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When I had saved what I considered enough money with which to reach Hampton, I started again. Without any unusual occurrence I reached Hampton, with a surplus of exactly fifty cents with which to begin my education. To me it had been a long, eventful journey; but the first sight of the large, three-story, brick school building seemed to have rewarded me for all that I had undergone in order to reach the place. The sight of it seemed to give me new life. I felt that a new kind of existence had now begun -- that life would now have a new meaning.
等我覺得自己攢的錢夠去漢普頓了，就再度啟程。一路順利地到達了漢普頓，這時我身上只剩五十美分，這就是我的教育資金了。對我而言，這趟旅程漫長而曲折，但一看到宏偉的三層磚房教學樓，我就覺得一路所吃的苦都是值得的。看見它，仿佛給我注入了新的生命。我感覺，新的生活已經開始了，從此我的生命將有新的意義。
As soon as possible after reaching the grounds of the Hampton Institute, I presented myself before the head teacher for assignment to a class. Having been so long without proper food, a bath, and change of clothing, I did not, of course, make a very favourable impression upon her, and I could see at once that there were doubts in her mind about the wisdom of admitting me as a student. I felt that I could hardly blame her if she got the idea that I was a worthless loafer or tramp. For some time she did not refuse to admit me, neither did she decide in my favour, and I continued to linger about her, and to impress her in all the ways I could with my worthiness. In the meantime I saw her admitting other students, and that added greatly to my discomfort, for I felt, deep down in my heart, that I could do as well as they, if I could only get a chance to show what was in me.
我到了漢普頓學院后就盡快找到校長，請她給我安排班級。不過，那么久都沒有好好吃過東西，也沒有洗澡、換衣服，我當然不能給她留下什么好印象，我立刻就看出來她心里在懷疑，錄取我是不是一件明智的事。我覺得，就算她認為我是個一無是處的懶人或流浪漢，我也不能怪她。有一陣子，她沒有拒絕錄取我，但也沒有同意，我于是繼續在她周圍晃來晃去，使出渾身解數讓她對我產生好感。與此同時，看到她錄取別的學生，我感到很難受，因為在內心深處，我覺得，只要給我機會讓我展示自己，我也能像他們一樣出色。
