The author conducted by a Houyhnhnm to his house. The house described. The author's reception. The food of the Houyhnhnms. The author in distress for want of meat. Is at last relieved. His manner of feeding in this country. 作者由一只“慧骃”领到家中；房屋的描写；作者受到接待；“慧骃”的食物；作者因吃不到肉而感到痛苦；终于找到了解决的办法；他在这个国家吃饭的方式。
Having travelled about three miles, we came to a long kind of building, made of timber stuck in the ground, and wattled across; the roof was low and covered with straw. I now began to be a little comforted; and took out some toys, which travellers usually carry for presents to the savage Indians of America, and other parts, in hopes the people of the house would be thereby encouraged to receive me kindly. The horse made me a sign to go in first; it was a large room with a smooth clay floor, and a rack and manger, extending the whole length on one side. There were three nags and two mares, not eating, but some of them sitting down upon their hams, which I very much wondered at; but wondered more to see the rest employed in domestic business; these seemed but ordinary cattle. However, this confirmed my first opinion, that a people who could so far civilise brute animals, must needs excel in wisdom all the nations of the world. The gray came in just after, and thereby prevented any ill treatment which the others might have given me. He neighed to them several times in a style of authority, and received answers. 我们大约走了三英里路，来到了一座长房子面前。那座房子是先把木材插在地上，再用枝条编织建成的。房顶很低，上面盖着草。这时我安心了一些，就把几件玩具拿了出来,就是旅行家们通常带着送给美洲等地的印第安野人那样的玩意儿，希望这家人会因此高兴而好好地款待我。那马做了一个姿势要我先进房去。这是一间很大的房间，光光的泥土地面，有一边是整整一排饲草架和马槽。房间里有三匹小马和两匹母马。它们都没在吃草，其中有几匹屁股着地坐在那儿，让我觉得很惊奇；可更奇怪的是，它们看上去只不过是寻常家畜，有几匹却在那儿做家务事。这证实了我起初的那个想法：一个能把野兽教化成这样的民族，其智力方面一定超过世界上所有的人。灰色马随后就走了进来，这样就阻止了其他那些马可能对我的虐待。它威严地对那几匹马嘶叫几声，得到了回答。
Beyond this room there were three others, reaching the length of the house, to which you passed through three doors, opposite to each other, in the manner of a vista. We went through the second room towards the third. Here the gray walked in first, beckoning me to attend. I waited in the second room, and got ready my presents for the master and mistress of the house; they were two knives, three bracelets of false pearls, a small looking-glass, and a bead necklace. The horse neighed three or four times, and I waited to hear some answers in a human voice, but I heard no other returns than in the same dialect, only one or two a little shriller than his. I began to think that this house must belong to some person of great note among them, because there appeared so much ceremony before I could gain admittance. But, that a man of quality should be served all by horses, was beyond my comprehension. I feared my brain was disturbed by my sufferings and misfortunes. I roused myself, and looked about me in the room where I was left alone: this was furnished like the first, only after a more elegant manner. I rubbed my eyes often, but the same objects still occurred. I pinched my arms and sides to awake myself, hoping I might be in a dream. I then absolutely concluded, that all these appearances could be nothing else but necromancy and magic. But I had no time to pursue these reflections; for the gray horse came to the door, and made me a sign to follow him into the third room where I saw a very comely mare, together with a colt and foal, sitting on their haunches upon mats of straw, not unartfully made, and perfectly neat and clean. 