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From a child I was fond of reading, and all the little money that came into my hands was ever laid out in books.
我从小就爱好读书，我一直把我手上的全部零用钱都花在书上。
Pleased with the Pilgrim's Progress, my first collection was of John Bunyan's works in separate little volumes.
因为我喜爱《天路历程》，所以我一开始就收集了约翰·班扬文集的单独发行的小册子。
I afterward sold them to enable me to buy R. Burton's Historical Collections; they were small chapmen's books, and cheap, 40 or 50 in all.
以后我把它们卖了，用这笔钱我买了柏顿的《历史文集》，这些是开本很小的由小贩们贩卖的书籍，价格便宜，全集共有四五十册。
My father's little library consisted chiefly of books in polemic divinity, most of which I read,
我父亲的小图书馆收藏的主要是一些有关神学论辩的书籍，其中大多数我都念了，
and have since often regretted that, at a time when I had such a thirst for knowledge, more proper books had not fallen in my way, since it was now resolved I should not be a clergyman.
但是既然当时业已决定我不做牧师了，正当我的求知欲那样旺盛的时候，我没有机会阅读更适当的书籍，迄今常使我感到遗憾。
Plutarch's Lives there was in which I read abundantly, and I still think that time spent to great advantage.
在那里有一本普鲁泰克的《英雄传》，我读了不少，我还认为读这本书所花的时间是非常值得的。
There was also a book of DeFoe's, called an Essay on Projects, and another of Dr. Mather's, called Essays to do Good,
那里也有笛福的一本名为《论计划》的书，另一本是马太博士的书，名为《论行善》，
which perhaps gave me a turn of thinking that had an influence on some of the principal future events of my life.
这本书可能在我思想上形成了一种对于我以后一生中的某些重大事件都有影响的倾向。
This bookish inclination at length determined my father to make me a printer, though he had already one son (James) of that profession.
这种对书籍的爱好最后使我父亲决定叫我学印刷业，虽然他已经有了一个儿子（詹姆士）学了这种行业。
In 1717 my brother James returned from England with a press and letters to set up his business in Boston.
1717年我哥哥詹姆士从英国回来，带来了一架印刷机和铅字，准备在波士顿开业。
I liked it much better than that of my father, but still had a hankering for the sea.
我对印刷业的爱好远胜过我父亲的行业，但是尽管如此，我对于航海仍不能忘怀。
To prevent the apprehended effect of such an inclination, my father was impatient to have me bound to my brother.
为了预防这种渴望产生忧惧的后果，我父亲急欲叫我跟我哥哥学徒。
I stood out some time, but at last was persuaded, and signed the indentures when I was yet but twelve years old.
我反对了一些时候，但是最后我同意了，签订了师徒合同，当时我只有十二岁。
I was to serve as an apprentice till I was twenty-one years of age, only I was to be allowed journeyman's wages during the last year.
按照合同，我将充当学徒直到我二十一岁时为止，但在最后一年中我将按照合同获得出师职工的工资。
In a little time I made great proficiency in the business, and became a useful hand to my brother. I now had access to better books.
在很短的时期内，我熟悉了印刷业，成为我哥哥的得力助手。这时我有机会阅读较好的书籍了。
An acquaintance with the apprentices of booksellers enabled me sometimes to borrow a small one, which I was careful to return soon and clean.
我跟一些书铺的学徒们打交道，这种相识有时使我能够从他们那里借到一本小书，但是我很小心，很快地交还给他们，并且保持书本的整洁。
Often I sat up in my room reading the greatest part of the night, when the book was borrowed in the evening and to be returned early in the morning, lest it should be missed or wanted.
有时候在晚间借到一本书，为了怕被人发现缺书或是怕有人要买这本书，第二天一清早即须归还，因此我常常坐在房间阅读到深夜。
And after some time an ingenious tradesman, Mr. Matthew Adams, who had a pretty collection of books, and who frequented our printing-house,
过了一些时候，有一个很聪明的商人，名叫马太·亚当先生，经常到我们的印刷铺里来，他家藏书颇多，
took notice of me, invited me to his library, and very kindly lent me such books as I chose to read.
他注意到了我，邀我到他的藏书室里去，欣然借给我一些我要读的书籍。
I now took a fancy to poetry, and made some little pieces; my brother, thinking it might turn to account, encouraged me, and put me on composing occasional ballads.
这时我爱上了诗歌，写了几首小诗，我哥哥认为写诗可能以后有用，所以鼓励我并且命我编写两首应时故事诗。
One was called The Lighthouse Tragedy, and contained an account of the drowning of Captain Worthilake, with his two daughters; the other was a sailor's song, on the taking of Teach (or Blackbeard) the pirate.
一首叫做《灯塔悲剧》，叙述华萨雷船长和他的两个女儿溺毙的故事。另一首是水手歌，叙述捉拿海盗铁契(或叫做“黑胡子”)的经过。
They were wretched stuff, in the Grub-street-ballad style; and when they were printed he sent me about the town to sell them.
这两首都是毫无价值的东西，是用低级小调的格式写成的。印好了以后，我哥哥叫我到镇上各处去叫卖。
The first sold wonderfully, the event being recent, having made a great noise.
第一首销路很好，因为它所叙述的是新近发生的、曾经轰动一时的事件。
This flattered my vanity; but my father discouraged me by ridiculing my performances, and telling me verse-makers were generally beggars.
这事使我沾沾自喜；但是我父亲却反对，他嘲笑我的诗歌，他说诗人一般都是穷光蛋。
So I escaped being a poet, most probably a very bad one;
这样我幸免成为一个诗人，很可能成为一个十分低劣的诗人，
but as prose writing has been of great use to me in the course of my life, and was a principal means of my advancement,
但是由于在我一生中散文的写作对我十分有用，而且是我发迹的一种主要手段，
I shall tell you how, in such a situation, I acquired what little ability I have in that way.
因此我将告诉你，在这种情况下，我是如何在这一方面获得我现有的一点小小才能的。
