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The mention of these improvements puts me in mind of one I propos'd, when in London, to Dr. Fothergill, who was among the best men I have known, and a great promoter of useful projects.
提起这些改进，使我想起我在伦敦时曾向方寿节博士建议的一件事。方寿节博士是我认识的人中间最优秀的人之一，是公益事业的一个伟大首创者。
I had observ'd that the streets, when dry, were never swept, and the light dust carried away; but it was suffer'd to accumulate till wet weather reduc'd it to mud, and then, after lying some days so deep on the pavement that there was no crossing but in paths kept clean by poor people with brooms,
我看到在天晴的时候，伦敦的街道是从来没有人去扫的，尘土随风飘扬，听其自然积储起来，一下雨尘土就变成了泥浆，满街泥泞，不堪涉足，除了由穷人拿着扫帚开辟出来的一条小道外，连穿越街道都不可能。
it was with great labour rak'd together and thrown up into carts open above, the sides of which suffered some of the slush at every jolt on the pavement to shake out and fall, sometimes to the annoyance of foot-passengers.
这样过了几天后，人们花了很艰巨的劳动把泥浆耙起来，倒进上端敞开的马车中，但是当马车在马路上颠簸时，车身两侧会震出烂泥来，掉在路上，有时使路人感到烦恼。
The reason given for not sweeping the dusty streets was that the dust would fly into the windows of shops and houses.
伦敦市民之所以不扫除街上尘土的理由，据说是因为怕尘土会飞进商店和住宅的窗户。
An accidental occurrence had instructed me how much sweeping might be done in a little time.
一件偶然发生的事情使我知道扫街原花不了多少时间。
I found at my door in Craven-street, one morning, a poor woman sweeping my pavement with a birch broom; she appeared very pale and feeble, as just come out of a fit of sickness.
一天早晨，在我克雷文街寓所的门口，我看见一个穷苦的妇人拿着一把桦树枝扫帚在扫我门前的人行道，她看上去很苍白很软弱，好像大病初愈的样子。
I ask'd who employ'd her to sweep there; she said, "Nobody, but I am very poor and in distress, and I sweeps before gentle-folkses doors, and hopes they will give me something."
我问她谁雇用她来扫街，她说：“谁也没有雇用我，但是我穷苦不堪，我在富贵人家门前扫地，我希望他们会给我一点钱。”
I bid her sweep the whole street clean, and I would give her a shilling; this was at nine o'clock; at 12 she came for the shilling.
我要她把整条街扫干净，我愿意给她一先令，当时是九时整，在十二点钟时她来要钱了。
From the slowness I saw at first in her working, I could scarce believe that the work was done so soon, and sent my servant to examine it, who reported that the whole street was swept perfectly clean, and all the dust plac'd in the gutter, which was in the middle;
我起初看她动作很迟缓，我简直不能相信这件事那么快就做完了，我派我的仆人去看个究竟，他回来报告说整条街扫得一干二净，所有尘土都放在路中央的明沟中了。
and the next rain wash'd it quite away, so that the pavement and even the kennel were perfectly clean.
下一次下雨的时候，就把尘土冲走，所以人行道，甚至阴沟，都十分干净了。
I then judg'd that, if that feeble woman could sweep such a street in three hours, a strong, active man might have done it in half the time.
当时我认为假如一个虚弱的妇人可以在三小时内扫这样一条街，一个强壮敏捷的男子或许只要一半的时间就可以办到。
And here let me remark the convenience of having but one gutter in such a narrow street, running down its middle, instead of two, one on each side, near the footway; for where all the rain that falls on a street runs from the sides and meets in the middle, it forms there a current strong enough to wash away all the mud it meets with;
在这里让我说明，在这样狭窄的街道中，与其两边靠近人行道处各有明沟一条，不如在街道中央开一条沟较为便利，因为当一条街上的全部雨水从两边集中在中央时，它在中央形成一股急流，有足够的力量可以冲洗掉它所接触到的全部泥土。
but when divided into two channels, it is often too weak to cleanse either, and only makes the mud it finds more fluid, so that the wheels of carriages and feet of horses throw and dash it upon the foot-pavement, which is thereby rendered foul and slippery, and sometimes splash it upon those who are walking.
但是如果把它分成两路，水流就常常太弱，不能冲洗掉两边的泥土，只不过使它所接触到的泥土更加稀烂，所以车轮和马脚就把它泼溅在人行道上，因此使得人行道肮脏泞滑，有时也会把泥浆溅在路人身上。
My proposal, communicated to the good doctor, was as follows.
我曾向这位善良的博士提出了如下的建议。
