AModestProposal中英文对照word版本.docx

1、AModestProposal中英文对照word版本1 It is a melancholy Object to those, who walk through this great Town,1 or travel in the Country, when they see the Streets, the Roads, and Cabin-Doors, crowded with Beggars of the female Sex, followed by three, four, or six Children, all in Rags, and importuning every Pas

2、senger for an Alms.对于走过这座大城市，或在乡间旅行的人，他们看到的这些景象真是悲凉：街上、马路上、茅屋内挤满了女乞丐，后面跟着三个、四个或六个衣衫褴褛的孩子，向每个路人强要施舍。These Mothers instead of being able to work for their honest livelihood, are forced to employ all their time in Strolling, to beg Sustenance for their helpless Infants, who, as they grow up either turn

3、 Thieves for want of work, or leave their dear native Country to fight for the Pretender in Spain,2 or sell themselves to the Barbadoes.这些母亲无法靠诚实劳动谋生，被迫终日游荡去养活那些无助的孩子，这些孩子长大后要么因找不到工作而沦为小偷，要么背井离乡去为西班牙那个觊觎王位者卖命，也许还会卖身到巴巴多斯。2 I think it is agreed by all Parties, that this prodigious number of Children,

4、 in the Arms, or on the Backs, or at the heels of their Mothers, and frequently of their Fathers, is in the present deplorable state of the Kingdom a very great additional grievance; 我想所有的党派 人士 （各方面）都会同意，这些母亲（有时常常是父亲）怀中抱着、背上背着以及身后跟着的数量如此多的孩子 ，在王国可悲的现状下，将是一个平添民怨的灾难。and therefore whoever could find ou

5、t a fair, cheap and easy method of making these Children sound and useful Members of the common-wealth would deserve so well of the public, as to have his Statue set up for a preserver of the Nation.如果谁能想出一个简单易行的办法让这些孩子成为国家的健全有用之才，他将值得公众为他树立雕像，尊他为保国英雄。3 But my Intention is very far from being confin

6、ed to provide only for the Children of professed beggars, it is of a much greater extent, and shall take in the whole number of Infants at a certain Age, who are born of Parents in effect as little able to support them, as those who demand our Charity in the Streets.然而我的目的远不止限于救治那些公开宣称的乞丐的孩子，我所说的范围要

7、大得多，包括所有那些在某个年代出生，其父母与那些在街上要求我们大发慈悲的乞丐一样，无力养活他们的幼儿。4 As to my own part, having turned my thoughts for many Years, upon this important Subject, and maturely weighed the several Schemes of other Projectors,4 I have always found them grossly mistaken in their computation. .至于我自己，我酝酿这个想法已有多年，也曾和其他提出计划的人

8、充分地权衡过几个方案，但总是发现他们在计算时犯了极大的错误。It is true a Child, just dropt from its Dam,5 may be supported by her Milk, for a Solar year with little other Nourishment, at most not above the Value of two Shillings, which the Mother may certainly get, or the Value in Scraps, by her lawful Occupation of begging, and

9、 it is exactly at one year Old that I propose to provide for them, in such a manner, as, instead of being a Charge upon their Parents, or the Parish,6 or wanting7 Food and Raiment for the rest of their Lives, they shall, on the Contrary, contribute to the Feeding and partly to the Clothing of many T

10、housands.确实，一个初生的婴儿在第一年里也许只需母乳而不用其他营养品，费用顶多不超过两先令，或不超过乞讨所得的残羹剩饭的价值。这两先令他们的母亲通过合法的乞讨肯定能挣到的。为了使他们不再成为父母或其所在教区的负担，也无需在余生要吃要穿，我提议，在正好一岁的时候，他们反而应该为成千上万的人的食物，部分也可以作为衣物。5 There is likewise another great Advantage in my Scheme, that it will prevent those voluntary Abortions, and that horrid practice of Wome

11、n murdering their Bastard Children, alas, too frequent among us, Sacrificing the poor innocent Babes, I doubt,8 more to avoid the Expense, than the Shame, which would move Tears and Pity in the most Savage and inhuman breast.我的方案也有另外一个很大的好处,它能使妇女自愿堕胎和可怕的杀婴行为就此绝迹。唉，这种现象在我们之中太普遍了，我怀疑（她们）牺牲那些无辜的婴儿与其说是为

12、了逃避耻辱，不如说是为了逃避抚养的代价。即使是最无情最没人性的人，对此也将一洒同情之泪。6 The number of Souls in this Kingdom being usually reckoned one Million and a half, Of these I calculate there may be about two hundred thousand Couple whose Wives are breeders, from which number I Subtract thirty Thousand Couples, who are able to maintai

13、n their own Children, although I apprehend9 there cannot be so many, under the present distresses of the Kingdom, but this being granted, there will remain an hundred and seventy thousand Breeders.这个王国的人口数量大概总计为一百五十万，在其中我估计有二十万对夫妇妻子尚能生育，从这个数目里我减去三千对有能力抚养孩子的夫妇虽然我知道在王国现今十分窘迫，不可能有这么多确定之后，就剩下十七万能够生育的妇女。

14、I again Subtract fifty Thousand for those Women who miscarry, or whose Children die by accident or disease within the Year. 我再减去五万流产的或孩子在一年内死于意外和疾病的妇女。 There only remain an hundred and twenty thousand Children of poor Parents annually born.现在实际出生的贫困家庭孩子只余十二万。 The question therefore is, How this numb

15、er shall be reared and provided for, which, as I have already said, under the present Situation of Affairs, is utterly impossible by all the methods hitherto proposed.所以问题是如何抚养这么多的孩子，这个我之前已经说过，在目前的条件下，迄今所提的方案无一能解决。For we can neither employ them in Handicraft, or Agriculture; we neither build Houses,

16、 (I mean in the Country) nor cultivate Land.10 因为我们既不能雇他们从事手工业，也不可能雇他们从事农业；我们不建造房屋（我指的是在农村），也不用开拓耕地。They can very seldom pick up a Livelyhood by Stealing until they arrive at six years Old, except where they are of towardly parts,11 although, I confess they learn the Rudiments much earlier; during which time they can however be properly looked upon only as Probationers, as I have been informed by a principal Gentleman in the County of Cavan,