英文读书报告

1、BOOKREPORTGulliversTravelsInthisshortterm,IhavereadGulliversTravel,whichiswrittenbyJonathanSwiftaBritishwriter.Fromthebook,Ireallyacquirealotofknowledgewhichisunknowntome.Forexample,itmakesmeknowmoreaboutBritishhistoryintheseventeenthcenturyandtheeighteenthcentury.BeforethatIjustknowBritainbecomesst

2、rongerandstrongeratthattime.ItisGulliersTravelsthatdisclosethedarkoftheBritishsociety.AbouttheauthorandthebackgroundofthebookThebookwaspublishedin1726,wasregardedasachildrensliteraryworks,butitisactuallyattackedtheBritishsocialdegradationandcorruptionofsatiricalwriting.Becauseatthattime,Britishsocie

3、tywasratherdark.JonathanSwiftwasasonoftheEnglishlawyerJonathanSwift.HewasborninDublin,Ireland,onNovember30,1667.1688.Inthatyear,hebecamethesecretaryofSirWilliamTemplewhowasanEnglishpoliticianandmemberoftheWhigparty.In1694,1709hewenttoLondontocampaignfortheIrishchurchbutwasunsuccessful.Aftersomeconfl

4、ictswiththeWhigparty,mostlybecauseofSwiftsstrongallegiancetothechurch.hebecameamemberofthemoreconservativeTorypartyin1710.UnfortunatelyforSwift,theTorygovernmentfelloutofpowerin1714andSwift,despitehisfameforhiswritings,felloutoffavor.SwifthadbeenhopingtobeassignedapositionintheChurchofEnglandinstead

5、ofreturningtoDublin,wherehebecamethedeanofSt.Patricks.DuringhisbrieftimeinEngland,SwifthadbecomesTravsTravfriendswithwriterssuchasAlexanderPope.ThethirdvoyageofGulliverassembledfromtheworkSwiftdidduringthistime.However,thefinalworkwasnotcompleteduntil1726,andthenarrativeofthethirdvoyagewasactuallyth

6、elastonecompleted.GulliversTravelswasacontroversialworkwhenitwasfirstpublishedin1726.Eversince,editorshaveexcisedmanyofthepassages,particularlythemorecausticonesdealingwithbodilyfunctions.Evenwithoutthosepassages,however,GulliversTravelsservesasabitingsatire,andSwiftensuresthatitisbothhumorousandcri

7、tical,constantlyattackingBritishandEuropeansocietythroughitsdescriptionsofimaginarycountries.Lateinlife,Swiftseemedtobecomeevenmorecausticandbitter.Threeyearsbeforehisdeath,hewasunabletocareforhimself,andguardianswereappointed.Basedonthesefacts,somepeoplehaveconcludedthathebecameinsane.However,thetr

8、uthseemstobethatSwiftwassuddenlyincapacitatedbyastrokelateinlife,andthatpriortothisincidenthismentalcapacitieswereunimpaired.GulliversTravelsisaboutaspecificsetofpoliticalconflicts,butifitwerenothingmorethanthatitwouldlongagohavebeenforgotten.Thestayingpoweroftheworkcomesfromitsdepictionofthehumanco

9、nditionanditsoftendespairing,butoccasionallyhopeful,sketchofthepossibilitiesforhumanitytoreininitsbaserinstincts.ThemaincontentofthebookPart1:AVoyagetoLilliputandBlefuscu4May169913April1702Theauthorgivessomeaccountofhimselfandfamily.Thisparttellsushisfirsttravel.Heisshipwrecked,andswimsforhislife.Fi

10、nallyhegottheshoreinthecountryofLillivput.Gulliverismadeaprisoner,andcarriedupthecountry.ThebookbeginswithaveryshortpreambleinwhichLemuelGulliver,inthestyleofbooksofthetime,givesabriefoutlineofhislifeandhistorypriortohisvoyages.Heenjoystravelling,althoughitisthatloveoftravelthatishisdownfall.Duringh

11、isfirstvoyage,Gulliveriswashedashoreafterashipwreckandfindshimselfcaughtbyaraceofpeople,lessthan6incheshigh.TheyareinhabitantsoftheneighbouringandrivalcountriesofLilliput.Aftergivingassurancesofhisgoodbehaviors,heisgivenaresidenceinLilliputandbecomesafavoriteofthecourt.Fromthere,thecontentfollowsGul

