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When I left college, I was sent out to Jamaica, to espouse a bride already courted for me.
我一離開大學就被送往牙買加，跟一個已經替我求了愛的新娘成婚。
My father said nothing about her money;
我的父親只字不提她的錢，
but he told me Miss Mason was the boast of Spanish Town for her beauty: and this was no lie.
卻告訴我在西班牙城梅森小姐有傾城之貌，這倒不假。
I found her a fine woman, in the style of Blanche Ingram: tall, dark, and majestic.
她是個美人，有布蘭奇·英格拉姆的派頭，身材高大，皮膚黝黑，雍容華貴。
Her family wished to secure me because I was of a good race; and so did she.
她家里也希望把我弄到手，因為我身世不錯，和她一樣。
They showed her to me in parties, splendidly dressed.
他們把她帶到聚會上給我看，打扮得花枝招展。
I seldom saw her alone, and had very little private conversation with her.
我難得單獨見她，也很少同她私下交談。
She flattered me, and lavishly displayed for my pleasure her charms and accomplishments.
她恭維我，還故意賣弄姿色和才藝來討好我。
All the men in her circle seemed to admire her and envy me.
她圈子里的男人似乎都被她所傾倒，同時也羨慕我。
I was dazzled, stimulated: my senses were excited; and being ignorant, raw, and inexperienced, I thought I loved her.
我被弄得眼花繚亂，激動不已。我的感官被刺激起來了，由于幼稚無知，沒有經驗，以為自己愛上了她。
There is no folly so besotted that the idiotic rivalries of society,
社交場中的愚蠢角逐、
the prurience, the rashness, the blindness of youth, will not hurry a man to its commission.
年青人的好色、魯莽和盲目，會使人什么糊里糊涂的蠢事都干得出來。
Her relatives encouraged me; competitors piqued me;
她的親戚們慫恿我；情敵們激怒我；
she allured me: a marriage was achieved almost before I knew where I was.
她來勾引我，于是我還幾乎不知道是怎么回事兒，婚事就定了。
Oh, I have no respect for myself when I think of that act! An agony of inward contempt masters me.
呵，想起這種行為我便失去了自尊！我被內心一種自我鄙視的痛苦所壓倒。
I never loved, I never esteemed, I did not even know her.
我從來沒有愛過她，敬重過她，甚至也不了解她。
I was not sure of the existence of one virtue in her nature:
她天性中有沒有一種美德我都沒有把握。
I had marked neither modesty, nor benevolence, nor candour, nor refinement in her mind or manners
在她的內心或舉止中，我既沒有看到謙遜和仁慈，也沒有看到坦誠和高雅。
and, I married her: gross, grovelling, mole-eyed blockhead that I was!
而我娶了她，我是多么粗俗，多么沒有骨氣！真是個有眼無珠的大傻瓜！
With less sin I might have -- but let me remember to whom I am speaking."
要是我沒有那么大的過失，也許我早就，不過還是讓我記住我在同誰說話。”
