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Let Vergil sing the praises of Augustus, genius celebrate merit, and flattery extol the talents of the great.
讓·維吉爾唱響獻給奧古斯都的贊歌，歷史上天才睿者頌揚羅馬大帝的圣明與偉績。
"The short and simple annals of the poor" engross my pen;
《貧民簡略編年史》一書，耗費我大量的寫作時間，
and while I record the history of Flor Silin's virtues, though I speak of a poor peasant, I shall describe a noble man.
包括敘述具有無私美德的菲洛·斯林一生，這位慷慨好施、品質高尚的人只是俄羅斯一位窮苦農民。
I ask no eloquence to assist me in the task; modest worth rejects the aid of ornament to set it off.
我無需用花哨雄辯的語言維系自己寫作，唯有內心謙卑，摒棄辭藻華美，才能徑入主題。
It is impossible, even at this distant period, to reflect without horror on the miseries of that year known in Lower Volga by the name of the "Famine Year."
即使年代滄桑久遠，回想起來，我的內心恐懼依然揮之不去，總會聯想那本題為《饑饉記年》一書中描述的當年紀實。
I remember the summer, whose scorching heats had dried up all the fields, and the drought had no relief but from the tears of the ruined farmer.
我還記得災難發生的那個夏天，炙熱燒焦舔干田野里所有莊稼，干旱未見絲毫減輕，絕望無助的農民眼里只有淚水。
I remember the cold, comfortless autumn,
那年秋天，天氣寒冷難挨。
and the despairing rustics, crowding round their empty barns, with folded arms and sorrowful countenances, pondering on their misery, instead of rejoicing, as usual, at the golden harvest.
饑餓的鄉民聚集在自家空空的谷倉周圍，他們束手無策，臉上滿是悲哀迷惘，村莊不再像往年那樣，慶賀秋天豐收季節的來臨。
I remember the winter which succeeded, and I reflect with agony on the miseries it brought with it.
我還清楚記得那個接踵而至的冬天，空中彌漫一股瀕死氣息，
Whole families left their homes to become beggars on the highway.
無數家庭背井離鄉外出乞討。
At night the canopy of heaven served them as their only shelter from the piercing winds and bitter frost.
夜晚，饑民們只能在野外露天安歇棲身，盡管天寒地凍，北風刺骨，那是他們歇宿的唯一選擇。
To describe these scenes would be to harm the feelings of my readers; therefore, to my tale.
就我書中記錄來看，描述那些悲哀場面可能會傷害讀者的情感。
In those days I lived on an estate not far from Simbirsk;
當年餓殍遍野，我居住的地方離辛比爾斯克不遠，
and, though but a child, I have not forgotten the impression made on my mind by the general calamity.
盡管我那時尚且年幼，那場餓殍遍野的恐怖印象仍然記憶猶新。
