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My brother had, in 1720 or 1721, begun to print a newspaper.
在1720或1721年，我哥哥开始出版报纸了。
It was the second that appeared in America, and was called the New England Courant.
这是在美洲殖民地出现的第二份报纸，叫做《新英格兰报》。
The only one before it was the Boston News-Letter.
在它以前，在那里唯一的报纸是《波士顿邮报》。
I remember his being dissuaded by some of his friends from the undertaking, as not likely to succeed, one newspaper being, in their judgment, enough for America.
我记得我哥哥的朋友中有人认为这计划不易成功，劝他放弃，因为他们认为殖民地里有了一家报纸，已经够了。
At this time (1771) there are not less than five-and-twenty.
现在（1771年）这里的报纸数字不下二十五家。
He went on, however, with the undertaking, and after having worked in composing the types and printing off the sheets, I was employed to carry the papers thro' the streets to the customers.
但是，我哥哥执行了原定的计划，当报纸排好了版，印好以后，就派我到镇上各处把报纸送给订户。
He had some ingenious men among his friends, who amus'd themselves by writing little pieces for this paper, which gain'd it credit and made it more in demand, and these gentlemen often visited us.
在他的朋友中有一些很聪明的人，他们替报纸写一些小品文，作为消遣，这些文章使报纸的声誉提高，使它的销路更加推广，这些绅士们常到印刷所来。
Hearing their conversations, and their accounts of the approbation their papers were received with, I was excited to try my hand among them;
当我听他们的谈话，听到他们述说他们的报纸是如何地受人欢迎的时候，我跃跃欲试地想写一些东西投到报馆去，
but, being still a boy, and suspecting that my brother would object to printing anything of mine in his paper if he knew it to be mine,
但是，因为我还只是一个孩子，同时我猜想：假如我哥哥知道是我的文章，他会反对在他的报上发表的。
I contrived to disguise my hand, and, writing an anonymous paper, I put it in at night under the door of the printing-house.
我就设法改变了我的笔迹，写了一篇隐名的文章。夜间放在印刷所的大门底下。
It was found in the morning, and communicated to his writing friends when they call'd in as usual.
第二天早晨我哥哥看到了，当他的写文章的朋友们照常来访问时，他就把它交给他们。
They read it, commented on it in my hearing, and I had the exquisite pleasure of finding it met with their approbation,
他们读了，我也听见他们的评语，他们赞许这篇文章，
and that, in their different guesses at the author, none were named but men of some character among us for learning and ingenuity.
当他们猜度它的作者时，他们提到的全是我们中间有学问有智慧的知名之士，这些都使我非凡地高兴。
I suppose now that I was rather lucky in my judges, and that perhaps they were not really so very good ones as I then esteem'd them.
现在想起来我觉得我当时侥幸得到这些人做我的鉴定家，我觉得也许他们并不真正是像我当时想象那样的很有眼力的鉴识家。
Encourag'd, however, by this, I wrote and conveyed in the same way to the press several more papers which were equally approv'd;
尽管如此，在受到了这次鼓励以后，我又写了几篇文章，用同样的方式投递到报馆去，这些文章也同样地获得佳评，
and I kept my secret till my small fund of sense for such performances was pretty well exhausted, and then I discovered it, when I began to be considered a little more by my brother's acquaintance,
我保守这个秘密直到我仅有的一点点写这种文章所必需的常识几乎用尽时，才拆穿了秘密，这时候，我哥哥的朋友们对我稍加重视，
and in a manner that did not quite please him, as he thought, probably with reason, that it tended to make me too vain.
但是我哥哥却不喜欢他的朋友重视我，因为他以为，可能他有充分的理由，这样做或许会使我过分地自负。
And, perhaps, this might be one occasion of the differences that we began to have about this time.
这事可能是我们之间这时正在开始的不和睦的原因之一。
Though a brother, he considered himself as my master, and me as his apprentice, and, accordingly, expected the same services from me as he would from another,
尽管他是我的哥哥，他认为他是师父，我是他的学徒，因此他认为我当然也应当像其他学徒一样地替他服务，
while I thought he demean'd me too much in some he requir'd of me, who from a brother expected more indulgence.
但是因为我是他的弟弟，我认为他应当对我放纵一些，我觉得他要求我做的某些事过分地降低了我的身份。
Our disputes were often brought before our father, and I fancy I was either generally in the right, or else a better pleader, because the judgment was generally in my favor.
有时候我们把我们的争执带到父亲跟前。我想若不是在大多数时候我总是在对的一方面，就是我比他能说善辩，因为我父亲的判决一般总是支持我的。
But my brother was passionate, and had often beaten me, which I took extreamly amiss;
但是我哥哥脾气急躁，常常打我，这使我十分生气，
and, thinking my apprenticeship very tedious, I was continually wishing for some opportunity of shortening it, which at length offered in a manner unexpected.
我觉得我的学徒生活十分枯燥乏味，因此我不断地盼望有机会缩短我的学徒期限，出乎我意料之外地这种机会终于来临了。
