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 13
Supposing that one thousand families in this city, would be constant customers for infants flesh, besides others who might have it at merry meetings, particularly at weddings and christenings, I compute that Dublin would take off annually about twenty thousand carcasses; and the rest of the kingdom (where probably they will be sold somewhat cheaper) the remaining eighty thousand.
假设本城有一千户家庭会成为婴儿肉的固定主顾，此外还有些人可能会在欢聚之时享用，尤其是在婚宴和洗礼宴上，我估计都柏林每年大约可消耗两万具婴儿躯体，而王国其余地区（那里的售价或许会稍低一些）则可消耗剩余的八万具。
I can think of no one objection, that will possibly be raised against this proposal, unless it should be urged, that the number of people will be thereby much lessened in the kingdom.
我想不出有任何反对意见可能会针对这一提案而提出，除非有人坚持认为，王国的人口数量将因此大为减少。
This I freely own, and was indeed one principal design in offering it to the world.
这一点我坦然承认，而且这确实是我将此方案公之于众的主要目的之一。
I desire the reader will observe, that I calculate my remedy for this one individual Kingdom of Ireland, and for no other that ever was, is, or, I think, ever can be upon Earth.
我希望读者注意，我所筹划的这一良方，仅针对爱尔兰这一个王国，而非针对过去曾经存在、现在存在，或者我认为将来可能存在于地球上的任何其他国家。
Vocabulary
- 假设
- jiǎshè — To assume or suppose a condition is true
- 本城
- běn chéng — This city; the current city being discussed
- 有
- yǒu — To have; there is/are
- 一千
- yīqiān — One thousand
- 户
- hù — Household; a measure word for families
- 家庭
- jiātíng — Family; household unit
- 会
- huì — Will; to be likely to; can
- 成为
- chéngwéi — To become; to turn into something
- 的
- de — Structural particle indicating possession or modification
- 固定
- gùdìng — Fixed; regular; established
- 主顾
- zhǔgù — Regular customer; patron of a business
- 此外
- cǐwài — Besides; in addition; furthermore
- 还有
- háiyǒu — There are also; additionally
- 些人
- xiē rén — Some people; certain individuals
- 可能
- kěnéng — Possibly; maybe; likely
- 在
- zài — At; in; on; indicating location or time
- 欢聚
- huānjù — To gather joyfully; happy reunion
- 之时
- zhī shí — At the time of; during the occasion
- 享用
- xiǎngyòng — To enjoy; to partake in food or pleasure
- 尤其
- yóuqí — Especially; particularly; most notably
- 是
- shì — To be; is; am; are
- 婚宴
- hūnyàn — Wedding banquet; feast for a marriage
- 和
- hé — And; together with
- 上
- shàng — On; above; at (an event)
- 我
- wǒ — I; me; first-person pronoun
- 估计
- gūjì — To estimate; to calculate approximately
- 每年
- měinián — Every year; annually
- 大约
- dàyuē — Approximately; about; roughly
- 可
- kě — Can; able to; may
- 消耗
- xiāohào — To consume; to use up resources
- 两万
- liǎngwàn — Twenty thousand
- 具
- jù — Measure word for corpses or bodies
- 婴儿
- yīng'ér — Infant; baby; newborn child
- 躯体
- qūtǐ — Body; physical form of a person
- 而
- ér — And; but; while; linking conjunction
- 王国
- wángguó — Kingdom; a country ruled by a king
- 其余
- qíyú — The rest; the remainder; other parts
- 地区
- dìqū — Region; area; district
- 那里
- nàlǐ — There; that place
- 售价
- shòujià — Selling price; retail price
- 或许
- huòxǔ — Perhaps; maybe; possibly
- 稍低
- shāo dī — Slightly lower; a bit cheaper
- 一些
- yīxiē — Some; a few; a certain amount
- 则
- zé — Then; in that case; a contrast marker
- 剩余
- shèngyú — Remaining; leftover; surplus
- 八万
- bāwàn — Eighty thousand
- 想不出
- xiǎng bu chū — Cannot think of; unable to come up with
- 任何
- rènhé — Any; whatever; whichever
- 反对意见
- fǎnduì yìjiàn — Objection; opposing opinion or argument
- 针对
- zhēnduì — Aimed at; targeting; directed toward
- 这一
- zhè yī — This one; this particular (thing)
- 提案
- tí'àn — Proposal; motion; suggested plan
- 提出
- tíchū — To put forward; to raise a suggestion
- 除非
- chúfēi — Unless; only if; except when
- 有人
- yǒurén — Someone; there is a person who
- 坚持
- jiānchí — To insist; to persist; to stick to
- 认为
- rènwéi — To think; to believe; to consider
- 人口
- rénkǒu — Population; number of people in an area
- 数量
- shùliàng — Quantity; amount; number
- 将
- jiāng — Will; shall; future tense marker
- 因此
- yīncǐ — Therefore; as a result; consequently
- 大为
- dàwéi — Greatly; significantly; to a large degree
- 减少
- jiǎnshǎo — To decrease; to reduce; to diminish
- 这一点
- zhè yī diǎn — This point; this aspect; this fact
- 坦然
- tǎnrán — Calmly; openly; without hesitation or guilt
- 承认
- chéngrèn — To admit; to acknowledge; to confess
- 而且
- érqiě — Moreover; furthermore; and also
- 这
- zhè — This; referring to something nearby
- 确实
- quèshí — Indeed; truly; certainly
- 此
- cǐ — This; here; a formal demonstrative pronoun
- 方案
- fāng'àn — Plan; scheme; proposed solution
- 公之于众
- gōng zhī yú zhòng — To make public; announce to everyone
- 主要
- zhǔyào — Main; primary; most important
- 目的
- mùdì — Purpose; goal; objective
- 之一
- zhī yī — One of; among the group mentioned
- 希望
- xīwàng — To hope; to wish; desire for something
- 读者
- dúzhě — Reader; person who reads a text
- 注意
- zhùyì — To notice; to pay attention to
- 所
- suǒ — Particle linking verb to its object formally
- 筹划
- chóuhuà — To plan; to devise; to arrange carefully
- 良方
- liángfāng — Good remedy; effective solution or formula
- 仅
- jǐn — Only; merely; just
- 个
- gè — General measure word for people and objects
- 而非
- ér fēi — Rather than; instead of; but not
- 过去
- guòqù — The past; previously; before now
- 曾经
- céngjīng — Once; formerly; at some past time
- 存在
- cúnzài — To exist; to be present; existence
- 现在
- xiànzài — Now; currently; at present
- 或者
- huòzhě — Or; either; one alternative among options
- 将来
- jiānglái — The future; time yet to come
- 于
- yú — At; in; on; formal preposition of location
- 地球
- dìqiú — The Earth; the planet we live on
- 其他
- qítā — Other; else; remaining ones
- 国家
- guójiā — Country; nation; state
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