The Houyhnhnms' notion of truth and falsehood. The author's discourse disapproved by his master. The author gives a more particular account of himself, and the accidents of his voyage. “慧骃”的真假概念；主人反对作者的说法；作者更为详尽地叙述自己的身世和航行中的事故。
My master heard me with great appearances of uneasiness in his countenance; because doubting, or not believing, are so little known in this country, that the inhabitants cannot tell how to behave themselves under such circumstances. And I remember, in frequent discourses with my master concerning the nature of manhood in other parts of the world, having occasion to talk of lying and false representation, it was with much difficulty that he comprehended what I meant, although he had otherwise a most acute judgment. For he argued thus: "that the use of speech was to make us understand one another, and to receive information of facts; now, if any one said the thing which was not, these ends were defeated, because I cannot properly be said to understand him;and I am so far from receiving information, that he leaves me worse than in ignorance; for I am led to believe a thing black, when it is white, and short, when it is long." And these were all the notions he had concerning that faculty of lying, so perfectly well understood, and so universally practised, among human creatures. 主人听了我的话后，脸上露出十分不安的神色，因为这个国家的居民都不明白“怀疑”或者“不相信”是怎么回事，遇到这样的情况，居民们都不知道怎么办才好。我记得我跟主人的谈话中，经常谈论世界其他地方的人性，当我说到“说谎”或者“虚假的表述”，尽管他在别的方面有极强的判断力，但很难听懂我的意思。他是这样论证的：言语的作用是使我们能彼此了解，使我们得到事实的真相。现在如果一个人无中生有，言语的那些作用就被破坏了，因为我不能说是了解了对方，也就永远不能知道事实的真相。他使我觉得自己比无知的人还差劲，因为他搞得我把白的当成黑、长的认作短。这就是他对于“说谎”这种本领的全部看法，而我们人类对“说谎”已经一清二楚，而且普遍运用。
To return from this digression. When I asserted that the Yahoos were the only governing animals in my country, which my master said was altogether past his conception, he desired to know, "whether we had Houyhnhnms among us, and what was their employment?" I told him, "we had great numbers; that in summer they grazed in the fields, and in winter were kept in houses with hay and oats, where Yahoo servants were employed to rub their skins smooth, comb their manes, pick their feet, serve them with food, and make their beds." "I understand you well," said my master, "it is now very plain, from all you have spoken, that whatever share of reason the Yahoos pretend to, the Houyhnhnms are your masters; I heartily wish our Yahoos would be so tractable." I begged "his honour would please to excuse me from proceeding any further, because I was very certain that the account he expected from me would be highly displeasing." But he insisted in commanding me to let him know the best and the worst. I told him "he should be obeyed." I owned "that the Houyhnhnms among us, whom we called horses, were the most generous and comely animals we had; that they excelled in strength and swiftness; and when they belonged to persons of quality, were employed in travelling, racing, or drawing chariots; they were treated with much kindness and care, till they fell into diseases, or became foundered in the feet; but then they were sold, and used to all kinds of drudgery till they died; after which their skins were stripped, and sold for what they were worth, and their bodies left to be devoured by dogs and birds of prey. But the common race of horses had not so good fortune, being kept by farmers and carriers, and other mean people, who put them to greater labour, and fed them worse." I described, as well as I could, our way of riding; the shape and use of a bridle, a saddle, a spur, and a whip; of harness and wheels. I added, "that we fastened plates of a certain hard substance, called iron, at the bottom of their feet, to preserve their hoofs from being broken by the stony ways, on which we often travelled." 