登陆注册
5435700000085

第85章

I told him "he should be obeyed." I owned "that the HOUYHNHNMSamong us, whom we called horses, were the most generous and comely animals we had; that they excelled in strength and swiftness; and when they belonged to persons of quality, were employed in travelling, racing, or drawing chariots; they were treated with much kindness and care, till they fell into diseases, or became foundered in the feet; but then they were sold, and used to all kind of drudgery till they died; after which their skins were stripped, and sold for what they were worth, and their bodies left to be devoured by dogs and birds of prey. But the common race of horses had not so good fortune, being kept by farmers and carriers, and other mean people, who put them to greater labour, and fed them worse." I described, as well as I could, our way of riding; the shape and use of a bridle, a saddle, a spur, and a whip; of harness and wheels. Iadded, "that we fastened plates of a certain hard substance, called iron, at the bottom of their feet, to preserve their hoofs from being broken by the stony ways, on which we often travelled."My master, after some expressions of great indignation, wondered "how we dared to venture upon a HOUYHNHNM'S back; for he was sure, that the weakest servant in his house would be able to shake off the strongest YAHOO; or by lying down and rolling on his back, squeeze the brute to death." I answered "that our horses were trained up, from three or four years old, to the several uses we intended them for; that if any of them proved intolerably vicious, they were employed for carriages; that they were severely beaten, while they were young, for any mischievous tricks; that the males, designed for the common use of riding or draught, were generally castrated about two years after their birth, to take down their spirits, and make them more tame and gentle; that they were indeed sensible of rewards and punishments; but his honour would please to consider, that they had not the least tincture of reason, any more than the YAHOOS in this country."It put me to the pains of many circumlocutions, to give my master a right idea of what I spoke; for their language does not abound in variety of words, because their wants and passions are fewer than among us. But it is impossible to express his noble resentment at our savage treatment of the HOUYHNHNM race;particularly after I had explained the manner and use of castrating horses among us, to hinder them from propagating their kind, and to render them more servile. He said, "if it were possible there could be any country where YAHOOS alone were endued with reason, they certainly must be the governing animal;because reason in time will always prevail against brutal strength. But, considering the frame of our bodies, and especially of mine, he thought no creature of equal bulk was so ill-contrived for employing that reason in the common offices of life;" whereupon he desired to know whether those among whom Ilived resembled me, or the YAHOOS of his country?" I assured him, "that I was as well shaped as most of my age; but the younger, and the females, were much more soft and tender, and the skins of the latter generally as white as milk." He said, "Idiffered indeed from other YAHOOS, being much more cleanly, and not altogether so deformed; but, in point of real advantage, he thought I differed for the worse: that my nails were of no use either to my fore or hinder feet; as to my fore feet, he could not properly call them by that name, for he never observed me to walk upon them; that they were too soft to bear the ground; that I generally went with them uncovered; neither was the covering Isometimes wore on them of the same shape, or so strong as that on my feet behind: that I could not walk with any security, for if either of my hinder feet slipped, I must inevitably fail." He then began to find fault with other parts of my body: "the flatness of my face, the prominence of my nose, mine eyes placed directly in front, so that I could not look on either side without turning my head: that I was not able to feed myself, without lifting one of my fore-feet to my mouth: and therefore nature had placed those joints to answer that necessity. He knew not what could be the use of those several clefts and divisions in my feet behind; that these were too soft to bear the hardness and sharpness of stones, without a covering made from the skin of some other brute; that my whole body wanted a fence against heat and cold, which I was forced to put on and off every day, with tediousness and trouble: and lastly, that he observed every animal in this country naturally to abhor the YAHOOS, whom the weaker avoided, and the stronger drove from them. So that, supposing us to have the gift of reason, he could not see how it were possible to cure that natural antipathy, which every creature discovered against us; nor consequently how we could tame and render them serviceable. However, he would," as he said, "debate the matter no farther, because he was more desirous to know my own story, the country where I was born, and the several actions and events of my life, before I came hither."I assured him, "how extremely desirous I was that he should be satisfied on every point; but I doubted much, whether it would be possible for me to explain myself on several subjects, whereof his honour could have no conception; because I saw nothing in his country to which I could resemble them; that, however, I would do my best, and strive to express myself by similitudes, humbly desiring his assistance when I wanted proper words;" which he was pleased to promise me.

同类推荐
  • 竹素山房诗集

    竹素山房诗集

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 瘗旅文

    瘗旅文

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 大乘入道次第开决

    大乘入道次第开决

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 梅

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 上方大洞真元阴阳陟降图书后解

    上方大洞真元阴阳陟降图书后解

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 血剑酆都

    血剑酆都

    九重天之上,神魔俯瞰世间事。三千里飘血,几使人间变酆都。虽一介穷儒,戴罪之身。然宝剑在手,道理藏心,天下虽大无我不能安身之所,江湖虽远何处非我立命之地?我白小七,此生但行当行之事,杀该死之人!
  • 争奇斗艳

