Mildendo, the metropolis of Lilliput, described, together with the emperor's palace. A conversation between the author and a principal secretary, concerning the affairs of that empire. The author's offers to serve the emperor in his wars. 关于小人国首都密尔敦多以及皇宫的描写；作者与一位大臣关于帝国大事的一次谈话；作者表示愿在战争中为皇帝效劳。
The first request I made, after I had obtained my liberty, was that I might have license to see Mildendo, the metropolis; which the emperor easily granted me, but with a special charge to do no hurt either to the inhabitants or their houses. The people had notice, by proclamation, of my design to visit the town. The wall which encompassed it is two feet and a half high, and at least eleven inches broad, so that a coach and horses may be driven very safely round it; and it is flanked with strong towers at ten feet distance. I stepped over the great western gate, and passed very gently, and sideling through the two principal streets, only in my short waistcoat, for fear of damaging the roofs and eaves of the houses with the skirts of my coat. I walked with the utmost circumspection, to avoid treading on any stragglers who might remain in the streets, although the orders were very strict, that all people should keep in their houses, at their own peril. The garret windows and tops of houses were so crowded with spectators, that I thought in all my travels I had not seen a more populous place. The city is an exact square, each side of the wall being five hundred feet long. The two great streets, which run across and divide it into four quarters, are five feet wide. The lanes and alleys, which I could not enter, but only view them as I passed, are from twelve to eighteen inches. The town is capable of holding five hundred thousand souls: the houses are from three to five stories; the shops and markets well provided. 我获得自由后的第一个请求就是想获准参观首都密尔敦多。皇帝倒爽快地答应了，只是特别关照不得伤及当地居民和民房。人们也从告示里得知我将访问首都的计划。首都由高两英尺半、宽至少十一英寸的城墙环绕，所以可以驾驶一辆马车很安全地在上面行驶。城墙两侧每隔十英尺就是一座坚固的塔楼。我跨过西大门轻手轻脚地前行，侧着身子穿过两条主要街道，身上只穿了件短背心，因为我担心上衣的下摆碰坏民房的屋顶或屋檐。虽然有严令禁止任何人出门，否则就会有生命危险，但我走路时还是非常小心，免得一脚踩到在街上游荡的人。阁楼的窗口和房顶上全都挤满了观众，我觉得在我的任何一次旅行中，从未见过像这样人口众多的地方。这座城市是一个标准的正方形，每边城墙长五百英尺。两条大街各宽五英尺，十字交叉将全城分成四个部分。我从旁边路过时看了一下自己进不去的胡同与巷子，它们的宽度从十二到十八英寸不等。全城可容纳五十万人；房子有三层楼到五层楼；商店和市场一应俱全。
The emperor's palace is in the centre of the city where the two great streets meet. It is enclosed by a wall of two feet high, and twenty feet distant from the buildings. I had his majesty's permission to step over this wall; and, the space being so wide between that and the palace, I could easily view it on every side. The outward court is a square of forty feet, and includes two other courts: in the inmost are the royal apartments, which I was very desirous to see, but found it extremely difficult; for the great gates, from one square into another, were but eighteen inches high, and seven inches wide. Now the buildings of the outer court were at least five feet high, and it was impossible for me to stride over them without infinite damage to the pile, though the walls were strongly built of hewn stone, and four inches thick. At the same time the emperor had a great desire that I should see the magnificence of his palace; but this I was not able to do till three days after, which I spent in cutting down with my knife some of the largest trees in the royal park, about a hundred yards distant from the city. Of these trees I made two stools, each about three feet high, and strong enough to bear my weight. 皇宫在全城中心，处于两条主要大街交叉的地方。离宫殿二十英尺、高两英尺的围墙包围着它。我获得皇帝的许可后举步迈过了皇城。皇城与宫殿之间的空地很大，所以我可以很容易从各个方向来看这座宫殿。外院四十英尺见方，其中又包括两座宫院。最里面的是皇家内院，我很想看一下，但却发现非常困难，因为从一座宫院通向另一座宫院的大门只有十八英寸高、七英寸宽。外宫的建筑至少有五英尺高，虽然院墙由坚固的石块砌成，厚达四英寸，但我大步跨过去的话，还是会给整个建筑群造成极大的损害。同时，皇帝也很希望我去瞻仰一下他那富丽堂皇的宫殿，但我三天后才如愿。那三天，我用小刀在离城约一百码的皇家公园里砍下了几棵最大的树，做了两张凳子，每张高约三英尺，并且都能承受得起我的体重。
