gulliver's-travels(1).ppt

n1726nThe plot of the book comprises the extraordinary adventures of Doctor Lemuel Gulliver.nFour parts : Lilliput, Brobdingnag , Laputa, HouyhnhnmnGullivers Travels was a controversial work when it was first published in 1726. In fact, it was not until almost ten years after its first printing that the book appeared with the entire text that Swift had originally intended it to have. Ever since, editors have excised many of the passages, particularly the more caustic ones dealing with bodily functions. Even without those passages, however, Gullivers Travels serves as a biting satire, and Swift ensures that it is both humorous and critical, constantly attacking British and European society through its descriptions of imaginary countries. LilliputnWhat is the proportion between Gulliver and Lilliputians?nWhy was the king regarded as a king?nHe is taller by almost the breadth of my nail, than any of his court; which alone is enough to strike an awe into the beholders. nThe emperor diverts Gulliver with some shows, one of them is described as exceeding all nations both for dexterity and magnificence, What is it?nThe emperor had a mind one day to entertain me with several of the country shows, wherein they exceed all nations I have known, both for dexterity and magnificence. I was diverted with none so much as that of the rope-dancers, performed upon a slender white thread, extended about two feet, and twelve inches from the ground. nThis diversion is only practised by those persons who are candidates for great employments, and high favour at court. They are trained in this art from their youth, and are not always of noble birth, or liberal education. When a great office is vacant, either by death or disgrace (which often happens,) five or six of those candidates petition the emperor to entertain his majesty and the court with a dance on the rope; and whoever jumps the highest, without falling, succeeds in the office. nThe author described Mildendo, the metropolis of Lilliput, together with the emperors palace in the fourth chapter. nI 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. nAs 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 majestys imperial heels are lower at least by a DRURR than any of his court ,The animosities between these two parties run so high, that they will neither eat, nor drink, nor talk with each other nWe 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. nNow, 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. nWhat was the conflict between two great empires of Lilliput and Blefuscu ?nour 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. nIt 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 majestys 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 crownnWhen the queens room catches fire, how does Gulliver put the flames out?nThe emperors wifes room catches fire. He forgets his coat and cannot put the flames out with his clothing, so instead he thinks of a new plan: he urinates on the palace, putting out the fire entirely. Discussion : Give a comment on Liliput.“小” ：身材小，“心胸”狭隘，“见识短浅，自大”。“目的”：映射英国社会现实。“艺术手法”： 幽默，夸张，讽刺。 BrobdingnagnIn Brobdingnag, the residents are twelve times Gullivers size. nThey are also moral giants in comparison to Gulliver.nAfter Gullivers patriotic account of England, the king responds, “I cannot but conclude the bulk of your natives, to be the most pernicious race of little odious vermin that nature ever suffered to crawl upon the surface of the earth.”LaputaIn Laputa, the satire is directed against British misgovernment of Ireland and against those extremes of theoretical and speculative reasoning, whether in science, politics or economics.The Land of the HouyhnhnmsIn Part IV, Swift imagines the absolute separation between the animal and rational aspects of human nature.The nobility and rationality of the horses are contrasted with the brutality and irrationality of the disgusting Yahoos, beasts whose bodies are obscene caricatures of the human body and whose behaviors and morality are the very counterpart of that of human beings in its most crude form.n而且斯威夫特笔下的这一理想王国，并没有突破时代的樊篱，没有超出他所处时代的局限。小说中有着明显的等级观念: 慧骃国的“白马、栗色马和铁青马永远处在仆人的地位,休想超过自己的同类,如果妄想出人头地,这在这个国家就要被认为是一种可怕而反常的事”2( 241) 另外，慧骃马缺乏情感。它们实行“优生学”，婚姻毫无爱情可n言，关注的只是择偶的毛色防止种族退化；亲友乃至配偶去n逝，慧骃既不高兴，也不悲伤。这种森严的等级制度和对情感n的极度控制实际上也是由当时理性的局限性所决定的。当时n的理性思想强调的便是等级制度和情感的节制。nThemeIt is a satire on the 18th-century English society, touching upon the political, religious, legal, military, scientific, philosophical as well as literary institutions. It takes great pains to bring to light the wickedness of the then English society, with its tyranny, its political intrigues and corruption, its aggressive wars and colonialism, its religious disputes and persecution, and its ruthless oppression and exploitation of the common people.nNarrative featuresBoth a fantasy and a realistic work of fiction.The language is very simple, unadorned, straightforward and effective. An apparent innocence and honesty of the hero and his account, the direct, truthful, detailed presentation of people and things encountered set off the biting satire and a desperate indignation of the writer.Tidy structural arrangement. The four seemingly independent parts are linked up by the central idea of social satire and make up an organic whole.From outward-homeward-bound motif to a darkening gradation of incident and a growing perversion of the hero; on one hand, from a chance shipwreck to man-made misfortunes and intended mutinies. The heros attitude towards mankind changes from firm belief to doubt, further doubt, and finally to dislike.