6 Gulliver and his master

　　Soon after we arrived，the whole family sat down at the table for dinner．There was a large piece of meat on a plate about eight metres across．The farmer put me on the table，with some small pieces of bread and meat in front of me．I was very frightened of falling off the edge of the table，which was ten metres from the ground．The farmer and his family were delighted to watch me eating food with my own small knife and fork．But when I started walking across the table to the farmer，his youngest son，a boy of about ten，picked me up by the legs．He held me so high in the air that my whole body trembled．Fortunately his father took me away at once，and angrily hit the boy hard on the head．But I re－membered！how cruel children can he to small animals，and I did not want the boy to take his revenge on me．So I fell on my knees and asked them not to punish the child any more．They seemed to understand．

　　Just then I heard a noise behind me．It sounded like twelve machines running at the same time．I turned my head and saw a huge cat，three times larger than one of our cows．The farmer's wife held it in her arms，so that it could not jump at me．But in fact，because I showed no fear，there was no dan-ger，and the cat even seeemed a little afraid of me．

　　At the end of dinner，a servant came in with the farmer's one-year－old son in her arms．He immediately started crying and screaming，because he wanted to play with me．His moth－er smiled and put me in his hand．When he picked me up and put my head in his mouth，I shouted so loudly that he dropped me．Luckily，I was not hurt，but it showed me how danger－ous life was going to be in Brobdingnag．

　　After eating，the farmer，or my master，as I shall now call him，went back to his work in the fields．I think he told his wife to take good care of me，because she put me carefully on her bed and locked the bedroom door．I was exhausted，and slept for two hours．

　　When I woke up，I felt very small and lonely in such a huge room，and on such a large bed．Suddenly I saw two huge rats run towards me across the bed．One came right up to my face，so I pulled out my sword and cut open his stomach．The other ran away at once．I walked up and down on the bed，to con－trol my trembling legs，and looked at the dead rat．It was as large as a big dog，and its tail measured two metres．When my master’ s wife came into the room some time later，I showed her how I had killed the rat．She was delighted that I was not hurt，and threw the dead rat out of the window．

　　My master had a daughter who was about nine years old．She was given the special responsibility of taking care of me，and I owe her my life．During my stay in her country we were always together，and she saved me from many dangerous situa-tions．I called her Glumdalclitch，which means‘little nurse’．She was good at sewing，and managed to make some clothes for me in the thinnest material available．She also made me a small bed，which was placed on a shelf too high for rats to reach．Perhaps the most useful thing she did was to teach me the language，so that in a few days I could speak it quite well．

　　Soon all my master's neighbours were talking about the strange little creature he had found in a field．One of them came to see me，and as I walked towards him across the table，he put on his glasses．His eyes behind the glasses looked like the full moon shining into two windows．I thought this was very funny，and laughed loudly．Unfortunately，that made him very angry．I heard him whispering to my master all evening，and I was sorry I had laughed at him．

　　Next day Glumdalclitch came to me in tears．

　　‘You'll never guess what's happened！’she told me sadly．

　　‘Our neighbour has advised Father to show you to people，for money！Father's going to take you to market tomorrow，where there'll be crowds of people ready to pay for entertain－ment！I'm so ashamed！And perhaps you'll get hurt！Other people won't be as careful with you as I am！’

　　‘Don't worry，Glumdalclitch，’I replied．‘As I'm a stranger here，I don't mind being shown to people like a strange wild animal．I must do what your father wants．’I was secretly hoping I would one day find a way of escaping and returning to my own country．

　　So the next day my master and his daughter got on their huge horse．Glumdalclitch carried me inside a small box，which had air－holes so that I could breathe．When we arrived at the market town，my master hired the largest room in the public house，and placed me upon the table there．His daugh－ter stayed close to me to make sure that nobody hurt me．I was told to speak in their language，pull out my sword，drink from a cup，and do other things to amuse the crowd．Only thirty people were allowed in to see me at one time．On that first day everybody wanted to see me，and I was shown to over three hundred and fifty people．

　　My master's plan was so successful that he arranged to show me again on the next market day．I did not look forward to this at all．I was so tired with the journey and the entertainment that I could only walk an speak with difficulty for the next three days．Even when we were at home，neighbours and friends from all parts of the country came to look at me，and my master made me work hard to amuse them．So I had almost no rest．

　　My master finally realized that he could make a fortune by showing me to people all over the country．So about two months after my arrival in Brobdingnag，we left the farm and started our journey to the capital．As before，Glumdalclitch came with us，to take care of me．On the way we stopped in many towns and villages，so that I could be shown to people．At last，after a journey of nearly five thousand kilometres，we arrived at the capital．Now I had to work even harder，as peo-ple came to look at me ten times a day．

