7 At the King's palace 
　  
　　Although Glumdalclitch tried to make things as comfort- able as possible for me，such an exhausting life was be－ ginning to have a bad effect on my health．I was becoming thinner and thinner．When my master noticed this，he thought I would not live much longer．But it was clear that he wanted to make as much money out of me as he could．While he was thinking how to do this，he was asked to bring me to the palace．The Queen and her ladies had heard about me and wanted to see me．When we arrived in front of the Queen，I fell on my knees and begged to be allowed to kiss her foot．But she kindly held out her hand to me．I took her little finger in both my arms，and put it very politely to my lips． 
　　She seemed very pleased with me，and finally she said，‘Would you enjoy living here in the palace，do you think？’ 
　　‘Great queen，I answered，‘I must do what my master wants，but if I were free，I would want to spend my whole life obeying your orders．’ 
　　She immediately arranged to buy me from my master．He was delighted to receive a good price for me，especially as he felt sure I would not live longer than a month．I also begged the Queen to let Glumdalclitch stay with me，because she had always taken such good care of me．The Queen agreed，and Glumdalclitch could not hide her happiness． 
　　When my master had left the palace alone，the Queen said to me，‘Why didn't you say goodbye to him？And why did you look at him so coldly？’ 
　　‘Madam，I must tell you，’I replied，‘that since he found me，my master has used me as an easy way of making money for himself．He's made me work so hard that I feel tired and ill．He's sold me to you only because he thinks I'm going to die soon．But I feel better already，now that I belong to such a great and good queen．’ 
　　The Queen was clearly surprised to hear such intelligent words from such a small creature，and decided to show me to her husband．When the King saw me，he thought at first that I must be a mechanical toy．However，when he heard my an－swers to his questions，he realized I must be alive，and he could not hide his astonishment． 
　　To discover what kind of animal I was，he sent for three of his cleverest professors．After looking at me carefully，they decided that I was a creature outside the laws of nature．I was much too small to climb their trees，or dig their fields，or kill and eat their animals．They could not understand where I had come from，or how I could possibly survive．And when I told them that in my country there were millions just like me，they did not believe me，but just smiled．However，the King was more intelligent than they were．After speaking to Glumdal－ clitch and questioning me again，he realized that my story must be true． 
　　They took very good care of me．The Queen's workmen made a special bedroom for me．It was a wooden box，with windows，a door，and two cupboards．The ceiling could be b lifted off，so that Glumdalclitch could change my sheets and tidy my room．The workmen even made me two little chairs and a table，and a lock for the door，so that no rats could get in． 
