Chapter VIII第八章

The king and queen make a progress to the frontiers. The author attends them. The manner in which he leaves the country very particularly related. He returns to England. 国王和王后到边境巡行;作者随侍;十分详细地叙述作者离开这个国家的情形;他又回到英国。

I had always a strong impulse that I should some time recover my liberty, though it was impossible to conjecture by what means, or to form any project with the least hope of succeeding. The ship in which I sailed, was the first ever known to be driven within sight of that coast, and the king had given strict orders, that if at any time another appeared, it should be taken ashore, and with all its crew and passengers brought in a tumbril to Lorbrulgrud. He was strongly bent to get me a woman of my own size, by whom I might propagate the breed; but I think I should rather have died than undergone the disgrace of leaving a posterity to be kept in cages, like tame canary-birds, and perhaps, in time, sold about the kingdom, to persons of quality, for curiosities. I was indeed treated with much kindness: I was the favourite of a great king and queen, and the delight of the whole court; but it was upon such a foot as ill became the dignity of humankind. I could never forget those domestic pledges I had left behind me. I wanted to be among people, with whom I could converse upon even terms, and walk about the streets and fields without being afraid of being trod to death like a frog or a young puppy. But my deliverance came sooner than I expected, and in a manner not very common; the whole story and circumstances of which I shall faithfully relate. 我一直有个强烈的感觉,就是终有一天我会恢复自由,虽然我想不出用什么方法,也设计不出任何有一点点成功希望的计划来。我搭的那艘船据说是第一艘漂流到这一带海岸附近的船。国王下过严令,假如再发现这样一艘船出现,一定要把它俘虏到岸上,把所有水手和乘客装进囚车带到首都洛布鲁格鲁德。他一心要替我找一个身材与我一样大的女人,那样就有为我传宗接代的人了。可是我想我死也不会受那样的耻辱,留下后代被人像温顺的金丝雀那样在笼子里养着,到后来说不定还会被当成稀罕玩物在王国的贵人们中间卖来卖去。说心里话我的确是受到了优惠的待遇——我是伟大的国王和王后的宠儿,全朝廷的人也都喜欢我,但我处的地位却有辱我们人类的尊严。我也永远忘不了给家人立下的那些誓言。我想和可以与之平等交谈的人们生活在一起,在街上或田野走着,用不着害怕自己会像小狗或青蛙那样被人踩死。但是我的获救比我想象来得要早,而且获救的方式也不同寻常。这件事的全部经过在后面我将详尽的讲出来。

I had now been two years in this country; and about the beginning of the third, Glumdalclitch and I attended the king and queen, in a progress to the south coast of the kingdom. I was carried, as usual, in my travelling-box, which as I have already described, was a very convenient closet, of twelve feet wide. And I had ordered a hammock to be fixed, by silken ropes from the four corners at the top, to break the jolts, when a servant carried me before him on horseback, as I sometimes desired; and would often sleep in my hammock, while we were upon the road. On the roof of my closet, not directly over the middle of the hammock, I ordered the joiner to cut out a hole of a foot square, to give me air in hot weather, as I slept; which hole I shut at pleasure with a board that drew backward and forward through a groove. 我至此在这个国家已经有两个年头了。大约在第三年开始的时候,格兰姆达尔克立契和我陪同国王和王后到王国的南海岸巡行。与往常一样,他们把我放在旅行箱里带着。这箱子我以前描写过,有十二英尺宽,是个十分方便舒适的小房间。我吩咐他们用四根丝绳给我安一张吊床,这样仆人把我放在前面的马背上时可以减轻一些颠簸,和我平时想的一样,一路上我就常常在吊床里睡觉。我让木匠在在屋顶稍稍偏离吊床正中的位置那儿开了一个一英尺见方的孔,这样我热天睡觉时也可以透透空气。窗口有一块木板,顺着一条槽可以前后拉,我可以随时把天窗关上。