    争奇斗艳

    重操旧业的艺妓驹代偶遇少女时代的客人吉冈,重新俘获他的芳心,吉冈抛弃包养多年的艺妓,有意为驹代赎身。期间驹代爱上了歌舞伎演员濑川,偷偷幽会,利用濑川的表演功底和人脉为自己排练准备在演艺会上表演的舞蹈,虽然在演艺会上大放异彩,却遭到同一家艺妓馆的菊千代妒忌,同时驹代和濑川的私情也被吉冈识破,吉冈遂抛弃驹代,转而为菊千代赎身,帮助其自立门户。驹代和濑川的感情并非一帆风顺,得不到濑川养母的承认,濑川也因驹代时刻强调自己有恩于他感到发腻,后来另结新欢君龙,抛弃了驹代。就在驹代万念俱灰时,艺妓馆老板娘去世,老板首次得知驹代的凄惨身世,劝住准备一走了之的驹代。
  • 重生之我不口吃

    重生之我不口吃

    连续几天熬夜竟然猝死,醒来发现自己是生活在平行空间七十年代的一个军嫂,还,还,还是个结巴。艹,还有个小毛头儿子,啥?不是我亲生的?离婚!啥?军婚受法律保护,想恢复单身狗,不可能?...内啥,看你长得人模狗样,又是兵哥哥,就准你当我老公吧!
  • 醉红颜之冷王妃

    醉红颜之冷王妃

    沐小晴,沐氏集团千金,本以为能和自己相爱的人走完幸福的一生,谁想那人竟是一只披着羊皮的狼。致使家破人亡,自己也惨死在他的手下。没想到因为一个诅咒换来了她重生的机会。沐晨曦北夜国商人家的女儿,因父亲的狠毒,长姐的暗害,惨死在自己亲人手中。两人阴间相遇,沐晨曦以生生世世轮回为代价帮助沐小晴重生,唯一的要求则是替自己与死去的娘亲报仇。沐晨曦涅槃重生,这一世她立誓要强大,她是暗鹰的首领,她是北夜首富,她是毒医的独门弟子,她的势力遍布四国。本以为能横行天下,不巧遇上了他。冷熠,他是北夜国的冷王爷,他武功高强,他池战沙场,他冷血无情。可唯独对沐晨曦穷追不舍。娶不到手誓不罢休。她是黑暗的主宰,他是光明的象征,且看二人谁主沉浮?
  • 每天给心灵来一次瑜伽

    每天给心灵来一次瑜伽

    破解你在人生旅途中的迷茫,抚慰你在喧嚣世界中的伤痛。每天一句提醒,生活将常常峰回路转,多了一份通达;每天一点智慧,人生将处处得失自如,多了一份坦荡
  • 重生八零:顾少,撩上瘾

    重生八零:顾少,撩上瘾

    前世背负破鞋的骂名,是人是鬼都可以踩在她的头上作威作福。意外重生回到命运转折点,曾经那些欺她、辱她、谤她、贱她、笑她的渣渣们,且看强势回归的张然如何踩渣渣,虐极品,跟上八十年代改革开放的春风混的风生水起!But,姓顾的那谁谁,天天黏着她是几个意思,居然还一脸淡定的偷看她换衣服?某男:“媳妇,我要亲亲抱抱举高高!”张然:“滚粗克......”
  • 嗜血拽妃

    嗜血拽妃

    推荐发发新文——《豪门独家萌妻》!!!她,遭队友陷害,一朝穿越竟沦落为爹不疼、家姐辱打、族人耻笑的慕三小姐,虽有倾世容颜,却是百年难得一见的废材。废材?逼婚?嘲笑?看她如何翻身斗家姐、揍族人、杀敌人。再次翻身,爱慕者一大推,上门求婚踏破门槛,只见某男抱着宝宝指着下面的人说道:“宝宝,只有你爹才配得上你娘,看那个,没有你爹我高、那个,没有你爹我富、那个没有你爹我帅,那个……【内设一对萌宝。】
  • 沧海3:金刚法藏

    沧海3:金刚法藏

    天柱山一战,陆渐终于破解《黑天书》,武功大成,金刚一脉终得传人。东岛之王谷神通现世,谷缜却在众目睽睽下被其父一掌击毙。谷缜的慨然赴死,将陆渐抛入更大迷局。陆渐悲痛之余,依照谷缜“生前遗愿”,找到教谷缜经商之道的师父,告知其死讯。不料憨厚的陆渐受谷缜之师万归藏的蒙蔽,助其脱劫,引来天大麻烦。谷神通与万归藏这对宿敌,终在紫禁城里迎来惊天一战。恩怨交错下,谷神通最终与西城天部之主沈舟虚同归于尽,而陆渐身世之谜一解,陆、谷二人发现对方竟是自己同母异父的兄弟……
  • 诛剑

    诛剑

    师父就是用来杀害的,宝贝就是用来抢的,女人就是拿来追的,谁说三流门派培养不出高手?本文就将给你们见证一个笑里藏刀,心狠手辣的流氓混混的修仙之路,且看这个小人物如何纵横仙林,群美环绕,祸害天下!
  • 天上星辰地上沙砾

    天上星辰地上沙砾

    我只愿如地上沙砾一般平凡普通,未曾想爱上天上星辰一般耀眼的人,不同轨迹的两人,相遇是缘分还是偶然?