第1章 到利力浦特(1)

1 A voyage to Lilliput
　　I was born in Nottinghamshire and was the third of five sons．My father was not a rich man， but he was able to send me to Cambridge University，where I studied for three years．When I left college，I continued my studies and became a doctor．But I always wanted to travel，and so I made several voyages as a ship's doctor．When I married my wife Mary，however，I planned to stay at home for a while．But after a few years I discovered I was not earning enough money from my patients．I decided to go to sea again，and this time I joined a ship sailing to the islands in the South Pacific Ocean．We started our journey from Bristol on May 4th，1699．
　　At first our voyage went well．We sailed across the Atlantic，round the coast of Africa and into the Indian Ocean．But before we could reach the Pacific，a violent storm hit us and drove us to the north-west of Tasmania．The wind drove our ship on to a rock， which broke the ship in half．Some of the sailors and I managed to get a boat into the water，and we rowed away to look for land．But when we were too tired to row any more，a great wave hit our small boat，and we all fell into the sea．I do not know what happened to my companions，but I suppose they were all drowned．

 1 到利力浦特
　　我出生在诺丁汉郡，在五个孩子中排行第三。父亲并不富裕，不过还是能送我上剑桥大学，那儿我学了三年。我离开大学后继续学习，当了名医生。可是我总想去旅行，就当了船医，出海旅行了好几次。我娶了妻子玛丽后，决定在家呆一些时候。没过几年，我发现从病人身上赚不了多少钱。我决定再次出海，这次登上的是开往南太平洋的轮船。我们于1699年5月4日从布里斯托尔启程。
　　起初航行很顺利。我们穿过大西洋，绕过非洲海岸，进入印度洋。可是到达太平洋以前，飓风击中我们，我们被刮到塔斯马尼亚的西北。飓风使我们的船撞上了礁石，把船劈为两半。我和一些水手把救生艇放下水，划开去寻找陆地。我们累得再也划不动时，一个巨浪打中了我们的小船，我们都落入海水里。我不清楚我的同伴怎么样了，不过我猜他们都淹死了。