When we came to our journey's end, the king thought proper to pass a few days at a palace he has near Flanflasnic, a city within eighteen English miles of the seaside. Glumdalclitch and I were much fatigued: I had gotten a small cold, but the poor girl was so ill as to be confined to her chamber. I longed to see the ocean, which must be the only scene of my escape, if ever it should happen. I pretended to be worse than I really was, and desired leave to take the fresh air of the sea, with a page, whom I was very fond of, and who had sometimes been trusted with me. I shall never forget with what unwillingness Glumdalclitch consented, nor the strict charge she gave the page to be careful of me, bursting at the same time into a flood of tears, as if she had some forboding of what was to happen. The boy took me out in my box, about half an hour's walk from the palace, towards the rocks on the sea-shore. I ordered him to set me down, and lifting up one of my sashes, cast many a wistful melancholy look towards the sea. I found myself not very well, and told the page that I had a mind to take a nap in my hammock, which I hoped would do me good. I got in, and the boy shut the window close down, to keep out the cold. I soon fell asleep, and all I can conjecture is, while I slept, the page, thinking no danger could happen, went among the rocks to look for birds' eggs, having before observed him from my window searching about, and picking up one or two in the clefts. Be that as it will, I found myself suddenly awaked with a violent pull upon the ring, which was fastened at the top of my box for the conveniency of carriage. I felt my box raised very high in the air, and then borne forward with prodigious speed. The first jolt had like to have shaken me out of my hammock, but afterward the motion was easy enough. I called out several times, as loud as I could raise my voice, but all to no purpose. I looked towards my windows, and could see nothing but the clouds and sky. I heard a noise just over my head, like the clapping of wings, and then began to perceive the woeful condition I was in; that some eagle had got the ring of my box in his beak, with an intent to let it fall on a rock, like a tortoise in a shell, and then pick out my body, and devour it; for the sagacity and smell of this bird enables him to discover his quarry at a great distance, though better concealed than I could be within a two-inch board. 我们的行程结束时,国王认为应该再到他在弗兰弗拉斯尼克的一座行宫去住几天,那是离海边不到十八英里的一座城市。格兰姆达尔克立契和我都感到万分劳累。我有点感冒,而可怜的姑娘病得都出不了门了。我非常希望见一见大海,如果有机会,这也是我唯一可以逃生的地方了。我假装病得很重,要求带一位仆人离开城市到海边去呼吸一下海上的新鲜空气。我很喜欢这个仆人,他们有时也把我托付给他。我永远也忘不了格兰姆达尔克立契是多么不情愿地答应的,也永远忘不了她一再叮嘱仆人要小心照看我;她当时哭成了一个泪人儿,好像对将要发生的事有某种预感。仆人提着我的箱子走出了行宫,走了约半个小时就来到了海边的岩石上。我吩咐他把我放下。 我将一扇窗子推上去,带着一种满怀渴望而忧郁的神情不停地对着大海张望。我感到很难受,就对仆人说决定上吊床小睡一会儿,希望那样会好一点。我爬进吊床,仆人怕我受凉将窗子放下了。一会我就睡着了,所能猜测到的只是:仆人觉得我睡着时不会有什么危险发生,就去岩石间找鸟蛋去了,因为我在前面曾从窗口看到他在那里四处寻找,并且还就在岩缝间拣着了一两个鸟蛋。就算是这样吧,我忽然被惊醒了——箱子顶上为了携带方便而安装的铁环被猛地扯了一下。我感觉箱子被高高地举到空中,然后以极快的速度向前飞驰。开头那一下震动差点儿把我从吊床上掀下来,不过随后倒还很平稳。我尽量提高嗓门叫了几声,可是毫无用处。我朝窗口看去,除了云和天什么也看不见。我听到头顶上有一种像翅膀扇动的声音,这才开始意识到我此时的悲惨处境。原来是一只鹰用它的嘴叼起了我箱子上的铁环,打算像对付缩在壳里的乌龟一样把箱子摔到岩石上,再把我的肉身啄出来吞吃掉。这种鸟非常机灵,嗅觉也十分敏锐,从很远的地方就能发现猎物,就是猎物躲在比我这两英寸厚的木板更安全的地方也起不到任何作用。

In a little time, I observed the noise and flutter of wings to increase very fast, and my box was tossed up and down, like a sign in a windy day. I heard several bangs or buffets, as I thought given to the eagle (for such I am certain it must have been that held the ring of my box in his beak), and then, all on a sudden, felt myself falling perpendicularly down, for above a minute, but with such incredible swiftness, that I almost lost my breath. My fall was stopped by a terrible squash, that sounded louder to my ears than the cataract of Niagara; after which, I was quite in the dark for another minute, and then my box began to rise so high, that I could see light from the tops of the windows. I now perceived I was fallen into the sea. My box, by the weight of my body, the goods that were in, and the broad plates of iron fixed for strength at the four corners of the top and bottom, floated about five feet deep in water. I did then, and do now suppose, that the eagle which flew away with my box was pursued by two or three others, and forced to let me drop, while he defended himself against the rest, who hoped to share in the prey. The plates of iron fastened at the bottom of the box (for those were the strongest) preserved the balance while it fell, and hindered it from being broken on the surface of the water. Every joint of it was well grooved; and the door did not move on hinges, but up and down like a sash, which kept my closet so tight that very little water came in. I got with much difficulty out of my hammock, having first ventured to draw back the slip-board on the roof already mentioned, contrived on purpose to let in air, for want of which I found myself almost stifled. 过了一会儿,我感觉到翅膀扇动的声音越来越快,箱子摇摇晃晃,就像刮风天气的路标牌一样。然后我听到了几下撞击声,我想那是鹰遭到了袭击(我现在已完全肯定用嘴衔住我箱子上的铁环的一定是只鹰)。接着,我猛然感觉到自己在一直往下掉,有一分多钟的样子,可速度之快令人难以置信,我差点儿接不上气来。忽然啪的一声巨响,我不再往下掉了,那声音听起来比尼亚加拉大瀑布还要响,随后一分钟我眼前一片漆黑。接着箱子高高地漂起来,我从最上面的窗子看到了光亮。这时我才意识到我是掉进海里了。我那箱子,由于我自己身体的重量和里边的东西,再加上为了加固而在箱子顶部及底部四角钉上去的宽铁板,浸在水中大约有五英尺。当时我就猜想(现在还是这么认为),那只叼着我箱子往前飞的鹰大概正被另外两三只鹰追赶着,它们想分享食物;那只鹰为了自卫,不得不扔下我去同它们搏斗。钉在箱子底部的铁板(因为它们最坚固),在箱子往下掉时保持平衡,也避免了在水面上砸得粉碎。所有的接缝处槽缝都做得很严,门也不是靠铰链来开关的,而是像窗户那样是上下拉动式,所以我这小屋关得严严实实,几乎没有一点水渗进来。我费了很大劲才从吊床上爬了下来,先冒险拉开前面已提到的屋顶上那块儿透气板,因为空气缺乏,我都感到快要被闷死了。

