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 12
It would encrease the care and tenderness of mothers towards their children, when they were sure of a settlement for life to the poor babes, provided in some sort by the publick, to their annual profit instead of expence.
当母亲们确信那些可怜的婴儿已由公众以某种方式安排好了终身的出路，使她们每年得利而非破费时，她们对孩子的关爱与柔情便会与日俱增。
We should soon see an honest emulation among the married women, which of them could bring the fattest child to the market.
我们很快便能看到已婚妇女之间展开一场光明正大的竞争，看谁能把最肥壮的孩子带到市场上去。
Men would become as fond of their wives, during the time of their pregnancy, as they are now of their mares in foal, their cows in calf, or sows when they are ready to farrow; nor offer to beat or kick them (as is too frequent a practice) for fear of a miscarriage.
男人们在妻子怀孕期间，将会像如今疼爱怀驹的母马、怀犊的母牛或临产的母猪那般宠爱妻子；也不会再动辄打她们、踢她们（此类恶习如今实属常见），唯恐引起流产。
Many other advantages might be enumerated.
其他诸多好处亦可一一列举。
For instance, the addition of some thousand carcasses in our exportation of barrel'd beef: the propagation of swine's flesh, and improvement in the art of making good bacon, so much wanted among us by the great destruction of pigs, too frequent at our tables; which are no way comparable in taste or magnificence to a well grown, fat yearling child, which roasted whole will make a considerable figure at a Lord Mayor's feast, or any other publick entertainment.
例如，我们出口的桶装牛肉可增添数千具胴体；猪肉的生产得以扩大，腌制上好熏肉的技艺也将得到改进——此物在我们当中极为匮乏，皆因猪只被大量宰杀，频繁出现于我们的餐桌之上；然而无论口味还是气派，猪肉皆无法与一个长得好、养得肥的周岁孩童相提并论——将其整只烤制，在市长大人的宴席或任何其他公众宴会上，必将蔚为壮观。
But this, and many others, I omit, being studious of brevity.
但此点及其他诸多之处，我均略去不提，因为我力求简洁。
Vocabulary
- 当
- dāng — when; at the time of
- 母亲们
- mǔqīnmen — mothers (plural)
- 确信
- quèxìn — to be certain or firmly convinced of something
- 那些
- nàxiē — those (plural demonstrative pronoun)
- 可怜
- kělián — pitiful; to pity someone
- 婴儿
- yīng'ér — infant; baby
- 已
- yǐ — already; indicates completed action
- 由
- yóu — by; from; through
- 公众
- gōngzhòng — the general public
- 以
- yǐ — by means of; using; so as to
- 某种
- mǒu zhǒng — some kind of; a certain type
- 方式
- fāngshì — method; manner; way of doing something
- 安排好
- ānpái hǎo — to have arranged properly; to organize well
- 终身
- zhōngshēn — lifelong; for one's entire life
- 出路
- chūlù — way out; means of livelihood or solution
- 使
- shǐ — to cause; to make; to enable
- 她们
- tāmen — they/them (referring to females)
- 每年
- měinián — every year; annually
- 得利
- délì — to gain profit; to benefit financially
- 而非
- érfēi — rather than; instead of
- 破费
- pòfèi — to spend money; incur expense
- 时
- shí — when; at the time; during
- 对
- duì — toward; regarding; with respect to
- 孩子
- háizi — child; children
- 关爱
- guān'ài — care and love; to cherish and nurture
- 与
- yǔ — and; with; together with
- 柔情
- róuqíng — tender feelings; gentleness and affection
- 便会
- biàn huì — will then; consequently will
- 与日俱增
- yǔ rì jù zēng — to grow with each passing day; increase steadily
- 我们
- wǒmen — we; us
- 很快
- hěn kuài — very soon; quickly
- 看到
- kàndào — to see; to witness; to observe
- 已婚
- yǐhūn — married; already wed
- 妇女
- fùnǚ — women; adult females
- 之间
- zhījiān — between; among
- 展开
- zhǎnkāi — to launch; to unfold; to carry out
- 一场
- yī chǎng — one instance of an event or competition
- 光明正大
- guāngmíng zhèngdà — open and aboveboard; fair and honest
- 竞争
- jìngzhēng — competition; to compete
- 看
- kàn — to see; to look; let's see who
- 谁
- shéi — who; whoever
- 能
- néng — can; to be able to
- 把
- bǎ — particle introducing object of a verb
- 最
- zuì — most; the most (superlative marker)
- 肥壮
- féizhuàng — fat and strong; plump and robust
- 带到
- dài dào — to bring to; to take to a place
- 市场
- shìchǎng — market; marketplace
- 上去
- shàngqù — to go up; directional complement upward
- 在
- zài — at; in; during (preposition of location/time)
- 妻子
- qīzi — wife
- 怀孕
- huáiyùn — to be pregnant; pregnancy
