that I was now eighteen years old, [qh]

我说，我已经十八岁了，[qh]

which was too late to go apprentice to a trade or clerk to an attorney; [qh]

无论去当学徒，或是去做律师的助手都太晚了。[qh]

that I was sure if I did I should never serve out my time, but I should certainly run away from my master before my time was out, and go to sea; [qh]

而且，我绝对相信，即使自己去当学徒或做助手，也必定不等满师就会从师傅那儿逃出来去航海了。[qh]

and if she would speak to my father to let me go one voyage abroad, [qh]

如果她能去父亲那儿为我说情，让他答应我乘船出洋一次，[qh]

if I came home again, and did not like it, I would go no more; and I would promise, by a double diligence, to recover the time that I had lost. [qh]

如果我回家后觉得自己并不喜欢航海，那我就会加倍努力弥补我所浪费的时间。[qh]

This put my mother into a great passion; she told me she knew it would be to no purpose to speak to my father upon any such subject; [qh]

我母亲听了我的话就大发脾气。她对我说，她知道去对父亲说这种事毫无用处。[qh]

that he knew too well what was my interest to give his consent to anything so much for my hurt; [qh]

父亲非常清楚这事对我的利害关系，决不会答应我去做任何伤害自己的事情。[qh]

and that she wondered how I could think of any such thing after the discourse I had had with my father, [qh]

她还说，父亲和我的谈话那样语重心长、谆谆善诱，[qh]

and such kind and tender expressions as she knew my father had used to me; [qh]

而我竟然还想离家远游，这实在使她难以理解。[qh]

and that, in short, if I would ruin myself, there was no help for me; [qh]

她说，总而言之，如果我执意自寻绝路，那谁也不会来帮助我。[qh]

but I might depend I should never have their consent to it; that for her part she would not have so much hand in my destruction; [qh]

她要我相信，无论是母亲，还是父亲，都不会同意我出洋远航，所以我如果自取灭亡，与她也无关，[qh]

and I should never have it to say that my mother was willing when my father was not. [qh]

免得我以后说，当时我父亲是不同意的，但我母亲却同意了。[qh]

Though my mother refused to move it to my father, yet I heard afterwards that she reported all the discourse to him, [qh]

尽管我母亲当面拒绝了我的请求，表示不愿意向父亲转达我的话，但事后我听说，她还是把我们的谈话原原本本地告诉了父亲。[qh]

and that my father, after showing a great concern at it, said to her, with a sigh, "That boy might be happy if he would stay at home; [qh]

父亲听了深为忧虑。他对母亲叹息说，这孩子要是能留在家里，也许会很幸福的；[qh]

but if he goes abroad, he will be the most miserable wretch that ever was born: I can give no consent to it." [qh]

但如果他要到海外去，就会成为世界上最不幸的人，因此，说什么他也不能同意我出去。[qh]

It was not till almost a year after this that I broke loose, [qh]

事过了一年光景，我终于离家出走了，[qh]

though, in the meantime, I continued obstinately deaf to all proposals of settling to business, [qh]

而在这一年里，尽管家里人多次建议我去干点正事，但我就是顽固不化，一概不听，[qh]

and frequently expostulated with my father and mother about their being so positively determined against what they knew my inclinations prompted me to. [qh]

反而老是与父母亲纠缠，要他们不要那样反对自己孩子的心愿。[qh]