So, the first thing I did, I got a merchant in Lisbon to write to his correspondent in London, not only to pay a bill, but to go find her out, and carry her, in money, a hundred pounds from me,
因此,我做的第一件事情是,我让一位在里斯本的商人写信给他在伦敦的关系人,除了请他替我把汇票兑成现款外,还请他亲自找到她,替我把一百英镑的现款亲自交给她。
and to talk with her, and comfort her in her poverty, by telling her she should, if I lived, have a further supply:
我还要此人当面和她谈一下,因为她目前非常贫困,境况不佳,所以我要此人好好安慰她,并告诉她,只要我活在人世,以后还会接济她。
at the same time I sent my two sisters in the country a hundred pounds each, they being, though not in want, yet not in very good circumstances; one having been married and left a widow; and the other having a husband not so kind to her as he should be.
另外,我又给我那两个住在乡下的妹妹每人寄了一百。她们虽然并不贫困,但境况也不太好。一个妹妹结了婚,后来成了寡妇;另一个妹妹的丈夫对她很不好。
But among all my relations or acquaintances I could not yet pitch upon one to whom I durst commit the gross of my stock, that I might go away to the Brazils, and leave things safe behind me; and this greatly perplexed me.
可是,在我所有的亲戚朋友中,我还找不到一个可以完全信托的人,把我的全部财产交给他保管,这样我自己可以放心到巴西去,毫无后顾之虑。这件事一直使我十分烦恼。
I had once a mind to have gone to the Brazils and have settled myself there, for I was, as it were, naturalised to the place; but I had some little scruple in my mind about religion, which insensibly drew me back.
我一度也曾想到过在巴西安家落户,因为我从前入过巴西籍。但是在宗教上我总有一点顾虑,不敢贸然作出决定。关于这个问题,我不久再会谈到,
However, it was not religion that kept me from going there for the present; and as I had made no scruple of being openly of the religion of the country all the while I was among them, so neither did I yet;
但当前,妨碍我前往的不是宗教问题。从前我在巴西的时候,已毫无顾忌地皈依了他们的宗教,现在当然更无所顾虑了。
only that, now and then, having of late thought more of it than formerly, when I began to think of living and dying among them, I began to regret having professed myself a Papist, and thought it might not be the best religion to die with.
不过,最近我经常会考虑到这个问题,想到我将在他们中间生活和去世,我有点后悔当时我皈依了旧教天主教,并感到自己有点不甘心以旧教徒的身份死去。
But, as I have said, this was not the main thing that kept me from going to the Brazils, but that really I did not know with whom to leave my effects behind me;
但是,我上面已说过,目前妨碍我前往巴西的不是什么宗教问题,而是我不知道该把我的财产托付给谁代管。
so I resolved at last to go to England, where, if I arrived, I concluded that I should make some acquaintance, or find some relations, that would be faithful to me; and, accordingly, I prepared to go to England with all my wealth.
所以,我决定带着我的钱和财产回英国去。到了那里,我相信一定可以结交一些朋友,或找到什么忠于我的亲戚。这样,我就决定带着我的全部财富回英国去。
In order to prepare things for my going home, I first (the Brazil fleet being just going away) resolved to give answers suitable to the just and faithful account of things I had from thence;
回国之前,当然先得把一些事情料理一下。开往巴西的船队马上要起航了,所以我决定先写几封回信,答复巴西方面寄给我的那些报告。应该说,他们的报告既忠实,又公正,所以,我的回信也应该写得十分得体。
and, first, to the Prior of St. Augustine I wrote a letter full of thanks for his just dealings, and the offer of the eight hundred and seventy two moidores which were undisposed of,
首先,我给圣奥古斯丁修道院院长写了一封回信,在信中,我对他们公正无私的办事态度充满了感激之情,并把那没有动用的八百七十二块葡萄牙金币全部捐献了出去,
which I desired might be given, five hundred to the monastery, and three hundred and seventy two to the poor, as the prior should direct; desiring the good padre's prayers for me, and the like.
其中五百块金币捐给修道院,三百七十二块随院长意思捐给贫民,并请他为我祈祷。
I wrote next a letter of thanks to my two trustees, with all the acknowledgment that so much justice and honesty called for: as for sending them any present, they were far above having any occasion of it.
接着,我又给两位代理人写了一封感谢信,赞扬他们公正无私、诚实忠诚的办事态度。我本想送他们一些礼物,可是一想他们什么也不缺,也就作罢了。
Lastly, I wrote to my partner, acknowledging his industry in the improving the plantation, and his integrity in increasing the stock of the works;
最后,我又给我的合股人写了一封信,感谢他在发展我们的种植园工作上所付出的辛勤劳动,以及他在扩大工厂经营中所表现的廉洁精神。
giving him instructions for his future government of my part, according to the powers I had left with my old patron, to whom I desired him to send whatever became due to me, till he should hear from me more particularly;
在信中,我对今后如何处置我的那部分资产作了指示,请他按我赋予老船长的权力,把我应得的收益寄给老船长。以后办法如有改变,我将会再详细通知他。
assuring him that it was my intention not only to come to him, but to settle myself there for the remainder of my life.
同时,我还告诉他,我不仅会亲自去巴西看他,还打算在那里定居,度过我的余生。
To this I added a very handsome present of some Italian silks for his wife and two daughters, for such the captain's son informed me he had;
另外,我又送了一份丰厚的礼物给他的太太和两个女儿,因为老船长告诉我,他已有了家室。
with two pieces of fine English broadcloth, the best I could get in Lisbon, five pieces of black baize, and some Flanders lace of a good value.
礼物中包括一些意大利丝绸,两匹英国细呢,那是我在里斯本市场上所能买到的最好的呢料,五匹黑色粗呢,以及一些价格昂贵的佛兰德斯花边。
Having thus settled my affairs, sold my cargo, and turned all my effects into good bills of exchange, my next difficulty was which way to go to England:
就这样,我把该料理的事情都办了,把货也卖出去了,又把我的钱财换成可靠的汇票,下一步的难题就是走哪一条路回英国。
I had been accustomed enough to the sea, and yet I had a strange aversion to go to England by the sea at that time, and yet I could give no reason for it,
海路我是走惯了,可是这一次不知什么原因,我就是不想走海路。我不愿意从海路回英国,尽管我自己也说不出什么理由。
yet the difficulty increased upon me so much, that though I had once shipped my baggage in order to go, yet I altered my mind, and that not once but two or three times.
这种想法越来越强烈,以至有两三次,我把行李都搬到船上了,可是还是临时改变了主意,重新把行李从船上搬了下来。
It is true I had been very unfortunate by sea, and this might be one of the reasons; but let no man slight the strong impulses of his own thoughts in cases of such moment:
我的航海生涯确实非常不幸,这也许是我不想再出海的理由之一。但在这种时候,任何人也不应忽视自己内心这种突然产生的念头。
two of the ships which I had singled out to go in, I mean more particularly singled out than any other, having put my things on board one of them, and in the other having agreed with the captain; I say two of these ships miscarried.
我曾特别挑选过两条船,本来我是决定要搭乘的。其中有一条,我把行李都搬上去了;另一条,我也都和船长讲定了。可是,最后我两条船都没有上。后来,那两条船果然都出事了。
One was taken by the Algerines, and the other was lost on the Start, near Torbay, and all the people drowned except three; so that in either of those vessels I had been made miserable.
一条给阿尔及利亚人掳了去;另一条在托贝湾的斯塔特岬角沉没了,三人生还,其他人都淹死了。反正不管我上哪条船,都得倒霉;至于上哪条船更倒霉,那就很难说了。