12、liversobservationsontheCourtofLilliput.Heisalsogiventhepermissiontoroamaroundthecityonaconditionhenotharmtheirsubjects.GulliverhelpstheLilliputianstosubduetheirneighbourstheBlefuscudiansbystealingtheirwarships.However,herefusestomakethecountrybecomeaprovinceofLilliput.ButitdispleasestheKingandthecou

13、rt.Gulliverischargedwithtreasonandsentencedtobeblinded.Withthehelpofakindfriend,GulliverfleestoBlefuscu,wherehefindsanabandonedboat.HeasksforthekingofBlefuscudianstorestoretheabandonedboat.Atfirst,thekingrefusestodoit.Butafewdayslater,thekingpromisestorestoretheboat.Withthehelpoftheking,Gulliverrest

14、orestheboatsuccessfullyandsailsout.Ontheway,hemeetwithastrongstorm.Fortunately,heisrescuedbyapassingship.ThenthecaptainoftheboatsenthimbacktoBritain.Part2:AVoyagetoBrobdingnag20June17023June1706Whenthesailingshipissteeredoffcoursebystormsandhavetogointolandforsearchingforfreshwater,Gulliverisabandon

15、edbyhiscompanionsandfoundbyafarmerwhois72feettall.HebringsGullivertohomeandaskhisdaughtercaresforGulliver.Thefarmertreatshimasacuriosityandexhibitshimformoney.ThewordgetsoutandtheQueenofBrobdingnagwantstoseetheshow.ShelovesGulliverandheisthenboughtbyherandkeptasafavoriteatcourt.SinceGulliveristoosma

16、lltousetheirhugechairs,beds,knivesandforks,thequeenasksthecraftsmantobuildasmallhouseforGulliversothathecanbecarriedaroundinit.Thisisreferredtoashistravellingbox.Inbetweensmalladventuressuchasfightinggiantwaspsandbeingcarriedtotheroofbyamonkey,hediscussesthestateofEuropewiththeKing.TheKingisnotinter

17、estedwithGulliversaccountsofEurope,especiallyuponlearningoftheusageofgunsandcannons.Onatriptotheseaside,histravellingboxistakenbyagianteaglewhichdropsGulliverandhisboxrightintothesea.Thenhestaysintheboxforsomedaysuntilhewasfoundbysomesailors.Atfirst,hethinksthathestillinBrobdingnag.Butheiswrongwhenh

18、egetoutofthebox.Heisgladtoseethesepeoplewhoareasbigashim.ThenhereturnsBritainagain.Part3:AVoyagetoLaputa,Balnibarbi,Luggnagg,Glubbdubdrib,andJapan5August170616April1710AfterGulliversshipisattackedbypirates,heismaroonedclosetoarockyisland,whichnearIndia.FortunatelyheisrescuedbytheflyingislandofLaputa

19、,akingdomdevotedtotheartsofmusicandmathematicsbutunabletousethemforpracticalends.Laputasmethodofthrowingrocksatrebellioussurfacecitiesalsoseemsthefirsttimethataerialbombardmentwasconceivedasamethodofwarfare.Whilethere,hetoursthecountryastheguestofalow-rankingcourtierandseestheruinbroughtaboutbyblind

20、pursuitofsciencewithoutpracticalresults,inasatireonbureaucracyandtheRoyalSocietyanditsexperiments.AtTheGrandAcademyofLagadogreatresourcesandmanpowerareemployedonresearchingcompletelypreposterousandunnecessaryschemessuchasextractingsunbeamsfromcucumbers,softeningmarbleforuseinpillows,learninghowtomix

21、paintbysmell,anduncoveringpoliticalconspiraciesbyexaminingtheexcrementofsuspiciouspersons(seemuckraking).GulliveristhentakentoBalnibarbitoawaitatraderwhocantakehimontoJapan.Whilewaitingforpassage,Gullivertakesashortside-triptotheislandofGlubbdubdrib,wherehevisitsamagiciansdwellinganddiscusseshistory

22、withtheghostsofhistoricalfigures,themostobviousrestatementoftheancientsversusmodernsthemeinthebook.InLuggnaggheencountersthestruldbrugs,unfortunateswhoareimmortal,butnotforeveryoung,butratherforeverold,completewiththeinfirmitiesofoldageandconsideredlegallydeadattheageofeighty.AfterreachingJapan,Gull

23、iveraskstheEmperortoexcusemyperformingtheceremonyimposeduponmycountrymenoftramplinguponthecrucifix,whichtheEmperorgrants.Gulliverreturnshome,determinedtostaytherefortherestofhisdays.Part4:AVoyagetotheCountryoftheHouyhnhnms10September1710-2July1715Despitehisearlierintentionofremainingathome,Gulliverr