The people having received notice a second time, I went again through the city to the palace with my two stools in my hands. When I came to the side of the outer court, I stood upon one stool, and took the other in my hand; this I lifted over the roof, and gently set it down on the space between the first and second court, which was eight feet wide. I then stepped over the building very conveniently from one stool to the other, and drew up the first after me with a hooked stick. By this contrivance I got into the inmost court; and, lying down upon my side, I applied my face to the windows of the middle stories, which were left open on purpose, and discovered the most splendid apartments that can be imagined. There I saw the empress and the young princes, in their several lodgings, with their chief attendants about them. Her imperial majesty was pleased to smile very graciously upon me, and gave me out of the window her hand to kiss. 市民们得到第二次通告后，我又进城了，手拿着两张凳子前往皇宫去。到达外宫旁边，我站在一张凳子上，将另一张举过屋顶，轻轻地放到第一个宫殿和第二个宫殿之间那块宽约八英尺的空地上。我很轻巧地从一张凳子到另一张凳子上跨过外院楼群，之后我再用带弯钩的手杖把第一张凳子钩进来。我用这种巧妙的办法来到了皇家内院，然后侧着身子躺下来，脸挨到中间几层楼那几扇特地为我打开的窗子前，看到了人们所能想象到的最辉煌壮丽的内宫。我看到了皇后和年轻的王子们在自己的寝宫内，一些主要侍从相伴。皇后陛下很高兴，对我十分和蔼地笑了笑，又从窗子里伸出手来允许我吻一下。
But I shall not anticipate the reader with further descriptions of this kind, because I reserve them for a greater work, which is now almost ready for the press; containing a general description of this empire, from its first erection, through a long series of princes; with a particular account of their wars and politics, laws, learning, and religion;their plants and animals; their peculiar manners and customs, with other matters very curious and useful; my chief design at present being only to relate such events and transactions as happened to the public or to myself during a residence of about nine months in that empire. 但是我不想读者过多地来听这一类的描述了，因为我把它们留给了另一部即将出版的篇幅更大的书。那部书概括地叙述了这个帝国从创建开始到经历各代君王的整个历史。特别叙述了该帝国的政治、法律、学术、宗教，还有动植物，特殊的风俗习惯以及其他稀奇但很有益的事情。眼下我主要是想描述一下我住在那个帝国约九个月的时间里发生在我以及公众身上的种种事情和处理方法。
One morning, about a fortnight after I had obtained my liberty, Reldresal, principal secretary (as they style him) for private affairs, came to my house attended only by one servant. He ordered his coach to wait at a distance, and desired I would give him an hour's audience; which I readily consented to, on account of his quality and personal merits, as well as of the many good offices he had done me during my solicitations at court. I offered to lie down that he might the more conveniently reach my ear, but he chose rather to let me hold him in my hand during our conversation. He began with compliments on my liberty; said "he might pretend to some merit in it;" but, however, added, "that if it had not been for the present situation of things at court, perhaps I might not have obtained it so soon. For," said he, "as flourishing