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这样,根据船上的日历,我在一六八六年十二月十九日,离开了这个海岛。我一共在岛上住了二十八年两个月零十九天。我第二次遇难而获救的这一天,恰好和我第一次从萨累的摩尔人手里坐长艇里逃出来,是同月同日。 In this Vessel, after a long Voyage, I arriv'd in England, the Eleventh of June, in the Year 1687, having been thirty and five Years absent. 我乘这条船航行了半年多,终于在一六八七年七月十一日抵达英国。计算起来,我离国已经三十五年了。 When I came to England, I was as perfect a Stranger to all the World, as if I had never been known there. My Benefactor and faithful Steward, who I had left in Trust with my Money, was alive; but had had great Misfortunes in the World; was become a Widow the second Time, and very low in the World: I made her easy as to what she ow'd me, assuring her, I would give her no Trouble; but on the contrary, in Gratitude to her former Care and Faithfulness to me, I reliev'd her as my little Stock would afford, which at that Time would indeed allow me to do but little for her; abut I assur'd her, I would never forget her former Kindness to me; nor did I forget her, when I had sufficient to help her, as shall be observ'd in its Place. 我回到英国,人人都把我当外国人,好像我从未在英国住过似的。我那位替我保管钱财的恩人和忠实的管家,这时还活着。不过她的遭遇非常不幸。她再嫁之后又成了寡妇,境况十分悲惨。我叫她不要把欠我的钱放在心上,并对她说,我决不会找她麻烦。相反,为了报答她以前对我的关心和忠诚,我又尽我微薄的财力给了她一点接济。当然,我现在财力有限,不能对她有多少帮助。可是,我向她保证,我永远不会忘记她以前对我的好处,并告诉她,只要我将来有力量帮助她,我决不会忘记她。这是后话了。 I went down afterwards into Yorkshire; but my Father was dead, and my Mother, and all the Family extinct, except that I found two Sisters, and two of the Children of one of my Brothers; and as I had been long ago given over for dead, there had been no Provision made for me; so that in a Word, I found nothing to relieve, or assist me; and that little Money I had, would not do much for me, as to settling in the World. 后来,我去了约克郡。我父亲已经过世,我母亲及全家也都成古人了。我只找到了两个妹妹和我一位哥哥的两个孩子。因为大家都以为我早已不在世上了,所以没有留给我一点遗产。一句话,我完全找不到一点接济和资助,而我身上的一点钱,根本无法帮助我成家立业。 I met with one Piece of Gratitude indeed, which I did not expect; and this was, That the Master of the Ship, who I had so happily deliver'd, and by the same Means sav'd the Ship and Cargo, having given a very handsome Account to the Owners, of the Manner how I had sav'd the Lives of the Men, and the Ship, they invited me to meet them, and some other Merchants concern'd, and altogether made me a very handsome Compliment upon the Subject, and a Present of almost two hundred Pounds Sterling. 万万没有料到的是,在我这样窘迫的时候,却有人对我感恩图报。我意外救了船长,也救了他的船和货物。这时,船长把我怎样救了全船和船上的人,详详细细地报告了那些船主。他们就把我邀请去,和他们以及几个有关的商人会面。他们对我的行为大大地赞扬了一番,又送了我两百英镑作为酬谢。 