How often did I then wish myself with my dear Glumdalclitch, from whom one single hour had so far divided me! And I may say with truth, that in the midst of my own misfortunes I could not forbear lamenting my poor nurse, the grief she would suffer for my loss, the displeasure of the queen, and the ruin of her fortune. Perhaps many travellers have not been under greater difficulties and distress than I was at this juncture, expecting every moment to see my box dashed to pieces, or at least overset by the first violent blast, or rising wave. A breach in one single pane of glass would have been immediate death; nor could any thing have preserved the windows, but the strong lattice wires placed on the outside, against accidents in travelling. I saw the water ooze in at several crannies, although the leaks were not considerable, and I endeavoured to stop them as well as I could. I was not able to lift up the roof of my closet, which otherwise I certainly should have done, and sat on the top of it; where I might at least preserve myself some hours longer, than by being shut up (as I may call it) in the hold. Or if I escaped these dangers for a day or two, what could I expect but a miserable death of cold and hunger? I was four hours under these circumstances, expecting, and indeed wishing, every moment to be my last. 那时我多么希望我能和亲爱的格兰姆达尔克立契在一起啊!其实我们分开不过才一个钟头!老实说,我自己虽然遇到了不幸,但是不由得也替我那可怜的保姆伤心。她失去了我该有多痛苦啊,而王后一生气,她这一辈子也就完了。许多旅行家大概还不曾遭遇过我这么大的艰难和痛苦。在这危险关头,我时刻担心那箱子会被撞个粉碎,一阵狂风或一个巨浪也至少可以将它掀翻。只要一块窗玻璃上来一道裂口,我马上就会送命;幸好当初为防止旅行时出意外,在窗子外安上了结实的铁丝格,要不然窗户哪还能保得住。我看到自己的房子有几处缝隙已经开始渗水,虽然漏得不大,我还是尽全力将漏处堵住。我实在没办法推开小屋的屋顶,要不然我肯定那么做。我要是坐到箱子顶上去,至少可以多维持几个小时性命,总比这么关禁闭要强(我说这是关禁闭)。可是,就算我一两天里躲过了种种危险,但除了饥寒交迫悲惨地死去外,还能有什么希望呢?我在这处境下已呆了有四个小时,时刻都在想自己已经死到临头。我也确实希望自己死掉算了。

I have already told the reader that there were two strong staples fixed upon that side of my box which had no window, and into which the servant, who used to carry me on horseback, would put a leathern belt, and buckle it about his waist. Being in this disconsolate state, I heard, or at least thought I heard, some kind of grating noise on that side of my box where the staples were fixed; and soon after I began to fancy that the box was pulled or towed along the sea; for I now and then felt a sort of tugging, which made the waves rise near the tops of my windows, leaving me almost in the dark. This gave me some faint hopes of relief, although I was not able to imagine how it could be brought about. I ventured to unscrew one of my chairs, which were always fastened to the floor; and having made a hard shift to screw it down again, directly under the slipping-board that I had lately opened, I mounted on the chair, and putting my mouth as near as I could to the hole, I called for help in a loud voice, and in all the languages I understood. I then fastened my handkerchief to a stick I usually carried, and thrusting it up the hole, waved it several times in the air, that if any boat or ship were near, the seamen might conjecture some unhappy mortal to be shut up in the box. 我已经告诉过读者自己那个箱子没有开窗的一面安有两个结实的锁环,经常带我骑马出去的仆人总是从这锁环里穿一根皮带,把箱子绑在腰间。我正在郁闷时突然听到,至少我以为我听到了,箱子安着锁环的一面发出一种摩擦声。我马上就开始想象箱子被某种东西拖着,因为我时时感到有一种拖拉的力量,激起的浪花几乎高到窗户的顶部,差不多使我陷入一片漆黑。这给了我一线获救的希望,尽管我想象不出那到底是怎么回事。我冒险将钉在地板上的一张椅子的螺丝旋开,又费不少劲儿把它搬到正对着我刚才打开的透气板的下面,重新用螺丝固定在地上。我爬上椅子,将嘴尽可能地凑近洞口,用我掌握的各种语言大声呼救。接着我又将手帕系到平时一直随身携带的手杖上,伸出洞在空中摇动了好几下,要是附近有什么大小船只,水手们见了就会猜到这箱子里关着一个倒霉鬼。