- 期间
- qījiān — during a period; in the course of
- 将会
- jiāng huì — will; shall (future tense marker)
- 像
- xiàng — like; similar to; to resemble
- 如今
- rújīn — nowadays; at the present time
- 疼爱
- téng'ài — to love dearly; to dote on someone
- 或
- huò — or; either…or
- 那般
- nà bān — in that manner; like that
- 宠爱
- chǒng'ài — to pamper; to dote on; to spoil with love
- 也
- yě — also; too; as well
- 不会
- bù huì — will not; won't; unable to
- 再
- zài — again; anymore; once more
- 动辄
- dòngzhé — readily; at the slightest pretext; habitually
- 打
- dǎ — to hit; to beat; to strike
- 踢
- tī — to kick
- 此类
- cǐ lèi — this kind; such types of behavior
- 恶习
- èxí — bad habit; vicious practice
- 实属
- shíshǔ — truly belongs to; indeed constitutes
- 常见
- chángjiàn — common; frequently seen
- 唯恐
- wéikǒng — for fear that; lest; worried that
- 引起
- yǐnqǐ — to cause; to trigger; to bring about
- 流产
- liúchǎn — miscarriage; abortion; to miscarry
- 其他
- qítā — other; the rest; additional
- 诸多
- zhūduō — numerous; many various (formal)
- 好处
- hǎochù — benefit; advantage; good point
- 亦可
- yì kě — can also; may also (literary)
- 一一
- yīyī — one by one; individually; in detail
- 列举
- lièjǔ — to enumerate; to list examples
- 例如
- lìrú — for example; for instance
- 出口
- chūkǒu — to export; export; an exit
- 牛肉
- niúròu — beef; cattle meat
- 可
- kě — can; may; able to (literary modal)
- 增添
- zēngtiān — to add; to increase; to supplement
- 数千
- shù qiān — several thousand; thousands of
- 具
- jù — measure word for corpses or carcasses
- 猪肉
- zhūròu — pork; pig meat
- 生产
- shēngchǎn — production; to produce; to manufacture
- 得以
- déyǐ — to be able to; thereby able to
- 扩大
- kuòdà — to expand; to enlarge; to increase scale
- 上好
- shànghǎo — top-quality; first-rate; excellent grade
- 技艺
- jìyì — skill; craft; artisanal technique
- 得到
- dédào — to obtain; to receive; to achieve
- 改进
- gǎijìn — to improve; to make better; improvement
- 当中
- dāngzhōng — among; in the middle of; within
- 极为
- jí wéi — extremely; exceedingly
- 匮乏
- kuìfá — scarce; lacking; in short supply
- 被
- bèi — passive marker; by (indicates passive voice)
- 大量
- dàliàng — large quantity; in great numbers
- 频繁
- pínfán — frequent; often; happening repeatedly
- 出现
- chūxiàn — to appear; to emerge; to occur
- 于
- yú — at; in; on (literary preposition)
- 餐桌
- cānzhuō — dining table; dinner table
- 之上
- zhī shàng — above; upon; on top of (literary)
- 然而
- rán'ér — however; nevertheless; yet (formal)
- 无论
- wúlùn — regardless of; no matter what
- 口味
- kǒuwèi — taste; flavor; palate preference
- 还是
- háishi — or; still; either…or
- 气派
- qìpài — imposing manner; grandeur; style
- 皆
- jiē — all; both; entirely (literary)
- 无法
- wúfǎ — unable to; cannot; no way to
- 一个
- yī gè — one (general measure word for a person/thing)
- 周岁
- zhōusuì — one full year of age; first birthday
- 孩童
- háitóng — child; young children (literary)
- 相提并论
- xiāng tí bìng lùn — to mention in the same breath; to compare equally
- 市长
- shìzhǎng — mayor; head of a city government
- 大人
- dàren — Your Excellency; honorific for official
- 宴席
- yànxí — banquet; feast; formal dinner
- 任何
- rènhé — any; whatever; whichever
- 宴会
- yànhuì — banquet; formal dinner party
- 上
- shàng — on; at; upon (location particle)
- 必将
- bì jiāng — will certainly; is bound to
- 蔚为壮观
- wèi wéi zhuàngguān — to be a magnificent sight; impressively grand
- 但
- dàn — but; however; yet
- 及
- jí — and; as well as; to reach
- 之处
- zhī chù — the place where; such aspects (literary)
- 我
- wǒ — I; me
- 均
- jūn — all; equally; without exception (literary)
- 略去
- lüèqù — to omit; to leave out; to skip over
- 不提
- bù tí — not to mention; to leave unmentioned
- 因为
- yīnwèi — because; since; due to
- 力求
- lìqiú — to strive for; to do one's best to achieve
- 简洁
- jiǎnjié — concise; brief and clear; succinct
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