a condition as we may appear to be in to foreigners, we labour under two mighty evils: a violent faction at home, and the danger of an invasion, by a most potent enemy, from abroad. As to the first, you are to understand, that for about seventy moons past there have been two struggling parties in this empire, under the names of Tramecksan and Slamecksan, from the high and low heels of their shoes, by which they distinguish themselves. It is alleged, indeed, that the high heels are most agreeable to our ancient constitution; but, however this be, his majesty has determined to make use only of low heels in the administration of the government, and all offices in the gift of the crown, as you cannot but observe; and particularly that his majesty's imperial heels are lower at least by a drurr than any of his court (drurr is a measure about the fourteenth part of an inch). The animosities between these two parties run so high, that they will neither eat, nor drink, nor talk with each other. We compute the Tramecksan, or high heels, to exceed us in number; but the power is wholly on our side. We apprehend his imperial highness, the heir to the crown, to have some tendency towards the high heels; at least we can plainly discover that one of his heels is higher than the other, which gives him a hobble in his gait. Now, in the midst of these intestine disquiets, we are threatened with an invasion from the island of Blefuscu, which is the other great empire of the universe, almost as large and powerful as this of his majesty. For as to what we have heard you affirm, that there are other kingdoms and states in the world inhabited by human creatures as large as yourself, our philosophers are in much doubt, and would rather conjecture that you dropped from the moon, or one of the stars; because it is certain, that a hundred mortals of your bulk would in a short time destroy all the fruits and cattle of his majesty's dominions; besides, our histories of six thousand moons make no mention of any other regions than the two great empires of Lilliput and Blefuscu. Which two mighty powers have, as I was going to tell you, been engaged in a most obstinate war for six-and-thirty moons past. It began upon the following occasion. It is allowed on all hands, that the primitive way of breaking eggs, before we eat them, was upon the larger end; but his present majesty's grandfather, while he was a boy, going to eat an egg, and breaking it according to the ancient practice, happened to cut one of his fingers. Whereupon the emperor his father published an edict, commanding all his subjects, upon great penalties, to break the smaller end of their eggs. The people so highly resented this law, that our histories tell us, there have been six rebellions raised on that account; wherein one emperor lost his life, and another his crown. These civil commotions were constantly fomented by the monarchs of Blefuscu; and when they were quelled, the exiles always fled for refuge to that empire. It is computed that eleven thousand persons have at several times suffered death, rather than submit to break their eggs at the smaller end. Many hundred large volumes have been published upon this controversy, but the books of the Big- Endians have been long forbidden, and the whole party rendered