除了这间房以外，这一长排房子还有三间房，通过三扇相互对开的门连在了一起，就像一条街道。我们穿过第二个房间向第三个房间走去。这时灰色马先走了进去，示意我在外面等候。我在第二个房间里等着，同时将送这家主人和主妇的礼物准备好——两把小刀、三只假珍珠手镯、一面小镜子和一串珠子项链。那马嘶叫了三四声，我等着能听到人声的回答，但没听到，只听到了相同的语言，不过有一两声叫得比灰色马的更尖利一些。我心里开始想，这房子一定属于他们中的什么大人物，在得到召见之前似乎要经过许多礼节。可是，这位高贵人物由马来侍候却是我弄不明白的。我怕自己被种种遭遇和不幸弄得神经失常了。我站起来环顾了一下这个房间，屋里只有我一个人，摆设是同第一间房一样，只是更雅致一些罢 了。我擦了好几次眼睛，但看到的还是同样东西。我拧拧胳膊、捏捏腰、让自己清醒过来，希望自己是在做梦。然后我肯定地得出了这样的结论：这所有出现的一切肯定只是妖术和魔法。不过我来不及再往下细想了，因为那匹灰色马已经来到门口示意我跟它走进第三个房间。我在那儿看到一匹非常漂亮的母马，和一匹小公马、一匹小母马屁股着地坐在整齐干净又讲究的草席上。
The mare soon after my entrance rose from her mat, and coming up close, after having nicely observed my hands and face, gave me a most contemptuous look; and turning to the horse, I heard the word "Yahoo" often repeated betwixt them; the meaning of which word I could not then comprehend, although it was the first I had learned to pronounce. But I was soon better informed, to my everlasting mortification; for the horse, beckoning to me with his head, and repeating the hhuun, hhuun, as he did upon the road, which I understood was to attend him, led me out into a kind of court, where was another building, at some distance from the house. Here we entered, and I saw three of those detestable creatures, which I first met after my landing, feeding upon roots, and the flesh of some animals, which I afterwards found to be that of asses and dogs, and now and then a cow, dead by accident or disease. They were all tied by the neck with strong withes fastened to a beam; they held their food between the claws of their fore feet, and tore it with their teeth. 我进了房间，那母马就从草席上站了起来。它走到我跟前仔细观察我的手和脸，露出了十分鄙夷的神态，接着它就转过身去向着那匹灰色马了。我在他俩中间听到“雅虎”这个词儿被重复，虽然那是我学会说的第一个词，但是当时我还不懂这是什么意思。不过，没过多久我就弄清楚了，这使我永远感到耻辱。灰色马朝我点了点头，又像刚才在路上时那样“混，混”了几下，我明白那是叫我跟它走。它带我出了房间，来到一个像院子一样的地方，那儿是另一个房子，离马住的不远。我们走进去。我看见三只我上岸后最先看到的那种叫人厌恶的畜生，它们正在那里享用树根和某一种动物的肉。我后来才发现那是驴肉和狗肉，有时他们也吃病死或偶然致死的母牛肉。它们的脖子上都系着结实的枝条，另一端拴在一根横木上。它们用两只前爪抱住食物，再用牙齿撕下来吃。
The master horse ordered a sorrel nag, one of his servants, to untie the largest of these animals, and take him into the yard. The beast and I were brought close together, and by our countenances diligently compared both by master and servant, who thereupon repeated several times the word "Yahoo." My horror and astonishment are not to be described, when I observed, in this abominable animal, a perfect human figure: the face of it indeed was flat and broad, the nose depressed, the lips large, and the mouth wide; but these differences are common to all savage nations, where the lineaments of the countenance are distorted, by the natives suffering their infants to lie grovelling on the earth, or by carrying them on their backs, nuzzling with their face against the mothers' shoulders. The fore-feet of the Yahoo differed from my hands in nothing else but the length of the nails, the coarseness and brownness of the palms, and the hairiness on the backs. There was the same resemblance between our feet, with the same differences; which I knew very well, though the horses did not, because of my shoes and stockings; the same in every part of our bodies except as to hairiness and colour, which I have already described. 