《格列佛游记》英文读后感

One of the most interesting questions about Gullivers Travels is whether the Houyhnhnms represent an ideal of rationality or whether on the other hand they are the butt of Swift's satire. In other words, in Book IV, is Swift poking fun at the talking horses or does he intend for us to take them seriously as the proper way to act? If we look closely at the way that the Houyhnhnms act, we can see that in fact Swift does not take them seriously: he uses them to show the dangers of pride. First we have to see that Swift does not even take Gullver seriously. For instance, his name sounds much like gullible, which suggests that he will believe anything. Also, when he first sees the Yahoos and they throw excrement on him, he responds by doing the same in return until they run away. He says, "I must needs discover some more rational being," even though as a human he is already the most rational being there is. This is why Swift refers to Erasmus Darwins discovery of the origin of the species and the voyage of the Beagle-to show how Gulliver knows that people are at the top of the food chain. But if Lemule Gulliver is satirized, so are the Houyhnhnms, whose voices sound like the call of castrati. They walk on two legs instead of four, and seem to be much like people. As Gulliver says, "It was with the utmost astonishment that I witnessed these creatures playing the flute and dancing a Vienese waltz. To my mind, they seemed like the greatest humans ever seen in court, even more dextrous than the Lord Edmund Burke" . As this quote demonstrates, Gulliver is terribly impressed, but his admiration for the Houyhnhnms is short-lived because they are so prideful. For instance, the leader of the Houyhnhnms claims that he has read all the works of Charles Dickens, and that he can singlehandedly recite the names of all the Kings and Queens of England up to George II. Swift subtly shows that this Houyhnhnms pride is misplaced when, in the middle of the intellectual competition, he forgets the name

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My Opinions on Gulliver’s Travels

Recently I read a novel called “Gulliver’s Travels’. As far as I am concerned, it is a very fantastic book and it gives people an adventurous feeling to read the novel. Before I read the novel, I really didn’t know anything about the author of this novel. But after I have read the novel, I learned that the author of this novel is Jonathan Swift, who was born in 1667. According to what I learned from the book, Jonathan Swift was brought up by his uncle.

In my opinion, there is a certain connection between the background of the novel and the social conditions. Take this novel for example; the background of the novel is based on the social reality in England of that time.

If I have the chance, I would like to be a man like Gulliver, because I am greatly inspired by his couragement and brave. Gulliver is the person, who travels the lands of Lilliput, Brobdingnag, Laputa and the country of the Houyhnhnms. I think he must have experienced much during the voyages. These four voyages brought new future to Gulliver’s life.

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Gulliver’s Travels

When writing the experience in the country of Houyhnhnms, Jonathan Swift satirizes a lot of hideous phenomena and social figures—lawyers, doctors, chief ministers and noble persons in chapter VI.

I. Lawyers

At the beginning of this chapter, the author mentions lawyers by using such words-- perplex, disquiet, weary and injustice, totally the opposite what a lawyer should be like. When Gulliver tries to describe the reason why they do so many evil things, the horses just can’t understand. Of course, for those civil horses who do things in a manner of justice and law, how can they understand these indecent deeds. The sharp contrast between horses and yahoos strongly satirizes the degenerate society in England at that time, where there was no justice and equality at all. Money was the only thing those people chased throughout their life.

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《格列夫游记》——读后感

不论是不是真正读过，或者通读过，大约谁都知道《格列夫游记》是一部世界名著。在中国读者中，乔纳森.斯威夫特的名字或者不如莎士比亚、狄更斯、萧伯纳来得响亮，可是这些响亮名字的作品，真正读过的又有几人呢？相反，小人国、大人国的故事倒差不多称得上家喻户晓了。在“家喻户晓”的同时《格列夫游记》在一般人的心中仿佛成了一本儿童读物，那么到底是不是呢？如果不是，它究竟又是怎样的一部书呢？

《格列夫游记》是一部奇书，但我不同意有些评论家的观点，认为这是一本儿童读物，神奇的想象，夸张的手段，寓言的笔法，固然是一般儿童读物普遍的特点，但《格列夫游记》是以其杰出的讽刺而垂名世界文学史的。而斯威夫特的大名，至少在英国讽刺作家中，至今仍罕有其匹。

