A Modest 提案

For 妨げるing The Children of Poor People in Ireland From 存在 Aburden to Their Parents or Country, and For Making Them 有益な to The Public

By Jonathan Swift (1729)

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It is a melancholy 反対する to those who walk through this 広大な／多数の／重要な town or travel in the country, when they see the streets, the roads, and cabin doors, （人が）群がるd with beggars of the 女性（の） sex, followed by three, four, or six children, all in rags and importuning every 乗客 for an alms. These mothers, instead of 存在 able to work for their honest 暮らし, are 軍隊d to 雇う all their time in strolling to beg sustenance for their helpless 幼児s: who as they grow up either turn thieves for want of work, or leave their dear native country to fight for the Pretender in Spain, or sell themselves to the Barbadoes. I think it is agreed by all parties that this prodigious number of children in the 武器, or on the 支援するs, or at the heels of their mothers, and frequently of their fathers, is in the 現在の deplorable 明言する／公表する of the kingdom a very 広大な／多数の／重要な 付加 grievance; and, therefore, whoever could find out a fair, cheap, and 平易な method of making these children sound, useful members of the 連邦／共和国, would deserve so 井戸／弁護士席 of the public as to have his statue 始める，決める up for a preserver of the nation. But my 意向 is very far from 存在 限定するd to 供給する only for the children of professed beggars; it is of a much greater extent, and shall take in the whole number of 幼児s at a 確かな age who are born of parents in 影響 as little able to support them as those who 需要・要求する our charity in the streets. ”I have been 保証するd by a very knowing American of my 知識 in London, that a young healthy child 井戸／弁護士席 nursed is at a year old a most delicious, nourishing, and wholesome food, whether stewed, roasted, baked, or boiled ...” As to my own part, having turned my thoughts for many years upon this important 支配する, and maturely 重さを計るd the several 計画／陰謀s of other projectors, I have always 設立する them grossly mistaken in the computation. It is true, a child just dropped from its dam may be supported by her milk for a solar year, with little other nourishment; at most not above the value of 2s., which the mother may certainly get, or the value in 捨てるs, by her lawful 占領／職業 of begging; and it is 正確に／まさに at one year old that I 提案する to 供給する for them in such a manner as instead of 存在 a 告発（する），告訴（する）／料金 upon their parents or the parish, or wanting food and raiment for the 残り／休憩（する） of their lives, they shall on the contrary 与える／捧げる to the feeding, and partly to the 着せる／賦与するing, of many thousands. There is likewise another 広大な／多数の／重要な advantage in my 計画／陰謀, that it will 妨げる those voluntary abortions, and that horrid practice of women 殺人ing their bastard children, 式のs! too たびたび（訪れる） の中で us! sacrificing the poor innocent babes I 疑問 more to 避ける the expense than the shame, which would move 涙／ほころびs and pity in the most savage and 残忍な breast. The number of souls in this kingdom 存在 usually reckoned one million and a half, of these I calculate there may be about two hundred thousand couple whose wives are 子孫を作る人s; from which number I subtract thirty thousand couples who are able to 持続する their own children, although I apprehend there cannot be so many, under the 現在の 苦しめるs of the kingdom; but this 存在 認めるd, there will remain an hundred and seventy thousand 子孫を作る人s. I again subtract fifty thousand for those women who miscarry, or whose children die by 事故 or 病気 within the year. There only remains one hundred and twenty thousand children of poor parents 毎年 born. The question therefore is, how this number shall be 後部d and 供給するd for, which, as I have already said, under the 現在の 状況／情勢 of 事件／事情／状勢s, is utterly impossible by all the methods hitherto 提案するd. For we can neither 雇う them in handicraft or 農業; we neither build houses (I mean in the