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Excerpt from Gulliver’s Travels
（1）When I awaked, it was just daylight. I attempted to rise, but was not able to stir：for as I happened to lie on my back, I found my arms and legs were strongly fastened on each side to the ground；and my hair, which was long and thick, tied down in the same manner. I likewise felt several slender ligatures across my body, from my armpits1） to my thighs. I could only look upwards；the sun began to grow hot, and the light offended my eyes. I heard a confused noise about me, but in the posture I lay, could see nothing except the sky. In a little time I felt something alive moving on my left leg, which advancing gently forward over my *, came almost up to my chin；when bending my eyes downwards as much as I could, I perceived2) it to be a human creature not six inches high, with a bow and arrow in his hands, and a quiver3) at his back. In the meantime, I felt at least forty more of the same kind（as I conjectured）following the first. I was in the utmost4) astonishment, and roared so loud, that they all ran back in a fright；and some of them, as I was afterwards told, were hurt with the falls they got by leaping from my sides upon the ground.
（２）“Now, in the midst of these intestine disquiets, we are threatened with an invasion from the island of Blefuscu, which is the other great empire of the universe, almost as large and powerful as this of his Majesty. For as to what we have heard you affirm, that there are other kingdoms and states in the world, inhabited by human creatures as large as yourself, our philosophers are in much doubt；and would rather conjecture that you dropped from the moon, or one of the stars；because it is certain, that a hundred mortals of your bulk would, in a short time, destroy all the fruits and cattle of his Majesty’s dominions. Besides, our histories of six thousand moons make no mention of any other regions, than the two great empires of Lilliput and Blefuscu. Which two mighty powers have, as I was going to tell you, been engaged in a most obstinate5) war for six and thirty moons past. It began upon the following occasion. It is allowed on all hands, that the primitive6) way of breaking eggs before we eat them, was upon the larger end：but his present Majesty’s grandfather, while he was a boy, going to eat an egg, and breaking it according to the ancient practice, happened to cut one of his fingers. Where upon the Emperor his father published an edict, commanding all his subjects upon great penalties, to break the smaller end of their eggs. The people so highly resented this law, that our histories tell us there have been six rebellions raised on that account；where in one emperor lost his life, and another his crown. These civil commotions were constantly fomented by the monarchs of Blefuscu；and when they were quelled, the exiles always fled for refuge to that empire.
It is computed, that eleven thousand persons have, at several times, suffered death, rather than submit to break their eggs at the smaller end. Many hundred large volumes have been published upon this controversy：but the books of the Big-Endians have been long forbidden, and the whole party rendered incapable by law of holding employments. During the course of these troubles, the emperors of Blefuscu did frequently expostulate by their ambassadors, accusing us of making a schism7) in religion, by offending against a fundamental doc trine of our great prophet Lustrog, in the fifty-fourth chapter of the Brundecral （which is their Alcoran）. This, however, is thought to be a mere strain upon the text：for the words are these：That all true believers shall break their eggs at the convenient end；and which is the convenient end, seems, in my humble opinion, to be left to every man’s conscience, or at least in the power of the chief magistrate8) to determine. Now the Big-Endian exiles have found so much credit in the Emperor of Blefuscu’s court, and so much private assistance and encouragement from their party here at home, that a bloody war hath been carried on between the two empires for six and thirty moons with various success；during which time we have lost forty capital ships, and a much greater number of smaller vessels9), together with thirty thousand of our best seamen and soldiers；and the damage received by the enemy is reckoned to be somewhat greater than ours. However, they have now equipped a numerous fleet, and are just preparing to make a descent upon us；and his Imperial Majesty, placing great confidence in your valor10) and strength, hath commanded me to lay this account of his affairs before you. ”
I desired the Secretary to present my humble duty to the Emperor, and to let him know, that I thought it would not become me, who was a foreigner, to interfere with parties；but I was ready, with the hazard of my life, to defend his person and state against all invaders.