言归正传。当我断言在我们国家“雅虎”这种动物是唯一的统治者时，主人说那完全出于意料。他想知道，我们之中有没有“慧骃”，他们又做些什么工作。我告诉它我们有许多；夏天它们在田野里吃草，冬天养在家吃干草和燕麦；做仆人的“雅虎”替它们擦身子、梳鬃毛、剔蹄垢、喂食料，还给它们铺床。主人说：“我完全明白你的意思。根据你的话，不论‘雅虎’怎样自以为有多少理性，‘慧骃’还是你们的主人，这是再清楚不过了。我衷心希望我们的‘雅虎’也能像你们那样驯良。”我请他原谅我不再说下去了，因为我很肯定他希望我说下去的话一定叫人非常不愉快。可是他坚持要我对他说下去，不论多好或多坏他都想听听。我就遵命了，继续往下说。我承认，我们那儿的“慧骃”（我们管它叫“马”）是所有动物中最奔放、最英俊的一种；它们在力量与速度等方面超过其他一切动物；假如它们被贵族所养，就用于旅行、比赛或者拉车；它们会受到十分和善、周到的照料，除非病了或者摔坏了腿，那时才会被卖给别人，去从事各种各样的劳役，一直到死；死后皮被剥掉按价出售，尸体则丢给狗和猛禽吞食。可是普通的马就没有这样的好福气了，它们由农夫、搬运工和其他一些下等人驯养，要服较为沉重的劳役，吃的东西也更差些。我把我们骑马的方法，缰绳、马鞍、踢马刺、马鞭、马具和轮车的形状及用处尽情描述了一番。我还说，我们在它们的脚底安上叫做“马镫”的一种硬铁板，因为我们经常在石子路上旅行，这样它们的蹄子就不会被磨破。
My master, after some expressions of great indignation, wondered "how we dared to venture upon a Houyhnhnm's back; for he was sure, that the weakest servant in his house would be able to shake off the strongest Yahoo; or by lying down and rolling on his back, squeeze the brute to death." I answered "that our horses were trained up, from three or four years old, to the several uses we intended them for; that if any of them proved intolerably vicious, they were employed for carriages; that they were severely beaten, while they were young, for any mischievous tricks; that the males, designed for the common use of riding or draught, were generally castrated about two years after their birth, to take down their spirits, and make them more tame and gentle; that they were indeed sensible of rewards and punishments; but his honour would please to consider, that they had not the least tincture of reason, any more than the Yahoos in this country." 主人听完我的叙述之后十分恼怒，我们竟敢骑到“慧骃”的背上让他觉得很奇怪。因为他十分肯定自己家中最孱弱的仆人也能把最强壮的“雅虎”抖落在地，或者躺下来在地上打个滚也能把那畜生压死。我回答说，我们的马从三四岁起就接受训练以满足我们需要。如果有的马顽劣不驯，就用它去拉车。马小的时候玩任何花招，都要狠狠地挨打。一般用来骑坐或拉车的公马大约在两岁左右就被阉割了，这样挫其锐气，使它们的性情变得驯服温顺。我们那里的马确实也懂得赏罚的道理。可是阁下应考虑到，它们所具有的理性一点也不比这个国家的“雅虎”多多少。
It put me to the pains of many circumlocutions, to give my master a right idea of what I spoke; for their language does not abound in variety of words, because their wants and passions are fewer than among us. But it is impossible to express his noble resentment at our savage treatment of the Houyhnhnm race; particularly after I had explained the manner and use of castrating horses among us, to hinder them from propagating their kind, and to render them more servile. He said, "if it were possible there could be any country where Yahoos alone were endued with reason, they certainly must be the governing animal; because reason in time will always prevail against brutal strength. But, considering the frame of our bodies, and especially of mine, he thought no creature of equal bulk was so ill-contrived for employing that reason in the common offices of life;" whereupon he desired to know whether those among whom I lived resembled me, or the Yahoos of his country?" I assured him, "that I was as well shaped as most of my age; but the younger, and the females, were much more soft and tender, and the skins of the latter generally as white as milk." He said, "I differed indeed from other Yahoos, being much more cleanly, and not altogether so deformed; but, in point of real advantage, he thought I differed for the worse:that my nails were of no use either to my fore or hinder feet; as to my fore feet, he could not properly call them by that name, for he never observed me to walk upon them; that they were too soft to bear the ground; that I generally went with them uncovered; neither was the covering I sometimes wore on them of the same shape, or so strong as that on my feet behind; that I could not walk with any security, for if either of my hinder feet slipped, I must inevitably fail." 