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Dear Son: I have ever had pleasure in obtaining any little anecdotes of my ancestors.
我儿：我一向爱好搜集有关祖上的一切珍闻轶事。
You may remember the inquiries I made among the remains of my relations when you were with me in England, and the journey I undertook for that purpose.
你也许还记得当你跟我同住在英国的时候，我曾经为了那个缘故跋涉旅途，遍访家族中的老人。
Imagining it may be equally agreeable to you to know the circumstances of my life, many of which you are yet unacquainted with,
我想你也许同样地喜欢知道我一生的事迹（其中有许多你还没有听过），
and expecting the enjoyment of a week's uninterrupted leisure in my present country retirement, I sit down to write them for you.
因此我就坐了下来替你把这些事迹写出来，目前我正在乡间休假，预料有整整一个星期的空闲。
To which I have besides some other inducements.
除此以外，我还有一些别的动机。
Having emerged from the poverty and obscurity in which I was born and bred, to a state of affluence and some degree of reputation in the world,
我出身贫寒，幼年生长在穷苦卑贱的家庭中，后来居然生活优裕，在世界上稍有声誉，
and having gone so far through life with a considerable share of felicity, the conducing means I made use of, which with the blessing of God so well succeeded, my posterity may like to know,
迄今为止我一生一帆风顺，遇事顺利，我的立身之道，得蒙上帝的祝福，获得巨大的成就，我的子孙或许愿意知道这些处世之道，
as they may find some of them suitable to their own situations, and therefore fit to be imitated.
其中一部分或许与他们的情况适合，因此他们可以仿效。
That felicity, when I reflected on it, has induced me sometimes to say,
当我回顾我一生中幸运的时候，我有时候不禁这样说：
that were it offered to my choice, I should have no objection to a repetition of the same life from its beginning,
如果有人提议我重新做人的话，我倒乐意把我的一生再从头重演一遍，
only asking the advantages authors have in a second edition to correct some faults of the first.
我仅仅要求像作家那样，在再版时有改正初版某些缺陷的机会。
So I might, besides correcting the faults, change some sinister accidents and events of it for others more favourable.
如若可能，除了改正错误以外，我也同样地要把某些不幸的遭遇变得更顺利些。
But though this were denied, I should still accept the offer.
但是即使无法避免这些不幸的厄运，我还是愿意接受原议，重演生平。
Since such a repetition is not to be expected, the next thing most like living one's life over again seems to be a recollection of that life, and to make that recollection as durable as possible by putting it down in writing.
但是由于这种重演是不可能的，那么最接近重演的似乎就是回忆了，为了使回忆尽可能地保持久远，似乎就需要把它记下来。
Hereby, too, I shall indulge the inclination so natural in old men, to be talking of themselves and their own past actions;
因此我将顺从一种老人中常有的癖好来谈论自己和自己过去的作为。
and I shall indulge it without being tiresome to others, who, through respect to age, might conceive themselves obliged to give me a hearing, since this may be read or not as anyone pleases.
但是我这样做，将不使听者感到厌倦，他们或是因为敬老，觉得非听我的话不可，但是一经写下来，听与不听就可以悉听自便了。
And, lastly (I may as well confess it, since my denial of it will be believed by nobody), perhaps I shall a good deal gratify my own vanity.
最后（我还是自己承认了好，因为即使我否认，别人也不会相信），写自传，或许还会大大地满足我的自负心。
Indeed, I scarce ever heard or saw the introductory words, "Without vanity I may say," etc., but some vain thing immediately followed.
说句老实话，我时常听见或在书上读到别人在刚说完了像“我可以毫不自夸地说...”这种开场白以后，接着就是一大篇自吹自擂的话。
Most people dislike vanity in others, whatever share they have of it themselves;
大多数人不喜欢别人的虚夸，不管他们自己是多么自负，
but I give it fair quarter wherever I meet with it, being persuaded that it is often productive of good to the possessor, and to others that are within his sphere of action;
但是无论在什么地方，我对这种自负心总是宽宥的，因为我相信这种心理对自己和他四周的人都有好处。
and therefore, in many cases, it would not be altogether absurd if a man were to thank God for his vanity among the other comforts of life.
所以，在许多情况下，一个人如果把自负心当作生命的慰藉而感谢上帝，这也不能算是怪诞悖理的。
And now I speak of thanking God, I desire with all humility to acknowledge that I owe the mentioned happiness of my past life to His kind providence, which lead me to the means I used and gave them success.
自传既然我提到了上帝，我愿意十分谦恭地承认，上面提到的我过去一生中的幸福当归功于上帝仁慈的旨意，上帝使我找到了处世之道，并且使这些方法获得成功。
My belief of this induces me to hope, though I must not presume, that the same goodness will still be exercised toward me,
这种信仰使我希望，虽然我不应该臆断，上帝在将来会像以前一样地祝福我，
in continuing that happiness, or enabling me to bear a fatal reverse, which I may experience as others have done;
不论是使我继续享受幸福，或是使我忍受命中注定的逆运（像其他人一样，我也可能有这样的遭遇），
the complexion of my future fortune being known to Him only in whose power it is to bless to us even our afflictions.
因为我未来命运的轮廓只有上帝知道，上帝甚至能够通过苦难来祝福我们。