incapable by law of holding employments. During the course of these troubles, the emperors of Blefuscu did frequently expostulate by their ambassadors, accusing us of making a schism in religion, by offending against a fundamental doctrine of our great prophet Lustrog, in the fifty-fourth chapter of the Brundrecal (which is their Alcoran). This, however, is thought to be a mere strain upon the text; for the words are these: 'that all true believers break their eggs at the convenient end. ' And which is the convenient end, seems, in my humble opinion to be left to every man's conscience, or at least in the power of the chief magistrate to determine. Now, the Big-Endian exiles have found so much credit in the emperor of Blefuscu's court, and so much private assistance and encouragement from their party here at home, that a bloody war has been carried on between the two empires for six-and-thirty moons, with various success; during which time we have lost forty capital ships, and a much greater number of smaller vessels, together with thirty thousand of our best seamen and soldiers; and the damage received by the enemy is reckoned to be somewhat greater than ours. However, they have now equipped a numerous fleet, and are just preparing to make a descent upon us; and his imperial majesty, placing great confidence in your valour and strength, has commanded me to lay this account of his affairs before you. " 获得自由后约两个星期的一天早上，内务大臣（他们这么称呼他）瑞尔德里沙带了一个随身侍从来到我的寓所。他吩咐他自己的马车在远处等候，希望我能和他谈一个小时。基于他的身份和个人功绩，也因为我在向朝廷提出请求时他帮过不少忙，我很快就答应了他。我提出躺下来方便他够着我的耳朵交谈，但他更希望我把他拿在手里交谈。他首先祝贺我获得自由，说“就这件事情来说他自认为也有些功劳”；不过他又说要不是因为朝廷现在处在这种情势下，我也许不会这么快就获得自由。他说：“尽管在外国人看来可能我们的国势显得很昌隆，实际上却被两大危机所苦。一是在国内有激烈党争，二是在国外有来自最强的敌人入侵的危险。至于第一个，你要知道，六七年以来，帝国内两个党派——特莱姆克三和斯莱姆克三一直在勾心斗角，两者的区别就在于一个党的鞋跟高些，另一个党的鞋跟低些。事实上，据说高跟党最合乎古老的宪章，但不论怎样，皇帝却决定一切政府行政管理部门只起用低跟党人，这你一定察觉到了，只有低跟党人可以封官晋爵。尤其是皇帝的鞋跟比朝廷中任何一位官员的鞋跟至少要低一‘都尔’（‘都尔’是一种长度，约等于十四分之一英寸）。两党间积怨极深，以至于两党从不在一块儿吃喝或谈话。据我们估算，特莱姆克三或高跟党的人数要超过我们，但是权力却完全掌握在我们手中。我们担心的是，太子殿下有几分倾向于高跟党，至少我们清楚地看到他的一只鞋跟比另一只要高些，这使他走起路来一拐一拐的。正当国内不安的时节，本国又受到布莱夫斯库岛敌人入侵的战争威胁。那是天地间又一个大帝国，据我们所知，他的面积与实力和我皇陛下治下的这个帝国及其他一些大国几乎不相上下。至于我们听你说到过世界上还有其他一些王国和国家，住着像你一般庞大的人类，我们的哲学家对此深表怀疑，他们宁可认为你是从月球或者其他某个星球上掉下来的。因为像你这样庞大身躯的人如果有一百个，短期内就肯定会将皇帝陛下领地上所有的果实与牲畜全都吃光。再者说，在我们六千月的历史上除了本国和布莱夫斯库两大帝国外，也从来没有提到过其他什么地方。我下面正要告诉你的是，这两大强国在过去三年里一直在拼命战斗。战争开始是由于以下的原因：我们的人都认为吃鸡蛋的时候，原始的方法是打破鸡蛋较大的一头，可是当今皇帝的祖父小时候按古法打鸡蛋时碰巧割破了一个手指。因此他的父亲——当时的皇帝就下了一道敕令，命令全体臣民吃鸡蛋时打破鸡蛋较小的一头，违令者重罚。老百姓们对这项命令极为反感。历史上因此曾发生过六次叛乱，其中一个皇帝送了命，另一个丢了王位。这些叛乱大多都是由布莱夫斯库国的国王们煽动起来的。叛乱平息后，流亡者总是逃到那个帝国去寻求避难。据估计，先后几次有一万一千人情愿受死也不肯去打破鸡蛋较小的一端。关于这一争端，曾出版过几百本大部头著作，不过大端派的书一直是被禁止的，同时法律规定该派的任何人不得做官。在这一切麻烦的过程中，布莱夫斯库的帝王们经常派大使前来抗议，指责我们在宗教上闹分裂，并违背了我们伟大的先知拉斯特洛格在《布兰德克拉尔》（即他们的《古兰经》）第五十四章中的一条基本教义。不过我们认为这只是对经文的一种曲解，因为原文是‘一切真正的信徒应在他们觉得方便的一端打破鸡蛋。’那么哪端是方便的一端呢？依我浅见，似乎只有听凭各人的良知或者由主要行政长官决定了。流亡到布莱夫斯库的大端派深受其朝廷的信任，又得到国内党羽的秘密援助和怂恿，这样掀起了两大帝国的一场血战，三年来双方各有胜负。这期间我们损失了四十艘主要战舰和数目更多的小艇，我们还折损了三万最精锐的水兵和陆军。据我们估计敌人所受的损失比我们的大概还要大些。然而他们已经装备好了一支庞大的舰队，正准备向我们发起攻击。陛下深信你的勇气和力量，所以才命我来把这件事说给你听。”
I desired the secretary to present my humble duty to the emperor; and to let him know, "that I thought it would not become me, who was a foreigner, to interfere with parties; but I was ready, with the hazard of my life, to defend his person and state against all invaders." 我请内务大臣向皇帝陛下转达我恭顺的敬意，并请他回奏：我虽然是个外国人，不便干预党派纷争，但为了保卫皇帝陛下和他的国家，我甘冒生命危险，随时准备抗击一切入侵者。