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 7
Thus the squire will learn to be a good landlord, and grow popular among his tenants, the mother will have eight shillings neat profit, and be fit for work till she produces another child.
这样，乡绅将学会成为一个好地主，并在佃农中赢得好名声，母亲将获得八先令的纯利润，并在生下下一个孩子之前都能胜任劳作。
Those who are more thrifty (as I must confess the times require) may flay the carcass; the skin of which, artificially dressed, will make admirable gloves for ladies, and summer boots for fine gentlemen.
那些更为节俭的人（正如我必须承认时势所需）可以剥下尸体的皮；这些皮经过精心鞣制，将能制成极好的女士手套，以及体面绅士穿的夏季靴子。
As to our City of Dublin, shambles may be appointed for this purpose, in the most convenient parts of it, and butchers we may be assured will not be wanting; although I rather recommend buying the children alive, and dressing them hot from the knife, as we do roasting pigs.
至于我们都柏林城，可以在其最便利的地方为此目的设立屠宰场，我们可以确信屠夫绝不会短缺；尽管我更建议购买活的孩童，并趁刀刃尚热时将其烹制，正如我们烤乳猪一般。
A very worthy person, a true lover of his country, and whose virtues I highly esteem, was lately pleased in discoursing on this matter, to offer a refinement upon my scheme.
一位十分可敬的人，一位真正热爱祖国的人，其美德深受我敬重，近日在谈及此事时，欣然对我的方案提出了一项改进。
He said, that many gentlemen of this kingdom, having of late destroyed their deer, he conceived that the want of venison might be well supplied by the bodies of young lads and maidens, not exceeding fourteen years of age, nor under twelve; so great a number of both sexes in every county being now ready to starve for want of work and service: and these to be disposed of by their parents if alive, or otherwise by their nearest relations.
他说，这个王国的许多绅士近来已将其鹿群毁尽，他认为鹿肉的匮乏或可由年轻男孩和少女的躯体来弥补，年龄不超过十四岁，也不低于十二岁；如今每个郡县中有如此众多的两性孩童，因缺乏工作和役务而濒临饿死：这些孩童可由其父母处置（若父母尚在），否则由其最近的亲属处置。
Vocabulary
- 这样
- zhèyàng — in this way; like this; such
- 将
- jiāng — will; about to; going to (future marker)
- 学会
- xuéhuì — to learn and master a skill
- 成为
- chéngwéi — to become; to turn into something
- 一个
- yīgè — one; a single (general measure word)
- 好
- hǎo — good; well; fine
- 地主
- dìzhǔ — landlord; landowner who rents to tenants
- 并
- bìng — and; furthermore; also (formal connector)
- 在
- zài — at; in; on; to be present at
- 中
- zhōng — among; in the middle of; within
- 赢得
- yíngdé — to win; to gain; to earn recognition
- 名声
- míngshēng — reputation; fame; public standing
- 母亲
- mǔqīn — mother; one's female parent
- 获得
- huòdé — to obtain; to acquire; to gain something
- 八
- bā — eight (the number 8)
- 的
- de — structural particle indicating possession or modification
- 纯
- chún — pure; net; clear (as in profit)
- 利润
- lìrùn — profit; financial gain from a transaction
- 生下
- shēngxià — to give birth to; to deliver a child
- 下一个
- xià yīgè — the next one; the following item
- 孩子
- háizi — child; children; kid
- 之前
- zhīqián — before; prior to a certain time
- 都能
- dōu néng — all can; everyone is able to
- 胜任
- shèngrèn — to be competent for; capable of handling
- 那些
- nàxiē — those; referring to plural distant things
- 更为
- gèngwéi — even more; to a greater degree
- 节俭
- jiéjiǎn — frugal; thrifty; economical in spending
- 人
- rén — person; people; human being
- 正如
- zhèngrú — just as; exactly as; as indeed
- 我
- wǒ — I; me; first-person singular pronoun
- 必须
- bìxū — must; have to; obligatory action
- 承认
- chéngrèn — to admit; to acknowledge; to recognize
- 所需
- suǒ xū — what is needed; required; necessary
- 可以
- kěyǐ — can; may; it is permissible to
- 尸体
- shītǐ — corpse; dead body; cadaver
- 皮
- pí — skin; hide; leather; outer covering
- 这些
- zhèxiē — these; referring to plural nearby things
- 经过
- jīngguò — after going through; via; by means of
- 精心
- jīngxīn — carefully; with great care and effort
- 制成
- zhìchéng — to make into; to manufacture into something
- 极好
- jí hǎo — excellent; extremely good; superb quality
- 女士
- nǚshì — lady; Ms.; polite term for woman
- 手套
- shǒutào — gloves; hand coverings for warmth or protection
- 以及
- yǐjí — as well as; and also; in addition to
- 体面
- tǐmiàn — respectable; decent; dignified in appearance
- 绅士
- shēnshì — gentleman; man of refined social status
- 穿的
- chuān de — worn by; intended to be worn
- 夏季
- xiàjì — summer season; the warm months of year
- 靴子
- xuēzi — boots; footwear covering the ankle
- 至于
