《格列佛游记》是世界上最伟大的童话、讽刺小说之一。作者以神奇的想象、夸张的手法、寓言的形式描述格列佛在四个国度历险的奇遇。这部游记笔锋犀利，想象丰富，对当时议会政治及反动的宗教势力都有尖锐盼讽刺。高尔基就曾称斯威夫特为“伟大文学的创造者之一”。

这是一本优秀的政治讽刺小说，第一卷讲述格列佛在小人国的奇遇，第二卷描述格列佛遭遇海难后游历大人国；第三卷讲述在航海途中遭到海盗袭击，在小岛上的经历，第四卷是在智马国的经历。其实，所谓小人国、大人国、智马国，无非是当年英国社会现实的反映。作者斯威夫特一生既傲过牧师，又曾积极投身政治活动。写过大量表达政治主张的小册子。因而，这部游记笔锋犀利，想象丰富，对当时议会政治及反动的宗教势力都有尖锐盼讽刺。高尔基就曾称斯威夫特为“伟大文学的创造者之一”。

斯威夫特在英国文学乃至世界文学中都产生了极为深远的影响，20世纪英国著名讽刺作家威尔斯自称一生读这本书不下六次，因而才写出著名政治预言小说《l984))和《动物庄园》。

THE PUBLISHER TO THE READER

PART ONE

 CHAPTER I

 CHAPTER II

 CHAPTER III

 CHAPTER IV

 CHAPTER V

 CHAPTER VI

 CHAPTER VII

 CHAPTER VIII

PART Two

 CHAPTER I

 CHAPTER II

 CHAPTER III

 CHAPTER IV

 CHAPTER V

 CHAPTER VI

 CHAPTER VII

 CHAPTER VIII

PART THREE

 CHAPTER I

 CHAPTER II

 CHAPTER III

 CHAPTER IV

 CHAPTER V

 CHAPTER VI

 CHAPTER VII

 CHAPTER VIII

 CHAPTER IX

 CHAPTER X

 CHAPTER XI

PART FOUR

 CHAPTER I

 CHAPTER II

 CHAPTER III

 CHAPTER IV

 CHAPTER V

 CHAPTER VI

 CHAPTER VII

 CHAPTER VIII

 CHAPTER IX

 CHAPTER X

 CHAPTER XI

 CHAPTER XII

 Thus much I thought proper to tell you in relation toyourself.and to the trust I reposed in you.

 I do.in the next place.complain of my own great want ofjudgment, in being prevailed upon by the intreaties and falsereasoning of you and some others, very much against myown opinion, to suffer my travels to be published. Pray bringto your mind how often I desired you to consider, whenyou insisted on the motive of public good.that the Yahooswere a species of animals utterly incapable of amendmentby precept or example.and so it hath proved; for.insteadof seeing a full stop put to all abuses and corruptions, atleast in this little island, as I had reason to expect: behold~after above six months warning.I cannot learn that mybook has produced one single effect according to myintentions: I desired you would let me know by a letter,when party and faction were extinguished; judges learnedand upright; pleaders honest and modest, with some tinctureof commonsense and Smithfield blazing with pyramids oflaw-books; the young nobility's education entirely changed;the physicians banished; the female Yahoos abounding invirtue, honour, truth, and good sense; courts and levees ofgreat ministers thoroughly weeded and swept; wit, merit,and learning rewarded; all disgracers of the press in proseand verse condemned to eat nothing but their own cotton,and quench their thirst with their own ink. These, and athousand other reformations, I firmly counted upon by yourencouragement; as indeed they were plainly deducible fromthe precepts delivered in my book. And, it must be owned,that seven months were a sufficient time to correct every viceand folly to which Yahoos are subject, if their natures hadbeen capable of the least disposition to virtue or wisdom;yet, so far have you been from answering my expectation inany of your letters, that on the contrary you are loading ourcarrier every week with libels, and keys, and reflections, andmemoirs, and second parts; wherein I see myself accusedof reflecting upon great state-folk; of degrading humannature (for so they have still the confidence to style it), andof abusing the female sex. I find likewise that the writers ofthose bundles are not agreed among themselves; for someof them will not allow me to be author of my own travels;and others make me author of books to which I am wholly astranger.

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