I found no effect from all I could do, but plainly perceived my closet to be moved along; and in the space of an hour, or better, that side of the box where the staples were, and had no windows, struck against something that was hard. I apprehended it to be a rock, and found myself tossed more than ever. I plainly heard a noise upon the cover of my closet, like that of a cable, and the grating of it as it passed through the ring. I then found myself hoisted up, by degrees, at least three feet higher than I was before. Whereupon I again thrust up my stick and handkerchief, calling for help till I was almost hoarse. In return to which, I heard a great shout repeated three times, giving me such transports of joy as are not to be conceived but by those who feel them. I now heard a trampling over my head, and somebody calling through the hole with a loud voice, in the English tongue, "If there be any body below, let them speak." I answered, "I was an Englishman, drawn by ill fortune into the greatest calamity that ever any creature underwent, and begged, by all that was moving, to be delivered out of the dungeon I was in." The voice replied, "I was safe, for my box was fastened to their ship; and the carpenter should immediately come and saw a hole in the cover, large enough to pull me out." I answered, "that was needless, and would take up too much time; for there was no more to be done, but let one of the crew put his finger into the ring, and take the box out of the sea into the ship, and so into the captain's cabin." Some of them, upon hearing me talk so wildly, thought I was mad; others laughed; for indeed it never came into my head, that I was now got among people of my own stature and strength. The carpenter came, and in a few minutes sawed a passage about four feet square, then let down a small ladder, upon which I mounted, and thence was taken into the ship in a very weak condition. 我发现自己所能做的一切全都没有什么效果,不过我倒明显感觉到这小屋在往前移动。过了一个小时或者还要久一点,箱子安着锁环而没有开窗的一面撞到什么硬东西上。我担心那是块礁石,这时我感到比以前颠簸得更厉害了。我清清楚楚地听到箱子盖上有什么声音,像是缆绳穿过铁环发出的摩擦声。接着我发现自己在一点点地往上升,至少比原先升高了三英尺。我于是再次将手杖连手帕伸出去,大声呼救,直喊到嗓子都快嘶哑了。我的呼救有了反应,听到外面大叫了三声,这真叫我欣喜若狂。没有亲身体会的人哪会感受到这样的狂喜!这时我听到头顶有脚步声,有人对着洞口用英语大喊:“下面有人吗?快说话!”我回话说我是英国人,命运不好,遭遇了任何人从没遭遇的最大灾难;我说尽了好话,哀求他们把我从这暗牢里救出去。那声音回答说我已经安全了,因为我的箱子已经拴到了他们的船上,木匠马上就到,在箱子顶上锯一个大洞就可以把我拉出来。我回答说不用那样做,太费时间,只需让一名水手用手指头钩住铁环,将箱子从海里提到船上, 再放到船长室去就行了。有人听到我这么胡说以为我是疯了,还有人则大笑起来。我确实一点也没有想到,这时候我是和一帮身材和力气都跟我一样的人在一起了。木匠来了,几分钟就锯了一个四英尺见方的通道口。接着放下来一个小梯子让我爬上去,就这样被他们弄到了船上。此时我已虚弱至极。

The sailors were all in amazement, and asked me a thousand questions, which I had no inclination to answer. I was equally confounded at the sight of so many pigmies, for such I took them to be, after having so long accustomed my eyes to the monstrous objects I had left. But the captain, Mr. Thomas Wilcocks, an honest worthy Shropshire man, observing I was ready to faint, took me into his cabin, gave me a cordial to comfort me, and made me turn in upon his own bed, advising me to take a little rest, of which I had great need. Before I went to sleep, I gave him to understand that I had some valuable furniture in my box, too good to be lost: a fine hammock, a handsome field-bed, two chairs, a table, and a cabinet; that my closet was hung on all sides, or rather quilted, with silk and cotton; that if he would let one of the crew bring my closet into his cabin, I would open it there before him, and show him my goods. The captain, hearing me utter these absurdities, concluded I was raving; however (I suppose to pacify me) he promised to give order as I desired, and going upon deck, sent some of his men down into my closet, whence (as I afterwards found) they drew up all my goods, and stripped off the quilting; but the chairs, cabinet, and bedstead, being screwed to the floor, were much damaged by the ignorance of the seamen, who tore them up by force. Then they knocked off some of the boards for the use of the ship, and when they had got all they had a mind for, let the hull drop into the sea, which by reason of many breaches made in the bottom and sides, sunk to rights. And, indeed, I was glad not to have been a spectator of the havoc they made, because I am confident it would have sensibly touched me, by bringing former passages into my mind, which I would rather have forgot. 水手们都非常惊奇,问了我上千个问题,我却没有心思回答。我见到这么多矮子,一下子也糊涂了;因为这么长时间以来我的眼睛已看惯了刚刚离开的那些庞然大物,所以就把这些人看成是矮子了。可是船长托马斯·威尔科克斯先生是个诚实又可敬的什罗普郡人,他见我快要晕倒了就带我到他的舱里,让我服了甘露酒使我安定下来,又叫我上他自己的床稍稍休息一会儿,这正是我最需要的。我在睡去之前告诉他,我那箱子里有几件珍贵的家具,丢了未免可惜:一张很好的吊床、一张漂亮的行军床、两把椅子、一张桌子,还有一个橱子;小屋的四壁都挂着,也可以说是垫着绸缎和棉絮。如果他吩咐一名水手去把我那箱子拿到他舱里来,我可以当面打开,把我的家当拿给他看。船长听我说这些荒谬的话,断定我是在说胡话了。不过我猜想他当时是想我让安顿下来,还是答应按照我的要求吩咐人去办这件事。他来到甲板上,派几个人到我的小屋里把我所有的东西都搬了出来,垫衬在墙壁上的东西也都扯了下来(这些都是我后来才知道的);不过椅子、橱还有床架都是用螺丝钉在地板上的,水手们不知道,用蛮力往上扯,结果大多毁坏了。他们又敲下了几块木板拿到船上来用,想要的东西全拿光后就把空箱子扔进了海里;因为箱底和四壁有不少裂缝,箱子当即就沉了下去。说真的,我很高兴没有亲眼看见他们的破坏行动,因为我相信一件件往事涌上心头会让自己感触万千的,而这些事我宁愿忘掉。

