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In a garret of her house there lived a maiden lady of seventy, in the most retired manner, of whom my landlady gave me this account:
在她家的顶楼上隐居着一个七十岁的老处女，关于她，我的房东告诉我这样一段故事：
that she was a Roman Catholic, had been sent abroad when young, and lodg'd in a nunnery with an intent of becoming a nun;
她是一个天主教徒，年轻时就被送到外国去住在修女院中，立志成为修女，
but, the country not agreeing with her, she returned to England, where, there being no nunnery, she had vow'd to lead the life of a nun, as near as might be done in those circumstances.
但是因为水土不服，她回到英国来了，在英国却没有修女院，因此她立誓要在这种情况下使她的生活尽可能地接近修女的生活。
Accordingly, she had given all her estate to charitable uses, reserving only twelve pounds a year to live on,
所以，她把她的财产全部捐给了慈善事业，只保留年金十二镑作为生活费用，
and out of this sum she still gave a great deal in charity, living herself on water-gruel only, and using no fire but to boil it.
但从这笔款中她还拿出一大部分来救济别人，自己只喝薄粥，除了煮饭以外并不生火。
She had lived many years in that garret, being permitted to remain there gratis by successive Catholic tenants of the house below, as they deemed it a blessing to have her there.
她住在那个顶楼上已经许多年了，在她下面的历代天主教徒房东都允许她免费居住，因为他们认为有她住在那里是一种祝福。
A priest visited her to confess her every day.
一个神父每天去听她忏悔。
"I have ask'd her," says my landlady, "how she, as she liv'd, could possibly find so much employment for a confessor?"
“我问过她，”我的房东说，“照她那样的生活，她怎么会这样需要一个忏悔者呢？”
"Oh," said she, "it is impossible to avoid vain thoughts."
“哦，”她说，“人们不可能没有无用的思想。”
I was permitted once to visit her. She was cheerful and polite, and convers'd pleasantly.
有一次她允许我去探访她，她很快乐，有礼貌，谈话时也很愉快。
The room was clean, but had no other furniture than a matras, a table with a crucifix and book, a stool which she gave me to sit on,
她的房间很清洁，没有别的家具，只有一个垫子，一张桌子，上面放着一个十字架和一本书，一张她让我坐的凳子，
and a picture over the chimney of Saint Veronica displaying her handkerchief, with the miraculous figure of Christ's bleeding face on it, which she explained to me with great seriousness.
和烟囱旁放着的一张圣佛朗尼卡展示她的手巾的图画，图中画着基督面孔流血的奇迹，她严肃地向我解释这幅图画。
She look'd pale, but was never sick; and I give it as another instance on how small an income, life and health may be supported.
她面色苍白，但从不生病，我把她当作一个实例，说明多么微小的收入就可以维持生命和健康。
At Watts's printing-house I contracted an acquaintance with an ingenious young man, one Wygate,
在瓦茨的印刷所中我结识了一个聪明的年轻人，一个叫做华盖特的人，
who, having wealthy relations, had been better educated than most printers; was a tolerable Latinist, spoke French, and lov'd reading.
他有有钱的亲友，所以他比大多数的印刷工人有教养，他的拉丁文还过得去，会说法语，酷爱读书。
I taught him and a friend of his to swim at twice going into the river, and they soon became good swimmers.
我教了他和他的一个朋友游泳，下水两次，不久他们成为很好的游泳家了。
They introduc'd me to some gentlemen from the country, who went to Chelsea by water to see the College and Don Saltero's curiosities.
他把我介绍给一些从乡下来的乡绅们，他们从夏尔西坐船去参观学院和沙特罗先生的珍藏。
In our return, at the request of the company, whose curiosity Wygate had excited, I stripped and leaped into the river,
在我们归途中，华盖特讲到我的游泳术，引起了大家的好奇心，因此应了大家的请求，我剥去了衣服，跳入河中，
and swam from near Chelsea to Blackfriar's, performing on the way many feats of activity, both upon and under water, that surpris'd and pleas'd those to whom they were novelties.
一直从夏尔西泅到勃莱克佛里雅的地方，一路上玩着各式各样水上的或水中的花样，他们从未见过这种把戏，感到又惊又喜。
I had from a child been ever delighted with this exercise, had studied and practis'd all Thevenot's motions and positions, added some of my own, aiming at the graceful and easy as well as the useful.
我从童年起就一直爱好这种运动，曾经钻研和实习过佘夫诺的一切动作和姿势，加上一些我自己的心得，其目的在于使得姿势既要优美舒适又要有效。
All these I took this occasion of exhibiting to the company, and was much flatter'd by their admiration;
这一切我乘机都表演给大家看了，他们的羡慕和赞赏使我感到很高兴。
and Wygate, who was desirous of becoming a master, grew more and more attach'd to me on that account, as well as from the similarity of our studies.
华盖特原想成为一个游泳专家，同时因为我们研究的学科相似，他渐渐地越来越跟我亲热了。
He at length proposed to me traveling all over Europe together, supporting ourselves everywhere by working at our business.
他最后提议我们一同到全欧旅行去，在各地靠着做印刷工作来维持我们的生活。
I was once inclined to it; but, mentioning it to my good friend Mr. Denham, with whom I often spent an hour when I had leisure,
有一度我倒曾经颇有此意，但是我跟我的好友田纳先生提到此事，因为当我有空时，我常去跟他聊上点把钟的工夫，
he dissuaded me from it, advising me to think only of returning to Pennsylvania, which he was now about to do.
他劝阻了我，劝我只考虑回到费城去，这时候，他自己也快回去了。