我费了不少唇舌，拐弯抹角说了半天才使主人听明白了我的话；因为它们的需要和情欲比我们的简单，所以语言词汇不是很丰富。可是我简直无法形容他对我们野蛮对待“慧骃”种族有多痛恨，特别是在我说明我们阉马的方法和作用，使它们不能繁殖后代、更加顺从以后。他说，要是有这么一个国家，其中只有“雅虎”才具有理性，毫无疑问他们应该成为统治者，因为理性最终总是战胜野蛮。但是就我们身体的体格，特别是我的体格来论，他认为同样大小的动物再没有比我们这种构造更糟糕的了，日常生活中根本就无法运用理性。他因此又想知道， 和我们在一起的那些“雅虎”是像我，还是像他们国家的“雅虎”。我告诉他，我和大多数同龄人长得一样健全，而年纪小一些的人和女人长得还要柔嫩许多，女人的皮肤大多都像牛奶一样洁白。他说我的确和别的“雅虎”不一样，身上比他们干净得多，样子总体来说也不那么丑陋；但是我跟他们的差别是不是真正占了便宜呢，在他看来，这使我反倒不如他们：我的前后脚上的指甲就没有什么用场；他简直就不能管我的前脚叫前脚，因为从来就没见我用前脚走过路；它们太柔嫩了，经不起在地上走；走路时前脚通常也不戴套子，有时候戴的那个形状也不同，也不如后脚那套子结实；我走起路来一点也不稳当，因为两只后脚中只要有一只滑一下就必然会跌倒在地。
He then began to find fault with other parts of my body; "the flatness of my face, the prominence of my nose, my eyes placed directly in front, so that I could not look on either side without turning my head; that I was not able to feed myself, without lifting one of my fore-feet to my mouth, and therefore nature had placed those joints to answer that necessity. 接着他又对我身上其他地方挑毛病：面部平坦，鼻子隆起，两只眼睛直朝前，不转动一下头就看不到两边的事物；他又说我如果不把其中的一只前脚举到嘴边就吃不到食物，为了满足这一需要，大自然给我安上了那些关节。
He knew not what could be the use of those several clefts and divisions in my feet behind;that these were too soft to bear the hardness and sharpness of stones, without a covering made from the skin of some other brute; that my whole body wanted a fence against heat and cold, which I was forced to put on and off every day, with tediousness and trouble; and lastly, that he observed every animal in this country naturally to abhor the Yahoos, whom the weaker avoided, and the stronger drove from them. So that, supposing us to have the gift of reason, he could not see how it were possible to cure that natural antipathy, which every creature discovered against us; nor consequently how we could tame and render them serviceable. However, he would," as he said, "debate the matter no farther, because he was more desirous to know my own story, the country where I was born, and the several actions and events of my life, before I came hither." 他不明白我后脚上那些裂缝和分割的用处；我的后脚太柔嫩，不穿上用别的兽皮做成的套子就经不起在又硬又尖的石子上走路；我的整个身上也缺少一种抗热御寒的防护物，每天都得麻烦地把那一身衣服穿上脱下的。最后他说这个国家里的各种动物生来就讨厌“雅虎”，比他们弱的躲着他们，比他们强的就把他们从身边赶开。因此，就算我们天生具有理性，他也看不出怎样才能去除所有动物对我们怀有的那种天然的反感，这样我们又怎能驯服它们，使它们为我们效劳呢？不过他说这件事就不再和我辩论下去了，因为他更想知道我个人的故事，我出生的那个国家的情况，以及我来这里之前的一些生活情节和事件。
I assured him, "how extremely desirous I was that he should be satisfied on every point; but I doubted much, whether it would be possible for me to explain myself on several subjects, whereof his honour could have no conception; because I saw nothing in his country to which I could resemble them; that, however, I would do my best, and strive to express myself by similitudes, humbly desiring his assistance when I wanted proper words;" which he was pleased to promise me. 我向他保证说，我是多么愿意把方方面面的情况都告诉他，让他满意。不过我又很怀疑，不知道有些事情能否解释清楚，主人阁下可能对那些事毫无概念。因为我要讲的事情在他们国家里找不到相似的情况，但不管怎样，我还是会尽力通过种种比喻来说明我的意思。如果一时想不起恰当的字眼，还请他给予协助，他听了这话很高兴地答应了。