country) nor cultivate land: they can very seldom 選ぶ up a 暮らし by stealing, till they arrive at six years old, except where they are of towardly parts, although I 自白する they learn the rudiments much earlier, during which time, they can however be 適切に looked upon only as probationers, as I have been 知らせるd by a 主要な／長／主犯 gentleman in the 郡 of Cavan, who 抗議するd to me that he never knew above one or two instances under the age of six, even in a part of the kingdom so renowned for the quickest proficiency in that art. I am 保証するd by our merchants, that a boy or a girl before twelve years old is no salable 商品／必需品; and even when they come to this age they will not 産する／生じる above three 続けざまに猛撃するs, or three 続けざまに猛撃するs and half-a-栄冠を与える at most on the 交流; which cannot turn to account either to the parents or kingdom, the 告発（する），告訴（する）／料金 of nutriment and rags having been at least four times that value. I shall now therefore 謙虚に 提案する my own thoughts, which I hope will not be liable to the least 反対. I have been 保証するd by a very knowing American of my 知識 in London, that a young healthy child 井戸／弁護士席 nursed is at a year old a most delicious, nourishing, and wholesome food, whether stewed, roasted, baked, or boiled; and I make no 疑問 that it will 平等に serve in a fricassee or a ragout. I do therefore 謙虚に 申し込む／申し出 it to public consideration that of the hundred and twenty thousand children already 計算するd, twenty thousand may be reserved for 産む／飼育する, whereof only one-fourth part to be males; which is more than we 許す to sheep, 黒人／ボイコット cattle or swine; and my 推論する／理由 is, that these children are seldom the fruits of marriage, a circumstance not much regarded by our savages, therefore one male will be 十分な to serve four 女性（の）s. That the remaining hundred thousand may, at a year old, be 申し込む／申し出d in the sale to the persons of 質 and fortune through the kingdom; always advising the mother to let them suck plentifully in the last month, so as to （判決などを）下す them plump and fat for a good （米）棚上げする／（英）提議する. A child will make two dishes at an entertainment for friends; and when the family dines alone, the fore or hind ４半期/4分の1 will make a reasonable dish, and seasoned with a little pepper or salt will be very good boiled on the fourth day, 特に in winter. I have reckoned upon a medium that a child just born will 重さを計る 12 続けざまに猛撃するs, and in a solar year, if tolerably nursed, increaseth to 28 続けざまに猛撃するs. I 認める this food will be somewhat dear, and therefore very proper for landlords, who, as they have already devoured most of the parents, seem to have the best 肩書を与える to the children. 幼児's flesh will be in season throughout the year, but more plentiful in March, and a little before and after; for we are told by a 墓／厳粛／彫る／重大な author, an 著名な French 内科医, that fish 存在 a prolific diet, there are more children born in Roman カトリック教徒 countries about nine months after Lent than at any other season; therefore, reckoning a year after Lent, the markets will be more glutted than usual, because the number of popish 幼児s is at least three to one in this kingdom: and therefore it will have one other collateral advantage, by 少なくなるing the number of papists の中で us. I have already 計算するd the 告発（する），告訴（する）／料金 of nursing a beggar's child (in which 名簿（に載せる）／表（にあげる） I reckon all cottagers, 労働者s, and four-fifths of the 農業者s) to be about two shillings per 年, rags 含むd; and I believe no gentleman would repine to give ten shillings for the carcass of a good fat child, which, as I have said, will make four dishes of excellent nutritive meat, when he hath only some particular friend or his own family to dine with him. Thus the squire will learn to be a good landlord, and grow popular の中で his tenants; the mother will have eight shillings 逮捕する 利益（をあげる）, and be fit for work till she produces another child. Those who are more thrifty (as I must 自白する the times 