[“I am now about to write at home, August, 1788, but can not have the help expected from my papers, many of them being lost in the war. I have, however, found the following.”] [9]【我现在准备在家中继续写作，时间是一七八八年八月，但不能像原先希望的那样借助我的文稿，因为其中许多已在战争中遗失。不过，我找到了下面这一份。】

[9: This is a marginal memorandum.— B.]

Having mentioned a great and extensive project which I had conceiv’d, it seems proper that some account should be here given of that project and its object. Its first rise in my mind appears in the following little paper, accidentally preserv’d, viz.:既然已经提到我曾设想过一个宏大而广泛的计划，那么在这里说明一下这个计划及其目标，似乎是合适的。这个想法最初在我心中出现的样子，可以从下面这张偶然保存下来的小纸片看出：

Observations on my reading history, in Library, May 19th, 1731.一七三一年五月十九日，在图书馆读历史时而引发的感想。

“That the great affairs of the world, the wars, revolutions, etc., are carried on and affected by parties.世界大事，诸如战争、革命等，全是由政党推进及影响而发生的。

“That the view of these parties is their present general interest, or what they take to be such.这些政党的观点代表着他们当前的共同利益，至少他们认为是当前的利益。

“That the different views of these different parties occasion all confusion.不同政党的不同观点却引起了极大的混乱。

“That while a party is carrying on a general design, each man has his particular private interest in view.当一个政党在执行一个总计划时，党内每个成员的心目中都怀揣着其个人利益。

“That as soon as a party has gain’d its general point, each member becomes intent upon his particular interest; which, thwarting others, breaks that party into divisions, and occasions more confusion.一旦政党达到了它的总目标，每个成员就开始一心一意地要求得到他们的那一份。这些个人的利益错综复杂，相互矛盾，把一个政党分成许多派别，结果招致更大的混乱。

“That few in public affairs act from a meer view of the good of their country, whatever they may pretend; and, tho’ their actings bring real good to their country, yet men primarily considered that their own and their country’s interest was united, and did not act from a principle of benevolence.不管他们嘴上如何辩鸡，政界中很少有人是纯粹从国家利益出发而从事公共事务的; 尽管他们行为的结果确实是有利于国家的，但这也是本着个人利益同国家利益是分不开的这一原则的，而并非出于尽忠报国的至诚。

“That fewer still, in public affairs, act with a view to the good of mankind.为人类的利益而从事公共事务的人，更是凤毛麟角了。

“There seems to me at present to be great occasion for raising a United Party for Virtue, by forming the virtuous and good men of all nations into a regular body, to be govern’d by suitable good and wise rules, which good and wise men may probably be more unanimous in their obedience to, than common people are to common laws.在我看来，目前十分有必要将各国有德行而又善良的人联合为一个整体，定名为“联合道德党”，并订立一个妥善、合适而又明智的党章，在它的指导下，这些善良而明智的人服从于它，他们比普通人遵守一般法律更为自觉。目前我认为，无论是谁尝试了这项事业，并能胜任，那么他必然能使上帝喜悦，进而将这一事业推向成功。

“I at present think that whoever attempts this aright, and is well qualified, can not fail of pleasing God, and of meeting with success. B. F.”一一本杰明 ' 富兰克林

Revolving this project in my mind, as to be undertaken hereafter, when my circumstances should afford me the necessary leisure, I put down from time to time, on pieces of paper, such thoughts as occurr’d to me respecting it. Most of these are lost; but I find one purporting to be the substance of an intended creed, containing, as I thought, the essentials of every known religion, and being free of every thing that might shock the professors of any religion. It is express’d in these words, viz.:我心中一直反复思考着这一计划，以便一得空闲就加以实施。 在这个漫长的过程中，我会不时地将心中想到的东西记在纸上， 现在这些笔记大多遗失了。但有幸我还是找到了一张本打算作为 纲领的文件，我想，里面包含了人们所知道的各种教派的精， 因此, 它据弃了一切可能引起各种教派信徒反对的东西。 原文如下。

“That there is one God, who made all things.天地间只有一个造物主。

“That he governs the world by his providence.上帝运用天道统治全世界。

“That he ought to be worshiped by adoration, prayer, and thanksgiving.人应当用崇拜、祈穴和感恩来区拜上帝。

“But that the most acceptable service of God is doing good to man.但是上帝最喜悦的行为是与人行善。

“That the soul is immortal.灵魂不灭。

“And that God will certainly reward virtue and punish vice either here or hereafter.” [10]不论在今生抑或来世，上帝必赏普罚恶。

[10: In the Middle Ages, Franklin, if such a phenomenon as Franklin were possible in the Middle Ages, would probably have been the founder of a monastic order.— B.]

My ideas at that time were, that the sect should be begun and spread at first among young and single men only; that each person to be initiated should not only declare his assent to such creed, but should have exercised himself with the thirteen weeks’ examination and practice of the virtues, as in the before-mention’d model; that the existence of such a society should he kept a secret, till it was become considerable, to prevent solicitations for the admission of improper persons, but that the members should each of them search among his acquaintance for ingenuous, well-disposed youths, to whom, with prudent caution, the scheme should be gradually communicated; that the members should engage to afford their advice, assistance, and support to each other in promoting one another’s interests, business, and advancement in life; that, for distinction, we should be call’d The Society of the Free and Easy: free, as being, by the general practice and habit of the virtues, free from the dominion of vice; and particularly by the practice of industry and frugality, free from debt, which exposes a man to confinement, and a species of slavery to his creditors.当时，我的想法是这样的，在初期应该只在单身的年轻人中 王37发展成员和传播教义; 每一个被发展的成员不但要宣布同意这些纲领，还要按照之前的方法经过十三个星期的道德实践锻炼; 组织在人数达到一定规模之前应该对外保密，以防止不法人士浑水摸鱼; 每个成员有义务在亲友中物色聪慧而有修养的年轻人，小心谨慎地逐步向他们宣传这一计划; 为了能够让成员们的利益、事业和成就得到进步，成员之间应当相互帮助、支持和切磋; 为了有所区别，我们将该组织命名为“自由安逸社”。所谓自由，是指经过道德实践并养成习惯后，能够摆脱罪恶的统治而获得自由。尤其是养成勤劳节俭的美德后，人们便可以免于债务的束缚，无债一身轻，不再成为债权人的奴隶。

This is as much as I can now recollect of the project, except that I communicated it in part to two young men, who adopted it with some enthusiasm; but my then narrow circumstances, and the necessity I was under of sticking close to my business, occasion’d my postponing the further prosecution of it at that time; and my multifarious occupations, public and private, induc’d me to continue postponing, so that it has been omitted till I have no longer strength or activity left sufficient for such an enterprise; tho’ I am still of opinion that it was a practicable scheme, and might have been very useful, by forming a great number of good citizens; and I was not discourag’d by the seeming magnitude of the undertaking, as I have always thought that one man of tolerable abilities may work great changes, and accomplish great affairs among mankind, if he first forms a good plan, and, cutting off all amusements or other employments that would divert his attention, makes the execution of that same plan his sole study and business.有关这项计划，我所能回忆起来的就这么多了。此外, 我记得曾分别向两个年轻人详述了我的计划，他们听后激情万浆，表示接受。但当时的我生活困顿，无暇兼顾个人业务之外的任何事情，于是这一计划只得推迟。再后来，我被公私两方面的事务缠身，这项计划一再推迟。直到现在我有了足够的时间，可是却已经没有足够的精力和能力来实施它了，但我始终认为这是一项可行的计划，因为将许多善良的公民组织起来必定是有益的。而且我在最困难的时候也从没有气包过，因为我始终认为，一个有才能的人可以改变许多事，要想在人类活动中成就一番事业，只要他能率先制定出一个周密的计划，不再消磨时间，并能集中精力、全身心地投入到他所研究计划的事业中，就能有所成就。

In 1732 I first publish’d my Almanack, under the name of Richard Saunders; it was continu’d by me about twenty-five years, commonly call’d Poor Richard’s Almanac. I endeavor’d to make it both entertaining and useful, and it accordingly came to be in such demand, that I reap’d considerable profit from it, vending annually near ten thousand. And observing that it was generally read, scarce any neighborhood in the province being without it, I consider’d it as a proper vehicle for conveying instruction among the common people, who bought scarcely any other books; I therefore filled all the little spaces that occurr’d between the remarkable days in the calendar with proverbial sentences, chiefly such as inculcated industry and frugality, as the means of procuring wealth, and thereby securing virtue; it being more difficult for a man in want, to act always honestly, as, to use here one of those proverbs, it is hard for an empty sack to stand up-right.一七三二年,我首次出版了我写的那本名叫《理查' 桑德斯》的年鉴, 并连续出版了二十五年, 人们一般称它为《穷理查年鉴》。在编写此书时，我尽力使内容实用旦有趣，因此广受读者的喜爱。这本书十分畅销, 每年能卖出一万册, 我也因此获得了丰厚的报酬。当时很多人都读此书，本州内几乎人手一本，而且他们几乎只买这一本书。我认为这是指导人们的一种十分实用的方法。因此，我在节日和其他重要日子之间的空白处写上舌言，内容主要是教育人们培养勤勉和节俭的美德，并将其当作发家致富的手段。要一个穷困之人总保持诚实是一件困难的事, 用年鉴中的能言来说，就是“空袋子难以站直”。

These proverbs, which contained the wisdom of many ages and nations, I assembled and form’d into a connected discourse prefix’d to the Almanack of 1757, as the harangue of a wise old man to the people attending an auction. The bringing all these scatter’d counsels thus into a focus enabled them to make greater impression. The piece, being universally approved, was copied in all the newspapers of the Continent; reprinted in Britain on a broad side, to be stuck up in houses; two translations were made of it in French, and great numbers bought by the clergy and gentry, to distribute gratis among their poor parishioners and tenants. In Pennsylvania, as it discouraged useless expense in foreign superfluities, some thought it had its share of influence in producing that growing plenty of money which was observable for several years after its publication.这些入言包含了古今世界各个民族的智慧，我将它们收集起来编撰在一起，附在一七五七年的卷首，就像一个智慧老人对着参加拍卖会的人发表演说。将分散的能言集中起来能让人印象深刻，因此，入言得到了广泛的赞赏，并陆续在欧洲大陆各国的报纸上转载。在英国, 人们把和能言印在一张大纸上贴在家里的墙壁上; 在法国有两种译本，教士和绅士们竞相购买，然后免费赠送给贫穷的教友和个农。由于该书劝导人们不要把钱浪费在购买外国的奢侈消费品上，没想到在宾夕法尼亚州发行几年后，该州市场上流通的钱币竟然有所增加。对此，人们相信本书有着一定的功劳。

I considered my newspaper, also, as another means of communicating instruction, and in that view frequently reprinted in it extracts from the Spectator, and other moral writers; and sometimes publish’d little pieces of my own, which had been first compos’d for reading in our Junto. Of these are a Socratic dialogue, tending to prove that, whatever might be his parts and abilities, a vicious man could not properly be called a man of sense; and a discourse on self-denial, showing that virtue was not secure till its practice became a habitude, and was free from the opposition of contrary inclinations. These may be found in the papers about the beginning of 1735.我还把报纸当作教育人们的一种工具。为此，我的报纸上常转载《观察者》和其他关于道德方面的文章摘要，有时也会刊登我自己写的一些东西，这些东西本来都是为“君托社”的讨论而写的。记得有一篇是采用苏格拉底的对话体写成的，用以证明一个敢恶之人,无论他的才能有多高，也无法成为通情达理、明辩是非的智者。还有一篇是关于自我克制的论述，用来指出一个有道德的人不仅要通过实践将道德培养成习惯，还要摆脱与之相反的任何那念，只有这样，道德才能得到巩固，贯彻始终。这些文章大概刊登在一七三五年年初的报纸上。

In the conduct of my newspaper, I carefully excluded all libelling and personal abuse, which is of late years become so disgraceful to our country. Whenever I was solicited to insert anything of that kind, and the writers pleaded, as they generally did, the liberty of the press, and that a newspaper was like a stagecoach, in which any one who would pay had a right to a place, my answer was, that I would print the piece separately if desired, and the author might have as many copies as he pleased to distribute himself, but that I would not take upon me to spread his detraction; and that, having contracted with my subscribers to furnish them with what might be either useful or entertaining, I could not fill their papers with private altercation, in which they had no concern, without doing them manifest injustice. Now, many of our printers make no scruple of gratifying the malice of individuals by false accusations of the fairest characters among ourselves, augmenting animosity even to the producing of duels; and are, moreover, so indiscreet as to print scurrilous reflections on the government of neighboring states, and even on the conduct of our best national allies, which may be attended with the most pernicious consequences. These things I mention as a caution to young printers, and that they may be encouraged not to pollute their presses and disgrace their profession by such infamous practices, but refuse steadily, as they may see by my example that such a course of conduct will not, on the whole, be injurious to their interests.在办报的过程中,我尽量避免刊登那些有诽谤和攻击意味的文章，因为这些文章近年来屡屡出现在各个报纸上，实在有损国家的尊严。当作者要求我刊登这类文章时，他们总是找种种借口，说报纸就是一辆公共马车，谁出得起钱谁就有权得到一席之地。而我则这样回答，如果他肯出钱，那么我可以为他印成单行本，由他定印数和发行，而我坚决不承担诽谤他人的责任。我曾向订户们保证，要始终为他们提供既有用又有趣的文章，因此，我决不允许我办的报纸上出现私人的恶意争吵、中伤的文章，这对订户不公平。 眼下，许多报商为了自己的利益毫无顾鼠，多许某些人的恶毒用心, 刊登造诱中伤的文章, 对我们中最优秀的人进行恶意攻击，从而达到挑拨离间，引起斗明的目的;更有甚者，十分不遵慎地刊登文章，对邻邦政府进行误骂攻击，有的还针对我们的盟国，这导致的后果不堪设想。我提到这些，是为了给那些年轻的办报人提个醒，应当坚决杜绝这类行为，不要做那些不光彩的事，下污出版业，让报业蒙着。希望他们从我的事例中明白，整体来说，像我这样做并不会有损自身的利益。

In 1733 I sent one of my journeymen to Charleston, South Carolina, where a printer was wanting. I furnish’d him with a press and letters, on an agreement of partnership, by which I was to receive one-third of the profits of the business, paying one-third of the expense. He was a man of learning, and honest but ignorant in matters of account; and, tho’ he sometimes made me remittances, I could get no account from him, nor any satisfactory state of our partnership while he lived. On his decease, the business was continued by his widow, who, being born and bred in Holland, where, as I have been inform’d, the knowledge of accounts makes a part of female education, she not only sent me as clear a state as she could find of the transactions past, but continued to account with the greatest regularity and exactness every quarter afterwards, and managed the business with such success, that she not only brought up reputably a family of children, but, at the expiration of the term, was able to purchase of me the printing-house, and establish her son in it.一七三三年, 我派了一名工人到南卡罗来纳州的查尔斯顿去，那里需要一家印刷店，我给了他一台印刷机和一套铅字，并跟他签了一份合伙经营的协议。根据合同，我负责三分之一的费用，并抽取三分之一的盈利。这个工人有见地，人也诚实，只是对记账一无所知，有时候，他给我寄来了汇款，却忘了给我账单，这让我始终搞不清楚我们合伙经营的状况。直到他去世后，印刷店由他的妻子接管，经营才步人了正轨。这个女人生于荷兰，听说那里的公共教育包括会计知识，她不仅给我寄来清楚明了的经营状况报告,而且以后的每个季度都定期给我寄来精确的收支报告。 抚养成人，而且在合伙期满后，还买下了我的印刷店，等儿子能独立经营后便交由儿子打理。

I mention this affair chiefly for the sake of recommending that branch of education for our young females, as likely to be of more use to them and their children, in case of widowhood, than either music or dancing, by preserving them from losses by imposition of crafty men, and enabling them to continue, perhaps, a profitable mercantile house, with establish’d correspondence, till a son is grown up fit to undertake and go on with it, to the lasting advantage and enriching of the family.我提起这个故事，是想给年轻的女性们一个忠告，即接受这方面的教育有多重要。万一有一天守了朝，这门知识无论对她自己还是对孩子来说，都比唱歌跳短有用得多，不但可以避免被寻诈之人欺骗，还可以靠着已建立起来的商业联系继续经营，直到儿子长大成人有能力继承和掌管事业，继续发家致富。

About the year 1734 there arrived among us from Ireland a young Presbyterian preacher, named Hemphill, who delivered with a good voice, and apparently extempore, most excellent discourses, which drew together considerable numbers of different persuasion, who join’d in admiring them. Among the rest, I became one of his constant hearers, his sermons pleasing me, as they had little of the dogmatical kind, but inculcated strongly the practice of virtue, or what in the religious stile are called good works. Those, however, of our congregation, who considered themselves as orthodox Presbyterians, disapprov’d his doctrine, and were join’d by most of the old clergy, who arraign’d him of heterodoxy before the synod, in order to have him silenc’d. I became his zealous partisan, and contributed all I could to raise a party in his favour, and we combated for him a while with some hopes of success. There was much scribbling pro and con upon the occasion; and finding that, tho’ an elegant preacher, he was but a poor writer, I lent him my pen and wrote for him two or three pamphlets, and one piece in the Gazette of April, 1735. Those pamphlets, as is generally the case with controversial writings, tho’ eagerly read at the time, were soon out of vogue, and I question whether a single copy of them now exists.一七三四年，从爱尔兰来了一位年轻的长老会传教士，名叫海姆菲尔，他声音洪亮，布道时经常自由发挥，演说十分精彩，将其他教派的人也成批地吸引了来，因此颇受人尊敬。我也是他忠实的听众之一, 他讲的布道很少有教条的束缚, 而是劝人如何行善，或按照宗教来解释何谓善事，这让我能听得进去。不过，我们这里的长老会却自命正宗，不赞成他的传道，那些老派的牧师更是联合起来，在宗教会议上控告他宣扬异端那说，以禁止他传道。 我成了他热烈的支持者，而且尽我最大的能力将所有支持他的人联合起来，为他而战，并一度有望获胜。我们双方展开的是笔战，尽管这位传教士口才很好，但笔头功夫却有所从缺，因此我为他执笔，写了几本小册子，有一篇文章发表在一七三五年的《公报》上。这种小册子和当时其他有关和争论的小册子一样，虽然一时间引来不少读者，但很快就过时，再无人问津，因此恺怕已经找不出一本来了。