　　6 格列佛和他的主人

　　我们到达不久，全家人坐在桌前吃饭。一个直径大约有8米的盘子上放着一块巨大的肉。农场主把我放在桌上，我面前放着些小片面包和肉。我非常害怕从桌缘掉下去，这离地有10米高。农场主和他的家人看着我用自己的刀叉吃饭感到很有趣。我开始朝农场主走去时，他的小儿子，一个大约10岁的男孩，抓住我的腿提了起来。他把我举在高空中，我全身都在发抖。幸好他的父亲马上把我拿走了，并且生气地重重地打他的头。我想起小孩子们对小动物会有多么残酷，我可不想他找我报复，所以就双膝跪下，请求他们不要再惩罚这个孩子。他们似乎理解了我的意思。

　　正在那时，我听见背后发出一个响声，听起来就像十几台机器同时在运转。我扭过头，看见一巨大的猫，比我们的母牛还大3倍。农场主的妻子把它抱在怀里，以免它向我跳来。但事实上因为我显得一点也不害怕，根本就没有危险，而这猫看起来倒有点怕我。

　　用餐快结束时，一个仆人抱着农场主的一岁儿子进来。他立即又哭又叫，因为他想跟我玩。他妈妈笑了，把我放在他的手中。他抓起我，把我的头往他嘴里塞，我大声吼叫，他松了手，幸好我没有受伤，但是这表明了我在布罗卜丁奈格的生活将是多么的危险。

　　饭后，农场主或者说我的主人，从现在起我将这样称呼他，又回到田野里干他的活。我想他已经告诉了他的妻子好好照看我，因为她小心地把我放在她的床上，并且锁上了卧室的门。我已精疲力尽，就睡了两个小时。

　　当我醒来时，我感到在如此大的房间里、在如此大的床上自己非常渺小而孤独。突然我看见两只巨大的老鼠穿过床向我奔来，一只正好跑向我的脸，我拔出剑刺破了它的肚皮，另一只立即跑开了。我在床上走来走去，以控制我不住颤抖的双腿，看着这只死老鼠。这只老鼠足有一条大狗那么大，尾巴有两米长。我主人的妻子后来进了房间，我向她表演我是怎样杀死老鼠的。她对我没有受到伤害感到高兴，把死老鼠扔出了窗外。

　　我的主人有个女儿，大约9岁，让她特别负责照看我，全亏她我才能活下来。我呆在她的国家的日子里，我们总是在一起，她许多次把我救出危险。我叫她葛兰达克利赤，意思是“小保姆”。她善于针线活，用最薄的布料给我做了一些衣服，还给我做了个小床，把它放在一个架子上，高得老鼠够不着。也许她做得最有用的事是教我他们的语言，所以几天后我就能说得相当不错了。

　　不久我主人的邻居都在谈论他在田野里发现的奇怪小生物。其中有一个来看我，我在桌子上向他走去，他戴上了眼镜，镜片后的眼睛就像满月照进两扇窗户。我觉得这很滑稽，就大声笑了。不幸的是，这令他很生气，我听见他跟我的主人一整夜都在咕咕唧唧，我对嘲笑他感到很抱歉。

　　第二天葛兰达克利赤满面泪痕地来到我跟前。

　　“你绝不会猜到发生了什么事！”她哀伤地对我说，“我们的邻居建议父亲把你拿去展出，为了钱！父亲明天将把你带到市场上，那儿有成群的人愿意掏钱取乐！这太可耻了！而且你可能会受伤！别的人可没有我对你那样小心！”

　　“不要担心，葛兰达克利赤，”我回答说，“由于我在这儿是个生人，我不介意像个稀奇的野生动物那样展出。我必须按你父亲所想的去做。”我暗地里希望有朝一日能找到逃跑的路回到我自己的国家。

　　这样第二天我的主人和他的女儿骑上了他们庞大的马。葛兰达克利赤用一个小盒子带着我，上面有透气孔以便我呼吸。我们到达市镇后，主人在客栈包了个最大的房间，把我放在那儿的桌子上，他的女儿站得离我很近，以保证没人伤着我。我受命用他们的语言说话，拔出我的剑，用杯子喝，以及做其他一些事来逗乐围观的人。每次只让30个人进去看我。第一天每个人都想看我，我被展给了350多人看。

　　我主人的计划是如此成功，他安排了在下次集日再去展出我。我一点也不盼望这样，我由于旅途和娱乐而累得随后三天说话走路都很吃力。就是我们在家里时，邻居和来自全国各地的朋友来看我，我的主人让我卖力干活以逗乐他们。所以我几乎没有休息。

　　我的主人终于意识到他可以把我拿到全国各地展出而大赚一笔。这样大约在我来到布罗卜丁奈格后两个月，我们离开了农场，启程去都城。和以前一样，葛兰达克利赤一起去，好照料我。路上我们在许多的城镇和村庄停留，以便我能展给人们看。最后，在旅行了几乎5000公里后我们终于到达了都城。现在我必须更卖力地干活，因为每天来看我的人是以前的10倍。