我对自己当前的处境反复考虑,感到实难安身立命,就决定到里斯本去一趟,看看能不能打听到我在巴西的种植园和那合股人的情况。我相信,我那合股人一定以为我死了多年了。 With this View I took Shipping for Lisbon, where I arriv'd in April following; my Man Friday accompanying me very honestly in all these Ramblings, and proving a most faithful Servant upon all Occasions. 抱着这一希望,我搭上了开往里斯本的船,于第二年四月份到达了那里。当我这样东奔西跑的时候,我的星期五一直跟着我,诚实可靠,并证明无论何时何地,他都是我最忠实的仆人。 When I came to Lisbon, I found out by Enquiry, and to my particular Satisfaction, my old Friend the Captain of the Ship, who first took me up at Sea, off of the Shore of Africk: He was now grown old, and had left off the Sea, having put his Son, who was far from a young Man, into his Ship; and who still used the Brasil Trade. The old Man did not know me, and indeed, I hardly knew him; but I soon brought him to my Remembrance, and as soon brought my self to his Remembrance, when I told him who I was. 到了里斯本,我几经打听,找到了我的老朋友,也就是把我从非洲海面上救起来的那位船长。这真使我高兴极了。船长现在年事已高,早就不再出海了;他让儿子当了船长,而儿子也已近中年了,仍旧做巴西生意。那老人家已经不认得我了;说实在话,我也一样认不出他了。但不久我就记起了他的面貌。当我告诉他我是谁之后,他也记起了我的面貌。 After some passionate Expressions of the old Acquaintance, I enquir'd, you may be sure, after my Plantation and my Partner: The old Man told me he had not been in the Brasils for about nine Years; but that he could assure me, that when he came away, my Partner was living, but the Trustees, who I had join'd with him to take Cognizance of my Part, were both dead; that however, he believ'd that I would have a very good Account of the Improvement of the Plantation; for that upon the general Belief of my being cast away, and drown'd, my Trustees had given in the Account of the Produce of my Part of the Plantation, to the Procurator Fiscal, who had appropriated it, in Case I never came to claim it; one Third to the King, and two Thirds to the Monastery of St. Augustine, to be expended for the Benefit of the Poor, and for the Conversion of the Indians to the Catholick Faith; but that if I appear'd, or any one for me, to claim the Inheritance, it should be restor'd; only that the Improvement, or Annual Production, being distributed to charitable Uses, could not be restor'd; but he assur'd me, that the Steward of the King's Revenue (from Lands) and the Proviedore, or Steward of the Monastery, had taken great Care all along, that the Incumbent, that is to say my Partner, gave every Year a faithful Account of the Produce, of which they receiv'd duly my Moiety. 老友重逢,交谈之际,言词热切。不用说,我接着就询问了我的种植园和合股人的情况。老人家告诉我,他已有九年没有去巴西了。但他可以向我保证,当他离开那里的时候,我的合股人还在人世。我曾委托他和另外两位代理人照管我的产业。尽管那两位代理人已经过世,但他相信,关于我那种植园的收益,我还是不难收到一份种植园这几十年来发展的详细报告。因为,当时人们以为我出事淹死之后,我的几位产权代理人就把我在种植园股份内应得的收入,报告给税务官。税务官怕我永远也回不来接受这笔财产,就作了如下的处理:收入的三分之一划归国王,三分之二拨给圣奥古斯丁修道院,作为救济灾民以及在印第安人中传播天主教之用。但如果我回来,或有人申请继承我的遗产,我的财产就能还给我,不过已经分配给慈善事业的历年收入,是不能发还的。但他向我保证,政府征收土地税的官员和修道院的司事,一直在监督着我的合股人,叫他把每年的收入交出一份可靠的账目,并把我应得的部分上缴。 I ask'd him if he knew to what height of Improvement he had brought the Plantation? And, Whether he thought it might be worth looking after? Or, Whether on my going thither, I should meet with no Obstruction to my Possessing my just Right in the Moiety? 我问他是否知道种植园发展的情况?又问他,在他看来,是否还值得经营下去?如果我去巴西,要把我应得的部分收回来,是否会有什么困难? 