During the contest an unlucky occurrence hurt his cause exceedingly. One of our adversaries having heard him preach a sermon that was much admired, thought he had somewhere read the sermon before, or at least a part of it. On search he found that part quoted at length, in one of the British Reviews, from a discourse of Dr. Foster’s. This detection gave many of our party disgust, who accordingly abandoned his cause, and occasion’d our more speedy discomfiture in the synod. I stuck by him, however, as I rather approv’d his giving us good sermons compos’d by others, than bad ones of his own manufacture, tho’ the latter was the practice of our common teachers. He afterward acknowledg’d to me that none of those he preach’d were his own; adding, that his memory was such as enabled him to retain and repeat any sermon after one reading only. On our defeat, he left us in search elsewhere of better fortune, and I quitted the congregation, never joining it after, tho’ I continu’d many years my subscription for the support of its ministers.就在双方激烈地竞争时，发生了一件不幸的事，让这位年轻牧师的事业遭到了极大的打击。原来，在对立阵营中，有个人听了牧师讲的一篇饱受赞誉的报道后，觉得好像在什么地方读过，或者至少是曾经读过一部分，于是他精心查找，最后在英国的评论上找到了出处，引自福斯特的谈话集。这一发现，使得我们阵营中的一些人开始厌恶这位年轻的牧师，于是不再支持他，这让我们在这场论战中很快就败下阵来。但我始终支持他，我宁愿听他从别人那里照搬而来的优秀的布道，也不愿听一个人自创的毫无益处的布道。后来,他坦言他所讲的布道没有一篇是自己写的，因为他有过目不忘的能力。这场论战失败后，他便转移到别的地方去碰运气了，我也离开了这个教会。之后许多年，尽管我照常捐资支持教会的牧师，但再也不会参加教会的活动了。

I had begun in 1733 to study languages; I soon made myself so much a master of the French as to be able to read the books with ease. I then undertook the Italian. An acquaintance, who was also learning it, us’d often to tempt me to play chess with him. Finding this took up too much of the time I had to spare for study, I at length refus’d to play any more, unless on this condition, that the victor in every game should have a right to impose a task, either in parts of the grammar to be got by heart, or in translations, etc., which tasks the vanquish’d was to perform upon honour, before our next meeting. As we play’d pretty equally, we thus beat one another into that language. I afterwards with a little painstaking, acquir’d as much of the Spanish as to read their books also.一七三三年，我开始学习外语，很快就掌握了法语，能轻松地阅读法文书籍，接着又学习了意大利语。当时我有个朋友也在学习意大利语，并常邀我陪他下棋。后来，我发现这个活动占用了我太多的学习时间，便拒绝再陪他下棋，除非他答应我的条件:每盘棋的胜者要为败者布置作业，可以是背诵语法知识，也可以是翻译; 战败的一方要以名誉担保，到下次见面时一定完成作业。我们的棋艺相当，每次下完棋几乎都各有作业做，这样一来，意大利语很快就被我掌握了。 后来, 我又下了一番苦功学习西班牙语，直到能阅读书籍。

I have already mention’d that I had only one year’s instruction in a Latin school, and that when very young, after which I neglected that language entirely. But, when I had attained an acquaintance with the French, Italian, and Spanish, I was surpriz’d to find, on looking over a Latin Testament, that I understood so much more of that language than I had imagined, which encouraged me to apply myself again to the study of it, and I met with more success, as those preceding languages had greatly smooth’d my way.我之前说过，自己曾在拉丁语学校接受过一年的教育。不过那时还太小，很快就将学会的拉丁语抛之脑后，忘得一于二净了。当我掌握了法语、意大利语和西班牙语之后, 再翻阅《新旧约全书》时人惊奇地发现，我竟然还记得拉丁语的不少内容，至少比我想象中要好得多，这让我重新激起了学习拉丁语的信心。在之前几种语言的辅助下，我很快就掌握了拉丁语。

From these circumstances, I have thought that there is some inconsistency in our common mode of teaching languages. We are told that it is proper to begin first with the Latin, and, having acquir’d that, it will be more easy to attain those modern languages which are deriv’d from it; and yet we do not begin with the Greek, in order more easily to acquire the Latin. It is true that, if you can clamber and get to the top of a staircase without using the steps, you will more easily gain them in descending; but certainly, if you begin with the lowest you will with more ease ascend to the top; and I would therefore offer it to the consideration of those who superintend the education of our youth, whether, since many of those who begin with the Latin quit the same after spending some years without having made any great proficiency, and what they have learnt becomes almost useless, so that their time has been lost, it would not have been better to have begun with the French, proceeding to the Italian, etc.; for, tho’, after spending the same time, they should quit the study of languages and never arrive at the Latin, they would, however, have acquired another tongue or two, that, being in modern use, might be serviceable to them in common life.从我学习语言的过程看，我想到我们现在教授外语的方法实在不太合理。在学习外语时，老师总是要求我们先学习拉丁语，说学好拉丁语后，其他现代语言就容易掌握得多了，因为其他语言都是从拉丁语衍生出来的。要是这样的话, 那么为了学好拉丁语，为何不先学习希腊语呢? 道理是这样的，就拿肘楼梯来说吧，如果你不用顺着阶梯疏就能达到顶层的话，那么下来时必然容易许多。但是，如果你能从较低一层的台阶一级一级地往上怜，你便很容易达到最高层。因此，我要向负责青年教育的人士建议，有许多人学了好几年拉丁语也毫无长进，于是就像我一样丢弃它了，这样一来，他们所学的也就成了无用的东西，白白浪费了自己的光阴。所以，不如先从法语开始学起，再学习意大利语，然后慢慢地再去学拉丁语。这样，在花费同样时间的前提下，即使最后没能掌握拉丁语，也已经掌握了一两门外语，而且都是现代十分实用的语言，对日常生活亦是大有神益的。

After ten years’ absence from Boston, and having become easy in my circumstances, I made a journey thither to visit my relations, which I could not sooner well afford. In returning, I call’d at Newport to see my brother, then settled there with his printing-house. Our former differences were forgotten, and our meeting was very cordial and affectionate. He was fast declining in his health, and requested of me that, in case of his death, which he apprehended not far distant, I would take home his son, then but ten years of age, and bring him up to the printing business. This I accordingly perform’d, sending him a few years to school before I took him into the office. His mother carried on the business till he was grown up, when I assisted him with an assortment of new types, those of his father being in a manner worn out. Thus it was that I made my brother ample amends for the service I had depriv’d him of by leaving him so early.在离开波士顿十年后，我的境况日渐好转，便回去了一趟，探望那里的许多亲戚, 在以前, 我是没有条件旅行的。回家的途中，我到新港去看望了在那里定居并开了印刷店的哥哥，这次见面我们俩尽释前嫌。他热情真诚地招待了我，只是他的健康状况大不如前, 他总觉得死期将至, 希望我在他去世后, 照顾他十岁的儿子，将其抚养成人，让儿子开印刷店。我照他的话做了，在侄子自己开业之前，先送到学校学习了几年，这期间由侄子的母亲经营印刷店，直到侄子长大成人。我哥哥的那套铅字已经破损，我便送了一套新的给侄子。我那么早便离哥哥而去, 没有尽到徒弟的义务，这套铅字就算是小小的补偿吧!

In 1736 I lost one of my sons, a fine boy of four years old, by the small-pox, taken in the common way. I long regretted bitterly, and still regret that I had not given it to him by inoculation. This I mention for the sake of parents who omit that operation, on the supposition that they should never forgive themselves if a child died under it; my example showing that the regret may be the same either way, and that, therefore, the safer should be chosen.一七三六年，我失去了一个儿子，他只有四岁。他十分漂亮可爱，是天花要了他的命。我对此悲痛不已，至今活在怀悔与痛苦之中，都怪我没有及时给他接种牛癌，这太令人伤怀了。我提起这件事的目的，就是为了警醒那些不给孩子接种牛冶的父母，他们总以为自己的孩子会因为接种牛总而死，那么他们将永远无法原谅自己，但事实证明，不接种牛总，也会像我一样活在悔恨之中。因此，这两种情况比较起来，还是要选择安全性大的。

Our club, the Junto, was found so useful, and afforded such satisfaction to the members, that several were desirous of introducing their friends, which could not well be done without exceeding what we had settled as a convenient number, viz., twelve. We had from the beginning made it a rule to keep our institution a secret, which was pretty well observ’d; the intention was to avoid applications of improper persons for admittance, some of whom, perhaps, we might find it difficult to refuse. I was one of those who were against any addition to our number, but, instead of it, made in writing a proposal, that every member separately should endeavor to form a subordinate club, with the same rules respecting queries, etc., and without informing them of the connection with the Junto. The advantages proposed were, the improvement of so many more young citizens by the use of our institutions; our better acquaintance with the general sentiments of the inhabitants on any occasion, as the Junto member might propose what queries we should desire, and was to report to the Junto what pass’d in his separate club; the promotion of our particular interests in business by more extensive recommendation, and the increase of our influence in public affairs, and our power of doing good by spreading thro’ the several clubs the sentiments of the Junto.我们“和君托社”是个十分有益的组织，成员们对此十分满意，因此还会热心地介绍自己的亲朋好友入会,不过我们社团有规定，团队成员的人数不得超过十二人。当初成立社团时，我们就发看要对外保密，这一点大家都信守不渝。其实这么做的目的，是为了避免不适宜的人申请入社，因为在这些人中,很可能有的是我们根本无法拒绝的。我就是坚决反对扩招成员的人之一,不过凡事都没有绝对，我想出了一个替代方法，即提出一个书面建议，每个成员可以单独发展一个分会，可以跟“君托社”采用相同的讨论规则，但不能向他的成员泄露与“君托社”的联系。我在建议中指出这个办法的优点，通过发挥我们社团的作用，可以让更多的青年得到提高，我们也可以更好地接触和了解各阶层民会的意见，因为“君托社”的成员可以按自己的意愿提出任何讨论题目，这些题目经过分会的讨论后上报到总社。有了这些反馈意见我们便可以增加事业上的利益，扩大我们在公共事务上的影响。我们还可以把社团的主张和看法散播到分社中去，这样可以增强我们为社会服务的能力。

The project was approv’d, and every member undertook to form his club, but they did not all succeed. Five or six only were compleated, which were called by different names, as the Vine, the Union, the Band, etc. They were useful to themselves, and afforded us a good deal of amusement, information, and instruction, besides answering, in some considerable degree, our views of influencing the public opinion on particular occasions, of which I shall give some instances in course of time as they happened.我的建议被采纳了，于是每个成员都各自组织分会去了,但大多数都没有成功, 只有五六个分会组织起来了, 有的叫"青芯社”，有的叫“联合社”，有的叫“团结社”，等等。这些社团的成立不但对他们自身有益，而且给我们提供了很多有趣的信息和教益。另外,在某些对公众有影响的问题上，他们还能在很大程度上帮助我们作答，这十分符合我们的既定目的。关于这点，我会在适当的时候举例说明。

My first promotion was my being chosen, in 1736, clerk of the General Assembly. The choice was made that year without opposition; but the year following, when I was again propos’d (the choice, like that of the members, being annual), a new member made a long speech against me, in order to favour some other candidate. I was, however, chosen, which was the more agreeable to me, as, besides the pay for the immediate service as clerk, the place gave me a better opportunity of keeping up an interest among the members, which secur’d to me the business of printing the votes, laws, paper money, and other occasional jobbs for the public, that, on the whole, were very profitable.一七三六年，我第一次得到提拔，被选为州议会的秘书，这是在无人反对的情况下一臻通过的。然而到了第二年，事情就没那么顺利了，当我再次获得提名时 ( 秘书的任期同议员一样，都为一年 )，一位新任议员发表了长篇大论来反对我的提名，以便让其他候选人当选，但我还是成功当选了。这份工作十分适合我，除了让我拿到秘书职位的薪酬之外，还让我有机会同各位议员建立良好的关系,我则从中争取到印刷选票、法律文本、纸币和其他零碎的公家业务，这让我获利不少。

I therefore did not like the opposition of this new member, who was a gentleman of fortune and education, with talents that were likely to give him, in time, great influence in the House, which, indeed, afterwards happened. I did not, however, aim at gaining his favour by paying any servile respect to him, but, after some time, took this other method. Having heard that he had in his library a certain very scarce and curious book, I wrote a note to him, expressing my desire of perusing that book, and requesting he would do me the favour of lending it to me for a few days. He sent it immediately, and I return’d it in about a week with another note, expressing strongly my sense of the favour. When we next met in the House, he spoke to me (which he had never done before), and with great civility; and he ever after manifested a readiness to serve me on all occasions, so that we became great friends, and our friendship continued to his death. This is another instance of the truth of an old maxim I had learned, which says, “He that has once done you a kindness will be more ready to do you another, than he whom you yourself have obliged.” And it shows how much more profitable it is prudently to remove, than to resent, return, and continue inimical proceedings.我当然不希望这位新任议员反对我，他的家底殷实，受过良好的教育，还是个绅士，他的才能使他在一定时间内很可能对议会产生不小的作用，后来事实证明确实如此。但我并不想播尾乞怜博得他的好感，一段时间后，我采取了另外一种方式。我听说他的藏书中有一本罕见的珍藏本，便写了一张便条给他，其中尽表我想看到这本书的热切之情，请求他借我看上几日。没想到，他立即就把书送来了，大约一周后我把书还给了他，其中另附了一张便条，热情而诚执地表达了我的谢意。等我们下次在议会相见时，他第一次十分客气地对我说，今后随时愿为我服务。从此，我们成了好朋友，这种友谊一直延续到他去世。这又一次印证了那名古老格言的正确性: “为你做过一次好事的人，以后会比受过你恩惠的人更乐意帮助你。”同时也证明，对敌人与其怨恨、报复、针锋相对，不如谨慎地握手言和。

In 1737, Colonel Spotswood, late governor of Virginia, and then postmaster-general, being dissatisfied with the conduct of his deputy at Philadelphia, respecting some negligence in rendering, and inexactitude of his accounts, took from him the commission and offered it to me. I accepted it readily, and found it of great advantage; for, tho’ the salary was small, it facilitated the correspondence that improv’d my newspaper, increas’d the number demanded, as well as the advertisements to be inserted, so that it came to afford me a considerable income. My old competitor’s newspaper declin’d proportionably, and I was satisfy’d without retaliating his refusal, while postmaster, to permit my papers being carried by the riders. Thus he suffer’d greatly from his neglect in due accounting; and I mention it as a lesson to those young men who may be employ’d in managing affairs for others, that they should always render accounts, and make remittances, with great clearness and punctuality. The character of observing such a conduct is the most powerful of all recommendations to new employments and increase of business.一七三七年，施波茨伍德上校 ( 前任弗吉尼亚州的州长 ) 任邮政部长，撤销了其代理人的职务，并指明要我接任，原因是他的前任代理人玩忽职守、上账目不清，他对此十分不满。我欣然接受了这一职务，因为它对我有百利而无一害。虽然这个职务薪水比较低，但同外界有着密切的关联，十分有利于报纸的传播。这样一来，报纸的发行量果然增加了，而且还增添了许多广告，使我获得了不小的收益。跟我竞争的老对手的报纸则渐渐走向了衰落。过去他当邮政局长时，曾一度禁止传送我的报纸，但现在我不打算对此实施报复，因为我对现状已经很满足了。而他由于不懂账目栽了大跟头。 我提这件事旨在告诫那些被人雇用的年轻人，应该学会清楚准确地记账，不时地向老板汇报，并上缴款项。这么做能让你得到更多的就业机会，还能有效地扩大你的业务。

I began now to turn my thoughts a little to public affairs, beginning, however, with small matters. The city watch was one of the first things that I conceiv’d to want regulation. It was managed by the constables of the respective wards in turn; the constable warned a number of housekeepers to attend him for the night. Those who chose never to attend paid him six shillings a year to be excus’d, which was suppos’d to be for hiring substitutes, but was, in reality, much more than was necessary for that purpose, and made the constableship a place of profit; and the constable, for a little drink, often got such ragamuffins about him as a watch, that respectable housekeepers did not choose to mix with. Walking the rounds, too, was often neglected, and most of the nights spent in tippling. I thereupon wrote a paper, to be read in Junto, representing these irregularities, but insisting more particularly on the inequality of this six-shilling tax of the constables, respecting the circumstances of those who paid it, since a poor widow housekeeper, all whose property to be guarded by the watch did not perhaps exceed the value of fifty pounds, paid as much as the wealthiest merchant, who had thousands of pounds worth of goods in his stores.现在，我开始逐渐投身于公共事务中。当然，最开始还是要从小事着手，于是我想到了整顿城市值夜制度。值夜是由各区的警官轮流负责的，同时，警官会要求一些户主陪同巡夜，不愿意巡夜的户主可以每年交付六先令的处罚金而免除此项义务。这些缴来的钱用来雇人值夜，但会有大大的剩余，于是警官的职务便成了肥缺。警官们经常花一点儿酒钱，就可以招揽一大帮有无赖跟着他们去巡夜， 这样一来，体面的户主就更不愿意同这些人混在一起了。因此，巡夜的工作越来越被名视，费城许多个夜晚都是在猜拳喝酒中度过的。为此, 我写了一篇文章在“君托社”中宣读，披露和谴责了这项工作的混乱无序，还特别强调了警官以每年六先令的价格征税是极其不公正的。因为他们不加区别地了予以征税，财产不过五十镑的穷坦妇同那些仓库中贮藏着上千镑货物的富商所付的金额一样多。

On the whole, I proposed as a more effectual watch, the hiring of proper men to serve constantly in that business; and as a more equitable way of supporting the charge the levying a tax that should be proportion’d to the property. This idea, being approv’d by the Junto, was communicated to the other clubs, but as arising in each of them; and though the plan was not immediately carried into execution, yet, by preparing the minds of people for the change, it paved the way for the law obtained a few years after, when the members of our clubs were grown into more influence.对此，我提出了一个有效的建议，即雇用适当的人长期负责巡夜工作。征收这项工作的税金要根据户主的财产多少来定，这样才能更加公平合理。这个建议得到了“和君托社” 各位成员的赞成，然后又在分会进行讨论，以便听取各个分社的意见。这个方案没有得到立即执行，却为今后的改革做足了思想准备，也为数年后制定这方面的法律打下了和良好的基础一一那时我们各个分社的成员已经具备了很大的影响力。