I slept some hours, but perpetually disturbed with dreams of the place I had left, and the dangers I had escaped. However, upon waking, I found myself much recovered. It was now about eight o'clock at night, and the captain ordered supper immediately, thinking I had already fasted too long. He entertained me with great kindness, observing me not to look wildly, or talk inconsistently; and, when we were left alone, desired I would give him a relation of my travels, and by what accident I came to be set adrift, in that monstrous wooden chest. He said "that about twelve o'clock at noon, as he was looking through his glass, he spied it at a distance, and thought it was a sail, which he had a mind to make, being not much out of his course, in hopes of buying some biscuit, his own beginning to fall short. That upon coming nearer, and finding his error, he sent out his long-boat to discover what it was; that his men came back in a fright, swearing they had seen a swimming house. That he laughed at their folly, and went himself in the boat, ordering his men to take a strong cable along with them. That the weather being calm, he rowed round me several times, observed my windows and wire lattices that defended them. That he discovered two staples upon one side, which was all of boards, without any passage for light. He then commanded his men to row up to that side, and fastening a cable to one of the staples, ordered them to tow my chest, as they called it, toward the ship. When it was there, he gave directions to fasten another cable to the ring fixed in the cover, and to raise up my chest with pulleys, which all the sailors were not able to do above two or three feet." He said, "they saw my stick and handkerchief thrust out of the hole, and concluded that some unhappy man must be shut up in the cavity." I asked, "whether he or the crew had seen any prodigious birds in the air, about the time he first discovered me." To which he answered, "that discoursing this matter with the sailors while I was asleep, one of them said, he had observed three eagles flying towards the north, but remarked nothing of their being larger than the usual size;" which I suppose must be imputed to the great height they were at; and he could not guess the reason of my question. I then asked the captain, "how far he reckoned we might be from land?" He said, "by the best computation he could make, we were at least a hundred leagues." I assured him, "that he must be mistaken by almost half, for I had not left the country whence I came above two hours before I dropped into the sea." Whereupon he began again to think that my brain was disturbed, of which he gave me a hint, and advised me to go to bed in a cabin he had provided. I assured him, "I was well refreshed with his good entertainment and company, and as much in my senses as ever I was in my life." He then grew serious, and desired to ask me freely, "whether I were not troubled in my mind by the consciousness of some enormous crime, for which I was punished, at the command of some prince, by exposing me in that chest; as great criminals, in other countries, have been forced to sea in a leaky vessel, without provisions; for although he should be sorry to have taken so ill a man into his ship, yet he would engage his word to set me safe ashore, in the first port where we arrived." He added, "that his suspicions were much increased by some very absurd speeches I had delivered at first to his sailors, and afterwards to himself, in relation to my closet or chest, as well as by my odd looks and behaviour while I was at supper." 我睡了几个小时,但不断地被梦所扰。我梦见了自己离开的那个地方,梦见了我刚刚躲过的种种危险。不过一觉醒来,我觉得自己精力已恢复很多。这时大约已是晚上八点钟了,船长想我也好长时间没有吃东西了,就立即吩咐开晚饭。他见我已不再是疯样,说话也不再是前后矛盾,就十分友好地招待我。当房间里只剩下我们两人的时候,他要我把旅行的情况告诉他,我是怎么乘坐那只大得吓人的木头箱子在海上漂流的。他说中午十二点钟左右,他拿着望远镜瞭望,在远处发现了那东西,还以为是一艘帆船,心想离他的航线不太远,自己船上的饼干又快吃完了,就想赶上去从那船上买一些过来。船靠近了他才发现自己错了,就派人坐长舢船去探探我到底是什么东西。他的水手们回来都十分害怕,发誓说他们看到了一座漂流着的房屋。他笑他们说傻话,就亲自坐小船去看,同时吩咐水手们随身带一根结实的缆绳。当时风平浪静,他绕着我划了几圈发现了箱子上的窗户和保护窗户的铁线框格。他还发现安着两个锁环的一面全是木板,没有一点透光的地方。他吩咐水手把船划到那一面去,将缆绳拴上其中的一只锁环后,叫他们把我那柜子(这是他的话)向大船拖去。箱子到船边后,他又下令再挂一根缆绳到安在箱顶的铁环上,然后用滑车把箱子吊起来,可是全体水手一齐动手也只不过吊起两三英尺。他说他们看到了我从洞里伸出来的手杖和手帕,断定一定有什么不幸的人被关在那洞里了。我问他起初发现我的时候,他和水手们可曾看见天空有没有什么大鸟。他回答说,我睡觉的时候,他同水手们谈过这事,其中有一个说他看到有三只鹰朝北方飞去,不过他并没有说那些鹰比普通的鹰大。我想那一定是因为它们飞得太高的缘故。他当时猜不透我为什么要问这个问题。我接着问船长,据他估计我们离陆地有多远了。他说,据他最精确的计算,至少有一百里路。我告诉他,他肯定多算了差不多一半的路程,因为在我离开那个国家之后到我掉进海里之前,还不到两个小时。听我这么一说,他又开始认为我的脑子有毛病了。他暗示我,说我是神经错乱,劝我到他给我预备的一间舱房里去睡觉。我告诉他让他放心,他这么友好地招待我、陪伴我, 我早已恢复过来了,神志也跟平时一样完全清醒。他这时却严肃起来,说想坦率地问我一句是不是意识到自己犯了滔天罪行被搅得心神不安,而且就是因为这罪行,被某个君王惩罚,把我丢到那个柜子里面。就像别的一些国家对待重罪犯那样,不给食物,强迫他在一只破船上到海里漂流;他说虽然很懊恼把这么一个坏人搭救上船,可他还是说话算话,到达第一个港口就送我平安上岸。他又补充说,从我一开始对水手们尽说胡话,后来又对他去讲什么小屋或柜子,加上我吃晚饭时神情举止都很古怪,他的怀疑大大加重。