　　The Queen became so fond of me that she could not eat without me．My small table and chair were always placed on the dinner table near her left elbow，and Glumdalclitch stood near me，in case I needed her help．I ate off tiny silver plates，with silver knives and forks But I never got used to seeing the Queen eat．In one mouthful she ate as much as twelve English farmers could eat in a whole meal．She drank from a cup as big as one of our barrels，and her knives were like huge swords．I was quite frightened of them． 
　　On Wednesday，which is a day of rest in Brobdingnag，like our Sunday，the King and Queen always had dinner together，with their children，in the King's rooms．I was usually invited too．My little chair and table were at the King's left elbow．he enjoyed very much hearing me talk about England—our laws，our universities，our great buildings．He listened so po－litely that I perhaps talked a little too much about my dear country．In the end he looked at me kindly，but could not stop himself laughing．He turned to one of his lords． 
　　‘How amusing it is，’he said to him，‘that an insect like this should．talk of such important matters！He thinks his country is so highly developed！But I suppose even tiny crea－tures like him have a hole in the ground that they call a home．They argue，they love，they fight and they die，as we do．But of course the poor little animals aren't on our level．’ 
　　I could not believe what I was hearing．He was laughing at my country，a country famous for its beautiful cities and palaces，its great kings and queens，its brave and honest people．However，there was nothing I could do about it，and I simply had to accept the situation． 
　　The worst problem I had at the palace was the Queen's dwarf．Until I arrived，he had always been the smallest person in the country（he was about ten metres tall）．As I was much smaller than him，he was very rude to me and behaved very badly，especially when nobody was looking．Once he took a large bone from the table and stood it on the Queen's plate．Then he took me in both hands and pushed my legs into the top of the bone．I could not pull myself out，and had to stay there，feeling—and looking—extremely stupid．When the Queen finally saw me，she could not stop herself laughing， but she was angry with the dwarf at the same time． 
　　In Brobdingnag there are large numbers of flies in summer，and these awful insects，each as big as an English bird， gave me no peace．The dwarf used to catch some in his hands，and then let them out suddenly under my nose．He did this both to frighten me and amuse the Queen．I had to use my knife to cut them to pieces as they flew around me． 
　　Another time，the dwarf picked me up and dropped me quickly into a bowl of milk on the table．Luckily，I am a good swimmer，so I managed to keep my head out of the milk．As soon as Glumdalclitch saw I was in danger，she ran from the other side of the room to rescue me．I was not hurt，but this time the dwarf was sent away from the palace as a punishment．I was very pleased． 
　　I would now like to describe Brobdingnag．The people who draw our European maps think there is nothing but sea be-tween Japan and America，but they are wrong．Brobdingnag is quite a large country，joined on to northwest America，but separated from the rest of America by high mountains．It is about ten thousand kilometres long and from five to eight thousand wide．The sea around it is so rough and there are so many rocks in the water that no large ships can land on any of the beaches．This means that the people of Brobdingnag do not normally have visitors from other parts of the world． 