About this time I wrote a paper (first to be read in Junto, but it was afterward publish’d) on the different accidents and carelessnesses by which houses were set on fire, with cautions against them, and means proposed of avoiding them. This was much spoken of as a useful piece, and gave rise to a project, which soon followed it, of forming a company for the more ready extinguishing of fires, and mutual assistance in removing and securing the goods when in danger. Associates in this scheme were presently found, amounting to thirty. Our articles of agreement oblig’d every member to keep always in good order, and fit for use, a certain number of leather buckets, with strong bags and baskets (for packing and transporting of goods), which were to be brought to every fire; and we agreed to meet once a month and spend a social evening together, in discoursing and communicating such ideas as occurred to us upon the subject of fires, as might be useful in our conduct on such occasions.大约在这个时候，我写了一篇文章 ( 先在俱乐部宣读，之后发表 )，谈论了由于各种事故和意外而造成的火灾，以及如何说慎防火和灭火的办法。这是一篇被公众认为很有价值的文章，它直接导致了一项计划的产生，那就是成立消防队，一旦发现险情，消防队便组织起来帮忙，转移并保护财产。这个计划很快就得到了落实，自愿参加的多达三十人。我们还制定了规章条款，要求每个成员严格遵守秩序，随时准备好灭火用具，比如皮水桶、结实的口袋和人复，以便随时赶往火灾现场。大家还同意每个月用一个晚上举行一次集会，讨论和交流关于火灾方面的体会，这对我们今后的防火救火工作十分有价值。

The utility of this institution soon appeared, and many more desiring to be admitted than we thought convenient for one company, they were advised to form another, which was accordingly done; and this went on, one new company being formed after another, till they became so numerous as to include most of the inhabitants who were men of property; and now, at the time of my writing this, tho’ upward of fifty years since its establishment, that which I first formed, called the Union Fire Company, still subsists and flourishes, tho’ the first members are all deceas’d but myself and one, who is older by a year than I am. The small fines that have been paid by members for absence at the monthly meetings have been apply’d to the purchase of fire-engines, ladders, fire-hooks, and other useful implements for each company, so that I question whether there is a city in the world better provided with the means of putting a stop to beginning conflagrations; and, in fact, since these institutions, the city has never lost by fire more than one or two houses at a time, and the flames have often been extinguished before the house in which they began has been half consumed.联合消防队的价值很快就体现出来了，越来越多的人自愿加和信进来， 人数比我们一开始设想的多得多。如此多的人不再适合待在一个队伍里，于是我们就另外组建了一支队伍。就这样，救火的队伍像雨后春笋般一个接一个地成立起来，几乎绝大多数有产业的居民都参与了进来。我在讲述这些情况的时候，距离我组织“联合消防队”已经长达五十年之久了。这支队伍如今仍然存在并不断壮大，虽然除了我和另外一个比我大一岁的人之外,第一批成员均已去世。如果成员因事而无法出席每个月的集会，便会被处以小小的罚款，这些钱全部用来购买灭火器、云梯、救火钩和其他消防器具。我怀疑世界上没有哪个城市比费城能更好地消防灭火了。事实上，自打消防队成立以来，费城从未发生过烧掉一两间房子这种程度的火灾，因为大火通常在烧到房屋的一半时，便已经被我们的消防队扑灭了。

In 1739 arrived among us from Ireland the Reverend Mr. Whitefield, who had made himself remarkable there as an itinerant preacher. He was at first permitted to preach in some of our churches; but the clergy, taking a dislike to him, soon refus’d him their pulpits, and he was oblig’d to preach in the fields. The multitudes of all sects and denominations that attended his sermons were enormous, and it was matter of speculation to me, who was one of the number, to observe the extraordinary influence of his oratory on his hearers, and how much they admir’d and respected him, notwithstanding his common abuse of them, by assuring them that they were naturally half beasts and half devils. It was wonderful to see the change soon made in the manners of our inhabitants. From being thoughtless or indifferent about religion, it seem’d as if all the world were growing religious, so that one could not walk thro’ the town in an evening without hearing psalms sung in different families of every street.一七三九年, 我们这里来了一位爱尔兰牧师, 他叫怀特菲尔德。作为一名巡回传教士，他的确十分出色。起初， 人们允许他在我们这里的一些教堂布道，却遭到了当地牧师的反对，他们拒绝让他在教堂布道，还把他赶到外面的空场地。这样一来，反而会有不同教派的人有机会听他布道, 一时间人数众多, 我也是其中之一。我亲眼见到他神奇的雄辩术对听众产生的非凡影响力，尽管他党常对着听众责骂训斥，说他们一半是野兽一半是魔鬼，但这一点儿也不影响人们对他的崇敬，我对此也很费解。但事实是，居民的生活方式确实发生了很大的变化，甚至到了令人惊叹的地步。过去，人们对宗教总是持无所谓的态度，没人真心把它当一回事，而现在似乎整个世界都弥温着浓郁的宗教氛围，每到夜里，大街小埠总能听到家家户户传出来的悠扬的赞美诗。

And it being found inconvenient to assemble in the open air, subject to its inclemencies, the building of a house to meet in was no sooner propos’d, and persons appointed to receive contributions, but sufficient sums were soon receiv’d to procure the ground and erect the building, which was one hundred feet long and seventy broad, about the size of Westminster Hall; and the work was carried on with such spirit as to be finished in a much shorter time than could have been expected. Both house and ground were vested in trustees, expressly for the use of any preacher of any religious persuasion who might desire to say something to the people at Philadelphia; the design in building not being to accommodate any particular sect, but the inhabitants in general; so that even if the Mufti of Constantinople were to send a missionary to preach Mohammedanism to us, he would find a pulpit at his service.露天布道在恶劣的天气下，尤其会显示出它的不便，于是不久就有人提议，专门为他进行布道建造一所房子，并指定专人负责募款项目。很快，人们就募集到了足够的金钱去租赁地皮和建造教堂。这个教堂建成后长一百英太，宽七十英矿。人们建造教堂的热情空前高涨，工程的进度更是超出了人们的预料。建成后，房产和地皮交由托管委员会保管，并明文指出，这所教堂是给来到费城的任何教派的所有牧师使用的，这是他们临时落脚的场所，并且可以在这里向人们传道。修建它并不是为某一个教派提供方便，而是为了所有的居民。即使是来自君士坦丁堡的伊斯兰教的传教士，也可以在此登台布道，宣传伊斯兰教教义。

Mr. Whitefield, in leaving us, went preaching all the way thro’ the colonies to Georgia. The settlement of that province had lately been begun, but, instead of being made with hardy, industrious husbandmen, accustomed to labor, the only people fit for such an enterprise, it was with families of broken shop-keepers and other insolvent debtors, many of indolent and idle habits, taken out of the jails, who, being set down in the woods, unqualified for clearing land, and unable to endure the hardships of a new settlement, perished in numbers, leaving many helpless children unprovided for. The sight of their miserable situation inspir’d the benevolent heart of Mr. Whitefield with the idea of building an Orphan House there, in which they might be supported and educated. Returning northward, he preach’d up this charity, and made large collections, for his eloquence had a wonderful power over the hearts and purses of his hearers, of which I myself was an instance.怀特非尔德先生离开费城后，在各个殖民地沿途布道，后来思转到了佐治亚州。那时，佐治亚州的殖民运动刚刚开始，但去往那里的人并不是勤劳坚韧和喜欢劳作的为了在此开荒拓地的农民，而是一些拖家带口的破产商人和其他破产债务人, 他们懒惰成性，甚至有些人刚从监狱中被释放不久。这样的人突然来到这片森林定居，既干不了开荒种地的工作，又不堪忍受新移民点的艰苦，结果死了不少人，留下许多孤苦伶休、无人抚养的孩子。这种惨境触动了怀特菲尔德的删隐之心,他决定在那里修建一座孤儿院，以抚养和教育这群孤儿。在返回北方的路上，他沿途宣传这项慈善事业，募集到了大量的捐款。他的辩才能打动听众的心灵，这让他们纷纷怀慨解桔，我也是其中一个。

I did not disapprove of the design, but, as Georgia was then destitute of materials and workmen, and it was proposed to send them from Philadelphia at a great expense, I thought it would have been better to have built the house here, and brought the children to it. This I advis’d; but he was resolute in his first project, rejected my counsel, and I therefore refus’d to contribute. I happened soon after to attend one of his sermons, in the course of which I perceived he intended to finish with a collection, and I silently resolved he should get nothing from me, I had in my pocket a handful of copper money, three or four silver dollars, and five pistoles in gold. As he proceeded I began to soften, and concluded to give the coppers. Another stroke of his oratory made me asham’d of that, and determin’d me to give the silver; and he finish’d so admirably, that I empty’d my pocket wholly into the collector’s dish, gold and all. At this sermon there was also one of our club, who, being of my sentiments respecting the building in Georgia, and suspecting a collection might be intended, had, by precaution, emptied his pockets before he came from home. Towards the conclusion of the discourse, however, he felt a strong desire to give, and apply’d to a neighbour, who stood near him, to borrow some money for the purpose. The application was unfortunately [made] to perhaps the only man in the company who had the firmness not to be affected by the preacher. His answer was, “At any other time, Friend Hopkinson, I would lend to thee freely; but not now, for thee seems to be out of thy right senses.”我并不反对他的计划，但我想的是,佐治亚缺乏材料和工人，要是全部运过去耗费又太大了,不如把孤儿院修在费城，然后把孩子们接到这里来抚养，岂不更好! 我将自己的建议提了出来，但他却不为所动，一直坚持原来的方案，因此，我拒绝了捐款。不久,，我碰巧参加了他的一个布道会，料想他在演讲结束时会搞募捐活动，于是暗下决心不掏一文钱，尽管我的口袋里装着一把铜钱、三四个银币以及五个西班牙金币。然而，在听他演讲的过程中,我就心软了，捐出了所有的铜币; 当他怀慨陈词后，我甚至觉得羞愧难当，又捐出了银币; 没想到他的结束词演讲得如此精彩，我又将口袋里所有的钱都掏了出来，包括金币和所有的零钱，最后它们都被放进了募捐盘子中。我们“君托社”的一个成员也来听他布道，本来他在佐治亚修建孤儿院的问题上跟我意见一致。他也想到可能会有公开募捐这一环节，于是在离开家之前，就把两个口袋都清空了。不过在演讲即将结束时，他强烈的捐款欲望被调动了起来, 甚至向旁边的邻居借钱捐款。不巧的是，这位邻居似乎是众多听众中唯一没被传教士打动的人，他是这么 工区回答的: “埠普金森朋友，如果在平时，你想借多少钱都没问题，但现在不行，你看起来失去理智了。”

Some of Mr. Whitefield’s enemies affected to suppose that he would apply these collections to his own private emolument; but I who was intimately acquainted with him (being employed in printing his Sermons and Journals, etc.), never had the least suspicion of his integrity, but am to this day decidedly of opinion that he was in all his conduct a perfectly honest man, and methinks my testimony in his favour ought to have the more weight, as we had no religious connection. He us’d, indeed, sometimes to pray for my conversion, but never had the satisfaction of believing that his prayers were heard. Ours was a mere civil friendship, sincere on both sides, and lasted to his death.这其实是因为怀特菲尔德的敌人故意散布谣言，说他募捐是为了填满自己的腰包，但我了解他的为人他曾让我帮他印过布道文和日记等 )，我从来不怀疑他的诚实，直到今天，我仍然认为他的所作所为都无可挑剔。我跟他在宗教上没有任何联系, 因此，我的证明应该是有分量的。他确实劲我加入他的教派, 但我没同意。我们之间的友谊是纯粹的世俗友谊，彼此真诚以待，并且这份友谊一直延续到他离世为止。

The following instance will show something of the terms on which we stood. Upon one of his arrivals from England at Boston, he wrote to me that he should come soon to Philadelphia, but knew not where he could lodge when there, as he understood his old friend and host, Mr. Benezet, was removed to Germantown. My answer was, “You know my house; if you can make shift with its scanty accommodations, you will be most heartily welcome.” He reply’d, that if I made that kind offer for Christ’s sake, I should not miss of a reward. And I returned, “Don’t let me be mistaken; it was not for Christ’s sake, but for your sake.” One of our common acquaintance jocosely remark’d, that, knowing it to be the custom of the saints, when they received any favour, to shift the burden of the obligation from off their own shoulders, and place it in heaven, I had contriv’d to fix it on earth.下面我将举一个例子来说明我们之间的关系。有一次，他从英国来到波士顿，便给我来信说很快就到费城了，但不知道自己该住在哪儿，因为他的老朋友兼房东尼泽特先生已经搬到日耳曼城去了。我这样回答他: “你知道我家的地址，如果你不嫌弃，我十分欢迎你到我这里来住。”他回答说: “假如你是看在基督的分上留我住宿的话，那么一定会得到上帝的赐福。”我回答说:“你不要搞错，我是看在你的分上而不是看在基督的分上才让你留宿的。”我的一个朋友知道后开玩笑说: “圣徒们有个习惯，当他们接受恩惠时，不会把这份人情记在自己头上，而是送到天上的父那里。”而我呢，早已经把这份人情记在了地上。

The last time I saw Mr. Whitefield was in London, when he consulted me about his Orphan House concern, and his purpose of appropriating it to the establishment of a college.我最后一次见怀特菲尔德先生是在伦敦，当时，他就孤儿院的问题向我征询了意见，他想把孤儿院改办为一所学校。

He had a loud and clear voice, and articulated his words and sentences so perfectly, that he might be heard and understood at a great distance, especially as his auditories, however numerous, observ’d the most exact silence. He preach’d one evening from the top of the Court-house steps, which are in the middle of Market-street, and on the west side of Second-street, which crosses it at right angles. Both streets were fill’d with his hearers to a considerable distance. Being among the hindmost in Market-street, I had the curiosity to learn how far he could be heard, by retiring backwards down the street towards the river; and I found his voice distinct till I came near Front-street, when some noise in that street obscur’d it. Imagining then a semi-circle, of which my distance should be the radius, and that it were fill’d with auditors, to each of whom I allow’d two square feet, I computed that he might well be heard by more than thirty thousand. This reconcil’d me to the newspaper accounts of his having preach’d to twenty-five thousand people in the fields, and to the antient histories of generals haranguing whole armies, of which I had sometimes doubted.怀特菲尔德的声音洪亮清晰，字字句名都清楚准确，即使站得很远的人也能听得清楚明白。还有一个原因是，尽管他的听众人数众多，但都能保持安静。一天晚上，他站在法院的最高一级台阶上布道，法院坐落在市场街的中央，第二街的西面，两条街呈直角相交, 结果两条街都站满了听众, 一直延伸到很远的地方。我本来站在市场街最靠后的位置，因为好奇他的声音究竟能传多远，便边听布道边向后退，一直退到了声音嗜杂的前街，他的声音才被吞没。我设想，假如以我跟他的距离为半径画一个半圆，在这其中填满听众，再假设每个人占二平方英太的空间，那么我估算有三万以上的人可以听到他的声音。这时我才相信报纸上说的，他在旷野向两万五千人布道的事，以及古代历史中所讲的将军向全体士兵高声训话的事。在这之前，我是绝对持怀疑态度的。

By hearing him often, I came to distinguish easily between sermons newly compos’d, and those which he had often preach’d in the course of his travels. His delivery of the latter was so improv’d by frequent repetitions that every accent, every emphasis, every modulation of voice, was so perfectly well turn’d and well plac’d, that, without being interested in the subject, one could not help being pleas’d with the discourse; a pleasure of much the same kind with that receiv’d from an excellent piece of musick. This is an advantage itinerant preachers have over those who are stationary, as the latter can not well improve their delivery of a sermon by so many rehearsals.由于常常听他布道，我很容易就能区分出哪些是他新编的演讲词，哪些是他沿途多次布道讲过的演讲词。因为反复讲过多遍的演讲词经过了不断的改进，每个词和每个句子的重音都设置得 于ZX十分完美，处理得十分得当，即使对他的布道题目毫无兴趣的人，也会乐意听他演讲。因为他的演讲就像动听的音乐一样能带给人愉悦。这就是巡回传教士比固定传教士占有优势的地方，固定传教士不可能有那么多练习的机会，布道技术也就难以提高。

His writing and printing from time to time gave great advantage to his enemies; unguarded expressions, and even erroneous opinions, delivered in preaching, might have been afterwards explain’d or qualifi’d by supposing others that might have accompani’d them, or they might have been deny’d; but litera scripta monet. Critics attack’d his writings violently, and with so much appearance of reason as to diminish the number of his votaries and prevent their encrease; so that I am of opinion if he had never written any thing, he would have left behind him a much more numerous and important sect, and his reputation might in that case have been still growing, even after his death, as there being nothing of his writing on which to found a censure and give him a lower character, his proselytes would be left at liberty to feign for him as great a variety of excellence as their enthusiastic admiration might wish him to have possessed.他写的东西和印出的东西常常给他的敌人以可乘之机。在布道过程中，稍有表达不愤的地方，或者出了错，事后都可以作以解释或补充说明，以此挽回局面，甚至可以干脆否认。但是落笔无悔，文字的东西只要写下就难以补救。于是，他的敌对者们总是抓住把柄，而后猛烈地子以择击，看似还十分有理，这样一来，不但减少了他原有的信徒, 也阻止了新信徒的增长。所以, 依我看，假如他不留下什么文章，身后反而会留下一个人数众多、地位显汐的教派，而他的声誉也将会持续增长。没有文章便没有证据，那些反对派便无从对他非难和贬低他的人格，而他的版依者们则可以尽情地颂扬他的美德。