领袖马吩咐一名仆人（一匹栗色小马）将最大的一头解下来牵到院子里。我和那野兽被紧挨着带到一起后，主仆二马就开始仔细地比较起我们的面貌来，随后即一遍又一遍地重复说“雅虎”。当我看到这只可憎的畜生竟具有一幅完整的人形时，真是说不出的恐惧和惊讶。它的脸又扁又宽，塌鼻子，厚嘴唇，大嘴巴；但这些差别在所有野蛮民族的人身上都是很常见的，因为野蛮人总让他们的小孩子趴在地上，或者把他们背在背上，孩子的脸贴着母亲的肩膀擦来擦去，面部轮廓也就变了形。“雅虎”的前爪除了指甲长，手掌粗和颜色更黄，手背长毛之外，和我的手没有别的区别。我们的脚除了上述差别，也很相似，这我心里非常明白。然而马不知道，因为我的脚上穿着鞋和袜子。身上其他各处也都相同，只是它多毛，颜色也不一样，这一点我前面已经讲到。
The great difficulty that seemed to stick with the two horses, was to see the rest of my body so very different from that of a Yahoo, for which I was obliged to my clothes, whereof they had no conception. The sorrel nag offered me a root, which he held (after their manner, as we shall describe in its proper place) between his hoof and pastern; I took it in my hand, and, having smelt it, returned it to him again as civilly as I could. He brought out of the Yahoo's kennel a piece of ass's flesh; but it smelt so offensively that I turned from it with loathing; he then threw it to the Yahoo, by whom it was greedily devoured. He afterwards showed me a wisp of hay, and a fetlock full of oats; but I shook my head, to signify that neither of these were food for me. And indeed I now apprehended that I must absolutely starve, if I did not get to some of my own species; for as to those filthy Yahoos, although there were few greater lovers of mankind at that time than myself, yet I confess I never saw any sensitive being so detestable on all accounts; and the more I came near them the more hateful they grew, while I stayed in that country. 这两匹马感到疑惑不解的问题，大概是看到我身体的其他部分和“雅虎”有很大的不同之处，这都是我衣服的功劳，而它们对衣服是毫无概念的。那匹栗色小马用蹄子和骨交夹了一段树根给我（它们拿东西的方法我以后有合适的机会再来细说）；我用手接过来闻了闻，尽可能礼貌地又还给了它。它又从“雅虎”的窝棚里拿来一块驴肉，可是气味非常难闻，熏得我把头转过去了；它于是就把这驴肉扔给了 “雅虎”，结果它们狼吞虎咽地把肉吞吃了。之后它又给了我一小捆干草和一球节燕麦，可我都是摇摇头，表示这两样都不是我的食物。说真的，我现在倒真担心要是我遇不上什么同类一定会被饿死的。至于那些肮脏的“雅虎”，虽然那时我热爱人类到无以伦比的程度，但我也得承认我还从未见到过这么令人憎恶的生物。我住在这个国家的那段时间里，越接近它们就越觉得它们可恶。
This the master horse observed by my behaviour, and therefore sent the Yahoo back to his kennel. He then put his fore-hoof to his mouth, at which I was much surprised, although he did it with ease, and with a motion that appeared perfectly natural, and made other signs, to know what I would eat; but I could not return him such an answer as he was able to apprehend; and if he had understood me, I did not see how it was possible to contrive any way for finding myself nourishment. While we were thus engaged, I observed a cow passing by, whereupon I pointed to her, and expressed a desire to go and milk her. This had its effect; for he led me back into the house, and ordered a mare-servant to open a room, where a good store of milk lay in earthen and wooden vessels, after a very orderly and cleanly manner. She gave me a large bowlful, of which I drank very heartily, and found myself well refreshed. 那领袖马从我的举止上也已经看出来了这一点，就吩咐把“雅虎”带回窝里去。它接着把前蹄放到嘴上，尽管动作看上去非常从容自然，我看了却大为惊讶。它又做出别的一些姿势问我要吃什么，可是我无法使他明白我的意思，就算他明白，我也看不出能想到什么办法找到食物。正当我们这样忙着时，我看到旁边走过一条奶牛，因此我就指了指那奶牛，表示想上前去喝牛奶。这一下倒是起了作用。它把我领回家来，吩咐一匹做仆人的母马打开一间房，里面整整齐齐、 干干净净存放着大量用陶盆和木盆装着的牛奶。母马给了我满满一大碗，我十分痛快地喝了下去，顿时就觉得精神大振。
