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And now it was that, being on some occasion made asham'd of my ignorance in figures, which I had twice failed in learning when at school,
以前在某事上我因不谙算术而感到羞愧，我在学校时算术曾两次不及格，
I took Cocker's book of Arithmetick, and went through the whole by myself with great ease.
因此这时候我拿了考克氏的算术书，自己从头到尾很顺利地学习了一遍。
I also read Seller's and Shermy's books of Navigation, and became acquainted with the little geometry they contain; but never proceeded far in that science.
我也读了舍勒和斯图美关于航海的书籍，熟悉了这些书里所包含的一点几何学，除了这一点以外，我对几何学从未作过更深入的研究。
And I read about this time Locke On Human Understanding, and the Art of Thinking, by Messrs. du Port Royal.
约在这个时候，我读了洛克的《人类悟性论》和波尔洛亚尔派的先生们所著的《思维术》。
While I was intent on improving my language, I met with an English grammar (I think it was Greenwood's),
正当我一心一意地在改进我的文体的时候，我偶然发现了一本英语语法（我想是一本格林乌的语法），
at the end of which there were two little sketches of the arts of rhetoric and logic, the latter finishing with a specimen of a dispute in the Socratic method;
在这本书的后面有两篇关于修辞法和逻辑的简短介绍，关于逻辑的那篇在结束时举了一个用苏格拉底对话法进行论辩的实例。
and soon after I procur'd Xenophon's Memorable Things of Socrates, wherein there are many instances of the same method.
此后不久我就买了一部色诺芬的《苏格拉底的重要言行录》，在这本书里有许多这种对话法的实例。
I was charm'd with it, adopted it, dropt my abrupt contradiction and positive argumentation, and put on the humble inquirer and doubter.
我很喜欢这种方法，就采用它，放弃了我那生硬反驳和独断式的立论，却装成一个谦逊的发问和怀疑的人。
And being then, from reading Shaftesbury and Collins, become a real doubter in many points of our religious doctrine,
在当时读了莎夫茨贝利和柯令斯的作品以后，我对于我们的教义的许多地方成为一个真正的怀疑者，
I found this method safest for myself and very embarrassing to those against whom I used it;
我发现用这种方法对我自己是最稳妥的，但却使我的对手十分为难，
therefore I took a delight in it, practis'd it continually, and grew very artful and expert in drawing people, even of superior knowledge, into concessions,
因此我喜爱这种方法，不断地应用它，逐渐变得十分巧妙和老练，使人们，即使是有学问修养的人，也不得不让步，
the consequences of which they did not foresee, entangling them in difficulties out of which they could not extricate themselves, and so obtaining victories that neither myself nor my cause always deserved.
而这种让步的后果又不是他们所能预知的，这样便引诱他们进入种种他们无法自拔的窘境，而使得我自己和我的论题常常获得非所应得的胜利。
I continu'd this method some few years, but gradually left it, retaining only the habit of expressing myself in terms of modest diffidence;
这个方法我继续使用了几年之久，但是后来逐渐放弃了它，仅仅保留了用谦逊的口吻表示我个人意见的习惯。
never using, when I advanced anything that may possibly be disputed, the words certainly, undoubtedly, or any others that give the air of positiveness to an opinion;
当我提出任何可能有争论的意见时，我从不用“一定”、“无疑地”或任何其他表示肯定意见的字眼，
but rather say, I conceive or apprehend a thing to be so and so; it appears to me, or I should think it so or so, for such and such reasons; or I imagine it to be so; or it is so, if I am not mistaken.
相反的，我猜想或料想某事是如此如此，为了什么什么理由，在我看来这件事好像是，或是我想是这么这么，或是说我想象这是这样，或是说：假如我没有弄错的话，这是如此。
This habit, I believe, has been of great advantage to me when I have had occasion to inculcate my opinions, and persuade men into measures that I have been from time to time engaged in promoting;
我相信这个习惯对我非常有益，因为我需要说服人，劝人接受我不时在努力提倡的各种措施，
and, as the chief ends of conversation are to inform or to be informed, to please or to persuade,
再说，谈话的主要目的无非是教诲人，或是被别人教诲，使人高兴或是说服人，
I wish well-meaning, sensible men would not lessen their power of doing good by a positive, assuming manner,
因此我奉劝善良的聪明人，为了不削弱他们行善的能力，切勿采取一种独断式的、自以为是的态度，
that seldom fails to disgust, tends to create opposition, and to defeat everyone of those purposes for which speech was given to us, to wit, giving or receiving information or pleasure.
这种态度总是使人起反感，往往引起别人的反对，因而使语言之所以存在的目的（就是交流思想和增进感情的目的）破坏无遗。
For, if you would inform, a positive and dogmatical manner in advancing your sentiments may provoke contradiction and prevent a candid attention.
因为假如你的目的是在要教诲人，讲话时过分自信的武断态度有时会引起反驳，因而使公正的讨论成为不可能。
If you wish information and improvement from the knowledge of others, and yet at the same time express yourself as firmly fix'd in your present opinions,
假如你的目的是要从别人的知识经验中吸取教训和教益，而同时你又坚定不移地表示你的意见，
modest, sensible men, who do not love disputation, will probably leave you undisturbed in the possession of your error.
那么谦逊明达的人，由于不爱争辩，很可能会不屑指出你的错误，让你依然故我。
And by such a manner, you can seldom hope to recommend yourself in pleasing your hearers, or to persuade those whose concurrence you desire.
同时，用这种态度，你很难希望能使你谈话的对方喜悦，或是赢得别人的赞同。
Pope says, judiciously: "Men should be taught as if you taught them not, And things unknown propos'd as things forgot;"
蒲柏说得很好：你不应当用教训的口吻去教导人；别人不懂的东西，你应当作为他们遗忘了的东西提出来。
farther recommending to us "To speak, tho' sure, with seeming diffidence."
他接着又要我们：即使你自己深信无疑，说话的时候也应当外表谦虚。
And he might have coupled with this line that which he has coupled with another, I think, less properly,
蒲柏在这里很可能接下去用他在其他地方的一行联句与上文结成联句，这一行放在这里我想比在原来的地方更适当些：
"For want of modesty is want of sense."
因为傲慢即是愚蠢。
If you ask, Why less properly? I must repeat the lines,
假如你问为什么说这一行诗在原诗里不很合适，那么我只好引原诗了：
"Immodest words admit of no defense, For want of modesty is want of sense."
大言不惭是没有理由的，因为傲慢即是愚蠢。
Now, is not want of sense (where a man is so unfortunate as to want it) some apology for his want of modesty? and would not the lines stand more justly thus?
那么，难道愚蠢（假如人不幸而竟致愚蠢的话）不就是他傲慢的理由吗?这两行诗，假如这样写，不是更合理吗？
"Immodest words admit but this defense, That want of modesty is want of sense."
大言不惭，只有这唯一的理由，那就是：傲慢即是愚蠢。
This, however, I should submit to better judgments.
但是，究竟是否如此，愿高明之士不吝赐教。