My business was now continually augmenting, and my circumstances growing daily easier, my newspaper having become very profitable, as being for a time almost the only one in this and the neighbouring provinces. I experienced, too, the truth of the observation, “that after getting the first hundred pound, it is more easy to get the second,” money itself being of a prolific nature.我的业务量不断地增长，生活境况也日渐好转，这全要归功于我的报纸。它给我赚了不少钱，有一段时间，它成为本州和邻近几个州唯一一份报纸。这时，我体会到一句格言的真详: “当你赚到第一个一百镑后，赚第二个一百镑就容易多了。”钱本身是可以生钱的。

The partnership at Carolina having succeeded, I was encourag’d to engage in others, and to promote several of my workmen, who had behaved well, by establishing them with printing-houses in different colonies, on the same terms with that in Carolina. Most of them did well, being enabled at the end of our term, six years, to purchase the types of me and go on working for themselves, by which means several families were raised. Partnerships often finish in quarrels; but I was happy in this, that mine were all carried on and ended amicably, owing, I think, a good deal to the precaution of having very explicitly settled, in our articles, every thing to be done by or expected from each partner, so that there was nothing to dispute, which precaution I would therefore recommend to all who enter into partnerships; for, whatever esteem partners may have for, and confidence in each other at the time of the contract, little jealousies and disgusts may arise, with ideas of inequality in the care and burden of the business, etc., which are attended often with breach of friendship and of the connection, perhaps with lawsuits and other disagreeable consequences.我在卡罗来纳州的合伙经营也十分成功，这大大地鼓励了我，使我产生了在其他地方多发展几个分点的想法。于是,我提拔了几个表现好的工人，像在卡罗来纳州那样，将他们派往各个殖民地创办印刷店。这些工人大多干得很不错，在六年合伙期满后，都有能力买下印刷店,独立经营业务,然后通过这种方式成家立业。许多合伙经营常常因各种纷争而散伙,，但我们的合作却十分愉快。在合伙期结束后，我们总是十分顺利地散伙，这大概是因为在订立合同时，我们预先考虑到了很多措施以防止出现纠纷。合伙双方的权利和义务规定得十分明确，因此我们没什么可争的。在此，我很乐意向那些想合伙经营的人推荐这种预防方法。因为在订立合伙合同之前，不管双方是如何体面的人物，又表现得如何互相尊敬和信任，到最后散伙时都会产生嫉妒和习恨，认为在业务经营和负担分配方面存在很多不公，等等。这直接导致了友情与合作的破裂，甚至会产生法律纠纷和其他不愉快的结局。

I had, on the whole, abundant reason to be satisfied with my being established in Pennsylvania. There were, however, two things that I regretted, there being no provision for defense, nor for a compleat education of youth; no militia, nor any college. I therefore, in 1743, drew up a proposal for establishing an academy; and at that time, thinking the Reverend Mr. Peters, who was out of employ, a fit person to superintend such an institution, I communicated the project to him; but he, having more profitable views in the service of the proprietaries, which succeeded, declin’d the undertaking; and, not knowing another at that time suitable for such a trust, I let the scheme lie a while dormant. I succeeded better the next year, 1744, in proposing and establishing a Philosophical Society. The paper I wrote for that purpose will be found among my writings, when collected.总体来说，我十分满意当年选择在宾夕法尼亚州开业。不过还是留下了两个遗憾，一是本州没有防务措施，二是没有为青年人提供完备教育的地方，即无民兵组织，没有大学。于是，我在一七四三年的时候提出了一个建议一一创立一所学院。那时，彼得斯牧师正赋闲在家中，他便成了我考虑范围内最适合管理学院的人选。于是我向他说出了这个计划，但他认为为有钱的领主服务更加有利可图，就谢绝了我的邀请，后来证明，他在那方面的确很成功。但是一时间我又找不到可信赖的人担当此任，就暂时将事情搁置了下来。第二年, 即一七四四年, 我又提议成立一个“哲学学会”，没想到这个计划很快得到了落实。在我的著作中可以找到我为此所写的文章。

With respect to defense, Spain having been several years at war against Great Britain, and being at length join’d by France, which brought us into great danger; and the laboured and long-continued endeavour of our governor, Thomas, to prevail with our Quaker Assembly to pass a militia law, and make other provisions for the security of the province, having proved abortive, I determined to try what might be done by a voluntary association of the people. To promote this, I first wrote and published a pamphlet, entitled Plain Truth, in which I stated our defenceless situation in strong lights, with the necessity of union and discipline for our defense, and promis’d to propose in a few days an association, to be generally signed for that purpose. The pamphlet had a sudden and surprising effect. I was call’d upon for the instrument of association, and having settled the draft of it with a few friends, I appointed a meeting of the citizens in the large building before mentioned. The house was pretty full; I had prepared a number of printed copies, and provided pens and ink dispers’d all over the room. I harangued them a little on the subject, read the paper, and explained it, and then distributed the copies, which were eagerly signed, not the least objection being made.至于防务方面的问题，也相当紧迫。西班牙和英国的战争已经打了好几年，后来法国也参战，加入到西班牙的队伍中，这让我们陷人了更加危险的境地。为此，州长托马斯不辞辛苦，一次又一次地试图说服长老会通过一项民兵法案和其他保卫本州安全的措施，但他的努力最终以失败告终。这让我下决心要在人民中征募志愿团队。 为了促成此事, 我发表了我写的小册子, 题目为《显而易见的真理》。在这篇小册子中,我将本州这无防卫的现实情况指出来，然后强调了征召训练防卫团队的必要性，并表明在几天内我就会提出成立人民防卫团队的建议，到时和希望大家能为此签名。令人意外的是，这本小册子收到了立竿见影的效果。 我应邀负责团队的组织和准备工作，并和几个朋友一起草拟了组织方案，决定在大会议厅召开市民大会。当时的情形令我至今难忘，只见会议大厅内人头攒动，我准备了大量印刷好的志愿书，并在厅内各处备好笔和墨水，然后我开始向与会者说明防务方面的各种问题, 宣读完志愿书的内容之后, 便将志愿书散发下去，大家竟然竞相签名，无一人反对。

When the company separated, and the papers were collected, we found above twelve hundred hands; and, other copies being dispersed in the country, the subscribers amounted at length to upward of ten thousand. These all furnished themselves as soon as they could with arms, formed themselves into companies and regiments, chose their own officers, and met every week to be instructed in the manual exercise, and other parts of military discipline. The women, by subscriptions among themselves, provided silk colors, which they presented to the companies, painted with different devices and mottos, which I supplied.散会之后，我们将志愿书收集上来,发现签名的人数达到了一干二百人。我们又将另外一些志愿书发送到乡下，竟征集到了一万人以上的签名。 这些人尽快自我武装起来, 组成了连队、团队，并选出了指挥官，每周集中训练一次，主要进行枪械方面和其他一些军事训练。妇女们则集资捐献了丝绸旋旗，并在族旗上画上图形，写上格言，分发到各个志愿部队中，这些图形和格言都是由我提供的。

The officers of the companies composing the Philadelphia regiment, being met, chose me for their colonel; but, conceiving myself unfit, I declin’d that station, and recommended Mr. Lawrence, a fine person, and man of influence, who was accordingly appointed. I then propos’d a lottery to defray the expense of building a battery below the town, and furnishing it with cannon. It filled expeditiously, and the battery was soon erected, the merlons being fram’d of logs and fill’d with earth. We bought some old cannon from Boston, but, these not being sufficient, we wrote to England for more, soliciting, at the same time, our proprietaries for some assistance, tho’ without much expectation of obtaining it.费城团队各连队的指挥官们选我作为上校指挥官，但我自觉无法堪当重任，便谢绝了，然后推荐劳伦斯先生。他是个品德高尚且影响广泛的人，于是大家选他作为军事首长。接着，我认为该募集一些军事费用了, 比如在城下修筑炮台、配置大炮等, 因此，我建议用发行奖券的方式来募集。果然，款项很快就募集够了，我们就修筑起了炮台。炮架的锥塌是用圆本搭成的，里面填满泥土。我们又从波士顿买来几门旧大炮，但这还不足以防卫，于是又写信到英国，要求他们提供大炮。同时，我们还向有钱的领主们请求支援，虽然我们对此并不抱什么希望。

Meanwhile, Colonel Lawrence, William Allen, Abram Taylor, Esqr., and myself were sent to New York by the associators, commission’d to borrow some cannon of Governor Clinton. He at first refus’d us peremptorily; but at dinner with his council, where there was great drinking of Madeira wine, as the custom of that place then was, he softened by degrees, and said he would lend us six. After a few more bumpers he advanc’d to ten; and at length he very good-naturedly conceded eighteen. They were fine cannon, eighteen-pounders, with their carriages, which we soon transported and mounted on our battery, where the associators kept a nightly guard while the war lasted, and among the rest I regularly took my turn of duty there as a common soldier.与此同时，志愿兵团派我和劳伦斯上校、威廉' 艾伦、亚伯拉姆.泰勒一同前往纽约，向克林顿州长借几门大炮。起初他断然拒绝了我们的请求，不过事情出现了转机，因为在和他的僚属们进餐时, 我们按照当地的习俗喝了大量的马特拉酒, 这让他很满意，立刻转变了态度，答应借给我们十门大炮，到了最后他又慷慨地加到十八门。这些大炮全是优质上等的大炮，能发射十八镑的炮弹,而且还附带着炮架。 我们很快将它们运回, 装在建好的炮台上。战争期间，团队士兵每天晚上都在这里轮流值勤站岗警戒，而我和其他成员也像普通士兵一样参与其中。

My activity in these operations was agreeable to the governor and council; they took me into confidence, and I was consulted by them in every measure wherein their concurrence was thought useful to the association. Calling in the aid of religion, I propos’d to them the proclaiming a fast, to promote reformation, and implore the blessing of Heaven on our undertaking. They embrac’d the motion; but, as it was the first fast ever thought of in the province, the secretary had no precedent from which to draw the proclamation. My education in New England, where a fast is proclaimed every year, was here of some advantage: I drew it in the accustomed stile, it was translated into German, printed in both languages, and divulg’d thro’ the province. This gave the clergy of the different sects an opportunity of influencing their congregations to join in the association, and it would probably have been general among all but Quakers if the peace had not soon interven’d.我在这方面的积极行动得到了州长和议会的赞赏，让他们对我信任有加，经常同我商议各种有益于团队训练的方法。为了团结一切力量，争取到宗教的支持，我提议订立一个裔戒日，以求得到上帝的赐福，推动团队训练的发展。这个建议立刻被采纳，不过这是本州有史以来的第一次裔戒，秘书团因无前例可循而没有办法草拟文告。我曾在新英格兰受过教育，而那里每年都要举行一次裔戒，没想到这些知识竟在这里起到了作用。于是，我就按照新英格兰通常采用的格式起草了一些文告，然后将其译为德文，印成两种文字，公告全州。这次遍戒使得各派的牧师们也开始召集会友加入训练，如果和平之日很快就到来的话，我想大概所有的教派都会参加到团队训练中。

It was thought by some of my friends that, by my activity in these affairs, I should offend that sect, and thereby lose my interest in the Assembly of the province, where they formed a great majority. A young gentleman who had likewise some friends in the House, and wished to succeed me as their clerk, acquainted me that it was decided to displace me at the next election; and he, therefore, in good will, advis’d me to resign, as more consistent with my honour than being turn’d out. My answer to him was, that I had read or heard of some public man who made it a rule never to ask for an office, and never to refuse one when offer’d to him. “I approve,” says I, “of his rule, and will practice it with a small addition; I shall never ask, never refuse, nor ever resign an office. If they will have my office of clerk to dispose of to another, they shall take it from me. I will not, by giving it up, lose my right of some time or other making reprisals on my adversaries.” I heard, however, no more of this; I was chosen again unanimously as usual at the next election. Possibly, as they dislik’d my late intimacy with the members of council, who had join’d the governors in all the disputes about military preparations, with which the House had long been harass’d, they might have been pleas’d if I would voluntarily have left them; but they did not care to displace me on account merely of my zeal for the association, and they could not well give another reason.我的一些朋友认为我热衷于这些事务会得罪教友会，而州议会中教友会的成员占大多数，这就意味着我将失去对州议会的影响力。有一个年轻绅士，在州议会中认识几个朋友，便想取代我的位置成为议会秘书。他便对我说，议会已经决定解除我的职务，并善意地奉劝我辞职，这样总比被解职要体面些。我曾读过和听过一些公职人员立下的规则: 从不谋求职务，也从不拒绝职务。我的回答是这样的，我说: “我十分赞同这些规则，但还需要有一点补充，即我从不谋求、从不拒绝、从不辞去职务。如果他们要将我解职，并将这一职位让给别人，当然他们可以这么做，但我即使放弃了职位，也决不放弃我适时向对手施以报复的权利。”后来,我再没有听到解职一说。次年，在选举中我又像往年一样当选。大概他们不喜欢我跟参政会交往过密，因为参政会总是站在州长那边的。最近，他们因为军备问题经常同州长争执不休，使得议会长期陷入麻烦之中。我如果离参政会远一点儿，议员们肯定十分高兴。不过我不这人么做，他们对此也没有办法，因为不能仅仅因我热衷于团体操练的事务就将我解职。

Indeed I had some cause to believe that the defense of the country was not disagreeable to any of them, provided they were not requir’d to assist in it. And I found that a much greater number of them than I could have imagined, tho’ against offensive war, were clearly for the defensive. Many pamphlets pro and con were publish’d on the subject, and some by good Quakers, in favour of defense, which I believe convinc’d most of their younger people.我有理由相信，任何议员在保卫国家的事情上绝不会有任何异议，不过就是别指望他们伸出援助之手罢了。我发现，大多数人虽然反对侵略，却不反对防卫自己，而这批人的数量远远超出了我的想象。围绕这一问题，已经发行了许多小册子，里面包含了正反两方面的观点。其中一些赞成防务的文章是由教友会的优秀成员写的，这些文章说服了不少教友会的年轻成员。

A transaction in our fire company gave me some insight into their prevailing sentiments. It had been propos’d that we should encourage the scheme for building a battery by laying out the present stock, then about sixty pounds, in tickets of the lottery. By our rules, no money could be dispos’d of till the next meeting after the proposal. The company consisted of thirty members, of which twenty-two were Quakers, and eight only of other persuasions. We eight punctually attended the meeting; but, tho’ we thought that some of the Quakers would join us, we were by no means sure of a majority. Only one Quaker, Mr. James Morris, appear’d to oppose the measure. He expressed much sorrow that it had ever been propos’d, as he said Friends were all against it, and it would create such discord as might break up the company. We told him that we saw no reason for that; we were the minority, and if Friends were against the measure, and outvoted us, we must and should, agreeably to the usage of all societies, submit. When the hour for business arriv’d it was mov’d to put the vote; he allow’d we might then do it by the rules, but, as he could assure us that a number of members intended to be present for the purpose of opposing it, it would be but candid to allow a little time for their appearing.这时，消防队发生的一件事让我了解了队员们的普遍想法。为了购买为建筑炮台而设置的奖券，有人建议动用消防队现有的六十镑存款。不过我们有规定，动用公款的建议提出后，要等到下次会议决定才能通过。消防队共有三十名成员，其中二十二名出自教友会, 只有八名是其他教派的。我们这八人准时出席了会也想到教友会中应该有人站出来支持我们，不过绝没有想到有这么多。二十二名教友会的成员，只有一名成员即詹姆斯，莫里斯先生公开表示反对这项提议。他对这项提议深表遗憾，因为他坚信，所有的教友会成员都会反对这项提议，而这可能会直接导致消防队解体。我们对他说不会发生这种事的，因为我们只是少数票，假如教友会的成员都持反对意见，那么按照消防队的规则，少数必须服从多数。很快到了投票时间，有人建议开始投票表决，他说这符合规则，但请稍等一会儿，因为很多教友会的成员都会出席会议反对此项议案，等他们都来了才能保证投票的公正。

While we were disputing this, a waiter came to tell me two gentlemen below desir’d to speak with me. I went down, and found they were two of our Quaker members. They told me there were eight of them assembled at a tavern just by; that they were determin’d to come and vote with us if there should be occasion, which they hop’d would not be the case, and desir’d we would not call for their assistance if we could do without it, as their voting for such a measure might embroil them with their elders and friends. Being thus secure of a majority, I went up, and after a little seeming hesitation, agreed to a delay of another hour. This Mr. Morris allow’d to be extreamly fair. Not one of his opposing friends appear’d, at which he express’d great surprize; and, at the expiration of the hour, we carry’d the resolution eight to one; and as, of the twenty-two Quakers, eight were ready to vote with us, and thirteen, by their absence, manifested that they were not inclin’d to oppose the measure, I afterward estimated the proportion of Quakers sincerely against defense as one to twenty-one only; for these were all regular members of that society, and in good reputation among them, and had due notice of what was propos’d at that meeting.正当我们争执不下时，有人传话告诉我，楼下有两名绅士希望能跟我说话。我下楼后，发现是教友会的两名成员，他们告诉我附近的酒馆里聚集着八位教友会成员，如果有必要，他们就立即过来投票惕成我们。不过他们还是希望这种事不要发生，因为一旦他们投了赞成票，就会跟长老以及其他教友发生冲突。听到他们的话，我心里有了底。返回楼上后，我们表面上稍作狂豫，然后勉强答应延长一个小时再投票。对此, 莫里斯先生认为很公正。结果，他所期望的投反对票的教友一个都没出现，这让他大为吃惊。一个小时过去后，我们照常进行了投票，结果八比一。教友会成员中有八名投了赞成票，另外十三名缺席则表示不打算投反对票，那么真正对防务持反对意见的教友会成员的比例就是一比二十一。这二十一人统统是教友会的忠实信徒，有着良好的声誉而他们也十分清楚本次会议要决议的方案。

