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This I understood to be no more than the sets of the tide, as going out or coming in;
起初我还以为这不过是潮水的关系，有时往外流，有时往里流。
but I afterwards understood it was occasioned by the great draft and reflux of the mighty river Orinoco, in the mouth or gulf of which river, as I found afterwards, our island lay;
后来我才弄明白，那是由于那条叫作奥里诺科河的大河倾泻入海，形成回流之故。而我们的岛，刚好是在该河的一处入海口上。
and that this land, which I perceived to be W. and NW., was the great island Trinidad, on the north point of the mouth of the river.
我在西面和西北面看到的陆地，正是一个大岛，叫特立尼达岛，正好在河口的北面。
I asked Friday a thousand questions about the country, the inhabitants, the sea, the coast, and what nations were near; he told me all he knew with the greatest openness imaginable.
我向星期五提出了无数的问题，问到这一带的地形、居民、海洋、海岸，以及附近居住着什么民族。他毫无保留地把知道的一切都告诉了我，态度十分坦率。
I asked him the names of the several nations of his sort of people, but could get no other name than Caribs; from whence I easily understood that these were the Caribbees,
我又问他，他们这个民族分成多少部落，叫什么名字。可问来问去只问出一个名字，就是加勒比人。于是我马上明白，他所说的是加勒比群岛，
which our maps place on the part of America which reaches from the mouth of the river Orinoco to Guiana, and onwards to St. Martha.
在我们的地图上，属于美洲地区；这些群岛从奥里诺科河河口，一直延伸到圭亚那地区，再延伸到圣马大。
He told me that up a great way beyond the moon, that was beyond the setting of the moon, which must be west from their country, there dwelt white bearded men, like me, and pointed to my great whiskers, which I mentioned before;
他指着我的胡子对我说，在月落的地方，离这儿很远很远，也就是说，在他们国土的西面，住着许多像我这样有胡子的白人。
and that they had killed much mans, that was his word: by all which I understood he meant the Spaniards,
又说，他们在那边杀了很多很多的人。从他的话里，我明白他指的是西班牙人。
whose cruelties in America had been spread over the whole country, and were remembered by all the nations from father to son.
他们在美洲的杀人暴行在各民族中臭名远扬，并且在这些民族中世代相传。
I inquired if he could tell me how I might go from this island, and get among those white men. He told me, "Yes, yes, you may go in two canoe."
我问他能不能告诉我怎样才能从这个岛上到那些白人那边去。他对我说：“是的，是的，可以坐两只独木船去。”
I could not understand what he meant, or make him describe to me what he meant by two canoe, till at last, with great difficulty, I found he meant it must be in a large boat, as big as two canoes.
我不明白“坐两只独木舟去”是什么意思，也无法使他说明“两只独木船”的意思。到最后，费了好大的劲，我才弄清楚他的意思。原来是要用一只很大很大的船，要像两只独木船那样大。
This part of Friday's discourse I began to relish very well; and from this time I entertained some hopes that, one time or other, I might find an opportunity to make my escape from this place, and that this poor savage might be a means to help me.
星期五的谈话使我很感兴趣。从那时期，我就抱着一种希望，但愿有一天能有机会从这个荒岛上逃出去，并指望这个可怜的野人能帮助我达到目的。
During the long time that Friday had now been with me, and that he began to speak to me, and understand me, I was not wanting to lay a foundation of religious knowledge in his mind;
现在，星期五与我在一起生活了相当长一段时间了，他渐渐会和我谈话了，也渐渐听得懂我的话了。在这段时间里，我经常向他灌输一些宗教知识。
particularly I asked him one time, who made him. The creature did not understand me at all, but thought I had asked who was his father ?
特别有一次，我问他：谁创造了他？这可怜的家伙一点也不明白我的意思，以为是我在问他谁是他的父亲。
but I took it up by another handle, and asked him who made the sea, the ground we walked on, and the hills and woods.
