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One of the pieces in our newspaper on some political point, which I have now forgotten, gave offense to the Assembly.
在我们报上登载的一篇关于某一政治问题的文章（题目我现在记不起来了）触怒了州议会。
He was taken up, censur'd, and imprison'd for a month, by the speaker's warrant, I suppose, because he would not discover his author.
他们发出了一张议长拘押票，逮捕了我哥哥，控告了他，并且判了他一个月的徒刑，我想这大概是因为他不愿泄露原作者姓名的缘故吧。
I too was taken up and examin'd before the council;
他们也逮捕了我，在会议上审问了我，
but, tho' I did not give them any satisfaction, they contented themselves with admonishing me, and dismissed me, considering me, perhaps, as an apprentice, who was bound to keep his master's secrets.
但是虽然我的回答没有使他们达到目的，他们仅仅教训了我一番，放我走了，也许是因为他们认为作为一个学徒，我有保守师父秘密的义务吧。
During my brother's confinement, which I resented a good deal, notwithstanding our private differences, I had the management of the paper;
尽管我和我哥哥有意见，我对他的被判徒刑表示十分愤慨，在他拘留期间，我主持了报务。
and I made bold to give our rulers some rubs in it, which my brother took very kindly, while others began to consider me in an unfavorable light, as a young genius that had a turn for libeling and satyr.
在报上我大胆地对我们的统治者进行了冷嘲热讽，我哥哥倒很喜欢这些文章，但是另外一些人却开始对我有了恶劣的印象，认为我是一个有着诽谤讥刺癖好的天才青年。
My brother's discharge was accompany'd with an order of the House (a very odd one), that "James Franklin should no longer print the paper called the New England Courant."
当我哥哥被释放的时候，州议会发出了一道命令（一道十分奇特的命令），“禁止詹姆士·富兰克林继续出版《新英格兰报》”。
There was a consultation held in our printing-house among his friends, what he should do in this case.
我哥哥的好友们在我们的印刷所里举行了一次会议，商讨在这种情势下他应采取的行动。
Some proposed to evade the order by changing the name of the paper; but my brother, seeing inconveniences in that,
有人提议改换报纸名称就可逃避法令，但是我哥哥认为这样做有许多麻烦，
it was finally concluded on as a better way, to let it be printed for the future under the name of Benjamin Franklin;
最后他们决定了一个较好的办法，在将来报纸采用本杰明·富兰克林的名义出版。
and to avoid the censure of the Assembly, that might fall on him as still printing it by his apprentice,
为了避免州议会可能会非难，说他还是通过他的学徒在出版报纸，
the contrivance was that my old indenture should be return'd to me, with a full discharge on the back of it, to be shown on occasion,
他们策划把我旧的师徒合同归还给我，在背上写明一切义务完全解除，在必要时我可以拿出来给人看，
but to secure to him the benefit of my service, I was to sign new indentures for the remainder of the term, which were to be kept private.
但是为了保障他对我的服役的权益起见，我得另外签订一个新的适用于未完的学徒期限的合同，这个合同将不予公开。
A very flimsy scheme it was; however, it was immediately executed, and the paper went on accordingly, under my name for several months.
这实在是一个非常浅薄的计谋，但是我们马上执行了它，这样这个报纸在我的名义下继续了几个月之久。
At length, a fresh difference arising between my brother and me, I took upon me to assert my freedom, presuming that he would not venture to produce the new indentures.
我和我的哥哥之间终于发生了一种新的争执，我就坚决地维护我的自由，认定他不敢拿出新的合同来。
It was not fair in me to take this advantage, and this I therefore reckon one of the first errata of my life;
我这样趁火打劫是不公允的，因此我认为这是我一生中第一个大错。
but the unfairness of it weighed little with me, when under the impressions of resentment for the blows his passion too often urged him to bestow upon me, though he was otherwise not an ill-natur'd man: perhaps I was too saucy and provoking.
但是因为他的急躁脾气常使他对我拳足交加，而当我因此感到愤恨时，我对这一行动的不正直性无动于衷，但是在平时他倒也不是一个性情暴戾的人，可能我当时太无礼貌，太惹人生气了。
When he found I would leave him, he took care to prevent my getting employment in any other printing-house of the town, by going round and speaking to every master, who accordingly refus'd to give me work.
当他知道我将离开他时，他设法使我不能在镇上的任何一家印刷所里找到工作，他走遍各印刷所，关照了每一个老板，因此他们都拒绝给我工作。
I then thought of going to New York, as the nearest place where there was a printer;
那时我想到纽约去，因为那里有一家印刷铺，并且离开波士顿距离最近，
and I was rather inclin'd to leave Boston when I reflected that I had already made myself a little obnoxious to the governing party,
我倒宁愿离开波士顿了。当我想到我已经把我自己弄成是当地统治集团的眼中钉，
and, from the arbitrary proceedings of the Assembly in my brother's case, it was likely I might, if I stay'd, soon bring myself into scrapes;
我从州议会处理我哥哥案件时所表现的专横中，想到假如我呆下去，我很可能使自己陷于窘境；
and farther, that my indiscreet disputations about religion began to make me pointed at with horror by good people as an infidel or atheist.
同时，由于我对宗教问题的有欠审慎的议论，善男信女们已经把我看作是可怕的异教徒和无神论者了。
I determin'd on the point, but my father now siding with my brother, I was sensible that, if I attempted to go openly, means would be used to prevent me.
我既决定了出走，但是因为这时候我父亲偏袒我哥哥，我想假如我明目张胆地离开，他们会设法来阻拦我。
My friend Collins, therefore, undertook to manage a little for me.
因此，我的朋友高令斯就替我想了一个小小的妙计。
He agreed with the captain of a New York sloop for my passage, under the notion of my being a young acquaintance of his.
他跟一只纽约州的帆船的船长讲好了让我搭坐他的船，说我是他的一个年轻友人。
So I sold some of my books to raise a little money, was taken on board privately, and as we had a fair wind, in three days I found myself in New York,
这样我卖掉了我一部分的书籍，拼凑了一点钱，悄悄地上了船，因为是顺风，三天后我已经到了纽约，
near 300 miles from home, a boy of but 17, without the least recommendation to, or knowledge of, any person in the place, and with very little money in my pocket.
这样一个仅仅十七岁的男孩子，既不认识当地的任何人，也没有一封介绍信，口袋里仅有少量的金钱，到了一个离家几乎三百英里之遥的地方。