The honorable and learned Mr. Logan, who had always been of that sect, was one who wrote an address to them, declaring his approbation of defensive war, and supporting his opinion by many strong arguments. He put into my hands sixty pounds to be laid out in lottery tickets for the battery, with directions to apply what prizes might be drawn wholly to that service. He told me the following anecdote of his old master, William Penn, respecting defense. He came over from England, when a young man, with that proprietary, and as his secretary. It was war-time, and their ship was chas’d by an armed vessel, suppos’d to be an enemy. Their captain prepar’d for defense; but told William Penn and his company of Quakers, that he did not expect their assistance, and they might retire into the cabin, which they did, except James Logan, who chose to stay upon deck, and was quarter’d to a gun. The suppos’d enemy prov’d a friend, so there was no fighting; but when the secretary went down to communicate the intelligence, William Penn rebuk’d him severely for staying upon deck, and undertaking to assist in defending the vessel, contrary to the principles of Friends, especially as it had not been required by the captain. This reproof, being before all the company, piqu’d the secretary, who answer’d, “I being thy servant, why did thee not order me to come down? But thee was willing enough that I should stay and help to fight the ship when thee thought there was danger.”教友会有一位德高望重而又博学多才的罗根先生，写信给他的教友们, 宣称他赞成防卫提案, 并且强有力地论证了自己的观点。他交给我六十镑购买奖券，说无论中了哪一等奖，都全部用于修建炮台。之后，他还给我讲了一下他的老主人威廉' 潘恩关于防御战争的事迹。年轻的时候，他是领主潘恩的秘书，跟着领主从英国乘船而来。当时正值战乱，他们的船被当成了敌船，被一稻武装舰紧紧尾随。船长做好了抵抗的准备，然后转向威廉' 潘恩和其他教友会朋友们，表示自己不指望他们来帮忙，他们也不必冒险，可以退到船舱里去。所有人都下去了，只有往姆士，罗根选择留在甲板上作战, 船长于是让他看守一门大炮。 后来他们知道，那只紧紧尾随他们的船不是敌船而是友船，因此什么事情也没发生。当罗根先生跑下去将这个喜讯带给大家时，威廉' 潘恩严厉地指责了他，认为他留在甲板上帮助防御的行为违背了教友会的原则，况且船长并没有要求他们帮助防卫。罗根在所有人面前遭受如此责备，心中十分恼火，于是回答道: “既然我是您的仆人，为什么不命令我下船呢? 当您认为危险降临时，我看您倒是很情愿我留在甲板上抵御敌人。”

My being many years in the Assembly, the majority of which were constantly Quakers, gave me frequent opportunities of seeing the embarrassment given them by their principle against war, whenever application was made to them, by order of the crown, to grant aids for military purposes. They were unwilling to offend government, on the one hand, by a direct refusal; and their friends, the body of the Quakers, on the other, by a compliance contrary to their principles; hence a variety of evasions to avoid complying, and modes of disguising the compliance when it became unavoidable. The common mode at last was, to grant money under the phrase of its being “for the king’s use,” and never to inquire how it was applied.我在州议会供职多年，议会中大多数议员都是教友会成员，.因此我常常有机会看到这样的场面: 每当英国国王下达命令，要他们筹备军费以备战争需求时，他们便处于一个十分尴众的局面，因为这与他们反对战争的原则是相违背的。他们不能得罪政府而断然拒绝，但又不肯违背教规而失信于教友。于是，他们只能找出各种借口来推托，实在推托不掉时，就用各种托词加以掩饰，最后往往以“为国王所用”为借口拨款，至于究竟用到了哪里，没有人再关心。

But, if the demand was not directly from the crown, that phrase was found not so proper, and some other was to be invented. As, when powder was wanting (I think it was for the garrison at Louisburg), and the government of New England solicited a grant of some from Pennsilvania, which was much urg’d on the House by Governor Thomas, they could not grant money to buy powder, because that was an ingredient of war; but they voted an aid to New England of three thousand pounds, to he put into the hands of the governor, and appropriated it for the purchasing of bread, flour, wheat, or other grain. Some of the council, desirous of giving the House still further embarrassment, advis’d the governor not to accept provision, as not being the thing he had demanded; but be reply’d, “I shall take the money, for I understand very well their meaning; other grain is gunpowder,” which he accordingly bought, and they never objected to it. [11]如果要求拨款的命令并不是来自国王，那么以上这个借口就不适用了，便得另想他法。比如，当需要火药时（我想这是给路易斯堡守军用的），新英格兰的州长便请求宾夕法尼亚州给予支援。于是托马斯州长敦促议会通过这项决议，因为火药对战争来说是必需品，但议会绝不会同意拨款去购买火药，他们最多只能投票赞成支援三千镑，这笔款由州长自己掌握，但必须用于购买面包、面粉、小麦和其他粮食。参政会的人劝州长不要接受这笔款项，因为这并不是他想要的东西，接受它只能让自己颜面扫尽。但州长却回答说：“我当然要拿这笔钱，他们的意图我再清楚不过了，所谓的其他粮食即是火药。”于是，州长拿着那三千镑购买火药，也未见任何人反对。

[11: See the votes.— [Marg. note.]]

It was in allusion to this fact that, when in our fire company we feared the success of our proposal in favour of the lottery, and I had said to my friend Mr. Syng, one of our members, “If we fail, let us move the purchase of a fire-engine with the money; the Quakers can have no objection to that; and then, if you nominate me and I you as a committee for that purpose, we will buy a great gun, which is certainly a fire-engine.” “I see,” says he, “you have improv’d by being so long in the Assembly; your equivocal project would be just a match for their wheat or other grain.”从这件事中我得到了启发，在消防队里，当我们担心购买修筑炮台的奖券的提议不能通过时，我就对队里的一位朋友辛格先生说：“假如我们的这项提议不能通过，那么就另外提一个新的，说用这笔钱来买灭火器，这样教友会的人肯定不会反对。”于是我们两个组成一个购买委员会来办理这件事，然后堂而皇之地买回一台大炮，因为“大炮”也是一种“灭火器”。他说：“我明白了，你在议会这些年真是长进不小，这一语双关的提案跟‘小麦和其他粮食’如出一辙啊！” 注：第 168 页：① 此处原文是“fire-engine”，意思是“救火机”，即灭火器。但如果照字面解释，也可说是一架“火机”，即大炮。

These embarrassments that the Quakers suffer’d from having establish’d and published it as one of their principles that no kind of war was lawful, and which, being once published, they could not afterwards, however they might change their minds, easily get rid of, reminds me of what I think a more prudent conduct in another sect among us, that of the Dunkers. I was acquainted with one of its founders, Michael Welfare, soon after it appear’d. He complain’d to me that they were grievously calumniated by the zealots of other persuasions, and charg’d with abominable principles and practices, to which they were utter strangers. I told him this had always been the case with new sects, and that, to put a stop to such abuse, I imagin’d it might be well to publish the articles of their belief, and the rules of their discipline. He said that it had been propos’d among them, but not agreed to, for this reason: “When we were first drawn together as a society,” says he, “it had pleased God to enlighten our minds so far as to see that some doctrines, which we once esteemed truths, were errors; and that others, which we had esteemed errors, were real truths. From time to time He has been pleased to afford us farther light, and our principles have been improving, and our errors diminishing. Now we are not sure that we are arrived at the end of this progression, and at the perfection of spiritual or theological knowledge; and we fear that, if we should once print our confession of faith, we should feel ourselves as if bound and confin’d by it, and perhaps be unwilling to receive farther improvement, and our successors still more so, as conceiving what we their elders and founders had done, to be something sacred, never to be departed from.”教友会之所以总是处于这种尴众的局面，是因为他们曾确定并公布了这样一条教规: 凡战争即非法。教规一旦宣扬出去便很难再推翻，尽管他们很有可能已经改变了立场。这让我想起了另一个教派，它的做法就十分谨慎，这就是浸礼会。教派成立不久，我就认识了它的创始人之一迈克尔' 韦费尔。他曾向我诉苦，说他们是如何受到其他教派的排斥和诽谤的，虽然很多人对浸礼会一无所知, 却指责浸礼会有着令人民恶的教义和行为。我安慰他说，任何新教派成立初期都会遇到这样的情况，并建议他最好能发表一篇文章，将他们的信仰和教规写出来，这样就能消除这些恶意中伤。他说他曾提出过这个建议, 但没有得到大家的同意。至于理由，他这样说: “当初我们聚集起来成立这一教派, 是上帝启迪了我们，点亮了我们心灵的智慧，让我们看清了原来信奉的真理事实上却是雇误的教条。上帝不时地给予我们教诲和指导，这使我们的教义得以不断改进，廖误不断减少。现在，我们不敢肯定已经达到了心灵之学或神学理论的顶峰，因此担心一旦将教条公布，就会受到它的限制和束缚, 进而不会再有提高。 而我们的后人更会如此，认为先人确立的教条神圣不可侵犯，因此更不敢越雷池半步。”

This modesty in a sect is perhaps a singular instance in the history of mankind, every other sect supposing itself in possession of all truth, and that those who differ are so far in the wrong; like a man traveling in foggy weather, those at some distance before him on the road he sees wrapped up in the fog, as well as those behind him, and also the people in the fields on each side, but near him all appears clear, tho’ in truth he is as much in the fog as any of them. To avoid this kind of embarrassment, the Quakers have of late years been gradually declining the public service in the Assembly and in the magistracy, choosing rather to quit their power than their principle.一个教派能做到如此谦逊，我想这在人类历史上恺怕都难以找到。其他教派总是认为自己已经掌握了全部真理，如果谁与他们的观点不同便是大订和异端。这就像一个人行走在大圾中一样，走在他前面的人看上去被迷雾包围着，走在他后面和两边田野里的人也同样被迷雾包围着，只有那些靠近他的人才能被他看清，其实他不知道，自己在别人眼里一样被浓雾包围。教友会遇到的种种尴从境地，让他们常年面临着两难的选择。最近几年，他们已经逐渐淡出议会和政府公职，因为他们宁可选择放弃权力，也决不放弃教义。

In order of time, I should have mentioned before, that having, in 1742, invented an open stove for the better warming of rooms, and at the same time saving fuel, as the fresh air admitted was warmed in entering, I made a present of the model to Mr. Robert Grace, one of my early friends, who, having an iron-furnace, found the casting of the plates for these stoves a profitable thing, as they were growing in demand. To promote that demand, I wrote and published a pamphlet, entitled “An Account of the new-invented Pennsylvania Fireplaces; wherein their Construction and Manner of Operation is particularly explained; their Advantages above every other Method of warming Rooms demonstrated; and all Objections that have been raised against the Use of them answered and obviated,” etc. This pamphlet had a good effect. Gov’r. Thomas was so pleas’d with the construction of this stove, as described in it, that he offered to give me a patent for the sole vending of them for a term of years; but I declin’d it from a principle which has ever weighed with me on such occasions, viz., That, as we enjoy great advantages from the inventions of others, we should be glad of an opportunity to serve others by any invention of ours; and this we should do freely and generously.按照时间顺序，我早该讲一讲发生在一七四二年的一件事了。那一年, 我发明了一种能使屋内变暖, 又节省燃料的炉灶一一开炉，之所以节省燃料，是因为当冷空气进入时就已经被加热了。我做了一个炉子模型，并把它当作礼物送给了老朋友罗伯特' 格雷斯先生，他有一个制铁三。随着炉子的需求量不断增加，他发现为这种炉子生产铁板是十分赚钱的买卖。为了扩大销路，我还发布了一本小册子, 标题就是《新发明的宾夕法尼亚州的铁炉说明书》，书中特别阐明了炉子的结构和使用方法; 在室内取暖方面无可取代; 凡有疑必答，有任何异议必解释，等等。 这本小册子起得了良好的市场反应，托马斯州长对我所摘述的炉子的结构十分有兴趣，于是答应给我几年的专利，而我基于以下原则谢绝了。我始终遵循这样一个原则，即既然我们已经从别人的发明中得到了极大的便利，现在就应该为自己做出的一点儿回报而感到高兴，因此，应该将发明无偿奉献给社会。

An ironmonger in London however, assuming a good deal of my pamphlet, and working it up into his own, and making some small changes in the machine, which rather hurt its operation, got a patent for it there, and made, as I was told, a little fortune by it. And this is not the only instance of patents taken out for my inventions by others, tho’ not always with the same success, which I never contested, as having no desire of profiting by patents myself, and hating disputes. The use of these fireplaces in very many houses, both of this and the neighbouring colonies, has been, and is, a great saving of wood to the inhabitants.伦敦有一个铁器商人从我的小册子中惠穷了不少东西，之后，他稍加改造就宣称这是他自己的发明了。 不过，因为对炉子的结构做了些许变动，也就影响了炉子的使用效果，但这还是让他在那里取得了专利权，发了一笔小财。这并不是我被窍取发明的唯一案例，尽管有些人并没有成功。我从来没有想过要为此争辩，因为我也没有指望通过专利谋取利益,我本身就讨厌这样的争辩。总之，这种炉子在家家户户得到了广泛的应用，甚至推广到了本州以外的其他殖民地，为居民省下了不少木材。

Peace being concluded, and the association business therefore at an end, I turn’d my thoughts again to the affair of establishing an academy. The first step I took was to associate in the design a number of active friends, of whom the Junto furnished a good part; the next was to write and publish a pamphlet, entitled Proposals Relating to the Education of Youth in Pennsylvania. This I distributed among the principal inhabitants gratis; and as soon as I could suppose their minds a little prepared by the perusal of it, I set on foot a subscription for opening and supporting an academy; it was to be paid in quotas yearly for five years; by so dividing it, I judg’d the subscription might be larger, and I believe it was so, amounting to no less, if I remember right, than five thousand pounds.战争结束后，我们的防务团队也就结束了训练，现在我又有精力投身于办学院这件事上了。 第一步, 我先邀请了一些热心的朋友，其中大多数都来自“君托社”; 第二步，我撰写并印发了一本名为《宾夕法尼亚青年教育之建议》的小册子，然后将这些小册子免费送给当地有地位的人士，等过一段时间，我认为他们已经仔细阅读完小册子并在心理上做好准备后，便开始为筹办学院募捐。捐款每年交一次，五年内交清。争取这种分期交款的方式，我估算着募集的款项会多一些。事实上的确如此，如果我没记错的话，所募集到的款项总额不下五千镑。

In the introduction to these proposals, I stated their publication, not as an act of mine, but of some publick-spirited gentlemen, avoiding as much as I could, according to my usual rule, the presenting myself to the publick as the author of any scheme for their benefit.在建议书的序言部分，我做了些说明一“兴办学院的提倡者并非是我，而是一些热爱公益的绅士们。这是我另一条办事原则，即凡是公益事业，我会尽量避免向公众宣布我是某项公益事业的发起人。

The subscribers, to carry the project into immediate execution, chose out of their number twenty-four trustees, and appointed Mr. Francis, then attorney-general, and myself to draw up constitutions for the government of the academy; which being done and signed, a house was hired, masters engag’d, and the schools opened, I think, in the same year, 1749.为了尽快落实这个计划，捐款人从他们中间选出了二十四个理事，又指定了两个人起草学院管理的章程，一个是我，另一个是检察官弗朗西斯。 章程起草完毕后, 大家签字通过, 然后租房子，聘教师，学院就正式开课了。我想，这大概也是同一年 (一七四思年) 的事了。

The scholars increasing fast, the house was soon found too small, and we were looking out for a piece of ground, properly situated, with intention to build, when Providence threw into our way a large house ready built, which, with a few alterations, might well serve our purpose. This was the building before mentioned, erected by the hearers of Mr. Whitefield, and was obtained for us in the following manner.学生的人数正在不断地增长，我们租赁的校舍很快就装不下了，所以只能另外寻找一块地皮，另建校会了。上帝保佑，我们幸运地得到一座现成的建筑，稍作改建后，便能适用于教学了。这座建筑正是我前面提到过的，怀特非尔德牧师捐资建造的那个大会场。

It is to be noted that the contributions to this building being made by people of different sects, care was taken in the nomination of trustees, in whom the building and ground was to be vested, that a predominancy should not be given to any sect, lest in time that predominancy might be a means of appropriating the whole to the use of such sect, contrary to the original intention. It was therefore that one of each sect was appointed, viz., one Church-of-England man, one Presbyterian, one Baptist, one Moravian, etc., those, in case of vacancy by death, were to fill it by election from among the contributors. The Moravian happen’d not to please his colleagues, and on his death they resolved to have no other of that sect. The difficulty then was, how to avoid having two of some other sect, by means of the new choice.应当指出的是，这座建筑是由不同教派的人捐资兴建的。房子和地皮的保管工作由托管委员会负责，当时事情办理得很递慎，没有让任何一个教派占据优势，为的就是避免日后有的教派利用此种优势而将建筑独占，这不符合当初修建的意图。因此，当时是由每个教派提名一人出任理事，即英国国教一名、长老会一名、浸礼会一名、兄弟会一名，等等。如果出现了死亡空缺，将由捐款人在该教派中补选一位继任人。后来，兄弟会因为跟其他教派不和，在兄弟会的理事死后，他们便决定不再推选这个教派的人做理事。可这又面临另一个难题了，即在选举新理事时如何避免同一个教派有两名理事。有几个被提名的人均因为上述原因而没有获得通过。最后，有人提名我。他们大概看到我是个诚实的人，又不属于任何教派，这两条足以让他们说服所有人选我担任理事。