I begged his patience to hear me tell my story, which I faithfully did, from the last time I left England, to the moment he first discovered me. And, as truth always forces its way into rational minds, so this honest worthy gentleman, who had some tincture of learning, and very good sense, was immediately convinced of my candour and veracity. But further to confirm all I had said, I entreated him to give order that my cabinet should be brought, of which I had the key in my pocket; for he had already informed me how the seamen disposed of my closet. I opened it in his own presence, and showed him the small collection of rarities I made in the country from which I had been so strangely delivered. There was the comb I had contrived out of the stumps of the king's beard, and another of the same materials, but fixed into a paring of her majesty's thumb-nail, which served for the back. There was a collection of needles and pins, from a foot to half a yard long; four wasp stings, like joiner's tacks; some combings of the queen's hair; a gold ring, which one day she made me a present of, in a most obliging manner, taking it from her little finger, and throwing it over my head like a collar. I desired the captain would please to accept this ring in return for his civilities; which he absolutely refused. I showed him a corn that I had cut off with my own hand, from a maid of honour's toe; it was about the bigness of Kentish pippin, and grown so hard, that when I returned England, I got it hollowed into a cup, and set in silver. Lastly, I desired him to see the breeches I had then on, which were made of a mouse's skin. 我请求他耐心听我讲我的故事。我把自己最后一次离开英国到他发现我那一刻为止的经历,原原本本地说了一遍。事实总是能说服懂道理的人。这位诚实而可敬的先生有点学问,头脑也很清楚,他很快就相信我是坦白的、诚实的。但为了进一步证实我所说的一切,我请求他吩咐人把我的橱柜拿来,那钥匙还在我的口袋里(他已经把水手们怎么处理我那小屋的情形都告诉了我)。我当着他的面把橱柜打开,把我在那个国家收集到的那点珍奇玩意儿拿给他看——就是那个我被用一种奇怪的方式救出来的国家。这里面有我用国王的胡子茬做的一把梳子;还有一把也是用同样的材料做成的,不过是装在王后剪下来的一片大拇指指甲上,我用那指甲做了梳子背。还有几根缝衣针和别针,长度从一英尺到半码不等;四根像细木匠用的平头钉一样的黄蜂刺;王后梳下来的几根头发;还有王后特别客气送给我的一枚金戒指;她当时把戒指从小指上取下,像带项圈似的把戒指一下扔过来套到我头上。为了报答船长对我的款待,我请他收下这枚戒指,可他坚决拒绝了。我又拿出自己亲手从一位皇室侍女脚趾上割下的一块鸡眼给他看;它有一只肯特郡生产的苹果那么大,而且非常坚硬,我回英国后把它挖成了一只酒杯,还用白银把它镶了起来。最后我还请他看了我当时穿在身上的裤子,那是用一只老鼠的皮做成的。