　　There are fifty－one cities and a large number of towns and villages The capital stands on both sides of a river，and has more than eighty thousand houses．It covers three hundred and forty square kilometres．The King's palace covers about eleven square kilometres：the main rooms are eighty metres high．The palace kitchen is huge—if I described it，with its great pots on the fire and the mountains of food on the tables，perhaps you would not believe me．Travellers are often accused of not telling the truth when they return．To几avoid this hap－pening to me，I am being careful to describe what I saw as ex－actly and carefully as possible．  
　 
7 在王宫里 
　  
　　尽管葛兰达克利赤尽可能使一切对我来说舒适些，如此使人精疲力尽的生活对我的健康还是开始产生了不良影响，我越来越瘦了。当主人注意到这点，他认为我活不长了，但是他显然想从我身上捞到尽可能多的钱。他正在考虑怎么做到这一点时，他被要求带我进官。王后和她的贵妇听说了我，想见见我。当我们到达王后的面前，我双膝跪下，请求吻她的脚，但是她仁慈地把手伸给了我。我双臂抱着她的小指，非常礼貌地放到我的双唇上。 
　　她似乎对我很高兴，最后她说，“你觉得，你会喜欢住在宫里吗？” 
　　“伟大的王后，”我回答说，“我必须按我主人的要求做，不过要是我是自由的话，我愿意一生都听从您的使唤。” 
　　她马上安排从我的主人那儿买过我。他非常高兴我能卖到好价钱，特别是他很肯定我活不过一个月。我也请求王后让葛兰达克利赤留下来陪我，因为她照料我一直照料得很好。王后同意了，葛兰达克利赤也掩饰不住她的喜悦。 
　　当我的主人独自离开王宫后，王后对我说，“你为什么不对他说再见？你为什么那样冷冷地看着他？” 
　　“夫人，我必须告诉你，”我回答说，“自从他发现了我，他就把我当作他赚钱的捷径，他让我如此努力地干活，我感到疲劳、要病倒似的。他把我卖给你只是因为他认为我不久就要死去。不过我已经感觉好多了，因为我是属于如此伟大而善良的王后。” 
　　王后显然对于从如此小的生物之口听到如此聪明的言辞感到诧异，决定把我拿给她的丈夫看。国王看见我，他起初认为我是个机械玩具。不过，当他听见我回答他的问题时，他意识到我一定是活的，不禁掩饰不住他的惊讶。 
　　为了弄明白我是哪种动物，他叫来了三个最聪明的教授。仔细看过我之后，他们认定我是一种不符合自然法则的生物。我太小，无法攀缘他们的树，挖他们的田地，或者杀死他们的牲畜吃。他们无法理解我是从哪儿来的，我怎么能够生存下来的。在我告诉他们我们国家有数百万像我这样的人时，他们并不相信我，只是一笑置之。但是国王比他们智力要高些，在跟葛兰达克利赤谈话并问我问题之后，他意识到我的故事一定是真的。 
　　他们把我照料得很好。王后的工匠为我做了个特制的卧室，那是个木盒子，有门窗和两个小厨柜，天花板可以揭开，这样葛兰达克利赤可以给我换床单，整理我的房间。工匠甚至还给我做了两个小椅子和一张桌子，一把门锁，这样老鼠就进不去了。 
　　王后如此喜欢我，我不在她就吃不下饭。我的小桌子和椅子总是放在餐桌上靠近她的左肘的地方，葛兰达克利赤站在我附近，预备在我需要她时帮助我。我用小银盘子、银刀和银叉吃。不过我从来也没有习惯看王后吃东西。她一口就吃下了12个英国农场主一顿所能吃的东西。她用一个大得跟我们的桶一样的杯子喝东西，而她的餐刀就像巨大的剑。我很害怕这些餐刀。 
　　在星期三，这是布罗卜丁奈格的休息日，正如我们的星期天，国王和王后总是和他们的孩子一起，在国王的房间用餐。我的小桌椅放在国王的左肘边。他非常喜欢听我讲英国——我们的法律、我们的大学、我们的伟大建筑。他听得那样有礼貌，也许我谈论我可爱的祖国谈得太多了。最后他慈祥地望着我，控制不住地大笑起来。他扭头对着他的一个王公。 
　　“多么有意思，”他对他说，“像这样的小昆虫也能谈论如此重要的事情！他认为他的国家有如此发达！不过我想就是像他这样的小动物在地面也有个洞子他们自己称作家。他们争辩、恋爱、战争、死亡，跟我们一样。当然这种可怜的小动物跟我们不是在同一个层次。” 
　　我不能相信我所听到的。他在嘲笑我的祖国，一个以其美丽的城市和宫殿、以其伟大的国王和王后、以其英勇而诚实的人民而闻名的国家。不过我对此毫无办法，只有简单地接受这种处境。 
　　我在宫里最糟糕的问题是王后的侏儒。我到达前，他一直是这个国家最矮小的人（他大约10米高）。因为我远比他矮，他对我很粗鲁，他表现得很不好，特别是当没人在旁看着时。有一次他从桌上拿了一根大骨头立在王后的盘子上，然后抓着我的两只手把我的双腿推进骨头的顶端，我自己出不来，只有呆在那儿，感觉——而且看起来也是——极为愚蠢，王后最终看见了，禁不住笑起来，但同时也对侏儒非常生气。 
　　布罗卜丁奈格夏天有大量的苍蝇，而这种可怕的昆虫每个有英格兰一只鸟那么大，扰得我毫无宁日。侏儒经常抓几个在手中，然后在我的鼻子底下突然松手，他这样做既是惊吓我也是逗王后乐。它们在我身边飞来飞去，我只有用我的刀子把它们砍成碎片。 
　　另有一次，侏儒抓起我然后迅速把我丢进桌上的一碗牛奶里。好在我是个游泳好手，所以我能使头露在牛奶外面。葛兰达克利赤一看见我有危险就从屋子的另一端跑过来救我。我没有受伤，不过这次侏儒被罚出了宫，我对此非常高兴。 
　　现在我想描绘一下布罗卜丁奈格。绘制欧洲地图的人认为在日本和美洲之间除了海什么都没有，但是他们错了。布罗卜丁奈格是个相当大的国家，与北美相连，但高山把它与美洲其他部分隔开了。它大约有1万公里长，5 000至8 000公里宽。它周围海水汹涌，水中有太多的礁石，绝没有大轮船可以在岸边登陆。这意味着布罗卜丁奈格人正常情况下很少有来自世界其他地方的来客。 
　　有51座城市，大量的市镇和村庄。都城横跨一条河，有8万座房子，面积达340多平方公里，国王的宫殿占地大约11平方公里，主要房屋有80米高。王宫的厨房很大——如果我来描绘，还有火上的大锅和桌上如山的食物，也许你不会相信。旅行者常常被指责在他们回家时不说真话。为了避免这种事发生在我身上，我一直留心尽可能准确、仔细地描绘我所看到的。 
　　　    


 