I could wish for many another year; yet, if I knew that not one more
awaited me, I should not grumble. When I was ill at ease in the

world, it would have been hard to die; I had lived to no purpose,
that I could discover; the end would have seemed abrupt and

meaningless. Now, my life is rounded; it began with the natural
irreflective happiness of childhood, it will close in the reasoned

tranquillity of the mature mind. How many a time, after long labour
on some piece of writing, brought at length to its conclusion, have

I laid down the pen with a sigh of thankfulness; the work was full
of faults, but I had wroughtsincerely, had done what time and

circumstance and my own nature permitted. Even so may it be with me
in my last hour. May I look back on life as a long task duly

completed--a piece of biography; faulty enough, but good as I could
make it--and, with no thought but one of contentment, welcome the

repose to follow when I have breathed the word "Finis."
End

• childhood [´tʃaildhud] n.幼年(时代)；早期 (初中英语单词)
• writing [´raitiŋ] n.书写；写作；书法 (初中英语单词)
• conclusion [kən´klu:ʒən] n.结束；结论；推论 (初中英语单词)
• wrought [rɔ:t] work 的过去式(分词) (初中英语单词)
• welcome [´welkəm] a.受欢迎的；可喜的 (初中英语单词)
• grumble [´grʌmbəl] v.&n.抱怨；发牢骚 (高中英语单词)
• abrupt [ə´brʌpt] a.突然的；粗鲁的 (高中英语单词)
• mature [mə´tjuə] a.成熟的 v.(使)成熟 (高中英语单词)
• sincerely [sin´siəli] ad.真诚地；诚恳地 (高中英语单词)
• biography [bai´ɔgrəfi] n.传记(文学) (英语四级单词)
• contentment [kən´tentmənt] n.满足；使人满意的事 (英语四级单词)
• faulty [´fɔ:lti] a.有毛病的；有故障的 (英语六级单词)