About noon, I saw coming towards the house a kind of vehicle drawn like a sledge by four Yahoos. There was in it an old steed, who seemed to be of quality; he alighted with his hind-feet forward, having by accident got a hurt in his left fore-foot. He came to dine with our horse, who received him with great civility. They dined in the best room, and had oats boiled in milk for the second course, which the old horse ate warm, but the rest cold. Their mangers were placed circular in the middle of the room, and divided into several partitions, round which they sat on their haunches, upon bosses of straw. In the middle was a large rack, with angles answering to every partition of the manger; so that each horse and mare ate their own hay, and their own mash of oats and milk, with much decency and regularity. The behaviour of the young colt and foal appeared very modest, and that of the master and mistress extremely cheerful and complaisant to their guest. The gray ordered me to stand by him; and much discourse passed between him and his friend concerning me, as I found by the stranger's often looking on me, and the frequent repetition of the word "Yahoo." 大约中午时分，我看到四只“雅虎”拉着像雪橇一样的车子朝房子这边走来。车上坐着一匹老马，看来像是贵族，因为左前蹄不小心受了伤，它下车时总是后蹄先着地。老马是来和我们的领袖马吃饭的，领袖马十分客气地接待了它。它们在最好的一间屋里用餐，第二道菜是牛奶熬燕麦，老马吃热的，其余马都吃冷的。马槽在房间的中央摆成一个圆圈，分隔成若干部分，它们就围着马槽在草堆上坐成一圈。在马槽圈的中间有一个大的草料架，上面有许多尖角，分别对准食槽的每一个格子，这样每一匹公马和母马都能规矩整齐地吃自己那一份干草和牛奶燕麦糊。小马驹的行为看起来很谦逊，主人夫妇对它们客人的态度愉快而殷勤。灰色马让我在它的身边站着，它就和朋友谈了许多关于我的话，因为我发现这个陌生人不时地朝我看，而且又一再地说到“雅虎”这个词儿。
I happened to wear my gloves, which the master gray observing, seemed perplexed, discovering signs of wonder what I had done to my fore-feet.He put his hoof three or four times to them, as if he would signify, that I should reduce them to their former shape, which I presently did, pulling off both my gloves, and putting them into my pocket. This occasioned farther talk; and I saw the company was pleased with my behaviour, whereof I soon found the good effects. I was ordered to speak the few words I understood; and while they were at dinner, the master taught me the names for oats, milk, fire, water, and some others, which I could readily pronounce after him, having from my youth a great facility in learning languages. 我那时恰好戴着一副手套，那匹灰色马主人见了非常不解；它看我把前蹄子弄成这样，不觉露出惊奇的神色。它用蹄子在我的手套上碰了三四下，意思好像是要我把前蹄子恢复原样。我立即照办，将手套脱下来放进了口袋。这一举动引起了它们更多的谈论。我看出大家对我这么做感到满意，不久我也看出了这一举动产生的好影响。主人命令我说出自己明白的那几个词。它们在吃饭时，主人又把燕麦、牛奶、火、水等东西的名称教给了我；由于我从小就有很好的学习语言的本领，所以跟着它很容易就念了出来。
When dinner was done, the master horse took me aside, and by signs and words made me understand the concern he was in that I had nothing to eat. Oats in their tongue are called hlunnh. This word I pronounced two or three times; for although I had refused them at first, yet, upon second thoughts, I considered that I could contrive to make of them a kind of bread, which might be sufficient, with milk, to keep me alive, till I could make my escape to some other country, and to creatures of my own species. The horse