導讀BenjaminFranklin本杰明·富蘭克林Franklin'slifeisfullofcharmingstorieswhichallyoungmens....

Benjamin Franklin

本杰明·富蘭克林

Franklins life is full of charming stories which all young men should know - how he peddled ballads in Boston, and stood as the guest of kings in Europe; how he worked his passage as a stowaway to Philadelphia, and rode in the queens own litter in France; how he walked the streets of Philadelphia, homeless and unknown, with three penny rolls for his breakfast, and dined at the tables of princes, and received his friends in a palace; how he raised a kite from a cow shed, and was showered with all the high degrees the colleges of the world could give; how he was duped by a false friend as a boy, and became the friend of all humanity as a man; how he was made Major General Franklin, only to resign because, as he said, he was no soldier, and yet helped to organize the army that stood before the trained troops of England and Germany.

富蘭克林的一生充滿了令人著迷的故事,所有的年輕人都應該知道:他怎樣在波士頓街頭叫賣敘事歌謠唱本，而后來卻成為歐洲各國君主的貴客;他怎樣偷偷上船，在船上靠干活抵償船票才來到費城，而后來卻坐進了法國王后的乘輿;他怎樣在費城沿街瞎逛，無家可歸，沒人理睬,僅買得起三便士的面包卷(卷餅）當早飯,而后來卻在君王的餐桌前進餐，在宮殿里接待朋友;他如何從牛棚上放起風箏，而后來卻榮獲世界上多所名牌大學所能授予的一切最高學位;他在童年時如何被一個虛假的朋友所蒙騙，而后來卻成為全人類的朋友;他如何被授予少將軍銜，但是他卻辭職不干，因為他說他沒有軍人氣度，然而就是他幫助組建了同訓練有素的英德聯軍對陣的聯邦軍隊。

This poor Boston boy, with scarcely a days schooling, became master of six languages and never stopped studying; this neglected apprentice tamed the lightning, made his name famous, received degrees and diplomas from colleges in both hemispheres, and became forever remembered as "Doctor Franklin", philosopher, patriot, scientist, philanthropist and statesman. Self made, self taught, and self reared, the candle makers son gave light to all the world; the street ballad seller set all men singing of liberty; the runaway apprentice became the most sought after man of two continents, and brought his native land to praise and honor him.

這個波士頓的窮孩子幾乎沒有上過一天學，后來卻掌握了六種語言，并且學習鍥而不舍。這個被人忽視的學徒制服了閃電，揚名天下，獲得了東西兩半球各國大學的學位和證書，成為留芳百世的“富蘭克林博士”、哲學家、愛國者、科學家、慈善家和政治家。這個蠟燭制造商的兒子自我奮斗、自學成才、自強自立，給全世界帶來了光明；這個敘事歌謠唱本的街頭叫賣者讓全人類唱起了自由之歌;這個逃亡的學徒成了歐、美兩塊大陸最令人仰慕的人物，使他的祖國對他贊揚不已、崇敬備至。

He built America, for what our Republic is today is largely due to the prudence, the forethought, the statesmanship, the enterprise, the wisdom, and the ability of Benjamin Franklin. He belongs to the world, but especially does he belong to America. As the nations honored him while living, so the Republic glorifies him when dead, and has enshrined him in the choicest of its niches, the one he regarded as the loftiest - the hearts of the common people, from whom he had sprung and in their hearts Franklin will live forever.

他締造了美國，因為我們的共和國能有今天，在很大程度上歸功于本杰明·富蘭克林的深謀遠慮、遠見卓識、治國之術、進取精神、大睿大智和精明能干。他屬于全世界，但是他更屬于美國。他在世時，各國人民尊敬他;他去世后，共和國同樣頌揚他，把他尊奉在最珍貴的壁龕里----—個他視為最崇高的位置----普通老百姓的心中。富蘭克林來自于人民，他也將永遠活人民的心中。