要不是有关心我生活的乡亲们特别请求，我本不该把自己的私事过分强加于读者。他们打探的问题有些人会觉得唐突莽撞，我倒是没感到有什么冒犯。恰恰相反，这些问题合情合理，值得一问。有人问过我吃什么、是否感到孤单、是否感到恐惧，诸如此类；另一些人则好奇我把所得捐了几成给慈善之用；还有些家里人丁兴旺的，想打听我收养了多少穷孩子。因此，我要请求那些对我本人并无特别兴趣的读者原谅，我不得不在本书中回应些许此类问题。在大多数书中，“我”这个第一人称被省略不见，而在这里则会加以保留。本书主要的与众不同之处正是这份自我主义。我们总是忘记书籍的内容终究是出自某人之口。如若有谁能让我像对自己这般了如指掌，过多谈论自身确属不该，只是有限的自身经历不幸将我囿于这一主题。此外，依我之见，每位作者迟早该对他的生活作一次质朴忠实的记录，而不只是描述听来的他者人生。这种记录仿佛是他从一个遥远地方寄给家人的。因为人若是活得真挚，我感觉那一定是在一个遥远的地方。或许这本书是特别为穷学生们准备的。至于我的其他读者，也会有各自受用的部分。我相信没人非要把不合身的外套撑破，毕竟总会有适合它的人。
I should not obtrude my affairs so much on the notice of my readers if very particular inquiries had not been made by my townsmen concerning my mode of life, which some would call impertinent, though they do not appear to me at all impertinent, but, considering the circumstances, very natural and pertinent. Some have asked what I got to eat; if I did not feel lonesome; if I was not afraid; and the like. Others have been curious to learn what portion of my income I devoted to charitable purposes; and some, who have large families, how many poor children I maintained. I will therefore ask those of my readers who feel no particular interest in me to pardon me if I undertake to answer some of these questions in this book. In most books, the I, or first person, is omitted; in this it will be retained; that, in respect to egotism, is the main difference. We commonly do not remember that it is, after all, always the first person that is speaking. I should not talk so much about myself if there were anybody else whom I knew as well. Unfortunately, I am confined to this theme by the narrowness of my experience. Moreover, I, on my side, require of every writer, first or last, a simple and sincere account of his own life, and not merely what he has heard of other men’s lives; some such account as he would send to his kindred from a distant land; for if he has lived sincerely, it must have been in a distant land to me. Perhaps these pages are more particularly addressed to poor students. As for the rest of my readers, they will accept such portions as apply to them. I trust that none will stretch the seams in putting on the coat, for it may do good service to him whom it fits.