Several persons were named, and for that reason not agreed to. At length one mention’d me, with the observation that I was merely an honest man, and of no sect at all, which prevail’d with them to chuse me. The enthusiasm which existed when the house was built had long since abated, and its trustees had not been able to procure fresh contributions for paying the ground-rent, and discharging some other debts the building had occasion’d, which embarrass’d them greatly. Being now a member of both sets of trustees, that for the building and that for the Academy, I had a good opportunity of negotiating with both, and brought them finally to an agreement, by which the trustees for the building were to cede it to those of the academy, the latter undertaking to discharge the debt, to keep for ever open in the building a large hall for occasional preachers, according to the original intention, and maintain a free school for the instruction of poor children. Writings were accordingly drawn, and on paying the debts the trustees of the academy were put in possession of the premises; and by dividing the great and lofty hall into stories, and different rooms above and below for the several schools, and purchasing some additional ground, the whole was soon made fit for our purpose, and the scholars remov’d into the building. The care and trouble of agreeing with the workmen, purchasing materials, and superintending the work, fell upon me; and I went thro’ it the more cheerfully, as it did not then interfere with my private business, having the year before taken a very able, industrious, and honest partner, Mr. David Hall, with whose character I was well acquainted, as he had work’d for me four years. He took off my hands all care of the printing-office, paying me punctually my share of the profits. This partnership continued eighteen years, successfully for us both.那时，大家早没有了修建这座建筑时的那股热情，理事们再也无法募捐到新的款项来维持地皮的租金，以及偿还当初建房时欠下的债务，种种问题让他们感到棘手。而现在，我成为两个委员会的理事，一个是这座建筑托管委员会的理事，另一个是学院管理委员会的理事。这十分有利于同双方的理事会进行商洽，使他们最终达成协议。根据协议，这座建筑的托管委员会同意将它移交给学院管理委员会，所有债务也一并转移；这座建筑在改为学院后仍然会保留最初的建筑意图，即开辟出一个大房间用来供外来传教士布道使用；同时，还要开办一所免费学校，供穷苦人家的孩子接受教育。 双方据此签订了书面协议，在偿清债务后，学院便接手了房产。我们将高大的厅堂分为上下两层，每层隔出若干个房间作为教室，又在周围购买了几块地皮，将环境尽量改造得符合教学所需。学生们随即搬进了这所新学院。而召集工人、置办建材以及督促工程等操心事和棘手事则一股脑儿地落在了我的身上。不过我倒是乐此不疲，因为这并不妨碍我的私人业务。一年前，我跟踏实能干且勤奋诚实的大卫·霍尔先生合伙经营，我对他十分了解，因为他曾经为我干过四年。他从我那里接管了印刷店事务，定期送上我应得的分红。我们的合作持续了十八年之久，双方都很成功。

The trustees of the academy, after a while, were incorporated by a charter from the governor; their funds were increas’d by contributions in Britain and grants of land from the proprietaries, to which the Assembly has since made considerable addition; and thus was established the present University of Philadelphia. I have been continued one of its trustees from the beginning, now near forty years, and have had the very great pleasure of seeing a number of the youth who have receiv’d their education in it, distinguish’d by their improv’d abilities, serviceable in public stations and ornaments to their country.一段时间后，学院管理委员会领到了政府颁发的执照，组成了社团。由于英国方面的捐款，学院的基金增加了不少; 由于领主的捐赠,学院的土地也扩增了不少; 州议会也下拨了不少资金。就这样，我们的费城大学建成了。从它的建立之初，我就是理事之一，到如今已经过去四十年了，看到众多青年从这里走出来，成为声誉卓著和对社会有用的人才，我感到无比的欣慰。

When I disengaged myself, as above mentioned, from private business, I flatter’d myself that, by the sufficient tho’ moderate fortune I had acquir’d, I had secured leisure during the rest of my life for philosophical studies and amusements. I purchased all Dr. Spence’s apparatus, who had come from England to lecture here, and I proceeded in my electrical experiments with great alacrity; but the publick, now considering me as a man of leisure, laid hold of me for their purposes, every part of our civil government, and almost at the same time, imposing some duty upon me. The governor put me into the commission of the peace; the corporation of the city chose me of the common council, and soon after an alderman; and the citizens at large chose me a burgess to represent them in Assembly. This latter station was the more agreeable to me, as I was at length tired with sitting there to hear debates, in which, as clerk, I could take no part, and which were often so unentertaining that I was induc’d to amuse myself with making magic squares or circles, or any thing to avoid weariness; and I conceiv’d my becoming a member would enlarge my power of doing good. I would not, however, insinuate that my ambition was not flatter’d by all these promotions; it certainly was; for, considering my low beginning, they were great things to me; and they were still more pleasing, as being so many spontaneous testimonies of the public good opinion, and by me entirely unsolicited.之前我说过，我已经从私人业务中解脱了出来，而且手头已经有了一笔财产，虽然数目并不巨大，但也足够了。这时候，我便开始利用空闲时间进行哲学研究和休闲娱乐活动。我购买了全套的斯宾塞博士的仪器，兴致勃勃地做起了电学实验。斯宾塞是从英国前来讲学的。不过闲瞿下来的我却被公众抓住不放，要我为他们服务，政府各部恨不得让我同时为他们效力。州长让我进治安委员会; 市政会议选我当市政会的议员, 后来又选我当参议员;多数市民选我当州议员，以便在州议会中代表和维护他们的权益。我对州议会议员一职倒很有兴趣，因为作为州议员的秘书，我已经厌烦了坐在那里听议员们的辩论，我不能加入任何一方，只能在纸上乱画圈圈框框以解烦闷。我想我成为议员后, 就有了发言权，这样就能做更多好事。当然，我并非对这些提拔无动于囊，还是感到很骄傲的。想到我出身卑微，这些提拔对我无疑是非常重要的，尤其令我骄傲的是，这些靠的是我个人的努力和公众的信任，而不是靠投机钻营得来的。

The office of justice of the peace I try’d a little, by attending a few courts, and sitting on the bench to hear causes; but finding that more knowledge of the common law than I possess’d was necessary to act in that station with credit, I gradually withdrew from it, excusing myself by my being oblig’d to attend the higher duties of a legislator in the Assembly. My election to this trust was repeated every year for ten years, without my ever asking any elector for his vote, or signifying, either directly or indirectly, any desire of being chosen. On taking my seat in the House, my son was appointed their clerk.我在治安委员会干了一段时间后，参加了几次庭审，旁听了别人审理案件的过程，发现我所掌握的法律知识不足以让我担此重任，我就渐渐退出了这项工作，所找的借口就是州议会还有重要的立法工作要我去做。这十年来，我每年都当选为州议员，而且没有一次要求公众为我投票，也从未直接或间接地表达过当选的愿望。在我当了州议员后, 州议会秘书的职务便由我的儿子担任。

The year following, a treaty being to be held with the Indians at Carlisle, the governor sent a message to the House, proposing that they should nominate some of their members, to be join’d with some members of council, as commissioners for that purpose. [12] The House named the speaker (Mr. Norris) and myself; and, being commission’d, we went to Carlisle, and met the Indians accordingly.第二年，由于要同印第安人在卡莱尔签订条约，州长便给议会发琐，建议从州议会中提名几位议员和参政会成员组成一个代表团去签约。州议会指定了议长诺里斯先生和我，我们奉命前往卡莱尔，见到了印第安人。

[12: See the votes to have this more correctly.— [Marg. note.]]

As those people are extreamly apt to get drunk, and, when so, are very quarrelsome and disorderly, we strictly forbad the selling any liquor to them; and when they complain’d of this restriction, we told them that if they would continue sober during the treaty, we would give them plenty of rum when business was over. They promis’d this, and they kept their promise, because they could get no liquor, and the treaty was conducted very orderly, and concluded to mutual satisfaction. They then claim’d and receiv’d the rum; this was in the afternoon; they were near one hundred men, women, and children, and were lodg’d in temporary cabins, built in the form of a square, just without the town. In the evening, hearing a great noise among them, the commissioners walk’d out to see what was the matter. We found they had made a great bonfire in the middle of the square; they were all drunk, men and women, quarreling and fighting. Their dark-colour’d bodies, half naked, seen only by the gloomy light of the bonfire, running after and beating one another with firebrands, accompanied by their horrid yellings, form’d a scene the most resembling our ideas of hell that could well be imagin’d; there was no appeasing the tumult, and we retired to our lodging. At midnight a number of them came thundering at our door, demanding more rum, of which we took no notice.印第安人酷爱喝酒，不醇不休，喝醇之后又变得吵吵闹亲，场面一片混乱，于是我们对他们下达了严格的限酒令。他们对这项限制措施抱怨纷纷。这时我们便告诉他们，如果能在谈判期间不饮酒的话，条约签订完成后，我们将提供给他们足够的甜酒。他们同意了，因为在谈判期间他们也的确买不到酒，这让谈判进行得非常顺利,双方对结果十分满意。之后, 他们就跟我们要酒喝，我们慷慨地送给了他们许多酒。那是一个下午，大约有一百个印第安人, 包括男人、女人和孩子，聚居在城外一个临时搭建的方形木屋里。到了晚上，我们听到那里人声易沸，便同代表团的成员们一起去看个究竟。到了那里, 发现他们在广场中央燃起了敌火，全都喝得酷醒大醇，男人和女人们争吵着、殴打着。借着筹火的光亮，我们看到他们半裸着勋黑的身躯，举着火把，口中发出可怕的怪声，互相追逐扬打，简直就是一派人间地狱的景象。打冰声一直持续了很入，我们便回到了住处。到了午夜,一群印第安人来散我们的门，向我们索要甜酒，我们不子理肯。

The next day, sensible they had misbehav’d in giving us that disturbance, they sent three of their old counselors to make their apology. The orator acknowledg’d the fault, but laid it upon the rum; and then endeavored to excuse the rum by saying, “The Great Spirit, who made all things, made every thing for some use, and whatever use he design’d any thing for, that use it should always be put to. Now, when he made rum, he said ‘Let this be for the Indians to get drunk with,’ and it must be so.” And, indeed, if it be the design of Providence to extirpate these savages in order to make room for cultivators of the earth, it seems not improbable that rum may be the appointed means. It has already annihilated all the tribes who formerly inhabited the sea-coast.到了第二天,大概是酒醒之后，他们终于发现自己有失体统，并冒犯了我们，就派了三名长老向我们道菊。不过他们居然把罪魁祸首归为甜酒，接着又为甜酒开脱罪名，说: “伟大的神创造了各种东西，每一样都有它各自的用途，既然造出了一样东西，我们就应该把它的作用发挥出来。神创造了甜酒，而且说“这酒是给印第安人喝醇用的”，所以我们当然要遵旨行事。”的确，假如上帝的旨意是想要消灭这些野襄人，而为拓荒者空出位置的话，那么甜酒用于这个目的大概没有什么错，因为之前沿海一带的那些部落已经被酒消灭掉了。

In 1751, Dr. Thomas Bond, a particular friend of mine, conceived the idea of establishing a hospital in Philadelphia (a very beneficent design, which has been ascrib’d to me, but was originally his), for the reception and cure of poor sick persons, whether inhabitants of the province or strangers. He was zealous and active in endeavouring to procure subscriptions for it, but the proposal being a novelty in America, and at first not well understood, he met with but small success.一七五一年，我的一位好朋友托马斯，邦德医生想在费城创立一所医院 ( 这个计划十分有益，人们后来将它归功于我，其实最初提出设想的是他 )，用来接受和治疗无钱看病的患者，不管他们是本州人还是外地人。邦德始终积极而热情地为这项事业筹款，但这个计划在美洲还是个新生事物，人们并不了解它，因此并没有取得什么进展。

At length he came to me with the compliment that he found there was no such thing as carrying a public-spirited project through without my being concern’d in it. “For,” says he, “I am often ask’d by those to whom I propose subscribing, Have you consulted Franklin upon this business? And what does he think of it? And when I tell them that I have not (supposing it rather out of your line), they do not subscribe, but say they will consider of it.” I enquired into the nature and probable utility of his scheme, and receiving from him a very satisfactory explanation, I not only subscrib’d to it myself, but engag’d heartily in the design of procuring subscriptions from others. Previously, however, to the solicitation, I endeavoured to prepare the minds of the people by writing on the subject in the newspapers, which was my usual custom in such cases, but which he had omitted.最后, 他来到我这里,对我进行了一番藉维, 说少了我的参与，没有哪项公益计划会成功。他说: “每当我向别人募捐时，他们总要问，“这事富兰克林参与了没? 他是怎么想的? ”当我告诉他们还没有同你商议时，他们就放弃了捐款，只是说会再考虑考虑。”于是，我认真地向他了解这项计划的性质和益处，并且从他那里得到了满意的答案和说明。接着，我不但自己捐了款，而且热心地为他设计募捐的方案。我的做法一般是这样的: 在募捐之前，我会设法围绕这项计划在报纸上扎写文章，好让人们有一个心理准备。这次他把这个步骤省略了。

The subscriptions afterwards were more free and generous; but, beginning to flag, I saw they would be insufficient without some assistance from the Assembly, and therefore propos’d to petition for it, which was done. The country members did not at first relish the project; they objected that it could only be serviceable to the city, and therefore the citizens alone should be at the expense of it; and they doubted whether the citizens themselves generally approv’d of it. My allegation on the contrary, that it met with such approbation as to leave no doubt of our being able to raise two thousand pounds by voluntary donations, they considered as a most extravagant supposition, and utterly impossible.一开始，人们纷纷慷慨踊跃地捐资，但没过多入就越来越少。我看这大概是因为少了议会的帮助，这样下去是不可能筹集到足够的资金的，于是我提议议会拨款，议会同意了。不过，代表乡村的议员们却不赞成拨款，他们反对建设医院的计划，认为这仅仅有利于城市人，应该由城市市民支付这方面的费用，而且他们怀疑城市市民是否也赞同这一计划。我提出了相反的观点，认为人们对这项计划相当支持，筹集到两千镑的捐款是不成问题的，但他们却对此表示怀疑，说我对此高估了。

On this I form’d my plan; and asking leave to bring in a bill for incorporating the contributors according to the prayer of their petition, and granting them a blank sum of money, which leave was obtained chiefly on the consideration that the House could throw the bill out if they did not like it, I drew it so as to make the important clause a conditional one, viz., “And be it enacted, by the authority aforesaid, that when the said contributors shall have met and chosen their managers and treasurer, and shall have raised by their contributions a capital stock of ——— value (the yearly interest of which is to be applied to the accommodating of the sick poor in the said hospital, free of charge for diet, attendance, advice, and medicines), and shall make the same appear to the satisfaction of the speaker of the Assembly for the time being, that then it shall and may be lawful for the said speaker, and he is hereby required, to sign an order on the provincial treasurer for the payment of two thousand pounds, in two yearly payments, to the treasurer of the said hospital, to be applied to the founding, building, and finishing of the same.”面对这个局面，我想出了一个办法，请求议会通过一项提案;让捐款人组成一个社团，并按照他们的要求氢出若干资金。州议会之所以答应提出这个议案，是因为他们考虑到一旦多数人不忱成它，还可以在议会上将其否决。我的目的则是提出一个重要条款作为附加条件，这个条款是: 经本议会决定，该项目的捐款人必须开会选出经理和财务主管，并筹集到若干基金 ( 把该基金的年利息用于在医院就诊的穷苦病人的住院费、伙食费、护理费、诊治费、医药费等 )。如果议长对筹集到的资金数额感到满意，那么议长应将这项提案视为合法，并签发命令通知州金库支付两千镑。这笔钱可在两年内付清，用来支付医院的创立、修建、装备等费用。

This condition carried the bill through; for the members, who had oppos’d the grant, and now conceiv’d they might have the credit of being charitable without the expence, agreed to its passage; and then, in soliciting subscriptions among the people, we urg’d the conditional promise of the law as an additional motive to give, since every man’s donation would be doubled; thus the clause work’d both ways. The subscriptions accordingly soon exceeded the requisite sum, and we claim’d and receiv’d the public gift, which enabled us to carry the design into execution. A convenient and handsome building was soon erected; the institution has by constant experience been found useful, and flourishes to this day; and I do not remember any of my political manoeuvres, the success of which gave me at the time more pleasure, or wherein, after thinking of it, I more easily excus’d myself for having made some use of cunning.这一附加条件使议案得以通过。那些原先持反对意见的议员认为，既然不破费分文就能获得一个乐善好施的美名，何乐而不为呢? 于是投了赞成票。在募捐时，我们故意向人们透露议案中那个附加条件的条款，这无疑也是一种动力，因为每个捐款者都好像捐了两倍的金钱。这样，附加条件的条款在两方面起到了推动作用，捐款金额很快就超过了所需数字。我们将它上报给议会，也得到了议会的捐款，建造医院的计划终于得以实现了。很快，一座方便、美观的建筑就建成了。经过长期的实践检验，医院确实十分有用，直到今天仍然在发挥着巨大的作用。我想，在我一生所有成功的计划中，没有哪一项比这件事更让我愉快的了。现在想想这件事如此成功，就不必计较当时所施展的一点儿小诡计了。

It was about this time that another projector, the Rev. Gilbert Tennent, came to me with a request that I would assist him in procuring a subscription for erecting a new meeting-house. It was to be for the use of a congregation he had gathered among the Presbyterians, who were originally disciples of Mr. Whitefield. Unwilling to make myself disagreeable to my fellow-citizens by too frequently soliciting their contributions, I absolutely refus’d. He then desired I would furnish him with a list of the names of persons I knew by experience to be generous and public-spirited. I thought it would be unbecoming in me, after their kind compliance with my solicitations, to mark them out to be worried by other beggars, and therefore refus’d also to give such a list. He then desir’d I would at least give him my advice. “That I will readily do,” said I; “and, in the first place, I advise you to apply to all those whom you know will give something; next, to those whom you are uncertain whether they will give any thing or not, and show them the list of those who have given; and, lastly, do not neglect those who you are sure will give nothing, for in some of them you may be mistaken.” He laugh’d and thank’d me, and said he would take my advice. He did so, for he ask’d of everybody, and he obtained a much larger sum than he expected, with which he erected the capacious and very elegant meeting-house that stands in Arch-street.正在此时，又有人造访我，向我提出了一项计划，他就是吉尔伯特·泰龙特牧师。不过他是想请我帮忙募集资金来建造一座新教堂。这座教堂是用来供长老会的教友，也就是以前追随怀特菲尔德先生的信徒们聚会用的。我不愿因频繁的募捐而招致市民的反感，便拒绝了他的请求。但他还是不甘心，希望我能根据自己以往的经验，列出一份慷慨大方又热心于公益事业人士的名单。但我不想让这些好心人刚刚赞助过我之后，又遭受其他募捐者的纠缠，这么做实在太不仗义了，于是我也拒绝了这个要求。最后，他说至少能从我这里得到一些建议。我说：“这倒可以。首先，我建议你去拜访那些你认为会捐款的人，向他们募捐；其次，你带着已捐款人的名单，去找那些你不确定是否会捐款的人，给他们看名单，然后请他们募捐；最后，不要放弃那些你认为肯定不会捐款的人，因为其中总有一些人，你会估计错误的。”他听了十分高兴，连连向我道谢，说一定会按照我的方法去做。果然他成功了，他向每一个人募捐，获得的捐款金额甚至超出了原计划。于是，他用这笔钱在拱门街建造了一座气势恢宏的教堂。

