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One day some gentlemen called on my mother, and I felt the shutting of the front door and other sounds that indicated their arrival. On a sudden thought I ran upstairs before any one could stop me, to put on my idea of a company dress. Standing before the mirror, as I had seen others do, I anointed mine head with oil and covered my face thickly with powder. Then I pinned a veil over my head so that it covered my face and fell in folds down to my shoulders, and tied an enormous bustle round my small waist, so that it dangled behind, almost meeting the hem of my skirt. Thus attired I went down to help entertain the company.
有一天，一些紳士邀請我母親外出，我感覺到了大門關閉的震動和他們離去的聲音。一個突如其來的念頭令我跑上了樓，我穿上了外出的禮服，站在鏡子前。就像其他人做的那樣，我往自己的頭上抹油，還往自己的臉上涂滿厚厚的香粉。隨后，我在頭上別了一塊面紗，于是我的臉和肩膀全都埋進了面紗的褶皺里。我還在腰間系了一個碩大的繩結，繩結懸垂在身后，幾乎碰到了裙角。帶著這身打扮，我會下樓逗眾人開心。
I do not remember when I first realized that I was different from other people; but I knew it before my teacher came to me. I had noticed that my mother and my friends did not use signs as I did when they wanted anything done, but talked with their mouths. Sometimes I stood between two persons who were conversing and touched their lips. I could not understand, and was vexed. I moved my lips and gesticulated frantically without result. This made me so angry at times that I kicked and screamed until I was exhausted.
至于我第一次意識到自己同別人不同時的感受，我已經不記得了；但是在我的老師到來之前，我就知道自己與眾不同。我注意到我的母親和我的朋友們都不像我這樣，她們在做事時不會使用手勢，而是用嘴交談就行了。有時候，我會站在兩個談話的大人之間，用手去摸他們的嘴唇。我無法理解，而且懊惱異常。于是，我試著移動自己的嘴唇，并且瘋狂而徒勞地進行模仿。無奈的舉動令我如此憤怒，我又踢又叫，直至筋疲力盡。
I think I knew when I was naughty, for I knew that it hurt Ella, my nurse, to kick her, and when my fit of temper was over I had a feeling akin to regret. But I cannot remember any instance in which this feeling prevented me from repeating the naughtiness when I failed to get what I wanted.
我想，那時候我知道自己的乖戾頑皮，因為我記得我傷害過我的保姆埃拉，我曾踢過她。狂暴過后，我就會生出幾分懊悔，但是我不記得這種歉疚感有沒有令我的胡鬧收斂一些。
