In the academy I attended, elocution was taught in a way I shall never forget—never!
在我读书的学院，演说术的传授方式我一辈子也忘不了——永生难忘！
We had a yearly exhibition, and the favorites of the preceptor were allowed to speak a piece; and a pretty time they had of it.
我们每年都要公开示范，老师让自己喜爱的学生读一段文字，经过一段时间他们就能掌握演讲的要领。
Somehow I was never a favorite with any of my teachers after the first two or three days;
不知怎么地，从上两三天课后我就不再为任何老师所喜欢；
and, as I went barefooted, I dare say it was thought unseemly, or perhaps cruel, to expose me upon the platform.
当我赤足走上讲台时，我敢说没有谁认为这很得体，让我出现在讲台上本身就有点残酷。
And then, as I had no particular aptitude for public speaking,
因此，我在当众演讲方面没有什么天资，
and no relish for what was called oratory, it was never my luck to be called up.
对于所谓的演说术也不抱什么乐趣。对我而言，被叫起来演讲从来就不是什么幸运的事情。
Among my schoolmates, however, was one—a very amiable, shy boy—to whom was assigned, at the first exhibition I attended,
然而在我的同学中，有一位非常和蔼、害羞的男生，在我第一次参加公开示范时，指定他来示范演讲，
that passage in Pope's Homer beginning with, "Aurora, now, fair daughter of the dawn!"
那篇选段是蒲伯的《荷马》，该文开头是这样的：“现在，曙光女神奥罗拉，黎明女神那位漂亮的女儿！”
This the poor boy gave with so much emphasis and discretion, that, to me, it sounded like "O roarer!"
这可怜的孩子太过强调和谨慎，以至于在我听起来，就像是“啊，奥罗雷！”
and I was wicked enough, out of sheer envy, I dare say, to call him "O roarer!"
出于纯粹的嫉妒，我感到颇不耐烦，直接想叫他“啊，奥罗雷！”
a nickname which clung to him for a long while, though no human being ever deserved it less;
这个绰号伴他很长时间，尽管没有别人配得上这个绰号。
for in speech and action both, he was quiet, reserved, and sensitive.
就说话和举止两者来说，他过于内敛、含蓄和敏感了。