Our city, tho’ laid out with a beautiful regularity, the streets large, strait, and crossing each other at right angles, had the disgrace of suffering those streets to remain long unpav’d, and in wet weather the wheels of heavy carriages plough’d them into a quagmire, so that it was difficult to cross them; and in dry weather the dust was offensive. I had liv’d near what was call’d the Jersey Market, and saw with pain the inhabitants wading in mud while purchasing their provisions. A strip of ground down the middle of that market was at length pav’d with brick, so that, being once in the market, they had firm footing, but were often over shoes in dirt to get there. By talking and writing on the subject, I was at length instrumental in getting the street pav’d with stone between the market and the brick’d foot-pavement, that was on each side next the houses. This, for some time, gave an easy access to the market dry-shod; but, the rest of the street not being pav’d, whenever a carriage came out of the mud upon this pavement, it shook off and left its dirt upon it, and it was soon cover’d with mire, which was not remov’d, the city as yet having no scavengers.费城虽然规划得井井有条，又颇具美观，街道宽阔且横平竖直，两街相交呈直角，不过街道的路面却因长期缺乏修缮而成为整个城市的败笔。每到下雨天，沉重的车辆驶过街道后便留下深深的辙印，大街立刻变为泥淖，路人很难通行；而在干燥的日子里，则尘土弥漫，令人呼吸困难。我住在泽西市场附近，每当看到居民们小心翼翼地踩着泥浆去购买日用品的情形时，心里就十分不快。最后，市场中央终于铺上了一条砖路，在市场里面，人们能保持脚下的干净，但在去市场的路上仍旧会沾满泥土。我同其他人讨论了这个问题，又写了一些文章，终于起了点儿作用，至少住宅前的街道两旁铺上了砖，一直通向市场。这样，行人从居民区走到市场就比较方便了，再不会把鞋子弄湿或弄脏。不过街道的其他地方并没有铺上砖，当马车从泥泞的地方行驶到这里时，又会把泥土带过来，很快，铺上砖的路又成了烂泥浴。不要指望有人清理这些泥土，因为城市从来没有清洁工。

After some inquiry I found a poor industrious man, who was willing to undertake keeping the pavement clean, by sweeping it twice a week, carrying off the dirt from before all the neighbours’ doors, for the sum of sixpence per month, to be paid by each house. I then wrote and printed a paper setting forth the advantages to the neighbourhood that might be obtain’d by this small expense; the greater ease in keeping our houses clean, so much dirt not being brought in by people’s feet; the benefit to the shops by more custom, etc., etc., as buyers could more easily get at them; and by not having, in windy weather, the dust blown in upon their goods, etc., etc. I sent one of these papers to each house, and in a day or two went round to see who would subscribe an agreement to pay these sixpences; it was unanimously sign’d, and for a time well executed. All the inhabitants of the city were delighted with the cleanliness of the pavement that surrounded the market, it being a convenience to all, and this rais’d a general desire to have all the streets paved, and made the people more willing to submit to a tax for that purpose.经过几番查访，我终于找到一个贫穷但勤劳的人，他愿意从事街道清扫的工作，且答应每周清扫两次，还负责将垃圾从居民的门前清走，他的酬劳是每周六便士，由每户每周支付。然后，我为此写了一篇文章，指出这笔小小的费用就能改善和提高居民的生活质量。比如，鞋子不再带一大摊泥土回家，这就保证了室内清洁; 顾客很容易就能走进商店，店家就会有更多生意; 刮风的时候，也不用担心店里的货物上落满沙尘，等等。然后，我将文章印好分发出去，保证每户都有一份。一两天后，我便挨家挨户去问是否同意支付六便士，大家最后一致同意。在那段时间里，垃拟清运的工作进行得十分顺利。城内所有居民都因为市场周转干净的路面而感到心情舒畅, 这件事给所有人带来了便利。于是，一个更大的想法在大家心中萌生: 为何不将城市所有的道路都铺起来呢? 他们十分乐意为这个项目纳税。

After some time I drew a bill for paving the city, and brought it into the Assembly. It was just before I went to England, in 1757, and did not pass till I was gone.[13] and then with an alteration in the mode of assessment, which I thought not for the better, but with an additional provision for lighting as well as paving the streets, which was a great improvement. It was by a private person, the late Mr. John Clifton, his giving a sample of the utility of lamps, by placing one at his door, that the people were first impress’d with the idea of enlighting all the city. The honour of this public benefit has also been ascrib’d to me but it belongs truly to that gentleman. I did but follow his example, and have only some merit to claim respecting the form of our lamps, as differing from the globe lamps we were at first supply’d with from London. Those we found inconvenient in these respects: they admitted no air below; the smoke, therefore, did not readily go out above, but circulated in the globe, lodg’d on its inside, and soon obstructed the light they were intended to afford; giving, besides, the daily trouble of wiping them clean; and an accidental stroke on one of them would demolish it, and render it totally useless. I therefore suggested the composing them of four flat panes, with a long funnel above to draw up the smoke, and crevices admitting air below, to facilitate the ascent of the smoke; by this means they were kept clean, and did not grow dark in a few hours, as the London lamps do, but continu’d bright till morning, and an accidental stroke would generally break but a single pane, easily repair’d.过了一段时间，我就草拟了一份城市铺路计划的议案，将它提交给议会。这是在我去英国之前，大概是一七五七年的事。直到我离开后，这个议案才通过，但在平定税额的方式上做了些变动，我不太赞成这些变动。不过议案中附加了一个设置路灯的条款，这是一个不错的想法。这要归功于一个平民百姓一一已故的约翰' 克利夫顿先生，他率先在自家门口装了一划灯，使得大家看到了路灯的实际效果。这蓄灯令人印象深刻，于是有人提议应当把全城都照亮。 有人将这项公共事业发起人的荣誉给了我，其实这项殊荣应该给克利夫顿先生，我不过是照他的样子，在改变路灯的形状方面提供了一些意见。我们的路灯在形状上与之前从伦敦购买的灯有所不同。伦敦那种球形灯存在种种不便: 灯的下面不通空气，一旦灯内进了烟雾也无法从上面排出，只能在灯单内打转，最后吸附在灯罩壁上，很快就让灯光变得暗淡。这样，你就必须每天擦拭灯罩，控拭的过程中难免磁坏，如此一来，整个灯音就成了摆设。因此，我建议灯罩由四面平板玻璃拼成，上面装上长烟简以便排出烟雾，下面留下缝阶用来通气，促使烟雾上升。这样一改进，灯罩就能保持干净，不会出现像伦敦那样照不了多入就暗淡下来的情况。我们的路灯彻夜长明，就算偶尔碰坏一块，也不过是换一块玻璃那么简单。

[13: See votes.]

I have sometimes wonder’d that the Londoners did not, from the effect holes in the bottom of the globe lamps us’d at Vauxhall have in keeping them clean, learn to have such holes in their street lamps. But, these holes being made for another purpose, viz., to communicate flame more suddenly to the wick by a little flax hanging down thro’ them, the other use, of letting in air, seems not to have been thought of; and therefore, after the lamps have been lit a few hours, the streets of London are very poorly illuminated.我有时会感到十分纳闷，伦敦沃到斯霍尔街区的球形灯下面有一个小孔，因此能够有效地保持灯的清洁，伦敦人为何不能从这一点受到局发，在他们的路灯上也开个底孔呢? 不过，这些小孔其实另有用途，他们将一条麻线穿过这些洞，使得火焰能够迅速通过灯芯。除此之外, 他们没有想到这个可以起到流通空气的作用，这就使得伦敦街道上的灯在点燃几个小时后就会变得十分暗淡。

The mention of these improvements puts me in mind of one I propos’d, when in London, to Dr. Fothergill, who was among the best men I have known, and a great promoter of useful projects. I had observ’d that the streets, when dry, were never swept, and the light dust carried away; but it was suffer’d to accumulate till wet weather reduc’d it to mud, and then, after lying some days so deep on the pavement that there was no crossing but in paths kept clean by poor people with brooms, it was with great labour rak’d together and thrown up into carts open above, the sides of which suffer’d some of the slush at every jolt on the pavement to shake out and fall, sometimes to the annoyance of foot-passengers. The reason given for not sweeping the dusty streets was, that the dust would fly into the windows of shops and houses.这个小小的改良让我想起了一桩往事，即我在伦敦时，曾向福瑟吉尔博士建议过一件事。福瑟吉尔博士是我认识的人当中最为杰出的一个，他是一位公益计划的卓越倡导者。我见过伦敦的街道在上晴天时从不打扫，灰土积少成多，到了雨天，石砖路也就变成了泥浆路, 行人寸步难行。几天后, 泥浆越积越多, 越来越厚，只有穷人会用扫晕扫出一条小道来, 其他街道仍旧不可通行。最后，实在没办法了，人们才会花费很大的力气将泥土铲起来装进马车里运走。走在凹凸不平的道路上, 车上的泥土又会从两边纷纷落下，令人很是恼火。那么到底为什么不清扫街面呢? 原来是街道的商铺和住户怕扬起的灰侍球进自己的店里和家中。

An accidental occurrence had instructed me how much sweeping might be done in a little time. I found at my door in Craven-street, one morning, a poor woman sweeping my pavement with a birch broom; she appeared very pale and feeble, as just come out of a fit of sickness. I ask’d who employ’d her to sweep there; she said, “Nobody, but I am very poor and in distress, and I sweeps before gentlefolkses doors, and hopes they will give me something.” I bid her sweep the whole street clean, and I would give her a shilling; this was at nine o’clock; at 12 she came for the shilling. From the slowness I saw at first in her working, I could scarce believe that the work was done so soon, and sent my servant to examine it, who reported that the whole street was swept perfectly clean, and all the dust plac’d in the gutter, which was in the middle; and the next rain wash’d it quite away, so that the pavement and even the kennel were perfectly clean.其实，清扫街道未必需要很长时间，我也是通过一件偶然发生的事才知道的。一天早晨，我在克莱文大街的寅所门口，发现一位穷妇人拿着一把桦树枝做的扫希清扫街道，她看上去苍白、晤弱，像大病初愈一般。我上前问她，是谁雇她在那里清扫的，她回答: “没有人雇我，因为我很穷，在富人家门前扫地，是希望他们能施舍给我些什么。”于是,我让她把整条街清扫一遍，然后付给她一先令。当时是九点整，到了十二点，她便来向我要钱了。 我当时有些怀疑她是否能在这么短的时间内完成这项工作，因为我看她开始干活时动作很慢。我便派了一位仆人前去检查，仆人回来向我报告说整条街清扫得十分干交，所有灰尘都堆放在街中央的阴沟中，下次下雨就会被冲走。这样一来，不管街道还是阴沟都会变干净。

I then judg’d that, if that feeble woman could sweep such a street in three hours, a strong, active man might have done it in half the time. And here let me remark the convenience of having but one gutter in such a narrow street, running down its middle, instead of two, one on each side, near the footway; for where all the rain that falls on a street runs from the sides and meets in the middle, it forms there a current strong enough to wash away all the mud it meets with; but when divided into two channels, it is often too weak to cleanse either, and only makes the mud it finds more fluid, so that the wheels of carriages and feet of horses throw and dash it upon the foot-pavement, which is thereby rendered foul and slippery, and sometimes splash it upon those who are walking. My proposal, communicated to the good doctor, was as follows:那时我就在想，既然一个年老体弱的妇人只花三小时就能清理完一条街道，那么一个正当壮年的男人大概能在一个半小时内完成这项工作。这里我要补充说明一点: 在那条狭窄的街上，中间一条沟要比街两边各有一条沟便利许多。因为在雨天，街面上的雨水会从两边汇集到路中央，然后形成一股强大的水流，把留在阴沟的泥土冲刷干浆; 但如果分成两条沟，那么汇集的水量就不足以冲刷泥土了，只能使泥土变成泥浆。这样，车轮和马蹄就会将泥浆带到人行道上，弄得满地脐脏湿滑，有时泥浆还会溅到行人的身上。

“For the more effectual cleaning and keeping clean the streets of London and Westminster, it is proposed that the several watchmen be contracted with to have the dust swept up in dry seasons, and the mud rak’d up at other times, each in the several streets and lanes of his round; that they be furnish’d with brooms and other proper instruments for these purposes, to be kept at their respective stands, ready to furnish the poor people they may employ in the service.这些情形让我向那位仁蓄的博士提出以下建议: “为了更有效地清扫街道，保持伦敦和威斯特人敏斯街道的干次，我建议雇用一批清洁工人, 同他们签订合同, 让他们在畏天清扫街道上的泥土，雨天将积土刮掉，每人可以承包几条街道和附近的小巷。可以提供扫姑和其他工具给他们，让他们将这些东西放在固定地段妥善保管，以便给穷车人使用。

“That in the dry summer months the dust be all swept up into heaps at proper distances, before the shops and windows of houses are usually opened, when the scavengers, with close-covered carts, shall also carry it all away.在干旱的季节，清扫工作应该在商店和住户开门之前完成，然后每隔一段距离便将清扫出来的垃圾堆起来，最后再由清洁工装车运走。

“That the mud, when rak’d up, be not left in heaps to be spread abroad again by the wheels of carriages and trampling of horses, but that the scavengers be provided with bodies of carts, not plac’d high upon wheels, but low upon sliders, with lattice bottoms, which, being cover’d with straw, will retain the mud thrown into them, and permit the water to drain from it, whereby it will become much lighter, water making the greatest part of its weight; these bodies of carts to be plac’d at convenient distances, and the mud brought to them in wheel-barrows; they remaining where plac’d till the mud is drain’d, and then horses brought to draw them away.”泥土堆积起来后，应该避免车轮和马蹄碾踏，以防止再次使泥土四处飞溅。配置的清洁车不应该是那种高高地放在车轮上的马车，应该是放置于低矮的滑轴上的车。滑轴的底盘应该做成格子状，上面铺上一层稻草，这样泥水就可以透过缝隙渗透下去，而泥土仍然保留在车上，另一方面也大大减轻了车身的负重，因为泥土的主要成分水已经渗下去了。马车应该在离泥土堆积之处较远的地方放置，先用手推车将泥土送到马车那里，等泥土沥干水分之后再由马车运走。

I have since had doubts of the practicability of the latter part of this proposal, on account of the narrowness of some streets, and the difficulty of placing the draining-sleds so as not to encumber too much the passage; but I am still of opinion that the former, requiring the dust to be swept up and carry’d away before the shops are open, is very practicable in the summer, when the days are long; for, in walking thro’ the Strand and Fleet-street one morning at seven o’clock, I observ’d there was not one shop open, tho’ it had been daylight and the sun up above three hours; the inhabitants of London chusing voluntarily to live much by candle-light, and sleep by sunshine, and yet often complain, a little absurdly, of the duty on candles and the high price of tallow.这条建议的后半部，不知道是否具有可行性，因为有的车道很窗，要找一个不碍事的位置来停放沥水车，实在有些困难。但我认为建议的前半部分还是可行的，即要求在商店开门之前将过圾清理干奖，这在夏季是行得通的，因为夏季的天很早就亮了。记得有一次，我在早晨七点钟沿着河滨街和舰队街散步，那时太阳已经出来三个小时了, 天色已经大亮, 却没有一家商店开门营业。伦敦的居民宁愿点着灯干活，也要在日光下睡大觉，还抱怨蜡烛税太高，油烛价格太贵，听起来真是荒唐可笑。

Some may think these trifling matters not worth minding or relating; but when they consider that tho’ dust blown into the eyes of a single person, or into a single shop on a windy day, is but of small importance, yet the great number of the instances in a populous city, and its frequent repetitions give it weight and consequence, perhaps they will not censure very severely those who bestow some attention to affairs of this seemingly low nature. Human felicity is produc’d not so much by great pieces of good fortune that seldom happen, as by little advantages that occur every day. Thus, if you teach a poor young man to shave himself, and keep his razor in order, you may contribute more to the happiness of his life than in giving him a thousand guineas. The money may be soon spent, the regret only remaining of having foolishly consumed it; but in the other case, he escapes the frequent vexation of waiting for barbers, and of their sometimes dirty fingers, offensive breaths, and dull razors; he shaves when most convenient to him, and enjoys daily the pleasure of its being done with a good instrument. With these sentiments I have hazarded the few preceding pages, hoping they may afford hints which some time or other may be useful to a city I love, having lived many years in it very happily, and perhaps to some of our towns in America.有人大概认为这些琐事不劳费心，但是一旦起风，那些灰尘就会吹进人们的眼中和商店里。如果这还算微不足道的小事，那么在人口众多的城市里发生同样的事情，而且屡次出现，那这件事就显得意义非凡了。这时，他们若再去指责那些总拿小事做文章的人就显得过分了。人类的幸福，并不在那些千百年难遇一次的大事件上，而是由每天日常生活中点滴的利益积累而成的。 如果你能教一个贫穷的人学会自己修面，并把剃刀妥善保管好，这比送他一千个性尼更能让他幸福。因为你给他的那些钱，转眼间就会花完，而剩下的只能是对冲动花钱的侦悔。但如果他自己学会了刮胡子，那么不但可以省下请理发师修面的费用，而且可以省下等待修面的时间，同时还避免接触到理发师那脏兮兮的手、令人难以容忍的喘息声以及迟钝的刀片。他可以在自己家中，选择任何方便的时候刮胡子，不受时间限制，更能享受用锋利的剃刀刮胡子的乐趣。 我正是怀着这样的感情，有些冒昧地提出了以上建议，目的是给这座城市的建设带去些许有益的启发。我热爱这座城市,在这里愉快而幸福地生活了许多年，我还希望这些启发对美洲的其他城市也有用。

