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Before I enter upon my public appearance in business, it may be well to let you know the then state of my mind with regard to my principles and morals,
在我讲述我正式开业之前，最好让你知道当时我对道德伦理的看法，
that you may see how far those influenc'd the future events of my life.
让你可以看出这些观念是怎样地影响我未来生命中的大事的。
My parents had early given me religious impressions, and brought me through my childhood piously in the Dissenting way.
我父母在早年就对我灌输了宗教思想，在我童年时代我受了虔诚的非国教徒的教养。
But I was scarce fifteen, when, after doubting by turns of several points, as I found them disputed in the different books I read, I began to doubt of Revelation itself.
由于在我所读到的各种书籍里我发现对教条有争辩，我自己对于教条中的某几点也先后发生了怀疑，接着，当我还不到十五岁时，我开始对《圣经》本身发生怀疑了。
Some books against Deism fell into my hands; they were said to be the substance of sermons preached at Boyle's Lectures.
我偶然碰到了一些反对自然神教的书籍，据说这些书是博尔演讲中讲道文的大意。
It happened that they wrought an effect on me quite contrary to what was intended by them;
它们对我的影响恰巧跟它们的原意相反，
for the arguments of the Deists, which were quoted to be refuted, appeared to me much stronger than the refutations; in short, I soon became a thorough Deist.
因为为了驳斥自然神教，它们引证了自然神教信徒的议论，但是这些议论在我看来却比那些反驳它们的理论还坚强有力，简单地说，不久我就成为一个彻头彻尾的自然神教信徒了。
My arguments perverted some others, particularly Collins and Ralph;
我的议论带引一些人走上了歧途，特别是高令斯和雷夫，
but, each of them having afterwards wrong'd me greatly without the least compunction, and recollecting Keith's conduct towards me (who was another free-thinker), and my own towards Vernon and Miss Read,
但是这两个人后来都毫无良心地大大地害了我，想到了基夫对我的行为（他是另一个宗教上的自由思想者）和我自己对佛南和李得小姐的行为，
which at times gave me great trouble, I began to suspect that this doctrine, tho' it might be true, was not very useful.
这种行为有时使我十分苦恼，我开始觉得这种教义虽然或许是真的，但是它不十分有益。
My London pamphlet, which had for its motto these lines of Dryden:
我的伦敦小册子引用了德莱登的诗作为箴言：
"Whatever is, is right.
存在即是合理，
Though purblind man
虽然半瞎的人
Sees but a part o' the chain, the nearest link:
只看见链条的一端，最近的一环，
His eyes not carrying to the equal beam, That poises all above;"
他的两眼看不到，上面那权衡一切的秤杆。
and from the attributes of God, his infinite wisdom, goodness and power, concluded that nothing could possibly be wrong in the world,
在那本小册子里我从上帝的属性，他的无限智慧、善良与权力得到结论说世界上的一切事物全都是对的，
and that vice and virtue were empty distinctions, no such things existing, appear'd now not so clever a performance as I once thought it;
恶与善是一种虚空的区别，根本就没有善恶，现在看起来这篇文章并不像我过去曾经一度认为的那样的巧妙杰作。
and I doubted whether some error had not insinuated itself unperceiv'd into my argument, so as to infect all that follow'd, as is common in metaphysical reasonings.
因此我猜想某些错误可能会不知不觉地混入我的论断，以致影响随之而来的全部理论，这原是在形而上学的推论中常见的。
I grew convinc'd that truth, sincerity and integrity in dealings between man and man were of the utmost importance to the felicity of life;
渐渐地，我确信在人与人之间的相互关系中对人生的幸福最重要的莫过于真实、诚意和廉洁。
and I form'd written resolutions, which still remain in my journal book, to practice them ever while I lived.
我写下了我的决心（这决心书还在日记中），要在我的一生中不断地加以实践。
Revelation had indeed no weight with me, as such;
《圣经》本身对我并没有重要性，
but I entertain'd an opinion that, though certain actions might not be bad because they were forbidden by it, or good because it commanded them,
但是我认为：虽然我们不能因为《圣经》禁止某些行动，就说这些行动是坏的，或是因为《圣经》叫我们做，所以就认为是好的，
yet probably these actions might be forbidden because they were bad for us, or commanded because they were beneficial to us, in their own natures, all the circumstances of things considered.
但是当我们考虑了事物的各种情况以后，也许正因为它们对我们不利，所以我们要禁止这些行动，或是正因为这种行动的本身于我们有益，所以我们要去做。
And this persuasion, with the kind hand of Providence, or some guardian angel, or accidental favourable circumstances and situations, or all together, preserved me,
这种信念，靠着上帝或是守护天使的祝福，或是偶然的有利情况或形势，或是三者合起来，保全了我，
thro' this dangerous time of youth, and the hazardous situations I was sometimes in among strangers, remote from the eye and advice of my father,
使我经过了青年的危险期，使我在没有父亲在旁照顾和忠告的情况下，安全地经过了有时我在陌生人中间所陷入的险境，
without any willful gross immorality or injustice, that might have been expected from my want of religion.
而竟然没有任何故意的粗鄙的不道德或不正义行为，由于我的缺乏宗教信仰，这种错误或许原是在意料中的。
I say willful, because the instances I have mentioned had something of necessity in them, from my youth, inexperience, and the knavery of others.
我说故意的，因为我上面所提到的那些实例，由于我年轻，缺乏经验，由于别人的无赖行为，都包括一些必然性在其中。
I had therefore a tolerable character to begin the world with; I valued it properly, and determin'd to preserve it.
因此在开始进入社会时，我的品德还总算是过得去的。我正当地重视我这个品德，并且决心保持它。
