--事实的年月，我只约略推算，将来对于他的生平材料搜集得比较完全时，我想再详细的替他写一本传记。
I intend some day to write a biography of him when I've collected sufficient material about his life.
--在此我感谢我的父亲，他知道往青年人脑里灌注的，应当是哪一种的印象。
Now gratitude is due to my father, who has tried to inculcate only the best example into a young mind.
海军上将萨镇冰先生，大名是鼎铭，福建闽候人，一八六O年（？
Admiral Sa Zhenbing, whose formal name is Ding Ming, was born in Minhou County, Fujian Province, in 1860.
）生，十二岁入福州马尾船政学校，作第二班学生。
He enrolled at Fuzhou Mawei Naval Academy at the age of 12, among its second batch of cadets, and then entered Greenwich College in England at the age of 18.
"他授课最认真，对于功课好的学生，常以私物奖赏，如时表之类，有的时候，小的贵重点的物品用完了，连自己屋里的藤椅，也搬了去。
He would often award to good cadets his personal belongings, Such as his watch, or even his cane chair when he had nothing valuable to spare.
课外常常教学生用锹铲在操场上挖筑炮台。
Outside class.
He would often teach cadets how to dig out gun emplacements on the drill ground with spades and shovels.
那时管轮学堂在南边，水师学堂在北边，当中隔个操场。
The Marine Engineering Academy was situated on the south and the Navel Academy on the north, with the drill ground in-between.
所以在学生们踊跃动手，锹铲齐下的时候，萨先生总在操场边替他们巡风，以备吴总办的突来视察。
Sa would stand at the side of the drill ground to keep watch lest President Wu should crop up making his rounds.
父亲和萨先生相熟，是从同在"海圻"军舰服务时起（一九〇〇年左右)，那时他是海军副统领，兼"海圻"船主，父亲是副船主。
Sa was then Deputy Navy Commander and concurrently captain of the ship while father was its second in command.
那时北洋舰队中的海圻、海琛、海筹、海天等舰，都泊山东庙岛，山东巡抚袁世凯，移书请各舰驶人长江，以避敌锋，于是各船纷纷南下，只海圻坚泊不动。
Meanwhile, Governor of Shandong Yuan Shikai sent out letter suggesting that the Hai Yin, Hai Chen, Hai Chou and Hai Tian, ships of the Northem Fleet then anchored at Miao Island, Shandong Province, all move to the Yangtze River SO as to steer clear of the formidable foe.
那时正有美国大巡洋舰阿利干号（Oregon）在庙岛附近触礁，海圻又驶往救护，美国国会闻讯，立即驰函道谢，阿利干舰长申谢之余，也恳劝萨先生南下，于是海圻才开人江阴。
When the US cruiser Oregon struck a reef near Miao Island, the Hai Yn rushed to the scene for its rescue, for which American Congress immediately sent a message of thanks.
他常常指款修理公物，常笑对父亲说，"人家做船主，都打金镯子送太太戴，我的金镯子是戴在我的船上。
He often donated money from his personal purse for repairs of public property, saying jokingly to father. "Other captains make gold bracelets for their wives, I make them to deck out my ship." Once, during a shooting practice on the ship, a gun officer through carelessness damaged the bore of a light gun worth more than 20,000 yuan.
炮值二万余元，萨先生自己捐出月饷，分期赔偿。
Sa gave away his monthly salaries to pay for the damaged gun by instalments.
后来事闻于叶祖珪，又传于直求总督袁世凯，袁立即寄款代偿，所以如今海圻船上有一尊船边炮是袁世凯购换的。
When the news later reached Nayy Commander Ye Zugui and Yuan Shikai, then Governor-General of Hebei Province, the latter immediately remitted money to Pay for the damaged gun.
他在船上，特别是在练船上，如威远、康济、通济等舰常常教学生荡舢舨，泅水，打靶，以此为日课，也以此为娱乐。
Often on his ship, especially One a drill ship like the Wei Yuan, Kang Ji or Tong Ji, Mr.
叶统领常常皱眉说："鼎铭太肯冒险了，专爱用些年轻人！
That made Navy Commander Ye complain with a frown, "Sa is too reckless, always trusting the young chaps!" Yet, for several decades no mishap has ever befallen the ship under Mr.
上岸公出，有风时舢舨上就使帆，以省兵力。
When he went ashore on business by sampan, he would have the sails unfurled on a windy day sO as to save labor on the part of the sailors.
上岸拜会，也不带船上仆役，必要时就向岸上的朋友借用。
He had no orderly with him when making visits on land, but would, when necessary, borrow a servant from a land-based friend of his.
历任要职数十年，如海军副大臣、海军总长、福建省长等，也不曾用过一个亲戚。
He never tried to find a job for any of his relatives during the several decades when he a was in a position of power as Naval Vice-Minister.
亲戚远道来投，必酌给川资，或作买卖的本钱，劝他们回去，说："你们没有受过海上训练，不能占海军人员的位置。
When relatives came from distant places to seek his patronage, he would persuade them to return home after giving them traveling expenses or some money with which to go into business, saying, "To hold down a post in the navy without naval training, you would be a real dog in the manger." Mr.
" 萨先生和他的太太陈夫人，伉俪甚笃。
Sa and his wife Chen were deeply in love with each other.
而自他三十六岁，夫人去世后，就将子女寄养岳家，鳏居终身。
When he became widowed at the age of 36, he entrusted his children to the care of his in-laws.
人问他为何不续弦，他说："天下若再有一个女子，和我太太一样的我就娶。
When people asked him why he didn't remarry, he said, " Not unless I can find a woman precisely like my late wife." He lives a simple life.
" 他的个人生活，尤其清简，洋服从来没有上过身，也从未穿过皮棉衣服，平常总是布鞋布袜，呢袍呢马褂。
He never wears a Wester suit, nor fur or cotton-padded clothes.