The life and opinions of Tristram Shandy, gentleman

for it is written in a bye corner of the kingdom, and in a retir’d thatch’d house, where I live in a constant endeavour to fence against the infirmities of ill health, and other evils of life, by mirth;

因为这本书是在王国的一个偏僻角落里，在一个隐居的茅草屋里写成的，我住在那里，不断地努力用欢笑来抵御疾病和其他生活中的不幸；

being firmly persuaded that every time a man smiles,—but much more so, when he laughs, it adds something to this Fragment of Life.

我坚信，每当一个人微笑——但更确切地说，当他笑的时候——都会给这生命的片段增添一些东西。