a modest proposal1.docx
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a modest proposal1.docx
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amodestproposal1
1.Whatisthepoliticalcontextfortheproposal?
2.Whatisthemelancholyobject,accordingtoSwift,whenpeoplewentthroughthecountry?
3.Theauthorprovidesstatisticalevidenceforhisproposal.
a.Howdoesheworkoutthenumberofchildrentobesoldannually?
b.Whatassumptiondoesheprovideabouttheirweightandprice?
c.Howdoeshesuggestthatthebabiesshouldbeconsumed?
4.WhatdoesJonathanSwiftmeanby“Igrantthisfoodwillbesomewhatdear,andthereforeveryproperforlandlords,who,astheyhavealreadydevouredmostoftheparents,seemtohavethebesttitletothechildren.”?
5.Thenarrator’sfriendhasanothersuggestion,whydoesherejectit?
6.Explaintheuseofironyandsatireinthisessay.
1.Whatisthepoliticalcontextfortheproposal?
Overthecenturies,EnglandgraduallygainedafootholdinIreland.In1541,theparliamentinDublinrecognizedEngland’sHenryVIII,aProtestant,asKingofIreland.InspiteofrepeateduprisingsbyIrishCatholics,EnglishProtestantsacquiredmoreandmoreestatesinIreland.By1703,theyownedallbuttenpercentoftheland.Meanwhile,legislationwasenactedthatseverelylimitedtherightsoftheIrishtoholdgovernmentoffice,purchaserealestate,getaneducation,andadvancethemselvesinotherways.Asaresult,manyIrishfledtoforeignlands,includingAmerica.MostofthosewhoremainedinIrelandlivedinpoverty,facingdisease,starvation,andprejudice.ItwasthisIreland—anIrelandofthetyrannizedandthedowntrodden—thatJonathanSwiftattemptedtofocusattentiononin“AMostProposal”in1720.
AModestProposal
ForPreventingTheChildrenofPoorPeopleinIreland
FromBeingA.burdentoTheirParentsorCountry,and
ForMakingThemBeneficialtoThePublic
ByJonathanSwift(1729)
2.Whatisthemelancholyobject,accordingtoSwift,whenpeoplewentthroughthecountry?
1Itisamelancholyobjecttothosewhowalkthroughthisgreattownortravelinthecountry,whentheyseethestreets,theroads,andcabindoors,crowdedwithbeggarsofthefemalesex,followedbythree,four,orsixchildren,allinragsandimportuningeverypassengerforanalms.Thesemothers,insteadofbeingabletoworkfortheirhonestlivelihood,areforcedtoemployalltheirtimeinstrollingtobegsustenancefortheirhelplessinfants:
whoastheygrowupeitherturnthievesforwantofwork,orsellthemselvestotheBarbadoes.
BecauseofthepovertyinIreland,manyIrishmenemigratedtotheWestIndiesandotherBritishcoloniesinAmerica;theypaidtheirpassagebybindingthemselvestoworkforastatedperiodforoneoftheplanters
2.Ithinkitisagreedbyallpartiesthatthisprodigiousnumberofchildreninthearms,oronthebacks,orattheheelsoftheirmothers,andfrequentlyoftheirfathers,isinthepresentdeplorablestateofthekingdomaverygreatadditionalgrievance;and,therefore,whoevercouldfindoutafair,cheap,andeasymethodofmakingthesechildrensound,usefulmembersofthecommonwealth,woulddeservesowellofthepublicastohavehisstatuesetupforapreserverofthenation.
3.Butmyintentionisveryfarfrombeingconfinedtoprovideonlyforthechildrenofprofessedbeggars;itisofamuchgreaterextent,andshalltakeinthewholenumberofinfantsatacertainagewhoarebornofparentsineffectaslittleabletosupportthemasthosewhodemandourcharityinthestreets.
Inviewoftheproblemthatparentscouldn’taffordtoraisetheirchildren,Swiftpresentsinaveryseriousmannerwithfactsandfiguresandveryrefineddictionafair,cheapandeasymethodofmakingthesechildrensoundusefulmembersofthecommonwealth
以文雅的措辞和所谓经济学数据,郑重其事地作为一个公正,不费钱而又简易可行的办法提出来,自称目的在于解决爱尔兰穷人儿女过多而无力养育的迫切问题。
4.Astomyownpart,havingturnedmythoughtsformanyyearsuponthisimportantsubject,andmaturelyweighedtheseveralschemesofotherprojectors,Ihavealwaysfoundthemgrosslymistakeninthecomputation.Itistrue,achildjustdroppedfromitsdammaybesupportedbyhermilkforasolaryear,withlittleothernourishment;atmostnotabovethevalueof2shillings.whichthemothermaycertainlyget,orthevalueinscraps,byherlawfuloccupationofbegging;anditisexactlyatoneyearoldthatIproposetoprovidefortheminsuchamannerasinsteadofbeingachargeupontheirparentsortheparish,orwantingfoodandraimentfortherestoftheirlives,theyshallonthecontrarycontributetothefeeding,andpartlytotheclothing,ofmanythousands.
5.Thereislikewiseanothergreatadvantageinmyscheme,thatitwillpreventthosevoluntaryabortions,andthathorridpracticeofwomenmurderingtheirbastardchildren,alas!
toofrequentamongus!
sacrificingthepoorinnocentbabesIdoubtmoretoavoidtheexpensethantheshame,whichwouldmovetearsandpityinthemostsavageandinhumanbreast.
