A Modest Proposal: For preventing the children of poor people in Ireland, from being a burden on their parents or country, and for making them beneficial to the publick — Page 4
For we can neither employ them in handicraft or agriculture; they neither build houses, (I mean in the country) nor cultivate land: they can very seldom pick up a livelihood by stealing till they arrive at six years old; except where they are of towardly parts, 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, who protested to me, that he never knew above one or two instances under the age of six, even in a part of the kingdom so renowned for the quickest proficiency in that art.
因为我们既不能雇用他们从事手工业或农业；他们既不建造房屋（我指的是在农村），也不耕种土地：他们在六岁之前很少能靠偷窃谋生；除非他们天资聪颖，尽管我承认他们学习这门技艺的基础要早得多；但在此期间，他们充其量只能被视为见习者；这是卡文郡一位绅士告诉我的，他向我发誓，即便在王国中以最快掌握这门技艺而闻名的地方，他也从未见过六岁以下有一两个这样的例子。
I am assured by our merchants, that a boy or a girl, before twelve years old, is no saleable commodity, and even when they come to this age, they will not yield above three pounds, or three pounds and half a crown at most, on the exchange; which cannot turn to account either to the parents or kingdom, the charge of nutriments and rags having been at least four times that value.
我们的商人向我保证，一个男孩或女孩在十二岁之前根本不是可售的商品，即便到了这个年龄，在交易所出售也不会超过三英镑，或者至多三英镑半克朗；这对父母或王国都无利可图，因为养育他们的食物和破衣烂衫的花费至少是这个价值的四倍。
I shall now therefore humbly propose my own thoughts, which I hope will not be liable to the least objection.
因此，我现在将谦恭地提出我自己的想法，希望这些想法不会受到丝毫的反对。
Vocabulary
- 因为
- yīnwèi — because; used to introduce a reason
- 我们
- wǒmen — we; us; first person plural pronoun
- 既
- jì — since; already; both…and (conjunction)
- 不能
- bù néng — cannot; unable to; not allowed to
- 雇用
- gùyòng — to employ; to hire someone for work
- 他们
- tāmen — they; them; third person plural pronoun
- 从事
- cóngshì — to engage in; to be involved in an occupation
- 手工业
- shǒugōngyè — handicraft industry; manual craft production
- 或
- huò — or; either; alternatively
- 农业
- nóngyè — agriculture; farming industry
- 不
- bù — no; not; negation particle
- 建造
- jiànzào — to build; to construct a structure
- 房屋
- fángwū — house; building; residential structure
- 我
- wǒ — I; me; first person singular pronoun
- 指的是
- zhǐ de shì — what I mean is; referring specifically to
- 在
- zài — at; in; on; preposition of location
- 农村
- nóngcūn — rural area; countryside; farming village
- 也
- yě — also; too; as well; likewise
- 耕种
- gēngzhòng — to till; to cultivate land for farming
- 土地
- tǔdì — land; soil; earth; territory
- 六岁
- liù suì — six years old; age of six
- 之前
- zhīqián — before; prior to; in advance of
- 很少
- hěn shǎo — rarely; seldom; very few instances
- 能
- néng — can; able to; capable of
- 靠
- kào — to rely on; to depend on something
- 偷窃
- tōuqiè — to steal; theft; act of stealing
- 谋生
- móushēng — to make a living; earn one's livelihood
- 除非
- chúfēi — unless; only if; except when
- 天资聪颖
- tiānzī cōngyǐng — naturally gifted and clever; born talented and intelligent
- 尽管
- jǐnguǎn — although; even though; despite
- 承认
- chéngrèn — to admit; to acknowledge; to recognize
- 学习
- xuéxí — to study; to learn; to acquire knowledge
- 这门
- zhè mén — this field; this particular discipline or craft
- 技艺
- jìyì — skill; craft; art; technical expertise
- 的
- de — structural particle indicating possession or modification
- 基础
- jīchǔ — foundation; basis; fundamental groundwork
- 要
- yào — need to; want; must; require
- 早
- zǎo — early; earlier; sooner than expected
- 得多
- de duō — much more; by far; to a greater degree
- 但
- dàn — but; however; yet; nevertheless
- 此
- cǐ — this; here; at this point or time
- 期间
- qījiān — period; duration; span of time
- 充其量
- chōng qí liàng — at most; at best; at the very maximum
- 只能
- zhǐ néng — can only; only able to; no other option
- 被
- bèi — passive marker; by; indicates passive voice
- 视为
