该短文的作者是Langston Hughes（兰斯顿·休斯），(1902-1967)美国黑人诗人、小说家、剧作家。兰斯顿·休斯被称为“哈莱姆的桂冠诗人”，其代表作为《消沉的布鲁斯舞曲》。休斯的作品写黑人题材，反映下层人的生活状况。本人进行翻译并发表在英文期刊上。
I was saved from sin when I was going on（接近） thirteen. But not really saved. It happened like this. There was a big revival（鼓动性的福音布道会） at my Auntie（aunt的昵称） Reed's church. Every night for weeks there had been much preaching, singing, praying, and shouting, and some very hardened sinners（不知改悔的罪人） had been brought to（=bring round 说服，使相信） Christ, and the membership of the church had grown by leaps and bounds（极迅速地）.
我快十三岁时，灵魂得以拯救，但不是真正的得救。事情是这样的我姨妈里德家附近的教堂举行了一个盛大的福音布道会。连续几周，这里每天晚上都讲道，吟咏，祈祷和喧嚣。一些不知改悔的罪人被带到这里请求上帝拯救，结果教堂会众剧增。
Then just before the revival ended, they held a special meeting for children,” to bring the young lambs（天真的人） to the fold（信徒；教会）. My aunt spoke of it for days ahead. That night I was escorted to the front row and placed on the mourners'（公开忏悔者） bench with all the other young sinners, who had not yet been brought to Jesus.
在布道会结束前，“为了使年幼天真的孩子们成为信徒”，他们还举行了一个专门的儿童宗教聚会。我姨妈早在几天前就谈论此事。那天晚上，我被送到教堂的前排，和那些还不相信上帝耶稣的小罪人一起被安排坐在公开忏悔者的长凳上。
My aunt told me that when you were saved you saw a light, and something happened to you inside! And Jesus came into your life! And God was with you from then on! She said you could see and hear and feel Jesus in your soul. I believed her. I had heard a great many old people say the same thing and it seemed to me they ought to know. So I sat there calmly in the hot, crowded church waiting for Jesus to come to me.
我姨妈告诉我，当你灵魂得救时会看到光亮，你心灵深处就发生变化。耶稣便进入你的生命中。从那时起，上帝就与你同在。她说，在你的灵魂深处，你能看见、听见、感觉到耶稣的存在。我相信她的话。我曾听到许多老人说过此事。在我看来，他们应该知道这些的。因此，我静静地坐在闷热、拥挤的教堂里，等待着耶稣的到来。
