THAT evil influence which carried me first away from my father’s house[qh]

不久之前，那种邪恶的力量驱使我离家出走。[qh]

- which hurried me into the wild and indigested notion of raising my fortune,[qh]

我年幼无知，想入非非，妄想发财。[qh]

and that impressed those conceits so forcibly upon me as to make me deaf to all good advice, and to the entreaties and even the commands of my father[qh]

这种念头，根深蒂固，竟使我对一切忠告充耳不闻，对父亲的恳求和严命置若罔闻。[qh]

- I say, the same influence, whatever it was, presented the most unfortunate of all enterprises to my view;[qh]

我是说，现在，又正是这同一种邪恶的力量--不管这是一种什么力量，使我开始了一种最不幸的冒险事业。[qh]

and I went on board a vessel bound to the coast of Africa; or, as our sailors vulgarly called it, a voyage to Guinea.[qh]

我踏上了一艘驶往非洲海岸的船；用水手们的俗话说，到几内亚去！[qh]

It was my great misfortune that in all these adventures I did not ship myself as a sailor;[qh]

在以往的冒险活动中，我在船上从未当过水手。这是我的不幸。[qh]

when, though I might indeed have worked a little harder than ordinary, yet at the same time I should have learnt the duty and office of a fore-mast man,[qh]

本来，我可以比平时艰苦些，学会做一些普通水手们做的工作。[qh]

and in time might have qualified myself for a mate or lieutenant, if not for a master.[qh]

到一定时候，即使做不了船长，说不定也能当上个大副或船长助手什么的。[qh]

But as it was always my fate to choose for the worse, so I did here;[qh]

可是，命中注定我每次都会作出最坏的选择，这一次也不例外。[qh]

for having money in my pocket and good clothes upon my back, I would always go on board in the habit of a gentleman;[qh]

口袋里装了几个钱，身上穿着体面的衣服，我就像往常一样，以绅士的身份上了船。[qh]

and so I neither had any business in the ship, nor learned to do any.[qh]

船上的一切事务，我从不参与，也从不学着去做。[qh]

It was my lot first of all to fall into pretty good company in London,[qh]

在伦敦，我交上了好朋友。这又是我命里注定的。[qh]

which does not always happen to such loose and misguided young fellows as I then was;[qh]

这种好事通常不会落到像我这样一个放荡不羁、误入歧途的年轻人身上。[qh]

the devil generally not omitting to lay some snare for them very early; but it was not so with me.[qh]

魔鬼总是早早给他们设下了陷井。但对我却不然。[qh]

I first got acquainted with the master of a ship who had been on the coast of Guinea;[qh]

一开始，我就认识了一位船长。他曾到过几内亚沿岸；[qh]

and who, having had very good success there, was resolved to go again.[qh]

在那儿，他做了一笔不错的买卖，所以决定再走一趟。[qh]

This captain taking a fancy to my conversation, which was not at all disagreeable at that time,[qh]

他对我的谈话很感兴趣，因为那时我的谈吐也许不怎么令人讨厌。[qh]

hearing me say I had a mind to see the world, told me if I would go the voyage with him I should be at no expense; I should be his messmate and his companion;[qh]

他听我说要出去见见世面，就对我说，假如我愿意和他一起去，可以免费搭他的船，并可做他的伙伴，和他一起用餐。[qh]

and if I could carry anything with me, I should have all the advantage of it that the trade would admit; and perhaps I might meet with some encouragement.[qh]

如果我想顺便带点货，他将告诉我带什么东西最能赚钱，这样也许我能赚点钱。[qh]