I have been asked by my American friends to write the story of my life.At first，the idea seemed alien to me，but I yielded to persuasion.However，I could not conceivemy biography as a complete expression of personal feelings or a detailed deionof all incidents I would remember.Many of our feelings change with the years，and，when faded away，may seem altogether strange；incidents lose their momentary interest and may be remembered as if they have occurred to some other person.But there may be in a life some general direction，some continuous thread，due to a few dominant ideas and a few strong feelings，that explain the life and are characteristic of a human personality.Of my life，which has not been easy on the whole，I have described the general course and the essential features，and I trust that my story gives an understanding of the state of mind in which I have lived and worked.

My family is of Polish origin，and my name is Marie Sklodowska.My father and my mother both came from among the small Polish landed proprietors.In my country this class is composed of a large number of families，owners of small and medium-sized estates，frequently interrelated.It has been，until recently，chiefly from this group that Poland has drawn her intellectual recruits.

美國的朋友們讓我把自己的生活經歷寫出來。開始的時候，我覺得這個建議對我來說真的是難以接受，但是最后，我還是被友人們說服了，勉強地寫了這個簡短的生平傳記。但我不可能憑借這本簡略的傳記寫出我一生中的全部感受，也沒辦法對我所經歷過的全部事情進行詳述。時過境遷，許多關于當時感受的記憶已經模糊，時間越久，就越加模糊不清，竟至有時還認為有些事情與自己無關，像是別人所經歷的。無疑，人的一生總會受一些主要思想以及某些深刻感受的影響與支配，從而使生活能夠沿著一條主線往前走。有了這一主線，就會明白當時為什么這么做而不是那么做，就可以看出當事人的性格等各方面的特點。我會把自己并不算一帆風順的一生作一個概述，將其中的要點記敘下來。相信我的故事能夠將我從工作和生活中得到的啟示展示給大家。

我祖籍波蘭，名叫瑪麗·斯可羅多夫斯卡。我的父母都出生于波蘭的小地主家庭。在我的祖國，像我父母那樣擁有一份不大產業的中產階級的人數頗多。他們成為了社會上的一個階層，彼此之間通常有著千絲萬縷的聯系。直到現在，波蘭的知識分子大部分都還來自于這一階層。

While my paternal grandfather had divided his time between agriculture and directing a provincial college，my father，more strongly drawn to study，followed the course of the University of Petrograd，and later definitely established himself at Warsaw as Professor of Physics and Mathematics in one of the lyceums of that city.He married a young woman whose mode of life was congenial to his；for，although very young，she had，what was，for that time，a very serious education，and was the，director of one of the best Warsaw schools for young girls.

My father and mother worshiped their profession in the highest degree and have left，all over their country，a lasting remembrance with their pupils.I cannot，even today，go into Polish society without meeting persons who have tender memories of my parents.

Although my parents adopted a university career，they continued to keep in close touch with their numerous family in the country.It was with their relatives that I frequently spent my vacation，living in all freedom and finding opportunities to know the field life by which I was deeply attracted.To these conditions，so different from the usual villegiature，I believe，I owe my love for the country and nature.

Born at Warsaw，on the 7th of November，1867，I was the last of five children，but my oldest sister died at the early age of fourteen，and we were left，three sisters and a brother.Cruelly struck by the loss of her daughter and worn away by a grave illness，my mother died at forty-two，leaving her husband in the deepest sorrow with his children.I was then only nine years old，and my eldest brother was hardly thirteen.

我的祖父對一所省立中學進行管理，閑暇時也干一些農活。我的父親熱愛學習，曾在俄國圣彼得堡大學讀書，畢業后回到波蘭，在華沙的一所預科大學里教授物理和數學。他娶了一位和他情投意合、志趣相同的女子為妻。母親很年輕時，就已經在華沙一所女子學校擔任校長了。那時候，她所從事的教育事業是極其崇高而又莊嚴的。

我的父母對自己所從事的教育事業兢兢業業、恪盡職守。他們的學生遍及波蘭，可謂桃李滿天下。這些學生直到現在仍對我的父母十分感激，并且懷念著他們。即便在今天，每當我回到波蘭，遇見以前父母教過的學生，他們還總要向我傾訴對我父母的懷念。

我的父母盡管在城市從事教育事業，但他們與農村的親戚們也都保持著往來。每到放假，我都會到農村親戚家去住上一段日子，這使我對波蘭的農村了解很深，并因此喜歡上了它。在那里，我很自然地就會感到無拘無束、散淡愜意。我想這段難忘的生活經歷也正是我終生喜愛田野鄉村，熱愛大自然的原因吧！

1867年11月，我出生于華沙，是家中五個孩子里最小的一個，但是我的大姐于14歲時不幸病逝，所以留下了我們姐妹三個和一個兄弟。我的母親因為大女兒的不幸病逝而悲慟欲絕，并因此而患上了不治之癥，在她年僅42歲的時候便撒手人寰。母親去世時，我僅9歲，哥哥也只有13歲，全家人都沉浸在無以言表的悲痛之中。

This catastrophe was the first great sorrow of my life and threw me into a profound depression.My mother had an exceptional personality.With all her intellectuality she had a big heart and a very high sense of duty.And，though possessing infinite indulgence and good nature，she still held in the family a remarkable moral authority.She had an ardent piety (my parents were both Catholics)，but she was never intolerant；differences in religious belief did not trouble her；she was equally kind to any one not sharing her opinions.Her influence over me was extraordinary，for in me the natural love of the little girl for her mother was united with a passionate admiration.

Very much affected by the death of my mother，my father devoted himself entirely to his work and to the care of our education.His professional obligations were heavy and left him little leisure time.For many years we all felt weighing on us the loss of the one who had been the soul of the house.

We all started our studies very young.I was only six years old，and，because I was the youngest and smallest in the class，was frequently brought forward to recite when there were visitors.This was a great trial to me，because of my timidity；I wanted always to run away and hide.My father，an excellent educator，was interested in our work and knew how to direct it，but the conditions of our education were difficult.We began our studies in private schools and finished them in those of the government.

親人的突然離去，是我人生中第一次遭遇的最悲慘、最痛苦的事情。在這之后，我就陷入了憂傷悲戚之中，我的母親品格高尚、溫柔敦厚、心地善良，而且她知識廣博、心胸坦蕩且又嚴于律己，在家中很有威望，大家都信服她。她對自己的信仰非常虔誠（我的父母親都是天主教徒），但又能夠包容一切，對有關宗教的不同看法，她向來都是求同存異，不將自己的觀點強加于人。這對我們是有著很大影響的。就我個人而言，一方面是因為身為小女兒備受呵護與關切，從而使我深愛著我的母親；另一方面，那種崇拜之情也將我和母親緊密地聯系在一起。