1. 当咱醒来的时候，已经是白天了。咱想起身，却不能动：由于咱恰巧是平躺着的，咱发现咱身体两侧的胳膊、大腿都被牢牢地拴在地面上；咱那又长又密的头发也是被用同样的方式拴住的。咱还感觉到有些细长的绷带捆绑在咱的身上，从咱的腋窝直到咱的大腿。咱只能向上看，太阳开始变热了，光线刺通了咱的眼睛。咱听到在咱周围有混乱的噪音，但是以咱这样的躺姿，除了天空，是什么都看不到的。过了小会儿，咱感到有种活的物体在咱的左腿上移动，它朝着咱的胸部轻轻向前移动，几乎移动到了咱的下巴；咱尽量把咱的眼睛往下看，咱感觉它是个不足六英寸高的人类生物，手中拿着副弓箭，背后背着个箭袋。与此同时，咱感到至少有40个（咱估计的）更多的此类物体在紧跟着第个物体移动。咱极度吃惊，便大声狂吼起来，受到惊吓的这些人便全部往后逃跑；而且，咱事后得知，这些人中的些人在从咱的身侧跳到地面的过程中摔倒了，并因此而受伤。
格列佛来到的这个小人岛国叫做Lilliput 。他发现这里的朝廷官员对他的态度各不相同, 分为两派。国中原来就分作两派, 因鞋后跟高低而异, 派是高跟派, 派是低跟派, 闹得不可开交。有位官员奉命告诉格：
(2) “目前，在这些内部忧患当中，咱们受到了布莱夫斯库岛的侵略威胁，那是这个世界中的另个大帝国，几乎与咱们陛下的王国样广阔与强大。咱们从你那里听讲，你确认，在这个世界中还有其他的王国与国家，居住着与你样的人类生物，对于这些，咱们的哲学家持非常怀疑的态度；并且宁愿推测你是从月亮上掉下来的，或者是来自其他星球；因为，可以肯定的是，百个有你这样身躯的人就可以在很短的时间内摧毁咱们陛下的王国中的所有水果与牲畜。还有，在咱们六千月的历史中，除去利立浦特与布莱夫斯库以外，没有关于其他地域的记录。正如咱所要告诉你的，这两个强大的国家在过去的三十六个月当中直在进行着场最难以平息的战争。这场战争是因下面这个偶然的事件而引起的。所有的人都同意，在咱们进食鸡蛋以前的破壳传统方式是磕破较粗的端：但是本朝陛下的祖父在还是个小孩子的时候，准备按古老的方式破壳吃鸡蛋，不巧的是切到了他的手指。因此，他的父皇颁布了条法令，要求他的所有国民都要去磕鸡蛋的细端，不然就要受到严惩。人民极其厌恶这项法令，咱们的历史记载，六次反叛活动因此而爆发；其中，有个皇帝丧命，另个皇帝被迫退位。这些国内骚乱活动不断受到布莱夫斯库君主的煽动；而且当它们被平息之后，流亡者总是逃往那个帝国寻求避难。
据计，在不同的时候，有万千人因拒绝服从在细端处磕鸡蛋的决定而被处死。针对这争端出版了数以百计的巨著：但是由高跟派撰写的书籍被长期禁止，并且导致整个政党因掌权法案而失去执政能力。在出现这些麻烦的过程中，布莱夫斯库的皇帝们经常派遣大使来进行劝讲活动，谴责咱们是在冒犯咱们伟大先知拉斯托格在其《BRUNDECRAL》（就是这些人的《古兰经》）书中第五十四章规定的个基本教义，从而制造教派分裂。然而，那仅仅被认为是对原文的个曲解：这些原话是：所有真诚的教徒应该在方便的端来磕破鸡蛋；而哪端是方便的端呢，依咱之拙见，似乎是，应该由每个人凭良心来决定，或者至少是动用主要地方官员的权威来决定。现在，高跟派的流亡者在布莱夫斯库的皇朝中得到了巨大信任、众多私人援助与来自祖国的党内支持，以至于场血腥的战争在两个帝国之间持续了三十六个月，各有所斩获；在这个过程中，咱们损失了四十艘大型战舰与数目更为巨大的小型船只，还有三十万精锐的海员与士兵；而据估计，敌人遭受的损失略大于咱们。可是，这些人现在装备了数量众多的舰队，并正准备袭击咱们；而咱们帝国的陛下对你的勇猛与力量充满了巨大信心，并且命令咱向你讲明关于他的事情的这些情况。”
咱希望这位部长向皇帝讲明咱的卑微职责，而且要让他明白，咱认为，对于咱这个外乡人来讲，介入两党之间的纷争不是咱要做的事；但是咱已准备好，冒着丧失生命的危险来保卫他本人与其国家免遭任何侵略。
NOTE 注释：
1. armpit [5B:mpit] n. 腋窝
2. perceive [pE5si:v] vt. 察觉
3. quiver [5kwivE] n. 箭袋, 箭袋中的箭
4. utmost [5QtmEust] adj. 极度的, 最远的
5. obstinate [5Cbstinit] adj. 倔强的, 顽固的
6. primitive [5primitiv] adj. 原始的, 远古的
7. schism [5sizEm] n. (政治组织等的)分裂, 教派
8. magistrate [5mAdVistrit, -treit] n. 文职官员, 地方官员
9. vessel [5vesl] n. 船
10. valor [5vAlE] n. 英勇, 勇猛
最后由 丛中虫 于 2006-11-25 11:43 编辑
