousmemberofwomenbeggarswiththeirchildrenbecauseofextremepoverty.Inviewoftheproblemthatparentscouldn’taffordtoraisetheirchildren,JonathanSwiftpresentsinaveryseriousmannerwithfactsandfiguresandveryrefineddictionafair,cheapandeasymethodofmakingthesechildrensoundusefulmembersofthecommonwealth.《一个谦卑的建议》以文雅的措词和所谓经济学数据，郑重其事地作为“一个公正、不费钱而又简易可行的办法”提出来，自称目的在于解决爱尔兰穷人儿女过多而又无力养育的迫切问题。Whatistheproposal?…anditisexactlyatoneyearoldthatIproposetoprovidefortheminsuchamannerasinsteadofbeingachargeupontheirparentsortheparish,orwantingfoodandraimentfortherestoftheirlives,theyshallonthecontrarycontributetothefeeding,andpartlytotheclothing,ofmanythousands.(P256)3.Theauthorprovidesstatisticalevidenceforhisproposal.①Howdoesheworkoutthenumberofbabiestosoldannually?Thewholepopulationmightbe1millionandahalf.(150,0000)Twohundredthousandwomenwerebreeders.(20,0000)Thirtythousandcouplesareabletomaintaintheirchildren.(-3,0000)Fiftythousandwomenmightmiscarryorwhosechildrenmightdiebyaccidentordiseasewithintheyear.(-5,0000)Thereonlyremainedahunderdandtwentythousandchidrenofpoorparetnsannuallyborn.(12,0000)Idothereforehumblyofferittopublicconsiderationthatofthehundredandtwentythousandchildrenalreadycomputed,twentythousandmaybereservedforbreed,(-2,0000)whereofonlyone-fourthparttobemales;whichismorethanweallowtosheep,blackcattleorswine;andmyreasonis,thatthesechildrenareseldomthefruitsofmarriage,acircumstancenotmuchregardedbyoursavages,thereforeonemalewillbesufficienttoservefourfemales.现谨建议如下，祈请公众垂鉴。已统计的十二万名儿童，两万可留下传种，其中四分之一可为男性，此数已超过牛羊猪豕之类留种的比例，理由是这类儿童大多非正式婚姻所生，粗鄙之流亦不介意此点，因此一男可配四女。Thattheremaininghundredthousandmay,atayearold,beofferedinthesaleto(1,0000)thepersonsofqualityandfortunethroughthekingdom;alwaysadvisingthemothertoletthemsuckplentifullyinthelastmonth,soastorenderthemplumpandfatforagoodtable.余下的十万可在一岁时卖给国内有地位有钱者，事前切嘱母亲们在最后一月喂足儿童的奶水，使其肥嫩，以备筵席之用。②Whatassumptiondoeshemakeabouttheirweightandprice?Ihavereckoneduponamediumthatachildjustbornwillweigh12pounds,andinasolaryear,iftolerablynursed,increasethto28pounds.我曾计算，初生儿每个平均重12磅，养育得当，一年后可重28磅。……andIbelievenogentlemenwouldrepinetogivetenshillingsforthecarcassofagoodfatchild,……themotherwillhaveeightshillingsnetprofit,andbefitfortheworktillsheproducesanotherchild.只要区区十先令就能换如此可口的肉孩，我相信，没有哪位绅士会为此开销皱皱眉头。而做母亲的每年也可以有八个先令的净收入，这使她能好好干活，直到再次生育。③Whatdoeshesuggestabouttheirconsumptionpatterns?IhavebeenassuredbyaveryknowingAmerican,myacquaintanceinLondon,thatayounghealthychildwellnursedisatayearoldamostdelicious,nourishing,andwholesomefood,whetherstewed,roasted,baked,orboiled;andImakenodoubtthatitwillequallyserveinafricasseeoraragout.我在伦敦认识一个见识很广的美国人，他向我保证说：一个奶水充足的健康儿童养到一岁，其肉是最鲜美，最滋补、最健康的食品，炖、煎、烤、煮都好，无疑也可做油煎肉丸和肉丝。Achildwillmaketwodishesatanentertainmentforfriends;andwhenthefamilydinesalone,theforeorhindquarterwillmakeareasonabledish,andseasonedwithalittlepepperorsaltwillbeverygoodboiledonthefourthday,especiallyinwinter.友朋小集，一儿可作两莱；家庭自享，则一臂一腿可各作一道好菜，若能调以少量胡椒和盐，则存放四天后煮吃仍佳，冬季尤然。Thosewhoaremorethrifty(asImustconfessthetimesrequire)mayflaythecarcass;theskinofwhichartificiallydressedwillmakeadmirableglovesforladies;andsummerbootsforfinegentlemen.那些节俭一些的父母（我必须得承认此乃时势所迫）可以剥去婴儿的皮，加工一下就会制成精致的女士手套以及男式凉靴。4.WhatdoesJonathanSwiftmeanby“Igrantthisfoodwillbesomewhatdear,andthereforeveryproperforlandlords,who,astheyhavealreadydevouredmostoftheparents,seemtohavethebesttitletothechildren.”(P258)诚然，此类食品不免价昂，但也因此更合地主们享用。他们既已吞食了儿童的父母，当然也最有资格饱餐这些儿童。ThisstatementisaseverecriticismofthebrutalexploitationoftheIrishpeoplebytheEnglishandIrishlandlords.5.Whichmonthoffersthebestsupplyofthebabies?TherearemorechildrenborninRomanCatholiccountriesaboutninemonthsafterLentthananyotherseason;therefore,reckoningayearafterLent,themarketswillbegluttedthanusual,……在斋月之后的第九个月，罗马天主教国家新生儿的数量比其他季节要多；因此，据此推算，斋月后的一年，供应将比平时充足……6.Thenarrator’sfriendhasanothersuggestion,whydoesherejectit?(P259)Thesuggestionisthatthelackofveniso