24、eturnstotheseaasthecaptainofamerchantman.Butheisboredwithhisemploymentasasurgeon.Onthisvoyageheisforcedtofindnewcrewstohiscrewwhohebelievestohaveturnedtherestofthecrewagainsthim.Hiscrewthenmutiny,andafterkeepinghimcontainedforsometimeresolvetoleavehimonthefirstpieceoflandtheycomeacrossandcontinueasp

25、irates.Heisabandonedinalandingboatandcomesfirstuponaraceofterribledeformedandsavagehumanoidcreatures.Andtheymakehimdisgust.ThenhemeetsahorseandcomestounderstandthattheycallthemselvesHouyhnhms(whichintheirlanguagemeanstheperfectionofnature),andthattheyaretherulers,whilethedeformedcreaturescalledYahoo

26、sarehumanbeingsintheirbaseform.Gulliverbecomesamemberofthehorseshousehold,andcomestobothadmireandemulatetheHouyhnhnmsandtheirlifestyle,rejectinghisfellowhumansasmerelyYahoosendowedwithsomesemblanceofreasonwhichtheyonlyusetoexacerbateandaddtothevicesNaturegavethem.However,anAssemblyoftheHouyhnhnmsrul

27、esthatGulliver,aYahoowithsomesemblanceofreason,isadangertotheircivilization.Asaresult,Gulliverisexpelled.Heleavesthelandbyboat.AndthenrescuedbyaPortugueseship,GulliverissurprisedtoseethatCaptainPedroMendez,aYahoo,isawise,courteousandgenerousperson.HereturnstohishomeinEngland,buthehasdifficultyadjust

28、inghimselftoliveamongYahoos.Evenheisdisgustabouthiswifeandchildren.Somedayslater,hebuystwolittlehorseandregardthemashisbestfriends.MyreviewofGulliversTravelsAfterreadingGulliversTravels,Ireallybenefitmuchfromit.ThestoriesintheGulliversTravelsareironic,humorous,exaggeratedandfantastic.Theheroofthetra

29、velsGullivertraveledaroundtheworld4timesandsufferednumerousadventures,whichweredangerousbutinteresting.InGulliversTravels,thevoyagetotheLilliputandBrobdingnagreallyattractsme.Lilliputisacountryofsmallpeoplewhoarelessthan6incheshigh.ItiscertainthatGulliverisagianttothem.WhenGulliverstayedinLilliput,h

30、ehelpedthesmallpeoplealot.Inthecontrast,Brobdingnagisacountryofgiant.Gulliverwasasmallpeopletothem.HewasappreciatedbythequeenoftheBrobdingnag.Sohecouldliveinthepalaceforalongtime.Itisunbelievablethattherearesosmallandgiantpeopleintheworld.ButthetravelthatimpressesmemostisthevoyagetothecountryoftheHo

31、uyhnhnms.Theherowasabandonedbyhiscrewsinanisland.Andhefoundthatitwasanislandruledbyhorses.Horsewasthemasterofthiscountry.ThesehorseswerecalledHouyhnhnms.Thehorsesontheislandwerekind,friendlyandhonest.Therewerenowordssuchas“cheat”or“lie”intheirlanguage.Asaresult,theyalsodidnotunderstandthesemeaning.T

32、heydidnotknowwhatwas“suspicion”andwhatwas“distrusttheircountry,everythingwasauthenticandtransparent.Gulliverhadagoodtimeinthathorsescountry.HeblendedinthesocietyentirelysothathewasquitedigestaboutcontactwithYahoos.BecauseYahoosalwaysdistrustandcheatotherslikethehuman.Fromthat,theauthormaywantedtotel

33、lusthehumanssocietysgloom.IquiteadmireGulliversadventureinHouyhnhnms.TheHouhnhnmsistheidealcountrythatmanypeoplepursue,justlikePlatosutopia.Inthatcountry,wedonotneedtoconsiderotherswordsaretrueorfalse.Buatlliytiusnrperacticaltotherealworldwelive.Inourrealworld,theeventswearentwillingtoseeoftenhappen

34、:someonecheatothersformoney,evensomeoneabandontheirparentsforfame.Soitisnowonderthatourteacherandparentsalwaysremindusofnotbeingcheatedbyotherswhengooutalone.Anditcannotfitwiththemoralityofmoralityoflovingothersandhelpingeachother.IoftenhesitantwhenIhavethenotionofgivinghelptosomeonewhoisintrouble.Ioftendarenottoreceivethehelpfromstrangerswhentheyarewillingtohelpme.Itreallyatormenttomeandalsotosomebo