3.Theauthorprovidesstatisticalevidenceforhisproposal.
a.Howdoesheworkoutthenumberofchildrentobesoldannually?
6.Thenumberofsoulsinthiskingdombeingusuallyreckonedonemillionandahalf,oftheseIcalculatetheremaybeabouttwohundredthousandcouplewhosewivesarebreeders;fromwhichnumberIsubtractthirtythousandcoupleswhoareabletomaintaintheirownchildren,althoughIapprehendtherecannotbesomany,underthepresentdistressesofthekingdom;butthisbeinggranted,therewillremainanhundredandseventythousandbreeders.Iagainsubtractfiftythousandforthosewomenwhomiscarry,orwhosechildrendiebyaccidentordiseasewithintheyear.Thereonlyremainsonehundredandtwentythousandchildrenofpoorparentsannuallyborn.Thequestionthereforeis,howthisnumbershallberearedandprovidedfor,which,asIhavealreadysaid,underthepresentsituationofaffairs,isutterlyimpossiblebyallthemethodshithertoproposed.Forwecanneitheremploytheminhandicraftoragriculture;weneitherbuildhouses(Imeaninthecountry)norcultivateland:
theycanveryseldompickupalivelihoodbystealing,tilltheyarriveatsixyearsold,exceptwheretheyareoftowardlyparts,althoughIconfesstheylearntherudimentsmuchearlier,duringwhichtime,theycanhoweverbeproperlylookedupononlyasprobationers,asIhavebeeninformedbyaprincipalgentlemaninthecountyofCavan,whoprotestedtomethatheneverknewaboveoneortwoinstancesundertheageofsix,eveninapartofthekingdomsorenownedforthequickestproficiencyinthatart.
7.Iamassuredbyourmerchants,thataboyoragirlbeforetwelveyearsoldisnosalablecommodity;andevenwhentheycometothisagetheywillnotyieldabovethreepounds,orthreepoundsandhalf-a-crownatmostontheexchange;whichcannotturntoaccounteithertotheparentsorkingdom,thechargeofnutrimentandragshavingbeenatleastfourtimesthatvalue.
8.Ishallnowthereforehumblyproposemyownthoughts,whichIhopewillnotbeliabletotheleastobjection.
b.Howdoeshesuggestthatthebabiesshouldbeconsumed?
9.IhavebeenassuredbyaveryknowingAmericanofmyacquaintanceinLondon,thatayounghealthychildwellnursedisatayearoldamostdelicious,nourishing,andwholesomefood,whetherstewed,roasted,baked,orboiled;andImakenodoubtthatitwillequallyserveinafricasseeoraragout.
10.Idothereforehumblyofferittopublicconsiderationthatofthehundredandtwentythousandchildrenalreadycomputed,twentythousandmaybereservedforbreed,whereofonlyone-fourthparttobemales;whichismorethanweallowtosheep,blackcattleorswine;andmyreasonis,thatthesechildrenareseldomthefruitsofmarriage,acircumstancenotmuchregardedbyoursavages,thereforeonemalewillbesufficienttoservefourfemales.Thattheremaininghundredthousandmay,atayearold,beofferedinthesaletothepersonsofqualityandfortunethroughthekingdom;alwaysadvisingthemothertoletthemsuckplentifullyinthelastmonth,soastorenderthemplumpandfatforagoodtable.Achildwillmaketwodishesatanentertainmentforfriends;andwhenthefamilydinesalone,theforeorhindquarterwillmakeareasonabledish,andseasonedwithalittlepepperorsaltwillbeverygoodboiledonthefourthday,especiallyinwinter.
c.Whatassumptiondoesheprovideabouttheirweightandprice?
11.Ihavereckoneduponamediumthatachildjustbornwillweigh12pounds,andinasolaryear,iftolerablynursed,increasethto28pounds.
4.WhatdoesJonathanSwiftmeanby“Igrantthisfoodwillbesomewhatdear,andthereforeveryproperforlandlords,who,astheyhavealreadydevouredmostoftheparents,seemtohavethebesttitletothechildren.”?
12.Igrantthisfoodwillbesomewhatdear,andthereforeveryproperforlandlords,who,astheyhavealreadydevouredmostoftheparents,seemtohavethebesttitletothechildren.
ThisstatementisaseverecriticismofthebrutalexploitationoftheIrishpeoplebytheEnglishandIrishlandlords.
13.omitted
14.Ihavealreadycomputedthechargeofnursingabeggar'schild(inwhichlistIreckonallcottagers,laborers,andfour-fifthsofthefarmers)tobeabouttwoshillingsperannum,ragsincluded;andIbelievenogentlemanwouldrepinetogivetenshillingsforthecarcassofagoodfatchild,which,asIhavesaid,willmakefourdishesofexcellentnutritivemeat,whenhehathonlysomeparticularfriendorhisownfamilytodinewithhim.Thusthesquirewilllearntobeagoodlandlord,andgrowpopularamonghistenants;themotherwillhaveeightshillingsnetprofit,andbefitforworktillsheproducesanotherchild.
15.Thosewhoaremorethrifty(asImustconfessthetimesrequ
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