要求する) may flay the carcass; the 肌 of which artificially dressed will make admirable gloves for ladies, and summer boots for 罰金 gentlemen. As to our city of Dublin, shambles may be 任命するd for this 目的 in the most convenient parts of it, and butchers we may be 保証するd will not be wanting; although I rather recommend buying the children alive, and dressing them hot from the knife, as we do roasting pigs. A very worthy person, a true lover of his country, and whose virtues I 高度に esteem, was lately pleased in discoursing on this 事柄 to 申し込む／申し出 a refinement upon my 計画／陰謀. He said that many gentlemen of this kingdom, having of late destroyed their deer, he conceived that the want of venison might be 井戸／弁護士席 供給（する）d by the 団体／死体s of young lads and maidens, not 越えるing fourteen years of age nor under twelve; so 広大な／多数の／重要な a number of both sexes in every country 存在 now ready to 餓死する for want of work and service; and these to be 性質の／したい気がして of by their parents, if alive, or さもなければ by their nearest relations. But with 予定 deference to so excellent a friend and so deserving a 愛国者, I cannot be altogether in his 感情s; for as to the males, my American 知識 保証するd me, from たびたび（訪れる） experience, that their flesh was 一般に 堅い and lean, like that of our schoolboys by continual 演習, and their taste disagreeable; and to fatten them would not answer the 告発（する），告訴（する）／料金. Then as to the 女性（の）s, it would, I think, with humble submission be a loss to the public, because they soon would become 子孫を作る人s themselves; and besides, it is not improbable that some scrupulous people might be apt to 非難 such a practice (although indeed very 不正に), as a little 国境ing upon cruelty; which, I 自白する, hath always been with me the strongest 反対 against any 事業／計画（する）, however so 井戸／弁護士席 ーするつもりであるd. But ーするために 正当化する my friend, he 自白するd that this expedient was put into his 長，率いる by the famous Psalmanazar, a native of the island Formosa, who （機の）カム from thence to London above twenty years ago, and in conversation told my friend, that in his country when any young person happened to be put to death, the executioner sold the carcass to persons of 質 as a prime dainty; and that in his time the 団体／死体 of a plump girl of fifteen, who was crucified for an 試みる／企てる to 毒（薬） the emperor, was sold to his 皇室の majesty's 首相 of 明言する／公表する, and other 広大な／多数の／重要な 蜜柑s of the 法廷，裁判所, in 共同のs from the gibbet, at four hundred 栄冠を与えるs. Neither indeed can I 否定する, that if the same use were made of several plump young girls in this town, who without one 選び出す／独身 groat to their fortunes cannot 動かす abroad without a 議長，司会を務める, and appear at playhouse and 議会s in foreign fineries which they never will 支払う／賃金 for, the kingdom would not be the worse. Some persons of a desponding spirit are in 広大な／多数の／重要な 関心 about that 広大な number of poor people, who are 老年の, 病気d, or maimed, and I have been 願望（する）d to 雇う my thoughts what course may be taken to 緩和する the nation of so grievous an encumbrance. But I am not in the least 苦痛 upon that 事柄, because it is very 井戸／弁護士席 known that they are every day dying and rotting by 冷淡な and 飢饉, and filth and vermin, as 急速な／放蕩な as can be reasonably 推定する／予想するd. And as to the young 労働者s, they are now in as 希望に満ちた a 条件; they cannot get work, and その結果 pine away for want of nourishment, to a degree that if at any time they are accidentally 雇うd to ありふれた labor, they have not strength to 成し遂げる it; and thus the country and themselves are happily 配達するd from the evils to come. I have too long digressed, and therefore shall return to my 支配する. I think the advantages by the 提案 which I have made are obvious and many, 同様に as of the highest importance. For first, as I have already 観察するd, it would 大いに 少なくなる the number of papists, with whom we are 年一回の 侵略（する）／超過（する）, 存在 the 主要な／長／主犯 子孫を作る人s of the nation 同様に as our most dangerous enemies; and who stay at home on 目的 with a