《格列夫游记》一共由四部分组成，第一卷利立浦物游记和第二卷布罗卜丁奈格游记写于一七二一年至一七二二年之间。第四卷慧因国游记先于第三卷，写于一七二三年。第三卷比较松散，铺的面较开，以勒皮他游记为主，兼及巴尔尼巴比，拉格奈格，格勒大锥和日本四个地方的游记，从一七二四到一七二五写了两年。四个部分应该说是相互独立的，表面上的某种联系或者对照也许只存在于第一卷和第二卷之间。格列夫由小人国中的“巨人山”一下变为大人国中的可怜的矮子。当然，不论是从正面颂、还是从反而颂，斯威夫特的情感和思想，在四个部分中都是一以贯之的。那就是不留情面地对十八世纪前半期的英国社会进行全面的批判，尤其对统治阶级的腐败、无能、无聊、毒辣、荒淫、贪婪、自大等作痛快淋漓的鞭挞，范围也似乎要越出十八世纪的初期的英国，而将茅头指向罪孽深重、愚蠢肮脏，毫无理性的整个人类。

第一卷是标准的讽刺。虽说大家现在都承认小人国实际就是暗指英国利立浦特宫廷也就是英国宫廷的缩影，但人们还是不得不佩服斯威夫特惊人的想象力。他何以会想得出小人国这么一个点子来的呢？格列夫与利立浦特人之间的大小比例为1：12。这一比例在全书中从头到尾都得到严格遵守，不曾出一点差错。从写作技巧上讲，这种视觉上的选择是天才的，而它所产生的效果则是无处不在的幽默。我们当然知道作者是在讽刺，在挖苦，然而这种讽刺和挖苦是理性的、冷静的，甚而至于是较温和的。作者还没有完全激动起来，他只是在煞有其事的给你讲故事，讲一连串在读者看来是闻所未闻的有趣故事。

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My Opinions on Gulliver’s Travels

Jonathan Swift

Recently I read a novel called “Gulliver’s Travels’. As far as I am concerned, it is a very fantastic book and it gives people an adventurous feeling to read the novel. Before I read the novel, I really didn’t know anything about the author of this novel. But after I have read the novel, I learned that the author of this novel is Jonathan Swift, who was born in 1667. According to what I learned from the book,I know the novel through spicy Satires and Humors, quirky imagination and exaggeration, describes the passion for Gulliver’s sailing adventure.

In my opinion, there is a certain connection between the background of the novel and the social conditions. Take this novel ,for example, the background of the novel is based on the social reality in England of that time.If I have the chance, I would like to be a man like Gulliver, because I am greatly inspired by his courage .Gulliver is the person, who travels several lands .Today I will share one of his voyages with you.

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Don’t be a Yahoo

Originally accomplished by an English writer Jonathan Swift in 1726, and later on adapted for a film by Charles Sturridge and a cartoon by Peter R. Hunt, Gulliver’s Travels is such a famous satirical novel that influences both adults and children. The edition I read is one of the adaptations, published by Oxford University. I was completely absorbed in its fantastically designed plot and the deep meaning it conveys to my mind.

The author, Jonathan Swift, is an English satirist, statesman and poet. He was born in a poor family in Ireland and was brought up by his uncle. When he grew up, he became a private secretary in Moore Park with other’s help. The master of the park was an experienced politician and philosopher. There’s no doubt that he gave a huge impact on Swift. During those years, Swift went through so much that after he left the park, he spared no effort to fight for freedom and independence for Irish people. The Gulliver’s Travels, wrote by the year 1726, exposing the darkness of the society at that time.

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Book Report on Gulliver’s Travels

Recently, I have read a book named “Gulliver’s Travels”. Gulliver’s Travels is a fairy tale written by Jonathan Swift. It’s a very interesting

story full of imagination. Besides, the description is vivid and appealing, when I read it I feel like I’m traveling with the Gulliver in the story.

The author, Jonathan Swift, was born in Dublin, Ireland, but his

father was a British who settled in Ireland. He was a posthumous child, dependent adult by his uncle. His masterpiece "Gulliver's Travels," published in 1726, was regarded as children's literary works, but it

actually attacked the British social degradation and corruption of religion and prejudice of scholar authority. Swift died in 1745, and he said in his testament that he would give all his property to the charity.

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