（单词翻译:单击）
About the twelfth year of my age, my father being abroad, my mother reproved me for some misconduct, to which I made an undutiful reply. And The next first-day, as I was with my father returning from meeting, he told me that he understood I had behaved amiss to my mother, and advised me to be more careful in future. I knew myself blamable, and in shame and confusion remained silent. Being thus awakened1 to a sense of my wickedness, I felt remorse2 in my mind, and on getting home I retired3 and prayed to the Lord to forgive me, and I do not remember that I ever afterwards spoke4 unhandsomely to either of my parents, however foolish in some other things.
Having attained5 the age of sixteen , I began to love wanton company and though I was preserved from profane6 language or scandalous conduct, still I perceived a plant in me which produced much wild grapes; my merciful Father did not, however, forsake7 me utterly8, but at times, through his grace, I was brought seriously to consider my ways; and the sight of my backslidings affected9 me with sorrow, yet for want of rightly attending to the reproofs10 of instruction, vanity was added to vanity, and repentance11 to repentance. Upon the whole, my mind became more and more alienated12 from the truth, and I hastened toward destruction. While I meditate13 on the gulf14 towards which I travelled, and reflect on my youthful disobedience,my heart is affected with sorrow.
Thus time passed on; my heart was replenished15 with mirth and wantonness, while pleasing scenes of vanity were presented to my imagination, till I attained the age of eighteen years, near which time I felt the judgments16 of God in my soul, like a consuming fire, and looking over my past life the prospect17 was moving. I was often sad, and longed to be delivered from those vanities; then again my heart was strongly inclined to them, and there was in me a sore conflict. At times I turned to folly18, and then again sorrow and confusion took hold of me. In a while I resolved totally to leave off some of my vanities, but there was a secret reserve in my heart of the more refined part of them, and I was not low enough to find true peace. Thus for some months I had great troubles and Thus quite; there were meany on unsubjected, which rendered my labors19 fruitless. At length, through the merciful continuance of heavenly visitations, I was made to bow down in spirit before the most time. I remember One evening I had spent some time in reading a pious20 author, and walking out alone I humbly21 prayed to the Lord for his help, that I might be delivered from all those vanities which so ensnared me. Thus being brought low, he helped me, and as I learned to bear the cross I felt refreshment22 to come from his presence, but not keeping in that strength which gave victory I lost ground again, the sense of which greatly affected me. and I sought deserts and lonely places, and there with tears did confess my sins to God and humbly craved23 his help. And I may say with reverence24, he was near to me in my troubles, and in those times of humiliation25 opened my ear to discipline.
Excerpt:From Journal by John Woolman
