牛津书虫系列《格列佛游记》Chapter11 附中英双语文本

11 Glubbdubdrib and Luggnagg
11 格勒大锥和拉格奈格
Although the Laputans were kind to me，I did not want to spend a long time in their country．Therefore，I de-cided to travel from Balnibarbi to the island of Luggnagg，from there to Japan，and then home to England．But before I went to Luggnagg，an official I had met in Lagado persuaded me to visit the small island of Glubbdubdrib．
尽管勒皮他人对我很和善，我并不想在这个国家呆多长时间，所以我决定从巴尔尼巴比旅行到拉格奈格岛，从那儿到日本，然后回到英国。可是在我去拉格奈格以前我在拉格多见到的一个官员说服我去参观格勒大锥小岛。
‘You'll find it a very interesting place，he told me．‘Glubbdubdrib means the island of magicians．All the impor－tant people there are good at magic，you see．The President is the best magician of them all．But I must warn you，he has some very strange servants-they're all ghosts！By using magic he can order the ghost of any dead person to be his ser－vant for twenty-four hours，and the ghost must obey．’
“你会发现那是一个非常有意思的地方。”他告诉我，“格勒大锥的意思是魔术师之岛，那儿所有的重要人物都擅长魔术，你明白吧。总统是他们中间最好的魔术师，但是我得警告你，他有一些非常奇怪的仆人——他们是鬼魂！他可以用魔法命令任何一个死去的人的鬼魂给他当24小时的仆人，而且鬼魂必须服从。”
It seemed unbelievable，but it was true．When we arrived on the island，we were invited to the President's palace．His servants certainly looked strange to me there was a smell of death about them．When the President no longer needed them，he waved a hand，and they simply disappeared．
这似乎难以置信，却是真的。我们到达岛上，被邀请到总统的宫里去。他的仆人在我看来绝对很古怪——他们有种死人的气味。当总统不再需要他们时，他一挥手他们就简单地不见了。
I visited the President every day during my stay，and soon got used to seeing the ghosts．One day the President said，‘Gulliver，would you like to call a ghost？It could be anyone from the beginning of the world up to the present day．You could ask them questions about their lives．And you can be sure they'll tell the truth— ghosts always do．
我在逗留期间天天去拜访总统，不久就习惯了看鬼魂。有一天总统说，“格列佛，你想不想叫一个鬼魂来？可以从世界开始那一时刻起直到现在的任何一个。你可以问他们关于他们一生的问题。而且你可以肯定他们会告诉实情——鬼魂总是这样的。”
‘That's very kind of you，sir，I replied，and thought hard for a moment．‘First，I’d like to see Alexander the Great，please．’
“非常感谢你，先生。”我回答说，费力地考虑了一会，“首先，我想见亚历山大大帝，拜托。”
The President pointed out of the window．There in a large field was the ghost of Alexander，with his huge army．This famous king lived long ago in Macedonia in northern Greece．His kingdom covered many countries，from Greece to Egypt，from Persia to parts of India．But he died very young，when he was only thirty－three，and no one knew why．The Presi－dent called him into the room．
总统向窗外一指，那儿，在一个大的战场上出现了亚历山大大帝的鬼魂，以及他庞大的军队。这个伟大的国王很久以前生活在北希腊的马其顿。他的王国包括许多国家，从希腊到埃及，从波斯到印度的部分地区，但是他很年轻就死了，只活了33岁，谁也不知道为什么。总统叫他进屋来。
‘Great King，’I said to him，‘just tell me one thing．Were you murdered，or did you die naturally！’
“伟大的国王，”我对他说，“只告诉我一件事，你是被谋杀的还是自然死亡？”
‘Young man，’he replied，‘nobody murdered me．I drank too much and died of a fever．’
“年轻人，”他回答说，“没有人谋杀我，我喝得太多，死于热玻”
So，in these few words，I had learnt one of the secrets of history！I turned to the President．‘And now，may we see Julius Caesar and Brutus？’
这样，就这几句话，我得知了历史上的一大秘密！我转向总统，“现在，我们可以见尤里乌斯·凯撒和布鲁图吗？”
The two Romans took Alexander's place．Brutus，of course，had killed Julius Caesar in Rome on 15th March，44BC—one of the most famous murders in history．It is terrible to die by the hand of a friend．
这两个罗马人站到了亚历山大的地方。当然，布鲁图于公元前44年3月15日在罗马杀死了尤里乌斯·凯撒——历史上最为有名的谋杀之一。死于朋友之手太可怕了。