The country described. A proposal for correcting modern maps. The king’s palace; and some account of the metropolis1. The author’s way of travelling. The chief temple described.
I now intend to give the reader a short description of this country, as far as I travelled in it, which was not above two thousand miles round Lorbrulgrud, the metropolis. For the queen, whom I always attended, never went farther when she accompanied the king in his progresses, and there staid till his majesty2 returned from viewing his frontiers. The whole extent of this prince’s dominions3 reaches about six thousand miles in length, and from three to five in breadth: whence I cannot but conclude, that our geographers4 of Europe are in a great error, by supposing nothing but sea between Japan and California; for it was ever my opinion, that there must be a balance of earth to counterpoise the great continent of Tartary; and therefore they ought to correct their maps and charts, by joining this vast tract5 of land to the north-west parts of America, wherein I shall be ready to lend them my assistance.
The kingdom is a peninsula, terminated to the north-east by a ridge6 of mountains thirty miles high, which are altogether impassable, by reason of the volcanoes upon the tops: neither do the most learned know what sort of mortals inhabit beyond those mountains, or whether they be inhabited at all. On the three other sides, it is bounded by the ocean. There is not one seaport7 in the whole kingdom: and those parts of the coasts into which the rivers issue, are so full of pointed8 rocks, and the sea generally so rough, that there is no venturing with the smallest of their boats; so that these people are wholly excluded from any commerce with the rest of the world. But the large rivers are full of vessels9, and abound10 with excellent fish; for they seldom get any from the sea, because the sea fish are of the same size with those in Europe, and consequently not worth catching11; whereby it is manifest, that nature, in the production of plants and animals of so extraordinary a bulk, is wholly confined to this continent, of which I leave the reasons to be determined12 by philosophers. However, now and then they take a whale that happens to be dashed against the rocks, which the common people feed on heartily13. These whales I have known so large, that a man could hardly carry one upon his shoulders; and sometimes, for curiosity, they are brought in hampers14 to Lorbrulgrud; I saw one of them in a dish at the king’s table, which passed for a rarity, but I did not observe he was fond of it; for I think, indeed, the bigness disgusted him, although I have seen one somewhat larger in Greenland.
The country is well inhabited, for it contains fifty-one cities, near a hundred walled towns, and a great number of villages. To satisfy my curious reader, it may be sufficient to describe Lorbrulgrud. This city stands upon almost two equal parts, on each side the river that passes through. It contains above eighty thousand houses, and about six hundred thousand inhabitants. It is in length three glomglungs (which make about fifty-four English miles,) and two and a half in breadth; as I measured it myself in the royal map made by the king’s order, which was laid on the ground on purpose for me, and extended a hundred feet: I paced the diameter and circumference15 several times barefoot, and, computing16 by the scale, measured it pretty exactly.
The king’s palace is no regular edifice17, but a heap of buildings, about seven miles round: the chief rooms are generally two hundred and forty feet high, and broad and long in proportion. A coach was allowed to Glumdalclitch and me, wherein her governess frequently took her out to see the town, or go among the shops; and I was always of the party, carried in my box; although the girl, at my own desire, would often take me out, and hold me in her hand, that I might more conveniently view the houses and the people, as we passed along the streets. I reckoned our coach to be about a square of Westminster-hall, but not altogether so high: however, I cannot be very exact. One day the governess ordered our coachman to stop at several shops, where the beggars, watching their opportunity, crowded to the sides of the coach, and gave me the most horrible spectacle that ever a European eye beheld18. There was a woman with a cancer in her breast, swelled19 to a monstrous20 size, full of holes, in two or three of which I could have easily crept, and covered my whole body. There was a fellow with a wen in his neck, larger than five wool-packs; and another, with a couple of wooden legs, each about twenty feet high. But the most hateful sight of all, was the lice crawling on their clothes. I could see distinctly the limbs of these vermin with my naked eye, much better than those of a European louse through a microscope, and their snouts with which they rooted like swine. They were the first I had ever beheld, and I should have been curious enough to dissect21 one of them, if I had had proper instruments, which I unluckily left behind me in the ship, although, indeed, the sight was so nauseous, that it perfectly22 turned my stomach.
Besides the large box in which I was usually carried, the queen ordered a smaller one to be made for me, of about twelve feet square, and ten high, for the convenience of travelling; because the other was somewhat too large for Glumdalclitch’s lap, and cumbersome23 in the coach; it was made by the same artist, whom I directed in the whole contrivance. This travelling-closet was an exact square, with a window in the middle of three of the squares, and each window was latticed with iron wire on the outside, to prevent accidents in long journeys. On the fourth side, which had no window, two strong staples24 were fixed25, through which the person that carried me, when I had a mind to be on horseback, put a leathern belt, and buckled26 it about his waist. This was always the office of some grave trusty servant, in whom I could confide28, whether I attended the king and queen in their progresses, or were disposed to see the gardens, or pay a visit to some great lady or minister of state in the court, when Glumdalclitch happened to be out of order; for I soon began to be known and esteemed29 among the greatest officers, I suppose more upon account of their majesties’ favour, than any merit of my own. In journeys, when I was weary of the coach, a servant on horseback would buckle27 on my box, and place it upon a cushion before him; and there I had a full prospect30 of the country on three sides, from my three windows. I had, in this closet, a field-bed and a hammock, hung from the ceiling, two chairs and a table, neatly31 screwed to the floor, to prevent being tossed about by the agitation32 of the horse or the coach. And having been long used to sea-voyages, those motions, although sometimes very violent, did not much discompose me.
