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We had not been long return'd to Philadelphia before the new types arriv'd from London.
我们回到费城之后不久，新的铅字就从伦敦运到了。
We settled with Keimer, and left him by his consent before he heard of it.
我们跟凯谋讲好了，经他同意，我们离开了他，这时他还没有听到我们开业的计划。
We found a house to hire near the market, and took it.
我们在市场附近找到了一所出租的房屋，就租了下来。
To lessen the rent, which was then but twenty-four pounds a year, tho' I have since known it to let for seventy,
为了减轻房租负担，这时候才二十四镑一年，虽然到现在我听说已经到了七十镑了，
we took in Thomas Godfrey, a glazier, and his family, who were to pay a considerable part of it to us, and we to board with them.
我们便招了釉工汤麦斯·高德福莱和他的家庭来同住，他们要负担全部租金的一个相当部分，同时我们把伙食包给他们。
We had scarce opened our letters and put our press in order, before George House, an acquaintance of mine, brought a countryman to us, whom he had met in the street inquiring for a printer.
我们还来不及拆开铅字，整理好印刷机，我的一个朋友乔治·赫司带了一个乡下人到我们这里来，他在街上遇见他的时候，他正在寻找印刷铺。
All our cash was now expended in the variety of particulars we had been obliged to procure,
到这时候我们的现金都已经花在我们必须置办的各式各样的项目上了，
and this countryman's five shillings, being our first-fruits, and coming so seasonably, gave me more pleasure than any crown I have since earned;
所以这个乡下人的五先令，因为它是我们的初次收益，而且来得这样合时，它给我的快乐胜过我以后所赚的任何一个五先令的银币。
and the gratitude I felt toward House has made me often more ready than perhaps I should otherwise have been to assist young beginners.
由于我对赫司的感激，我常常乐于帮助那些年轻的刚开业的人，要不然我或许不会这样热心的。
There are croakers in every country, always boding its ruin.
在每一个国家里都有经常预报国家即将毁灭的悲观主义者。
Such a one then lived in Philadelphia; a person of note, an elderly man, with a wise look and a very grave manner of speaking; his name was Samuel Mickle.
在费城当时就住了这样的一个人，他是一个知名之士，一个上了年纪的人，看上去像是一个聪明人，讲话态度十分严肃，他的名字是撒木耳·密克尔。
This gentleman, a stranger to me, stopt one day at my door, and asked me if I was the young man who had lately opened a new printing-house.
这位先生我并不认识，有一天跑到我门口来，问我是否就是那个新近开设一家新印刷铺的年轻人。
Being answered in the affirmative, he said he was sorry for me, because it was an expensive undertaking, and the expense would be lost;
我回答他是的，他说他很为我惋惜，因为开一家印刷铺很费钱，但是这笔费用要亏损蚀掉的。
for Philadelphia was a sinking place, the people already half-bankrupts, or near being so;
费城是一个没落的城市，城里的市民已经在半破产状态中了。
all appearances to the contrary, such as new buildings and the rise of rents, being to his certain knowledge fallacious; for they were, in fact, among the things that would soon ruin us.
尽管表面上相反，新建的大厦和房租的上涨他确切地认为是虚假的繁荣，因为事实上，这些正是不久就要造成我们毁灭的因素的一部分。
And he gave me such a detail of misfortunes now existing, or that were soon to exist, that he left me half melancholy.
接着他这样详细地叙述了当时已发生的或是即将发生的灾祸，当他离开时，我有点悒悒不乐了。
Had I known him before I engaged in this business, probably I never should have done it.
假如我在开业前认识了他，可能我永不从事于此了。
This man continued to live in this decaying place, and to declaim in the same strain, refusing for many years to buy a house there, because all was going to destruction;
这个人继续住在一所破烂的房子里，用同样的论调诡辩着，许多年来他不肯在那里买一所房子，因为一切即将毁灭了。
and at last I had the pleasure of seeing him give five times as much for one as he might have bought it for when he first began his croaking.
但是到了后来，我高兴地看到他出了比他初倡悲观论调时可能买到的高出五倍的价格买了一所房子。
I should have mentioned before, that, in the autumn of the preceding year,
我早先原该提到，在前一年的秋天，
I had form'd most of my ingenious acquaintance into a club of mutual improvement, which was called the Junto; we met on Friday evenings.
我把我大多数的有才能的朋友组成了一个相互切磋琢磨的社团，我们管它叫做“密社”，我们每星期五晚间开会。
The rules that I drew up required that every member, in his turn, should produce one or more queries on any point of Morals, Politics, or Natural Philosophy, to be discuss'd by the company;
我起草的章程规定每一社员须依次提出一两篇研讨道德、政治或自然哲学中任何问题的论文，并在会中讨论，
and once in three months produce and read an essay of his own writing, on any subject he pleased.
每隔三月要提出和诵读本人习作一篇，题目任选。
Our debates were to be under the direction of a president, and to be conducted in the sincere spirit of inquiry after truth, without fondness for dispute, or desire of victory;
我们的辩论由会长主持，而且应当根据诚恳的探求真理的精神，而不是以爱好争辩或是求胜的态度来进行。
and, to prevent warmth, all expressions of positiveness in opinions, or direct contradiction, were after some time made contraband, and prohibited under small pecuniary penalties.
为了防止激昂的情绪，一切肯定意见的表达和直接的抗辩过了一些时候就成为非法了，违者处以小额罚金。
