一打开《格列佛游记》的目录,详尽有趣的内容就深深的吸引了我。小人国、大人国……一看就知道一定十分的有趣。我便迫不及待的翻开了书。和许多国外着作一样,《格列佛游记》也带着浓郁的异国风情,每一卷都反映着作者生活的时期中英国各方面的状况。幸好书中有一段译前序,介绍了一些当时英国的社会背景,对理解书中内容是有所裨益的。而书中应用的反语修辞,更是处处可见。
我不知道十八世纪美国的辉格、托利两党缠绵悱恻、暧昧的关系,当然也就无从体会斯威夫特笔下的争论吃鸡蛋应先敲哪头、 鞋跟之高低等"原则"问题的"高跟党"与"低跟党"的妙处。
我错怪斯威夫特了,我要有一颗宽容的心。而后来的斯威夫特也渐渐变得可以理解了,给我的感觉是他很正义。
他讽刺地道出了当时英国的特点:"贪婪、党争、伪善、无信、残暴、愤怒、疯狂、怨恨、嫉妒、淫欲、阴险和野心。"他挖苦地描述了人兽颠倒的怪诞现象:马成了理性的载体,而人则化作脏臭、屎尿横飞、贪婪刁难的下等动物耶胡。他大谈人的天性,就是心甘情愿被金钱所奴役,不是奢侈浪费就是贪得无厌。看完《格列佛游记》之后,我们不能不审视自己,我们身上有没有这些顽疾劣根的影子。
有一句话,我认为评论得很经典:以夸张渲染时代的生气,藉荒唐痛斥时代的弊端;在厌恨和悲观背后,应是一种苦涩的忧世情怀。
没有想到在那些朴实得如同流水账的大白话游记中竟蕴含着这么深邃的内涵。
我期盼着有一天我们的社会也像慧因国,孩子们的眼中不再有疑虑,教育与现实是统一的。我愿为此付出努力,也希望大家与我一道,从自己做起,从现在开始做起,让这个社会多一点真诚、少一点虚伪。
The book presents itself as a simple traveller's narrative with the disingenuous title Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World, its authorship assigned only to "Lemuel Gulliver, first a surgeon, then a captain of several ships".
The book begins with a short preamble in which Gulliver, in the style of books of the time, gives a brief outline of his life and history prior to his voyages. He enjoys travelling, although it is that love of travel that is his downfall.
When the sailing ship Adventure is steered off course by storms and forced to go in to land for want of fresh water, Gulliver is abandoned by his companions and found by a farmer who is 72 feet (22 m) tall (the scale of Lilliput is approximately 1:12; of Brobdingnag 12:1, judging from Gulliver estimating a man's step being 10 yards (9.1 m)). He brings Gulliver home and his extremely smart and strong daughter cares for Gulliver. The farmer treats him as a curiosity and exhibits him for money. The word gets out and the Queen of Brobdingnag wants to see the show. She loves Gulliver and he is then bought by her and kept as a favourite at court
After Gulliver's ship is attacked by pirates, he is marooned near a desolate rocky island, near India. Fortunately he is rescued by the flying island of Laputa, a kingdom devoted to the arts of music and mathematics but utterly unable to use these for practical ends
小说以外科医生格列佛的四次出海航行冒险的经历为线索,一共由四部分组成。
第一卷:利立浦特(小人国)游记。叙述格列佛在小人国的游历见闻。这里的人,身长不满六英寸,他置身其中,就象巍巍的大山一般。小朝廷里充斥阴谋诡计、倾轧纷争。穿高跟鞋的一派与穿低跟鞋的一派互相攻击,誓不两立。
第二卷:布罗卜丁奈格(大人国)游记。格列佛在利立浦特人的心目中是个宠然大物,但一到布罗卜丁奈格,他就象田间的鼬鼠一般小了。格列佛被当作小玩艺装入手提箱里,带到各城镇表演展览。后来,国王召见他,他慷慨陈辞,夸耀自己的祖国的伟大,政治的贤明,法律的公正,然而均一一遭到国王的抨击与驳斥。
第三卷:勒皮他、巴尔尼巴比、拉格奈格、格勒大锥、日本游记。主要描述格列佛在勒皮他(飞岛)和格勒大锥(巫人岛)的游历。飞岛上的人长得畸形怪状,整天担忧天体会发生突变,地球会被彗星撞击得粉碎,因而惶惶不可终日。在科学院里,设计家们正在从事研究如何从黄瓜中提取阳光取暖,把粪便还原为食物,繁殖无毛的绵羊,软化大理石等课题。在巫人岛上,岛主精通巫术,擅长招魂,他们博览古今,发现历史真相被权贵歪曲,娼妓般的作家在哄骗人世。
第四卷:慧駰国游记。叙述格列佛在智马国的游历。在这个国度里,居主宰地位的是有理性的公正而诚实的智马,供智马驱使的是一种类似人形的畜类耶胡,后者生性淫荡、贪婪、好斗。