- shì wéi — to regard as; to consider as; to treat as
- 见习者
- jiànxí zhě — apprentice; trainee; probationary learner
- 这是
- zhè shì — this is; used to introduce an explanation
- 一位
- yī wèi — one (person); a (polite measure word for people)
- 绅士
- shēnshì — gentleman; a man of high social standing
- 告诉
- gàosù — to tell; to inform; to let someone know
- 我的
- wǒ de — my; mine; belonging to me
- 他
- tā — he; him; third person singular male pronoun
- 向我
- xiàng wǒ — to me; directed toward me
- 发誓
- fāshì — to swear; to vow; to take an oath
- 即便
- jíbiàn — even if; even though; regardless of whether
- 王国
- wángguó — kingdom; realm; a territory ruled by a king
- 中
- zhōng — in; within; inside; middle
- 以
- yǐ — with; by means of; using; in order to
- 最快
- zuì kuài — fastest; most quickly; at the greatest speed
- 掌握
- zhǎngwò — to master; to grasp; to have command of
- 而
- ér — and; yet; but; connective conjunction
- 闻名
- wénmíng — famous; well-known; renowned
- 地方
- dìfang — place; location; area; region
- 从未
- cóng wèi — never; at no time; not ever
- 见过
- jiàn guò — have seen; encountered before; witnessed
- 以下
- yǐxià — below; under; less than; the following
- 有
- yǒu — have; there is; exist; possess
- 一两个
- yī liǎng gè — one or two; a couple of; a few
- 这样
- zhèyàng — like this; such; in this way; thus
- 例子
- lìzi — example; instance; illustrative case
- 商人
- shāngrén — merchant; trader; businessman
- 保证
- bǎozhèng — to guarantee; to assure; to promise
- 一个
- yī gè — one; a single (general measure word)
- 男孩
- nánhái — boy; male child; young male
- 女孩
- nǚhái — girl; female child; young female
- 十二岁
- shí'èr suì — twelve years old; age of twelve
- 根本
- gēnběn — fundamentally; at all; simply; basically
- 不是
- bú shì — is not; are not; negation of to be
- 可售
- kě shòu — saleable; able to be sold; marketable
- 商品
- shāngpǐn — commodity; goods; merchandise for sale
- 到了
- dào le — arrived at; reached; by the time of
- 这个
- zhège — this; this one; this particular item
- 年龄
- niánlíng — age; one's years of life
- 交易所
- jiāoyì suǒ — exchange; marketplace; trading venue
- 出售
- chūshòu — to sell; to offer for sale
- 不会
- bú huì — will not; cannot; unlikely to happen
- 超过
- chāoguò — to exceed; to surpass; to go beyond
- 三
- sān — three; the number 3
- 英镑
- yīngbàng — pound sterling; British currency unit
- 或者
- huòzhě — or; either…or; used in statements
- 至多
- zhìduō — at most; maximum; no more than
- 半
- bàn — half; semi; partial
- 这
- zhè — this; these; indicating something nearby
- 对
- duì — for; toward; correct; a pair
- 父母
- fùmǔ — parents; father and mother
- 都
- dōu — all; both; entirely; without exception
- 无利可图
- wú lì kě tú — no profit to be gained; unprofitable
- 养育
- yǎngyù — to raise; to nurture; to bring up children
- 食物
- shíwù — food; nourishment; things to eat
- 和
- hé — and; together with; plus
- 破衣烂衫
- pò yī làn shān — tattered clothes; worn-out ragged garments
- 花费
- huāfèi — to spend; cost; expenditure of money
- 至少
- zhìshǎo — at least; minimum; no less than
- 是
- shì — is; are; am; to be (copula verb)
- 价值
- jiàzhí — value; worth; importance; monetary value
- 四倍
- sì bèi — four times; quadruple the amount
- 因此
- yīncǐ — therefore; thus; as a result; consequently
- 现在
- xiànzài — now; at present; currently
- 将
- jiāng — will; about to; future tense marker
- 谦恭地
- qiāngōng de — humbly; modestly; in a respectful manner
- 提出
- tíchū — to put forward; to propose; to raise an idea
- 自己
- zìjǐ — oneself; self; one's own
- 想法
- xiǎngfǎ — idea; thought; opinion; way of thinking
- 希望
- xīwàng — to hope; wish; desire for something
- 这些
- zhèxiē — these; these ones; referring to nearby items
- 受到
- shòu dào — to receive; to be subject to; to experience
- 丝毫
- sīháo — the slightest; the least bit; in the slightest
- 反对
- fǎnduì — to oppose; to object; opposition; against
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