design to 配達する the kingdom to the Pretender, hoping to take their advantage by the absence of so many good protestants, who have chosen rather to leave their country than stay at home and 支払う／賃金 tithes against their 良心 to an episcopal curate. Secondly, The poorer tenants will have something 価値のある of their own, which by 法律 may be made liable to 苦しめる and help to 支払う／賃金 their landlord's rent, their corn and cattle 存在 already 掴むd, and money a thing unknown. Thirdly, 反して the 維持／整備 of an hundred thousand children, from two years old and 上向き, cannot be 計算するd at いっそう少なく than ten shillings a-piece per 年, the nation's 在庫／株 will be その為に 増加するd fifty thousand 続けざまに猛撃するs per 年, beside the 利益（をあげる） of a new dish introduced to the （米）棚上げする／（英）提議するs of all gentlemen of fortune in the kingdom who have any refinement in taste. And the money will 循環させる の中で ourselves, the goods 存在 完全に of our own growth and 製造（する）. Fourthly, The constant 子孫を作る人s, beside the 伸び（る） of eight shillings 英貨の／純銀の per 年 by the sale of their children, will be rid of the 告発（する），告訴（する）／料金 of 持続するing them after the first year. Fifthly, This food would likewise bring 広大な／多数の／重要な custom to taverns; where the vintners will certainly be so 慎重な as to procure the best 領収書s for dressing it to perfection, and その結果 have their houses たびたび（訪れる）d by all the 罰金 gentlemen, who 正確に，正当に value themselves upon their knowledge in good eating: and a skilful cook, who understands how to 強いる his guests, will contrive to make it as expensive as they please. Sixthly, This would be a 広大な／多数の／重要な 誘導 to marriage, which all wise nations have either encouraged by rewards or 施行するd by 法律s and 刑罰，罰則s. It would 増加する the care and tenderness of mothers toward their children, when they were sure of a 解決／入植地 for life to the poor babes, 供給するd in some sort by the public, to their 年次の 利益（をあげる） instead of expense. We should see an honest emulation の中で the married women, which of them could bring the fattest child to the market. Men would become as fond of their wives during the time of their pregnancy as they are now of their 損なうs in foal, their cows in calf, their （種を）蒔くs when they are ready to farrow; nor 申し込む／申し出 to （警官の）巡回区域，受持ち区域 or kick them (as is too たびたび（訪れる） a practice) for 恐れる of a miscarriage. Many other advantages might be enumerated. For instance, the 新規加入 of some thousand carcasses in our exportation of バーレル／樽d beef, the propagation of swine's flesh, and 改良 in the art of making good bacon, so much 手配中の，お尋ね者 の中で us by the 広大な／多数の／重要な 破壊 of pigs, too たびたび（訪れる） at our （米）棚上げする／（英）提議するs; which are no way 類似の in taste or magnificence to a 井戸／弁護士席-grown, fat, yearling child, which roasted whole will make a かなりの 人物／姿／数字 at a lord 市長's feast or any other public entertainment. But this and many others I omit, 存在 studious of brevity. Supposing that one thousand families in this city, would be constant 顧客s for 幼児s flesh, besides others who might have it at merry 会合s, 特に at weddings and christenings, I 計算する that Dublin would take off 毎年 about twenty thousand carcasses; and the 残り／休憩（する） of the kingdom (where probably they will be sold somewhat cheaper) the remaining eighty thousand. I can think of no one 反対, that will かもしれない be raised against this 提案, unless it should be 勧めるd, that the number of people will be その為に much 少なくなるd in the kingdom. This I 自由に own, and 'twas indeed one 主要な／長／主犯 design in 申し込む／申し出ing it to the world. I 願望（する） the reader will 観察する, that I calculate my 治療（薬） for this one individual Kingdom of Ireland, and for no other that ever was, is, or, I think, ever can be upon Earth. Therefore let no man talk to me of other expedients: Of 税金ing our absentees at five shillings a 続けざまに猛撃する: Of using neither cloaths, nor houshold furniture, except what is of our own growth and 製造（する）: Of utterly 拒絶するing the 構成要素s and 器具s that 促進する foreign 高級な: Of curing