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To come, then, by the just degrees to the particulars of this part of my story.[qh]
现在，让我把以后发生的一切慢慢向读者细说。[qh]
You may suppose,[qh]
你们可以想象，[qh]
that having now lived almost four years in the Brazils,[qh]
当时我在巴西已呆了四年，[qh]
and beginning to thrive and prosper very well upon my plantation,[qh]
我经营的种植园也渐渐兴旺发展起来。[qh]
I had not only learned the language,[qh]
我不仅学会了当地的语言，[qh]
but had contracted acquaintance and friendship among my fellow-planters,[qh]
而且，在种植园主和城里的商人中间有了不少熟人，交了不少朋友。[qh]
as well as among the merchants at St. Salvador, which was our port;[qh]
我说的城里，就是我在巴西登陆的港口城市圣萨尔瓦多。[qh]
and that, in my discourses among them,[qh]
我与他们交谈时，[qh]
I had frequently given them an account of my two voyages to the coast of Guinea:[qh]
经常谈到我去几内亚沿岸的两次航行，[qh]
the manner of trading with the negroes there,[qh]
告诉他们与黑人做生意的情况。[qh]
and how easy it was to purchase upon the coast for trifles –[qh]
我对他们说，与黑人做生意真太容易了，只要用一些杂七杂八的货物，[qh]
such as beads, toys, knives, scissors, hatchets, bits of glass,[qh]
什么假珠子啦，玩具啦，刀子剪子啦，斧头啦，以及玻璃制品之类的东西，[qh]
and the like - not only gold-dust, Guinea grains, elephants teeth, &c.,[qh]
就可换来金沙、几内亚香料及象牙之类贵重物品，[qh]
but negroes, for the service of the Brazils, in great numbers.[qh]
还可换来黑奴。在巴西，当时正需要大量的黑奴劳动力。[qh]
They listened always very attentively to my discourses on these heads,[qh]
每当我谈论这些话题的时候，大家都仔细倾听；[qh]
but especially to that part which related to the buying of negroes,[qh]
尤其是买卖黑奴的事，更引其他们的兴趣。[qh]
which was a trade at that time, not only not far entered into,[qh]
当时，贩运黑奴的买卖还刚刚开始。[qh]
but, as far as it was, had been carried on by assientos,[qh]
从事贩卖黑奴的商人必须签约，保证为西班牙殖民地和葡萄牙殖民地供应黑奴，[qh]
or permission of the kings of Spain and Portugal,[qh]
并必须获得西班牙国王或葡萄牙国王的批准。[qh]
and engrossed in the public stock: so that few negroes were bought, and these excessively dear.[qh]
贩运黑奴是一种垄断的贸易，因而在巴西黑奴进口的数量不多，价钱也特别昂贵。[qh]
It happened, being in company with some merchants and planters of my acquaintance, and talking of those things very earnestly,[qh]
有一次，我与一些熟悉的种植园主和商人又很起劲地谈论这些事情。[qh]
three of them came to me next morning,[qh]
第二天上午，有三个人来找我。[qh]
and told me they had been musing very much upon what I had discoursed with them of the last night,[qh]
他们对我说，他们对我昨天晚上的谈话认真思考了一番，[qh]
and they came to make a secret proposal to me; and,[qh]
特前来向我提出一个建议。[qh]
after enjoining me to secrecy, they told me that they had a mind to fit out a ship to go to Guinea;[qh]
但他们说，这建议必须保密。因此他们要求我严守秘密。[qh]
that they had all plantations as well as I,[qh]
然后，他们对我说，他们想装备一条船去几内亚。[qh]
and were straitened for nothing so much as servants;[qh]
他们说，他们都像我一样有种植园，[qh]
that as it was a trade that could not be carried on, because they could not publicly sell the negroes when they came home,[qh]
但最感缺乏的是劳动力。[qh]
so they desired to make but one voyage, to bring the negroes on shore privately, and divide them among their own plantations;[qh]
他们不可能专门从事贩运黑奴的买卖，因为他们回巴西后不可能公开出售黑奴，[qh]
and, in a word, the question was whether I would go their supercargo in the ship,[qh]
因此，他们打算只去几内亚一次，回巴西后把黑奴偷偷送上岸，然后大家均分到各自的种植园里去。[qh]
to manage the trading part upon the coast of Guinea;[qh]
简而言之，现在的问题是，我愿不愿意管理他们船上的货物，[qh]
and they offered me that I should have my equal share of the negroes, without providing any part of the stock.[qh]
并经办几内亚海岸交易的事务。[qh]
