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After all these years I can picture that old time to myself now, just as it was then:
盡管這么多年過去了，可到今天，我還能在心中回想當日的情景，仿佛回到了過去。
My father was a justice of the peace, and I supposed he possessed the power of life and death over all men and could hang anybody that offended him.
我父親是鎮上的治安官，在我看來，他掌管著每個人的生殺大權，任何一個得罪他的人都會被絞死。
This was distinction enough for me as a general thing; but the desire to be a steamboatman kept intruding, nevertheless.
總的來說，就這一點就足以讓我風光無限了。然而，當水手的念頭還是不時的在我腦海中閃現。
I first wanted to be a cabin-boy, so that I could come out with a white apron on and shake a tablecloth over the side, where all my old comrades could see me;
起初我想當個船上的小伙計，因為這樣我就可以系上白圍裙，站在船邊搖一搖桌布，以便我兒時的小伙伴可以看見我。
later I thought I would rather be the deckhand who stood on the end of the stage-plank with the coil of rope in his hand, because he was particularly conspicuous.
可是隨后，我寧愿成為一名水手，手中握著一卷繩子站在踏板邊緣，因為那樣才會吸引眾人的目光。
But these were only day-dreams,they were too heavenly to be contemplated as real possibilities.
不過這些想法僅僅是拜白日夢而已，這些簡直是天方夜譚，根本不可能會實現。
By and by one of our boys went away.
沒多久，我們這群伙伴中的一個男孩離開了小鎮。
He was not heard of for a long time.
他銷聲匿跡了好長一段時間。
At last he turned up as apprentice engineer or 'striker' on a steamboat.
最后，他終于以一種特殊的身份出現，他成了一艘輪船上的見習機械師或是錘手。
This thing shook the bottom out of all my Sunday-school teachings.
我在主日學校所受的教誨也因為這件事而全部改變了。
That boy had been notoriously worldly, and I just the reverse; yet he was exalted to this eminence, and I left in obscurity and misery.
這個男孩曾是個臭名遠揚的壞蛋，而我剛好與他不同。可是現在，他卻得意洋洋，
There was nothing generous about this fellow in his greatness.
我卻一文不值，苦惱不堪。
He would always manage to have a rusty bolt to scrub while his boat tarried at our town, and he would sit on the inside guard and scrub it, where we could all see him and envy him and loathe him.
這小子發達之后，變得沒有一點氣量。一旦他的船停泊在我們小鎮上，他總是能設法找來一塊生銹的鐵栓擦，并且他一直刻意地坐在靠岸的這邊欄桿上擦，一定讓我們都看見，讓我們對他羨慕嫉妒恨。