I said, "my birth was of honest parents, in an island called England; which was remote from his country, as many days' journey as the strongest of his honour's servants could travel in the annual course of the sun; that I was bred a surgeon, whose trade it is to cure wounds and hurts in the body, gotten by accident or violence; that my country was governed by a female man, whom we called "queen;" that I left it to get riches, whereby I might maintain myself and family, when I should return; that, in my last voyage, I was commander of the ship, and had about fifty Yahoos under me, many of which died at sea, and I was forced to supply them by others picked out from several nations; that our ship was twice in danger of being sunk, the first time by a great storm, and the second by striking against a rock." Here my master interposed, by asking me, "how I could persuade strangers, out of different countries, to venture with me, after the losses I had sustained, and the hazards I had run?" I said, "they were fellows of desperate fortunes, forced to fly from the places of their birth on account of their poverty or their crimes. Some were undone by lawsuits; others spent all they had in drinking, whoring, and gaming; others fled for treason; many for murder, theft, poisoning, robbery, perjury, forgery, coining false money, for committing rapes, or sodomy; for flying from their colours, or deserting to the enemy; and most of them had broken prison; none of these durst return to their native countries, for fear of being hanged, or of starving in a jail; and therefore they were under the necessity of seeking a livelihood in other places." 我说我的父母都是老实憨厚的人，我出生在一个叫英格兰的岛上。那儿离这个国家很远，就是主人最强壮的仆人也要走上一年才能走到。父母培养我做一名外科医生，这种职业就是给人治疗身上的各种创伤——有可能是由意外造成的，也有可能是由暴力带来的。我的国家由一个女人统治着，我们管她叫“女王”。我为了发财离开祖国，这样回去后就可以靠挣来的钱养活自己和家人。在这次航海中，我是船长，手下有五十名如“雅虎”这样的水手，其中很多人在航海途中死了，因此我只好在沿途的一些国招募他人来补充缺额。我们的船有两次险些沉没，第一次是遇到大风暴，第二次是触了礁。说到这里，我的主人插了一句问我，既然我蒙受了那么多损失，又遭遇了种种危险，我怎么还能说服不同国家的陌生人跟我一同出来冒险呢？我说他们都是一些亡命之徒，由于贫穷所迫或是犯了什么罪才不得不离开故乡。有的是因为吃官司弄得倾家荡产；有的则因为吃喝嫖赌把财产全部花光；有的是背叛祖国；还有不少人是因为犯了凶杀、偷窃、放毒、抢劫、假证、伪造、私铸假币、强奸、鸡奸、变节、投敌等罪行才被迫出走的。这帮人大多是越狱逃跑的，没有一个敢回到祖国去，他们害怕回去受绞刑或者关在牢里饿死，因此他们只有到别的地方另寻生路。
During this discourse, my master was pleased to interrupt me several times. I had made use of many circumlocutions in describing to him the nature of the several crimes for which most of our crew had been forced to fly their country. This labour took up several days' conversation, before he was able to comprehend me. He was wholly at a loss to know what could be the use or necessity of practising those vices. To clear up which, I endeavoured to give some ideas of the desire of power and riches; of the terrible effects of lust, intemperance, malice, and envy. All this I was forced to define and describe by putting cases and making suppositions. After which, like one whose imagination was struck with something never seen or heard of before, he would lift up his eyes with amazement and indignation. Power, government, war, law, punishment, and a thousand other things, had no terms wherein that language could express them, which made the difficulty almost insuperable, to give my master any conception of what I meant. But being of an excellent understanding, much improved by contemplation and converse, he at last arrived at a competent knowledge of what human nature, in our parts of the world, is capable to perform, and desired I would give him some particular account of that land which we call Europe, but especially of my own country. 在这次谈话中，我的话被主人打断多次。我绕来绕去、费了不少口舌来向他说明那几种罪行的性质，我船上的大部分水手就是因为犯了那些罪才不得不逃离祖国的。这桩费劲的事我们谈了好多天，他才最终明白了我的意思。他本来完全不理解干那些恶劣的事有什么用处和必要。为了说明这一点，我尽量把争权夺利的欲望以及淫欲、放纵、怨恨、嫉妒等的可怕后果解释给他听。我都只能用举例和假设的方法来解释和描述所有这一切。听我说完之后，他不由地瞪起眼睛，表现出惊奇和愤怒，就像一个人看到或听到了闻所未闻、见所未见的事时受到了刺激一样。权力、政府、战争、法律、刑罚以及无数其他的东西在他们的语言中根本就找不到可以表达的词汇。在这种情况下，要使我的主人明白我说的话几乎是不可克服的困难。但是，他的理解能力非常强，再借助沉思和交谈后终于理解了在我们那部分世界里人类的本性能做出些什么事。他同时又希望我能把我们叫做欧洲的那块土地，特别是我自己国家的情形，详细地说明一下。