immediately ordered a white mare servant of his family to bring me a good quantity of oats in a sort of wooden tray. These I heated before the fire, as well as I could, and rubbed them till the husks came off, which I made a shift to winnow from the grain. I ground and beat them between two stones; then took water, and made them into a paste or cake, which I toasted at the fire and eat warm with milk. It was at first a very insipid diet, though common enough in many parts of Europe, but grew tolerable by time; and having been often reduced to hard fare in my life, this was not the first experiment I had made how easily nature is satisfied. And I cannot but observe, that I never had one hour's sickness while I stayed in this island. It is true, I sometimes made a shift to catch a rabbit, or bird, by springs made of Yahoos' hairs; and I often gathered wholesome herbs, which I boiled, and ate as salads with my bread; and now and then, for a rarity, I made a little butter, and drank the whey. I was at first at a great loss for salt, but custom soon reconciled me to the want of it; and I am confident that the frequent use of salt among us is an effect of luxury, and was first introduced only as a provocative to drink, except where it is necessary for preserving flesh in long voyages, or in places remote from great markets; for we observe no animal to be fond of it but man, and as to myself, when I left this country, it was a great while before I could endure the taste of it in anything that I ate. 吃完饭以后，领袖马把我拉到一边，边说边做姿势让我明白他对我非常关心，因为我没有东西吃。燕麦在它们的话里叫“赫伦”。我把这个词儿念了两三遍，因为虽然我起先拒绝吃这东西，可是再一想，觉得自己可以设法把它做成一种面包，到时和牛奶一起吃下去，或者就可以让我活命了，直到我能逃往别的国家找到同类。这马立即吩咐家中一匹白母马仆人用木盘子给我送来了大量燕麦。我就尽量把燕麦放在火上烤，接着把麦壳搓下来，再设法吹去麦皮。我把燕麦放在两块石头中间磨碎，接着加上水，做成了一种面团或者饼一样的东西，再拿到火上烤熟，就着牛奶趁热吃了下去。其实这东西在欧洲许多地方也是一种相当普通的食品，但我刚开始吃觉得淡而无味，可是日子一久也就习惯了。在我这一生中，我已经常常要落到吃粗饭的地步，这也并不是第一次。人的天性是很容易满足的，我早已从经验中得到证明。另外我得说一下，我在这座岛上居住期间，连一点儿小病都没有生过。的确，我有时也设法用“雅虎”的毛发做成弹簧来捉一只兔子或鸟儿什么的；也常常去采集一些有益健康的野菜，煮熟了当沙拉和面包一起吃；不时地我也做点奶油当稀罕物，而且把乳清也都喝了。开始，我吃不到盐，简直不知该怎么办，可是习惯了之后也就适应了。我相信吃盐其实是一种奢侈的习惯，因为把盐放到饮料中起初是用来刺激胃口的，所以除了在长途的航海中，或者在远离大市场的地方贮存肉食需要用盐以外，食盐是没有必要的。我们发现，除了人，没有一种动物喜欢吃盐。拿我自己来说，我离开这个国家以后，过了好久才能忍受吃的食物中有咸味。
This is enough to say upon the subject of my diet, wherewith other travellers fill their books, as if the readers were personally concerned whether we fare well or ill. However, it was necessary to mention this matter, lest the world should think it impossible that I could find sustenance for three years in such a country, and among such inhabitants. 关于我的饮食问题已经说得够多的了，其他的旅行家在他们的书中也都大谈这个题目，好像读者个个都很关心我们这些人是吃得好还是坏。但是，这件事是应该提及的，不然大家会觉得我在这样一个国家和这样的居民一起住了三年是不可能的。
When it grew towards evening, the master horse ordered a place for me to lodge in; it was but six yards from the house and separated from the stable of the Yahoos. Here I got some straw, and covering myself with my own clothes, slept very sound. But I was in a short time better accommodated, as the reader shall know hereafter, when I come to treat more particularly about my way of living. 到了傍晚的时候，领袖马吩咐给我准备一个住处。住处离马住的房子有六码远， 跟“雅虎”的窝是分开的。我弄了一些干草，身上盖着自己的衣服，睡得倒也很香。但不久以后我就住得更好了，我还要更详细地叙述以后的生活方式，读者以后会知道的。