I could force nothing on him but a footman's tooth, which I observed him to examine with great curiosity, and found he had a fancy for it. He received it with abundance of thanks, more than such a trifle could deserve. It was drawn by an unskilful surgeon, in a mistake, from one of Glumdalclitch's men, who was afflicted with the toothache, but it was as sound as any in his head. I got it cleaned, and put it into my cabinet. It was about a foot long, and four inches in diameter. 无论我送给他什么,他都不肯接受。我拿出一颗仆人的牙齿给他看,他十分好奇地仔细端详着,我觉得他很喜欢就硬劝他收下了。他千恩万谢地接了,这样一件小礼物本来用不着他这么道谢的。那牙齿是一位笨拙的外科医生从格兰姆达尔克立契的一个害牙痛的仆人嘴里拔下来的,事实上是拔错了,它其实和嘴里其他牙齿一样是健康的。我把它洗干净放到了橱里。牙齿有一英尺长,直径四英寸。

The captain was very well satisfied with this plain relation I had given him, and said, "he hoped, when we returned to England, I would oblige the world by putting it on paper, and making it public." My answer was, "that we were overstocked with books of travels, that nothing could now pass which was not extraordinary; wherein I doubted some authors less consulted truth, than their own vanity, or interest, or the diversion of ignorant readers; that my story could contain little beside common events, without those ornamental descriptions of strange plants, trees, birds, and other animals; or of the barbarous customs and idolatry of savage people, with which most writers abound. However, I thanked him for his good opinion, and promised to take the matter into my thoughts." 船长对我这一番简单明了的描述十分满意。他说他希望我们回英国后我能把这一切写下来公之于世来帮助世界。我的回答是:我觉得我们写旅行的书已经太多了,现在不来点别出心裁的根本就不行。我因此很怀疑一些作家考虑的不是什么真实性,而是他们自身的虚荣心和利益,要么就是为了博得无知读者的欢心。我的故事却只包括一些普通的事实,没有像大多数作家笔底下尽是些关于奇怪的草、木、鸟、兽,或者野蛮民族的野蛮风俗、野蛮人的偶像崇拜等等华而不实的描写。尽管如此,我还是感谢他的好意,并答应他考虑写书的事。

He said "he wondered at one thing very much, which was, to hear me speak so loud;" asking me "whether the king or queen of that country were thick of hearing?" I told him, "it was what I had been used to for above two years past, and that I admired as much at the voices of him and his men, who seemed to me only to whisper, and yet I could hear them well enough. But, when I spoke in that country, it was like a man talking in the streets, to another looking out from the top of a steeple, unless when I was placed on a table, or held in any person's hand." I told him, "I had likewise observed another thing, that, when I first got into the ship, and the sailors stood all about me, I thought they were the most little contemptible creatures I had ever beheld." For indeed, while I was in that prince's country, I could never endure to look in a glass, after my eyes had been accustomed to such prodigious objects, because the comparison gave me so despicable a conceit of myself. The captain said, "that while we were at supper, he observed me to look at every thing with a sort of wonder, and that I often seemed hardly able to contain my laughter, which he knew not well how to take, but imputed it to some disorder in my brain." I answered, "it was very true; and I wondered how I could forbear, when I saw his dishes of the size of a silver three-pence, a leg of pork hardly a mouthful, a cup not so big as a nut-shell;" and so I went on, describing the rest of his household-stuff and provisions, after the same manner. For, although the queen had ordered a little equipage of all things necessary for me, while I was in her service, yet my ideas were wholly taken up with what I saw on every side of me, and I winked at my own littleness, as people do at their own faults. The captain understood my raillery very well, and merrily replied with the old English proverb, "that he doubted my eyes were bigger than my belly, for he did not observe my stomach so good, although I had fasted all day;" and, continuing in his mirth, protested "he would have gladly given a hundred pounds, to have seen my closet in the eagle's bill, and afterwards in its fall from so great a height into the sea;which would certainly have been a most astonishing object, worthy to have the description of it transmitted to future ages;" and the comparison of Phaeton was so obvious, that he could not forbear applying it, although I did not much admire the conceit. 他说有一件事他觉得很奇怪,就是我说话的声音为什么这么大。他问我是不是那个国家的国王和王后都耳朵有毛病?我跟他说,两年多来我一直这么说习惯了。我也觉得很奇怪,他和水手们说话的声音低得像是在耳语,不过我还是听得蛮清楚的。在那个国家里,我说话就像一个人站在大街上的人跟另一个从教堂的塔顶向外探望的人说话一样,除非他们把我放在桌上或者托在什么人的手上,说话声音才不必那么大声。我告诉他,我还注意到了另一件事,就是我刚上船那会儿水手们全都围着我站着,我都以为他们是我平生见过的最微不足道的人。真的,我在那个君王的国土上的时候,两眼已经看惯了大的东西,一照镜子我就受不了,因为相比之下,实在自惭形秽。船长说我们一道吃晚饭时,他就发觉我看什么东西都带一种惊奇的目光,好像总忍不住要笑似的,他当时也莫名其妙,只好认为我有点神经失常。我回答说他讲得很对。我看到那菜盘子只有三便士银币那么大,一只猪腿几乎不够一口吃的,酒杯还没有胡桃壳大,我怎么能忍住不笑呢。我接着又以同样的方式把他的其余家用器具和食物形容了一番。我在为王后效命时,虽然她吩咐人给我预备了一整套小型日用品,我一门心思却只在我周围看到的那些大东西上,就像人们对待自己的错误一样,我对自身的渺小故意视而不见。船长很能领会我这善意的嘲笑话,就愉快地引用一句古老的英国谚语来回敬我,说他怀疑我的眼睛比肚子还大,因为我虽然饿了一天了,他却发现我的胃口并不怎么好。他还继续往下开玩笑,声称他乐意出一百英镑看鹰叼着我那小屋,再从极高的空中把它丢进海里。他说那情景一定是惊心动魄的奇观,值得写下来传之后世;那和希腊神话里法厄松的故事显然可以相媲美。他情不自禁地用了这个比喻,不过我却不大欣赏他这种牵强附会的说法。