我就换一个方法问他：大海，我们行走的大地、高山、树林，都是谁创造出来的？
He told me, "It was one Benamuckee, that lived beyond all;" he could describe nothing of this great person, but that he was very old, "much older," he said, "than the sea or land, than the moon or the stars."
他告诉我，是一位叫贝纳木基的老人创造出来的，这位老人住在很远很远的地方。但无法告诉我这位伟大的老人究竟是怎么样的一个人，只是说“他年纪很大很大，比大海、陆地、月亮、星星年纪都大。”
I asked him then, if this old person had made all things, why did not all things worship him? He looked very grave, and, with a perfect look of innocence, said, "All things say O to him."
我又问他：既然这位老人创造了万物，万物为什么不崇拜他呢？他脸上马上显出既庄重又天真的神气说：“万物都对他说O。”
I asked him if the people who die in his country went away anywhere? He said, "Yes; they all went to Benamuckee." Then I asked him whether those they eat up went thither too. He said, "Yes."
于是我又问他：在他们国家里，人死之后都到什么地方去了？他说：“是的，都到贝纳木基老人那里去了。”接着我又问他：他们吃掉的人是不是也到那里去了？他说：“是的。”
From these things, I began to instruct him in the knowledge of the true God; I told him that the great Maker of all things lived up there, pointing up towards heaven;
从这些事情入手，我逐渐教导他，使他认识真正的神是上帝。我指着天空对他说，伟大的造物者就住在天上；
that He governed the world by the same power and providence by which He made it;
并告诉他，上帝用神力和神意创造了世界，治理着世界。
that He was omnipotent, and could do everything for us, give everything to us, take everything from us; and thus, by degrees, I opened his eyes.
我还告诉他，上帝是万能的，他能为我们做任何事情，他能把一切都赐予我们，也能把一切从我们手里夺走。就这样，我逐渐打开了他的眼界。
He listened with great attention, and received with pleasure the notion of Jesus Christ being sent to redeem us;
他专心致志听我讲，并且很乐意接受我向他灌输的观念：基督是被派来替我们赎罪的。
and of the manner of making our prayers to God, and His being able to hear us, even in heaven.
他也乐意学着向上帝祈祷，并知道，上帝在天上能听到他的祈祷。
He told me one day, that if our God could hear us, up beyond the sun, he must needs be a greater God than their Benamuckee,
有一天，他对我说，上帝能从比太阳更远的地方听到我们的话，他必然是比贝纳木基更伟大的神。
who lived but a little way off, and yet could not hear till they went up to the great mountains where he dwelt to speak to them.
因为贝纳木基住的地方不算太远，可他却听不到他们的话，除非他们到他住的那座山里跟他说话。
I asked him if ever he went thither to speak to him. He said, "No; they never went that were young men; none went thither but the old men," whom he called their Oowokakee;
我问他：他可曾去过那儿与他说过话？他说：“没有，青年人从来不去，只有那些被称为奥乌卡儿的老人才去。”
that is, as I made him explain to me, their religious, or clergy; and that they went to say O (so he called saying prayers), and then came back and told them what Benamuckee said.
经过他解释，我才知道，所谓奥乌卡儿，就是他们部族的祭司或僧侣。据他所说，他们到那儿去说O，（他说，这是他们的祈祷。）然后回来把贝纳木基的话告诉他们。
By this I observed, that there is priestcraft even among the most blinded, ignorant pagans in the world;
从星期五的话里，我可以推断，即使是世界上最盲目无知的异教徒中，也存在神职者；
and the policy of making a secret of religion, in order to preserve the veneration of the people to the clergy, not only to be found in the Roman, but, perhaps, among all religions in the world, even among the most brutish and barbarous savages.
同时，我也发现，把宗教神秘化，从而使人们能敬仰神职人员，这种做法不仅存在于罗马天主教，也存在于世界上一切宗教，甚至也存在于最残忍的野蛮人中间。
