法国近代最具影响力的文学家、思想家让-雅克·卢梭出身于平民阶层，一生得罪不少权贵，树敌太多，既无好友可与倾诉，于是效法前贤圣奥古斯丁自叙平生，于1764年末开始撰写《忏悔录》，其间又经历流亡英国和潜逃回法国种种变故，大约于1770年完竣。作者以破除旧的礼法、崇尚自然为旨归，直笔无隐，一一揭露出上流社会体面、风雅背后的种种虚伪与丑恶，对平民阶层自然纯朴的风貌则给予了热忱的歌颂，从而改变了社会的伦理思维和人生理想，预示了浪漫主义时代的到来。
尽管法国当局一不准卢梭再发表文章，二不准其在公众场合朗读这部“披肝沥胆地暴露自己”的书，但二百余年来，卢梭的这部《忏悔录》已被译成各种文字，成为“世界二大忏悔录”之一。
ROUSSEAU recognized the unique nature of the Confessions，it opens with the famous words：I have resolved on an enterprise which，has noprecectent，and which，once complete，wiu have noimitator.My purpose is to display to my kind a portrait in every way true to nature，and the man Ishall portray will be myself，
Some scholars believe that is prediction was wideoff the mark.Not long after publication many otherwriters（such as Goethe，Wordsworth and De Quincey）wrote their own similarly-styled autobiographies.However，Leo Damrosch argues that Rousseau meant that it would be impossible to imitatehis book，as nobody else would be like Jean-Jacques Rousseau.
I HAVEENTERED upon a pcrformancc which is without cxamplc，whoscaccomplishmcnt will havc no imitator.I mean to present my fcllow-mortals with a man in all the integrity of nature;and this man shall bemyself.
I know my heart，and have studied mankind;I am not made like any one I have been acquainted with，perhaps like no one in existence;if not better，I at least claim originality，and whcthcr Nature did wisely in breaking themould with which she formed me，can only be determined after having readthis work.
JEAN-JACQUES ROUSSFAU（1712-1778）was a major philosopher，writer，and composer of 18th-century Romanticism.His political philosophy heavily influenced the French Revolution，as wellas the overall development of modern political，sociological and educational thought.
His Confessions，which initiated the modern autobiography，and his Reveries of a Solitary V7alker were among the pre-eminent examples of the late i8th-century movement known as the Age of Sensibility，featuring an increasing focus on subjectivity and introspection that has characterized the modern age.
INTRODUCTION
BOOK I
BOOK II
BOOK III
BOOK IV
BOOK V
BOOK VI
BOOK VII
BOOK VIII
BOOK IX
BOOK X
BOOK XI
BOOK XII
On quitting the Ile de Saint-Pierre he travelled to Strasbourg，where he was warmly received，and thence to Paris，arriving inthat aty on December 16，1765.The Prince de Conh providedhim with a lodging in the Hotel Saint-Simon，within theprecincts of the Temple-a place of sanctuary for those underthe ban of authority.'Every one was eager to see the illustriousproscript，who complained of being made a daily show，"like Sancho Pan2：a in his island of Barataria."During his short stayin the capital there was circulated an ironical letter purporhngto come from the Great Frederick，but really written by HoraceWalpole.This cruel，clumsy，and ill-timed joke angered Rousseau，who ascribed it to，Voltaire.A few sentences may bequoted.
Introduced by Hume，generously offered Rousseau a home at Wootton，in Staffordshire，near the，Peak Country;the latter，however，would only accept the offer on condition that he should pay a rent of L 30 a year.He was accorded a pension of L 100 by George III.，but declined to draw after the first annual payment.The climate and scenery of Wootton being similar to those of his native country，he was at first delighted with his new abode，where he lived with Therese，and devoted his time to herborising and inditing the first six books of his Confessions.Soon，however，his old hallucinations acquired strength，and Rousseau convinced himself that enemies were bent upon his capture，if not his death.In June，1766，he wrote a violent letter to Hume，calling him'one of the worst of men.'Literary Paris had combined with Hume and the English Government to surround him-as he supposed-with guards and spies;he revolved in his troubled mind all the reports and rumours he had heard for months and years;Walpole's forged letter rankled in his bosom;and in the spring of 1767 he fled;first to Spalding，in Lincolnshire，and subsequently to Calais，where he landed in May.
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