- zhìyú — as for; regarding; as to the matter
- 我们
- wǒmen — we; us; first-person plural pronoun
- 城
- chéng — city; town; urban area
- 其
- qí — its; their; his/her (formal possessive pronoun)
- 最
- zuì — most; -est superlative degree marker
- 便利
- biànlì — convenient; handy; easy to use
- 地方
- dìfang — place; location; area; region
- 为此
- wèicǐ — for this purpose; to this end
- 目的
- mùdì — purpose; goal; objective; aim
- 设立
- shèlì — to establish; to set up; to found
- 确信
- quèxìn — to be certain; to be confident; to believe firmly
- 绝不
- juébù — absolutely not; never; under no circumstances
- 会
- huì — will; can; to be able to; likely
- 短缺
- duǎnquē — shortage; lack; insufficient supply of something
- 尽管
- jǐnguǎn — even though; despite; although; nevertheless
- 更
- gèng — even more; still more; furthermore
- 建议
- jiànyì — to suggest; to recommend; a proposal
- 购买
- gòumǎi — to purchase; to buy; to acquire by payment
- 活的
- huó de — living; alive; a live creature
- 孩童
- háitóng — child; young children; kids
- 趁
- chèn — to take advantage of; while; making use of
- 时
- shí — when; at the time of; during
- 烤
- kǎo — to roast; to bake; to grill
- 一般
- yībān — in general; ordinary; like; similar to
- 一位
- yī wèi — one (person, polite measure word)
- 十分
- shífēn — very; extremely; fully; completely
- 可敬
- kějìng — respectable; worthy of respect and admiration
- 真正
- zhēnzhèng — truly; genuinely; real; authentic
- 热爱
- rè'ài — to love deeply; passionate love for something
- 祖国
- zǔguó — motherland; one's native country; homeland
- 美德
- měidé — virtue; moral excellence; good character
- 深受
- shēn shòu — deeply affected by; greatly receiving something
- 敬重
- jìngzhòng — to respect deeply; to hold in high esteem
- 近日
- jìnrì — recently; in recent days; lately
- 谈及
- tánjí — to mention; to bring up in conversation
- 此事
- cǐ shì — this matter; this affair; this issue
- 欣然
- xīnrán — gladly; willingly; with pleasure and delight
- 对
- duì — toward; to; regarding; directed at
- 我的
- wǒ de — my; mine; belonging to me
- 方案
- fāng'àn — plan; scheme; proposal; solution
- 提出
- tíchū — to put forward; to raise; to propose
- 了
- le — particle indicating completed action or change
- 一项
- yī xiàng — one item; one measure; a single proposal
- 改进
- gǎijìn — improvement; to improve upon; to make better
- 他
- tā — he; him; third-person singular male pronoun
- 说
- shuō — to say; to speak; to tell
- 这个
- zhège — this; this one; this particular thing
- 王国
- wángguó — kingdom; realm; a monarchical state
- 许多
- xǔduō — many; a lot of; numerous
- 近来
- jìnlái — recently; lately; in recent times
- 认为
- rènwéi — to think; to believe; to consider that
- 由
- yóu — by; from; through; due to
- 年轻
- niánqīng — young; youthful; of a young age
- 男孩
- nánhái — boy; male child
- 和
- hé — and; together with; plus
- 少女
- shàonǚ — young girl; teenage girl; maiden
- 来
- lái — to come; used to indicate purpose
- 弥补
- míbǔ — to make up for; to compensate; to remedy
- 年龄
- niánlíng — age; a person's years of life
- 不
- bù — not; no; negation particle
- 超过
- chāoguò — to exceed; to surpass; to go beyond
- 十四岁
- shísì suì — fourteen years old; age of fourteen
- 也
- yě — also; too; as well; either
- 低于
- dīyú — below; lower than; less than
- 十二岁
- shí'èr suì — twelve years old; age of twelve
- 如今
- rújīn — nowadays; at present; these days
- 每个
- měigè — every; each; every single one
- 有
- yǒu — to have; there is; to exist
- 如此
- rúcǐ — so; such; like this; to this degree
- 众多
- zhòngduō — numerous; a great many; a large number
- 两性
- liǎngxìng — both sexes; male and female; two genders
- 因
- yīn — because of; due to; owing to
- 缺乏
- quēfá — to lack; to be short of; deficiency
- 工作
- gōngzuò — work; job; employment; to work
- 而
- ér — and; but; yet; while (formal connector)
- 濒临
- bīnlín — on the verge of; bordering on; about to
- 饿死
- èsǐ — to starve to death; to die of hunger
- 父母
- fùmǔ — parents; father and mother
- 处置
- chǔzhì — to handle; to dispose of; to deal with
- 若
- ruò — if; should; in case; supposing
- 否则
- fǒuzé — otherwise; if not; or else
- 最近
- zuìjìn — recently; lately; most recent time
- 亲属
- qīnshǔ — relatives; family members; kin
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