他对我说,种植园发展的具体情况,他实在也不清楚。可是他知道,我那合股人尽管只享有种植园一半的收入,但已成了当地的巨富。他又告诉我,现在回忆起来,他曾听说,仅仅政府收到我所应得的三分之一,每年就达二百葡萄牙金币以上;这部分钱好像拨给了另一个修道院或什么宗教机构去了。要收回这笔财产,应该是不成问题的,因为我的合股人还活着,可以证明我的股权,而且,我的名字也在巴西登记在册。他又告诉我,我那两位代理人的财产继承人,都是很公正诚实的人,而且都很富有。他相信,我不仅可以获得他们的帮助,领到我的财产,而且,还可以从他们那里拿到一大笔属于我的现款。那是在他们父亲保管期间我每年的收入。据他记忆,把我收入部分缴公,还只是十二年以前的事。 I shew'd my self a little concern'd, and uneasy at this Account, and enquir'd of the old Captain, How it came to pass, that the Trustees should thus dispose my Effects, when he knew that I had made my Will, and had made him, the Portuguese Captain, my universal Heir, & c. 我听了他的话,心里感到有些烦恼和不安。我问那老船长,我既然立了遗嘱,指定他,这位葡萄牙籍船长,作为我财产的全权继承人,那两位代理人怎么能这样处理我的财产呢? He told me, that was true; but that as there was no Proof of my being dead, he could not act as Executor, until some certain Account should come of my Death, and that besides, he was not willing to intermeddle with a thing so remote; that it was true he had registred my Will, and put in his Claim; and could he have given any Account of my being dead or alive, he would have acted by Procuration, and taken Possession of the Ingenio, so they call'd the Sugar-House, and had' given his Son, who was now at the Brasils, Order to do it. But, says the old Man, I have one Piece of News to tell you, which perhaps may not be so acceptable to you as the rest, and that is, That believing you were lost, and all the World believing so also, your Partner and Trustees did offer to accompt to me in your Name, for six or eight of the first Years of Profits, which I receiv'd; but there being at that time, says he, great Disbursements for encreasing the Works, building an Ingenio, and buying Slaves, it did not amount to near so much as afterwards it produced: However, says she old Man, I shall give you a true Account of what I have received in all, and how I have disposed of it. After a few Days farther Conference with this ancient Friend, he brought me an Account of the six first Years Income of my Plantation, sign'd by my Partner and the Merchants Trustees, being always deliver'd in Goods, viz. Tobacco in Roll, and Sugar in Chests, besides Rum, Molossus, & c. which is the Consequence of a Sugar Work; and I found by this Account, that every Year the Income considerably encreased; but as above, the Disbursement being large, the Sum at first was small: However, the old Man let me see, that he was Debtor to me 470 Moidores of Gold, besides 60 Chests of Sugar, and 15 double Rolls of Tobacco which were lost in his Ship; he having been Ship-wreck'd coming Home to Lisbon about 11 Years after my leaving the Place. 他对我说,他确实是我的继承人。但是,关于我的死亡一直无法证实。在没有获得我死亡的确切消息之前,他不能作为我遗嘱的执行人。而且,还有一层,这远隔重洋的事,他也不愿意干预。但他又说,他确实把我的遗嘱向有关部门登记过,而且提出了他的产权要求。如果他能提出我的死亡证明,他早已根据财产委托权,接管了我的糖厂,并派目前在巴西的儿子去经营了。"可是,"那老人家又说,"我还有一件事要告诉你。这事你听了可能会不太高兴。当时,我们都以为你已死了,大家也都这样认为,你的合股人和代理人就把你头六七年的收入交给了我,我也都收下了。但当时,种植园正在发展,需扩充设备,建立糖厂,又要买奴隶,所以收入就没有后来的那么多。不过,我一定把我的收入及花费开一份可靠的账单给你。"我和这位老朋友又连续商谈了好几天,他就把我种植园最初六年的细账交给了我,上面有我的合股人和两位代理人的签字。当时交出来的都是现货,像成捆的烟叶,成箱的糖;此外,还有糖厂的一些副产品,像糖蜜酒和糖蜜等东西。从账目中我可以看到,收入每年都有增加,但正如上面所提到的,由于开头几年开支较大,实际收入不大。尽管如此,老人家还是告诉我,他欠我四百七十块葡萄牙金币,另外还有六十箱糖和十五大捆烟叶。那些货物在船只开往里斯本的航行中因失事而全部损失了。那是我离开巴西十一年以后发生的事。
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