The captain having been at Tonquin, was, in his return to England, driven north-eastward to the latitude of 44 degrees, and longitude of 143. But meeting a trade-wind two days after I came on board him, we sailed southward a long time, and coasting New Holland, kept our course west-south-west, and then south-south-west, till we doubled the Cape of Good Hope. Our voyage was very prosperous, but I shall not trouble the reader with a journal of it. The captain called in at one or two ports, and sent in his long-boat for provisions and fresh water; but I never went out of the ship till we came into the Downs, which was on the third day of June, 1706, about nine months after my escape. I offered to leave my goods in security for payment of my freight, but the captain protested he would not receive one farthing. We took a kind leave of each other, and I made him promise he would come to see me at my house in Redriff. I hired a horse and guide for five shillings, which I borrowed of the captain. 船长之前是在越南的东京湾,这时正在返回英国的途中。船正朝东北方向行驶,方位北纬四十四度,东经一百四十三度。但是我上船两天后就遇到了贸易风。 我们向南航行了很长时间,又沿新荷兰海岸航行,之后一直走西南西的航线,再改走南南西,直到绕过了好望角。我们一路上十分顺利,我就不再把每天的航行日记拿到这里来使读者费神了。船长曾经把船驶进一两个港口,派人坐长舢船前往采购食品和淡水。不过我在到达唐斯锚地前一直没有下过船。我们于一七零六年六月三日到达唐斯锚地,这时离我脱险大约已有九个月了。我提出留下我那些东西作为搭船的费用,但船长坚决表示他分文不收。我们亲切话别,同时让他答应以后上瑞德里夫我家来看我。我还向船长借了五先令,雇了一匹马和一位向导回家而去。

As I was on the road, observing the littleness of the houses, the trees, the cattle, and the people, I began to think myself in Lilliput. I was afraid of trampling on every traveller I met, and often called aloud to have them stand out of the way, so that I had like to have gotten one or two broken heads for my impertinence. 在路上,我见到房屋、树木、牲口和人都很矮小,就开始以为自己是在小人国。我担心踩上每一个我所遇到行人,老是大声叫喊要他们给我让路。由于我对人不讲礼貌,有一两次差点叫人打得头破血流。

When I came to my own house, for which I was forced to inquire, one of the servants opening the door, I bent down to go in (like a goose under a gate), for fear of striking my head. My wife run out to embrace me, but I stooped lower than her knees, thinking she could otherwise never be able to reach my mouth. My daughter kneeled to ask my blessing, but I could not see her till she arose, having been so long used to stand with my head and eyes erect to above sixty feet; and then I went to take her up with one hand by the waist. I looked down upon the servants, and one or two friends who were in the house, as if they had been pigmies and I a giant. I told my wife, "she had been too thrifty, for I found she had starved herself and her daughter to nothing." In short, I behaved myself so unaccountably, that they were all of the captain's opinion when he first saw me, and concluded I had lost my wits. This I mention as an instance of the great power of habit and prejudice. 我向别人打听后才找到了自己的家。一位佣人开了门,因为我怕碰着头就弯腰走了进去(就像鹅进窝那样)。妻子跑出来拥抱我,可我把腰一直弯到她的膝盖以下,认为如果不这样她就怎么也够不到我的嘴。我女儿跪下来要我替她祝福,可是我这么长时间以来已习惯站着仰头看六十英尺以上的高处,所以直到她站起身来,我才看见她,这时才走上前一手将她拦腰抱起。我居高临下看了看佣人和家里来的一两个朋友,好像他们都是矮子,我才是巨人。我对妻子说她太节省了,因为我发现她把自己和女儿都快饿得没有了。总之,我的举动非常莫名其妙,大家就同那船长初见我时一样,断定我是神经失常了。我提这一点是为了证明习惯和偏见的力量是很大的。

In a little time, I and my family and friends came to a right understanding, but my wife protested "I should never go to sea any more;" although my evil destiny so ordered, that she had not power to hinder me, as the reader may know hereafter. In the mean time, I here conclude the second part of my unfortunate voyages. 过了不久,我和家人及朋友就互相了解,可是我妻子坚决主张让我再也不要去航海了。不过那是我命中注定的不幸,她也没有力量阻止的,这一点读者以后就可以知道。同时,我不幸的航行的第二部分就写到这里吧。