the expensiveness of pride, vanity, idleness, and gaming in our women: Of introducing a vein of parsimony, prudence and temperance: Of learning to love our country, wherein we 異なる even from Laplanders, and the inhabitants of Topinamboo: Of quitting our animosities and 派閥s, nor 事実上の／代理 any longer like the Jews, who were 殺人ing one another at the very moment their city was taken: Of 存在 a little 用心深い not to sell our country and 良心s for nothing: Of teaching landlords to have at least one degree of mercy に向かって their tenants. Lastly, of putting a spirit of honesty, 産業, and 技術 into our shop-keepers, who, if a 決意／決議 could now be taken to buy only our native goods, would すぐに 部隊 to cheat and exact upon us in the price, the 手段, and the goodness, nor could ever yet be brought to make one fair 提案 of just 取引，協定ing, though often and 真面目に 招待するd to it. Therefore I repeat, let no man talk to me of these and the like expedients, 'till he hath at least some glympse of hope, that there will ever be some hearty and sincere 試みる／企てる to put them into practice. But, as to my self, having been 疲れた／うんざりしたd out for many years with 申し込む／申し出ing vain, idle, visionary thoughts, and at length utterly despairing of success, I fortunately fell upon this 提案, which, as it is wholly new, so it hath something solid and real, of no expence and little trouble, 十分な in our own 力／強力にする, and whereby we can 背負い込む no danger in disobliging England. For this 肉親，親類d of 商品／必需品 will not 耐える exportation, and flesh 存在 of too tender a consistence, to 収容する／認める a long continuance in salt, although perhaps I could 指名する a country, which would be glad to eat up our whole nation without it. After all, I am not so violently bent upon my own opinion as to 拒絶する any 申し込む／申し出 提案するd by wise men, which shall be 設立する 平等に innocent, cheap, 平易な, and effectual. But before something of that 肉親，親類d shall be 前進するd in contradiction to my 計画／陰謀, and 申し込む／申し出ing a better, I 願望（する） the author or authors will be pleased maturely to consider two points. First, as things now stand, how they will be able to find food and raiment for an hundred thousand useless mouths and 支援するs. And secondly, there 存在 a 一連の会議、交渉／完成する million of creatures in human 人物／姿／数字 throughout this kingdom, whose whole subsistence put into a ありふれた 在庫／株 would leave them in 負債 two millions of 続けざまに猛撃するs 英貨の／純銀の, 追加するing those who are beggars by profession to the 本体，大部分／ばら積みの of 農業者s, cottagers, and 労働者s, with their wives and children who are beggars in 影響: I 願望（する） those 政治家，政治屋s who dislike my 予備交渉, and may perhaps be so bold as to 試みる／企てる an answer, that they will first ask the parents of these mortals, whether they would not at this day think it a 広大な／多数の／重要な happiness to have been sold for food, at a year old in the manner I 定める／命ずる, and その為に have 避けるd such a perpetual scene of misfortunes as they have since gone through by the 圧迫 of landlords, the impossibility of 支払う／賃金ing rent without money or 貿易（する）, the want of ありふれた sustenance, with neither house nor 着せる／賦与するs to cover them from the inclemencies of the 天候, and the most 必然的な prospect of entailing the like or greater 悲惨s upon their 産む／飼育する for ever. I profess, in the 誠実 of my heart, that I have not the least personal 利益／興味 in 努力するing to 促進する this necessary work, having no other 動機 than the public good of my country, by 前進するing our 貿易（する）, 供給するing for 幼児s, relieving the poor, and giving some 楽しみ to the rich. I have no children by which I can 提案する to get a 選び出す／独身 penny; the youngest 存在 nine years old, and my wife past child-耐えるing. The End 公式文書，認める: Jonathan Swift (1667-1745), author and satirist, famous for Gulliver's Travels (1726) and A Modest 提案 (1729). This 提案, where he 示唆するs that the Irish eat their own children, is one of his most 激烈な pieces. He 充てるd much of his 令状ing to the struggle for Ireland against the English hegemony.