The year was 1956. I was nine years old.

1956年我9岁。

By some twist of fate, I attended the same public school where the rich people sent their kids.

由于命运的某些巧合，我和其他富有人家的孩子进了同一所公立学校。

We were primarily a sugar plantation town.

我们镇基本上就是个糖料种植场。

The managers of the plantation and the other affluent people of the town, such as doctors, business owners, and bankers, sent their children to this school, grades one to six.

种植场的经理和镇上其他富有的人，比如说医生，商人和银行家等等都把他们的孩子送进了这所学校，一到六年级的都有。

After grade six, their children were generally sent off to private schools.

六年级之后，这些孩子基本上都被送去私立学校了。

Because my family lived on one side of the street, I went to this school.

因为我们家就在这个街区，因此我也进了这所学校。

Had I lived on the other side of the street, I would have gone to a different school, with kids from families more like mine.

如果我住在其他街区，那么我就会和与我家庭背景差不多的孩子去另外一所学校了。

After grade six, these kids and I would go on to the public intermediate and high school.

并且六年级之后，我会和那些孩子一样去公立初中和高中。

There was no private school for them or for me.

因为没有一所私立学校是为我们这样的孩子设立的。