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This obscure family of ours was early in the Reformation, and continued Protestants through the reign of Queen Mary, when they were sometimes in danger of trouble on account of their zeal against popery.
我们这一卑微的家族很早就参加了宗教改革运动，在玛丽女王统治时期他们一直坚信新教，当时由于他们热烈地反对教皇，时有遭受迫害的危险。
They had got an English Bible, and to conceal and secure it, it was fastened open with tapes under and within the cover of a joint-stool.
他们有一本英语版的《圣经》，为了隐藏和保管这本《圣经》，他们把它打开用狭带绑在一个折凳的凳面底部。
When my great-great-grandfather read it to his family, he turned up the joint-stool upon his knees, turning over the leaves then under the tapes.
当我的高祖对着全家宣读经文时，他把折凳翻过来放在膝盖上，翻动狭带下面的书页。
One of the children stood at the door to give notice if he saw the apparitor coming, who was an officer of the spiritual court.
他的一个孩子站在门口，假如他瞧见教会法庭的官吏走过来，他就预先通风报信。
In that case the stool was turned down again upon its feet, when the Bible remained concealed under it as before.
这时候板凳又重新翻过来四脚落地，《圣经》就像原先一样地藏匿起来了。
This anecdote I had from my uncle Benjamin.
这是我从本杰明伯父那里听来的。
The family continued all of the Church of England till about the end of Charles the Second's reign,
直到大约查理二世统治的末年，全家还是一致地信奉国教，
when some of the ministers that had been outed for non-conformity, holding conventicles in Northamptonshire,Benjamin and Josiah adhered to them, and so continued all their lives:
但是那时候，有一些牧师因为不信奉国教教条而被开除教籍，在诺桑普顿举行会议，本杰明和约瑟改信了非国教，一生信守不渝，
the rest of the family remained with the Episcopal Church.
家里其他的人仍然继续信奉国教。
Josiah, my father, married young, and carried his wife with three children into New England, about 1682.
我父亲约瑟早年就成了家，大约在1682年带着妻子和三个孩子迁到新英格兰来。
The conventicles having been forbidden by law, and frequently disturbed,
非国教的宗教集会受到法律的禁止，而且时常受到干扰，
induced some considerable men of his acquaintance to remove to that country, and he was prevailed with to accompany them thither, where they expected to enjoy their mode of religion with freedom.
因此我父亲的友好中有一些有声望的人就想移居到新大陆去，我父亲答应陪同他们前往美洲，他们希望在新大陆可以享有宗教信仰的自由。
By the same wife he had four children more born there, and by a second wife ten more, in all seventeen;
在新英格兰这位太太又生了四个孩子，后来他的继室又生了十个，共十七个孩子，
of which I remember thirteen sitting at one time at his table, who all grew up to be men and women, and married;
我还记得有一个时候他的餐桌旁围坐着十三个孩子，这十三个孩子都长大成人，各自婚嫁。
I was the youngest son, and the youngest child but two, and was born in Boston, New England.
我是幼子，比我小的只有两个妹妹，我生在新英格兰的波士顿。
My mother, the second wife, was Abiah Folger, daughter of Peter Folger, one of the first settlers of New England,
我母亲是我父亲的继室，名叫阿拜亚·福求，是彼得·福求的女儿，我的外祖父是新英格兰的最初移民之一，
of whom honorable mention is made by Cotton Mather, in his church history of that country, entitled Magnalia Christi Americana, as "a godly, learned Englishman," if I remember the words rightly.
可顿·马太在他的美洲教会史中曾经加以表扬，称他为“一个虔诚而有学问的英国人”，如果我没有记错的话。
I have heard that he wrote sundry small occasional pieces, but only one of them was printed, which I saw now many years since.
我听说他曾经写过各样的即兴短诗，但是只有一篇付印，我在好多年以前曾经读过。
It was written in 1675, in the home-spun verse of that time and people, and addressed to those then concerned in the government there.
这首诗写于1675年，是用当时民间流行的诗歌体裁写成的，写给当时当地的执政当局。
It was in favour of liberty of conscience, and in behalf of the Baptists, Quakers, and other sectaries that had been under persecution,
它拥护信仰自由，声援受迫害的浸礼会、教友会和其他教派，
ascribing the Indian wars, and other distresses that had befallen the country, to that persecution, as so many judgments of God to punish so heinous an offense, and exhorting a repeal of those uncharitable laws.
认为殖民地所遭受到的印第安人战争和其他灾祸是迫害教徒的后果，是上帝对这种重大罪行的判决和惩罚，奉劝当局废止那些残暴不仁的立法。
The whole appeared to me as written with a good deal of decent plainness and manly freedom.
整首诗在我看来写得简单平易，落落大方。
The six concluding lines I remember, though I have forgotten the two first of the stanza;
我还记得这首诗的最后六行，但是最初的两行我已经记不清了，
but the purport of them was, that his censures proceeded from good-will, and, therefore, he would be known to be the author.
不过这两行的大意是说他的批评出于善意，因此他并不隐匿他的真姓实名。
"Because to be a libeller (says he)
“由于做一个匿名诽谤的人；
I hate it with my heart;
我从心坎里憎恶，
From Sherburne town, where now I dwell
我现在是住在修彭城；
My name I do put here;
我的姓名我定要写出，
Without offense your real friend,
毫无恶意，你的真实朋友，
It is Peter Folgier."
是彼得·福求。”