Whenever I had a mind to see the town, it was always in my travelling-closet; which Glumdalclitch held in her lap in a kind of open sedan, after the fashion of the country, borne by four men, and attended by two others in the queen’s livery. The people, who had often heard of me, were very curious to crowd about the sedan, and the girl was complaisant33 enough to make the bearers stop, and to take me in her hand, that I might be more conveniently seen.
I was very desirous to see the chief temple, and particularly the tower belonging to it, which is reckoned the highest in the kingdom. Accordingly one day my nurse carried me thither34, but I may truly say I came back disappointed; for the height is not above three thousand feet, reckoning from the ground to the highest pinnacle35 top; which, allowing for the difference between the size of those people and us in Europe, is no great matter for admiration36, nor at all equal in proportion (if I rightly remember) to Salisbury steeple. But, not to detract from a nation, to which, during my life, I shall acknowledge myself extremely obliged, it must be allowed, that whatever this famous tower wants in height, is amply made up in beauty and strength: for the walls are near a hundred feet thick, built of hewn stone, whereof each is about forty feet square, and adorned37 on all sides with statues of gods and emperors, cut in marble, larger than the life, placed in their several niches38. I measured a little finger which had fallen down from one of these statues, and lay unperceived among some rubbish, and found it exactly four feet and an inch in length. Glumdalclitch wrapped it up in her handkerchief, and carried it home in her pocket, to keep among other trinkets, of which the girl was very fond, as children at her age usually are.
The king’s kitchen is indeed a noble building, vaulted39 at top, and about six hundred feet high. The great oven is not so wide, by ten paces, as the cupola at St. Paul’s: for I measured the latter on purpose, after my return. But if I should describe the kitchen grate, the prodigious40 pots and kettles, the joints41 of meat turning on the spits, with many other particulars, perhaps I should be hardly believed; at least a severe critic would be apt to think I enlarged a little, as travellers are often suspected to do. To avoid which censure42 I fear I have run too much into the other extreme; and that if this treatise43 should happen to be translated into the language of Brobdingnag (which is the general name of that kingdom,) and transmitted thither, the king and his people would have reason to complain that I had done them an injury, by a false and diminutive44 representation.
His majesty seldom keeps above six hundred horses in his stables: they are generally from fifty-four to sixty feet high. But, when he goes abroad on solemn days, he is attended, for state, by a military guard of five hundred horse, which, indeed, I thought was the most splendid sight that could be ever beheld, till I saw part of his army in battalia, whereof I shall find another occasion to speak.
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1
metropolis
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| n.首府；大城市 | |
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2
majesty
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| n.雄伟，壮丽，庄严，威严；最高权威，王权 | |
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3
dominions
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| 统治权( dominion的名词复数 )； 领土； 疆土； 版图 | |
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4
geographers
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| 地理学家( geographer的名词复数 ) | |
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tract
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| n.传单，小册子，大片(土地或森林) | |
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ridge
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| n.山脊；鼻梁；分水岭 | |
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7
seaport
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| n.海港，港口，港市 | |
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8
pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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9
vessels
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| n.血管( vessel的名词复数 )；船；容器；（具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的）人 | |
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10
abound
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| vi.大量存在；(in，with)充满，富于 | |
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11
catching
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| adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住 | |
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12
determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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13
heartily
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| adv.衷心地，诚恳地，十分，很 | |
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14
hampers
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| 妨碍，束缚，限制( hamper的第三人称单数 ) | |
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circumference
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| n.圆周，周长，圆周线 | |
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16
computing
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| n.计算 | |
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17
edifice
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| n.宏伟的建筑物(如宫殿，教室) | |
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18
beheld
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| v.看，注视( behold的过去式和过去分词 )；瞧；看呀；（叙述中用于引出某人意外的出现）哎哟 | |
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19
swelled
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| 增强( swell的过去式和过去分词 )； 肿胀； （使）凸出； 充满（激情） | |
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20
monstrous
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| adj.巨大的；恐怖的；可耻的，丢脸的 | |
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21
dissect
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| v.分割；解剖 | |
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22
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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23
cumbersome
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| adj.笨重的，不便携带的 | |
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24
staples
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| n.（某国的）主要产品( staple的名词复数 )；钉书钉；U 形钉；主要部份v.用钉书钉钉住( staple的第三人称单数 ) | |
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fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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26
buckled
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| a. 有带扣的 | |
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buckle
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| n.扣子，带扣；v.把...扣住，由于压力而弯曲 | |
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28
confide
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| v.向某人吐露秘密 | |
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29
esteemed
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| adj.受人尊敬的v.尊敬( esteem的过去式和过去分词 )；敬重；认为；以为 | |
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30
prospect
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| n.前景，前途；景色，视野 | |
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31
neatly
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| adv.整洁地，干净地，灵巧地，熟练地 | |
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32
agitation
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| n.搅动；搅拌；鼓动，煽动 | |
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33
complaisant
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| adj.顺从的，讨好的 | |
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34
thither
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| adv.向那里；adj.在那边的，对岸的 | |
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35
pinnacle
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| n.尖塔，尖顶，山峰；(喻)顶峰 | |
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36
admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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37
adorned
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| [计]被修饰的 | |
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38
niches
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| 壁龛( niche的名词复数 )； 合适的位置[工作等]； （产品的）商机； 生态位（一个生物所占据的生境的最小单位） | |
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39
vaulted
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| adj.拱状的 | |
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40
prodigious
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| adj.惊人的，奇妙的；异常的；巨大的；庞大的 | |
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41
joints
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| 接头( joint的名词复数 )； 关节； 公共场所（尤指价格低廉的饮食和娱乐场所） （非正式）； 一块烤肉 （英式英语） | |
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42
censure
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| v./n.责备；非难；责难 | |
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43
treatise
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| n.专著；(专题)论文 | |
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44
diminutive
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| adj.小巧可爱的，小的 | |
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