Having been for some time employed by the postmaster-general of America as his comptroller in regulating several offices, and bringing the officers to account, I was, upon his death in 1753, appointed, jointly with Mr. William Hunter, to succeed him, by a commission from the postmaster-general in England. The American office never had hitherto paid any thing to that of Britain. We were to have six hundred pounds a year between us, if we could make that sum out of the profits of the office. To do this, a variety of improvements were necessary; some of these were inevitably at first expensive, so that in the first four years the office became above nine hundred pounds in debt to us. But it soon after began to repay us; and before I was displac’d by a freak of the ministers, of which I shall speak hereafter, we had brought it to yield three times as much clear revenue to the crown as the postoffice of Ireland. Since that imprudent transaction, they have receiv’d from it— not one farthing!美洲邮政局局长曾一度聘请我做审计员，审查几个分局并调查一些邮政职员。 这位局长于一七五三年去世, 之后, 我和威廉享特先生共同继任了这个职位，是由英国邮政总局局长发来的任命书。在这之前，美洲邮政局从来没有向英国邮政总局缴纳过钱物，假如我们能为邮政局多盘利六百镑,那么这笔钱就可以被我们两个人平分。为了这个目的, 我们很有必要大刀阔和估地进行一番改革。当然，在一开始，这些改革是不可避免地要花些钱的，所以在头四年，我们为邮政局投入了九百多镑，但不久之后，我们便得到了补偿。后来，我被一位任性的大臣撤了职。在撤职之前，我们上缴给英国国王的纯利润相当于爱尔兰邮局的三倍，但自从我被随意撤职以后，他们就再也没拿到过一文钱了。

The business of the postoffice occasion’d my taking a journey this year to New England, where the College of Cambridge, of their own motion, presented me with the degree of Master of Arts. Yale College, in Connecticut, had before made me a similar compliment. Thus, without studying in any college, I came to partake of their honours. They were conferr’d in consideration of my improvements and discoveries in the electric branch of natural philosophy.由于邮局方面的事务, 让我有机会去了一趟新英格兰。在那里，剑桥大学主动授予我文学硕士的学位; 之前，康湿狄格州的耶鲁大学也主动给我颁发过这类荣誉。从没有上过大学的我，却获得了如此殊荣，这全要归功于我在自然哲学中对电学理论方面所做的改进和发现。

In 1754, war with France being again apprehended, a congress of commissioners from the different colonies was, by an order of the Lords of Trade, to be assembled at Albany, there to confer with the chiefs of the Six Nations concerning the means of defending both their country and ours. Governor Hamilton, having receiv’d this order, acquainted the House with it, requesting they would furnish proper presents for the Indians, to be given on this occasion; and naming the speaker (Mr. Norris) and myself to join Mr. Thomas Penn and Mr. Secretary Peters as commissioners to act for Pennsylvania. The House approv’d the nomination, and provided the goods for the present, and tho’ they did not much like treating out of the provinces; and we met the other commissioners at Albany about the middle of June.一七五四年，与法国的战争就要再次打响了。根据商务大臣的命令，各殖民地的议会代表都要前往阿尔巴尼会合，在那里同印第安人六个部落的首领商议保卫美洲领土的办法。汉密尔顿州长接到命令后就通知议会，要议会为印第安人准备一些礼品，以便开会时相赠。他提名议长诺里斯先生和我，以及托马斯潘恩、彼得斯秘书一同作为宾夕法尼亚州的代表团前去。议会本来不乐意在宾州以外的地方进行会谈，但最终还是通过了提案，提供了礼品。于是，我们于六月中旬抵达了阿尔巴尼，同其他州的代表团会面。

In our way thither, I projected and drew a plan for the union of all the colonies under one government, so far as might be necessary for defense, and other important general purposes. As we pass’d thro’ New York, I had there shown my project to Mr. James Alexander and Mr. Kennedy, two gentlemen of great knowledge in public affairs, and, being fortified by their approbation, I ventur’d to lay it before the Congress. It then appeared that several of the commissioners had form’d plans of the same kind. A previous question was first taken, whether a union should be established, which pass’d in the affirmative unanimously. A committee was then appointed, one member from each colony, to consider the several plans and report. Mine happen’d to be preferr’d, and, with a few amendments, was accordingly reported.在去阿尔巴尼的路上，我提出了一个大胆的计划: 把各个殖民地联合起来，由一个政府来领导，这样一来，不管防务还是其他目标，实施起来都很方便。经过纽约的时候，我向詹姆士. 亚历山大先生和肯尼迪先生阑明了我的计划。这两位先生在公共事务方面很有经验，而且学识渊博，得到他们的赞许让我信心倍增，于是，我决定在代表大会上将这一设想提出来。按照当时的情形来看，其实其他州也都有过类似的设想，但现在摆在大家面前的问题是，是否应当成立一个联邦。最后，大家竟一致同意。每个州派出一个代表组成委员会，针对成立联邦的问题拟定计划和报告。我的计划凑巧地被委员会选中，经过稍许修改之后，就提交到了大会上进行讨论。

By this plan the general government was to be administered by a president-general, appointed and supported by the crown, and a grand council was to be chosen by the representatives of the people of the several colonies, met in their respective assemblies. The debates upon it in Congress went on daily, hand in hand with the Indian business. Many objections and difficulties were started, but at length they were all overcome, and the plan was unanimously agreed to, and copies ordered to be transmitted to the Board of Trade and to the assemblies of the several provinces. Its fate was singular: the assemblies did not adopt it, as they all thought there was too much prerogative in it, and in England it was judg’d to have too much of the democratic.按照我的设想，要由英国国王任命一名总统来领导联邦政府，总统应受英国国王管辖，由各殖民地的代表们选举联邦政府的成员以组成内阁。就这样，在阿尔巴尼会议上，代表们一面讨论着印第安人事务，一面讨论着这个计划。在讨论的过程中，也涌现出各种反对意见和困难，但都被一一解决了。最后代表们一致通过了这个计划，把计划的副本送往商务大臣和各州议会那里，但结果却相当不妙：各州议会不赞成的原因是因为联邦政府的“特权”太强大了；而英国方面则表示，联邦政府太“民主”了。

The Board of Trade therefore did not approve of it, nor recommend it for the approbation of his majesty; but another scheme was form’d, supposed to answer the same purpose better, whereby the governors of the provinces, with some members of their respective councils, were to meet and order the raising of troops, building of forts, etc., and to draw on the treasury of Great Britain for the expense, which was afterwards to be refunded by an act of Parliament laying a tax on America. My plan, with my reasons in support of it, is to be found among my political papers that are printed.结果，商务大臣既不赞同这项计划，也没向英国国王提交计划。此时，有人提出了另外一个计划，以为能达到与此相同的目的。按照这个计划，各州州长和参政会部分成员，应该在一起商讨招募军队、修建堡垒等事宜，而这些费用则从英国国库支付。英国议会可以通过一项在美洲征税的法案，以税款偿还这笔费用。 关于我的计划以及提出计划的理由，都可以在我出版的政治文集中找到。

Being the winter following in Boston, I had much conversation with Governor Shirley upon both the plans. Part of what passed between us on the occasion may also be seen among those papers. The different and contrary reasons of dislike to my plan makes me suspect that it was really the true medium; and I am still of opinion it would have been happy for both sides the water if it had been adopted. The colonies, so united, would have been sufficiently strong to have defended themselves; there would then have been no need of troops from England; of course, the subsequent pretence for taxing America, and the bloody contest it occasioned, would have been avoided. But such mistakes are not new; history is full of the errors of states and princes.关于我的计划以及提出计划的理由，都可以在我出版的政治文集中找到。那年冬天，我在波士顿同谢利州长又多次讨论了以上两个计划。在这些谈话中，我们达成一致的方面也收录在了我的那些文集中。人们越是对我的计划持不同看法, 或持相反意见，我越相信它的确是可行的。直到现在，我仍然深信，如果采纳了我的建议,将有益于大西洋两岸的共同发展。殖民地联合起来后，就有足够的力量进行自卫，根本不需要从英国方面调来军队，因此再没有理由向美洲征税了，为了征税问题而发生的流血争斗也就可以避免了。但错误总是无法避免的，历史上帝王将相所犯的这类错误简直数不胜数。

Look round the habitable world, how few环顾人间世界，有几人明白自身利益的所在，

Know their own good, or, knowing it, pursue!明白且能奋起直追者又能有几人！

Those who govern, having much business on their hands, do not generally like to take the trouble of considering and carrying into execution new projects. The best public measures are therefore seldom adopted from previous wisdom, but forc’d by the occasion.那些统治者手头上的事务已是千头万绪，因此不喜欢另给自己找麻烦去思考或实施新的计划。以至于那些对公众有利的举措，往往不是通过谨慎思考而采纳的，而是为形势所迫。

The Governor of Pennsylvania, in sending it down to the Assembly, express’d his approbation of the plan, “as appearing to him to be drawn up with great clearness and strength of judgment, and therefore recommended it as well worthy of their closest and most serious attention.” The House, however, by the management of a certain member, took it up when I happen’d to be absent, which I thought not very fair, and reprobated it without paying any attention to it at all, to my no small mortification.宾夕法尼亚州州长将我的方案送交到议会时，表明自己是赞成这个方案的。在他看来，整个方案清晰明了，判断有力，因此希望诸位议员仔细认真谨慎地进行考虑和衡量。但还是有议员耍了小手段，他们趁我缺席时将议案提出来进行讨论（这对我很不公平），根本没有予以重视就草率地否决了，这让我觉得耻辱。

In my journey to Boston this year, I met at New York with our new governor, Mr. Morris, just arriv’d there from England, with whom I had been before intimately acquainted. He brought a commission to supersede Mr. Hamilton, who, tir’d with the disputes his proprietary instructions subjected him to, had resign’d. Mr. Morris ask’d me if I thought he must expect as uncomfortable an administration. I said, “No; you may, on the contrary, have a very comfortable one, if you will only take care not to enter into any dispute with the Assembly.” “My dear friend,” says he, pleasantly, “how can you advise my avoiding disputes? You know I love disputing; it is one of my greatest pleasures; however, to show the regard I have for your counsel, I promise you I will, if possible, avoid them.” He had some reason for loving to dispute, being eloquent, an acute sophister, and, therefore, generally successful in argumentative conversation. He had been brought up to it from a boy, his father, as I have heard, accustoming his children to dispute with one another for his diversion, while sitting at table after dinner; but I think the practice was not wise; for, in the course of my observation, these disputing, contradicting, and confuting people are generally unfortunate in their affairs. They get victory sometimes, but they never get good will, which would be of more use to them. We parted, he going to Philadelphia, and I to Boston.这年，在去往波士顿的旅途中，我在纽约见到了新上任的宾夕法尼亚州州长莫里斯先生，我过去同他交往很密切。他刚从英国回来，奉命接替汉密尔顿先生。汉密尔顿州长厌倦了总是受到领主的摆布和约束，这让他常常跟议会争吵不休，于是索性挂冠辞职了。莫里斯先生问我他是否也会像前任一样艰难度日，我回答他：“不，恰恰相反，你只要尽量避免同议会闹翻，将会诸事顺利。”他转忧为喜道：“我亲爱的朋友，你怎么能建议我避免争论呢？你难道不知道我向来喜欢争辩吗？这可是我人生的一大乐趣。不过为了尊重你的建议，我答应你，将来无论如何都会尽力避免陷入争论。”他说他喜欢论辩，这不是空谈。他的确能言善辩，思维敏捷，只要陷入争论中，十有八九都会取胜。这缘于从小的训练。我曾听他说过，他父亲在吃完晚餐后，就会让孩子们围坐在餐桌旁，彼此间展开讨论，并以此为乐。不过我却不赞同这种做法。据我观察，但凡喜好争辩、攻击和驳倒别人的人办起事来通常不是很顺当，即便有时取得了成功，也不会博得别人的好感，这一点往往很重要。我们在纽约分别后，他赶往费城赴任，而我则去了波士顿。

In returning, I met at New York with the votes of the Assembly, by which it appear’d that, notwithstanding his promise to me, he and the House were already in high contention; and it was a continual battle between them as long as he retain’d the government. I had my share of it; for, as soon as I got back to my seat in the Assembly, I was put on every committee for answering his speeches and messages, and by the committees always desired to make the drafts. Our answers, as well as his messages, were often tart, and sometimes indecently abusive; and, as he knew I wrote for the Assembly, one might have imagined that, when we met, we could hardly avoid cutting throats; but he was so good-natur’d a man that no personal difference between him and me was occasion’d by the contest, and we often din’d together.从波士顿返回的路上，我在纽约看到了议会的议案表决记录，不难发现，尽管我们的新任州长向我做出了保证，但他和议会间的争论已经发展到了不可调和的地步。在他的任期内，他与议会的关系就像打一场持久战，始终处于战斗戒备状态，随时准备开火。回到议会后，我自然也被卷入争辩之中，他们派我到各个委员会去回击他的演说和信函，并为委员会起草反驳文件。我们的回击跟他的来函一样尖酸刻薄，甚至到了粗俗谩骂的地步。后来，他知道是我在为议会起草这些文件，人们便开始想象我俩见面时一定免不了一场唇舌之战，但是他天性善良，那些争辩并没有影响到我们的私人关系，我们反而会经常在一起用餐。

One afternoon, in the height of this public quarrel, we met in the street. “ Franklin,” says he, “you must go home with me and spend the evening; I am to have some company that you will like;” and, taking me by the arm, he led me to his house. In gay conversation over our wine, after supper, he told us, jokingly, that he much admir’d the idea of Sancho Panza, who, when it was proposed to give him a government, requested it might be a government of blacks, as then, if he could not agree with his people, he might sell them. One of his friends, who sat next to me, says, “Franklin, why do you continue to side with these damn’d Quakers? Had not you better sell them? The proprietor would give you a good price.” “The governor,” says I, “has not yet blacked them enough.” He, indeed, had labored hard to blacken the Assembly in all his messages, but they wip’d off his coloring as fast as he laid it on, and plac’d it, in return, thick upon his own face; so that, finding he was likely to be negrofied himself, he, as well as Mr. Hamilton, grew tir’d of the contest, and quitted the government.有一次,我们正因为公务吵得不可开交，当天下午，我竟然在大街上碰到了他。他说: “富兰克林,今天你一定要跟我回家，晚上我们一起消遣消遣，而且我那里有几个朋友你一定喜欢。”说着，他就拉住我的有拘膊，把我带到了他的家中。晚餐后，我们一边品尝着红酒，一边聊天。他还开玩笑地说，他觉得桑科' 潘查的想法十分有趣，当别人提议让他管理一个政府时，他却说那还不如去管黑人，因为当黑人不听话时，他就可以将他们卖掉。这时，他的一位朋友就说: “富兰克林，你为何还跟那些该死的长老会纠缠在一起呢? 还不如把他们卖了，说不定领主还会出大价钱将他们买走呢。”我回答道: “因为州长还没将他们抹得够黑啊! ”的确，州长给议会的所有信函中都在抹黑议会，但议会立即将其擦干净又回敬给州长，把他的脸抹得更黑。当他发现自已已经黑得完全像黑人时，就效仿前任州长汉密尔顿，厌倦了争吵，索性辞职而去。

[14] These public quarrels were all at bottom owing to the proprietaries, our hereditary governors, who, when any expense was to be incurred for the defense of their province, with incredible meanness instructed their deputies to pass no act for levying the necessary taxes, unless their vast estates were in the same act expressly excused; and they had even taken bonds of these deputies to observe such instructions. The Assemblies for three years held out against this injustice, tho’ constrained to bend at last. At length Captain Denny, who was Governor Morris’s successor, ventured to disobey those instructions; how that was brought about I shall show hereafter.这些公务方面的争吵其实都是由领主引起的，他们是这里世袭的统治者, 每当需要资金来进行防务时, 他们却小气得一毛不拔。更令人难以置信的是，他们竟然指示代理人不得放行一切征税法案，除非议案能够保证他们的巨额财产免子征税。他们甚至拿出契约来迫使代理人唯命是从。对于这些不正当的行为，议会顽强地斗争了三年，但最后还是被迫屈服。后来，莫里斯州长的继任丹尼上尉拼死抵制这些指令, 那么他的反抗带来了怎样的结果呢?我日后会讲到。

[14: My acts in Morris’s time, military, etc.— [Marg. note.]]

But I am got forward too fast with my story: there are still some transactions to be mention’d that happened during the administration of Governor Morris.我的故事讲得过快了，以至于莫里斯州长在任时发生的几件事被落下了，现在有必要提一下。

War being in a manner commenced with France, the government of Massachusetts Bay projected an attack upon Crown Point, and sent Mr. Quincy to Pennsylvania, and Mr. Pownall, afterward Governor Pownall, to New York, to solicit assistance. As I was in the Assembly, knew its temper, and was Mr. Quincy’s countryman, he appli’d to me for my influence and assistance. I dictated his address to them, which was well receiv’d. They voted an aid of ten thousand pounds, to be laid out in provisions. But the governor refusing his assent to their bill (which included this with other sums granted for the use of the crown), unless a clause were inserted exempting the proprietary estate from bearing any part of the tax that would be necessary, the Assembly, tho’ very desirous of making their grant to New England effectual, were at a loss how to accomplish it. Mr. Quincy labored hard with the governor to obtain his assent, but he was obstinate.殖民地同法国的战争，在某种程度上已经打响了。马萨诸塞州准备进攻王冠邮，于是派昆西先生到宾夕法尼亚州寻求支援，又派鲍纳尔先生〈 后来成为鲍纳尔州长 ) 到纽约寻求支援。我跟昆西先生是同乡，同时我又是宾夕法尼亚州的议员，对议会的情况非常了解，所以，昆西先生就请求我利用我在议会的影响力来助他一臂之力。我将他的请求转达给了议会，没想到得到了良好的反响，议员们都表示愿意伸出援助之手。这样，议会投票通过了拨款一万镑给马萨诸塞州购买粮草的法案。但州长却拒绝批准这项法案 ( 这一法案包括一万镑的援助款和另一笔给英国国王的费用 )，除非附加上另外一个条款，即免除领主因该项支出所需缴纳的税金。议会非常想援助新英格兰，但不知道如何才能达成心愿。昆西先生便使出浑身解数与州长周旋，争取他的同意，但州长实在太顽固了。

I then suggested a method of doing the business without the governor, by orders on the trustees of the Loan Office, which, by law, the Assembly had the right of drawing. There was, indeed, little or no money at that time in the office, and therefore I propos’d that the orders should be payable in a year, and to bear an interest of five per cent. With these orders I suppos’d the provisions might easily be purchas’d. The Assembly, with very little hesitation, adopted the proposal. The orders were immediately printed, and I was one of the committee directed to sign and dispose of them. The fund for paying them was the interest of all the paper currency then extant in the province upon loan, together with the revenue arising from the excise, which being known to be more than sufficient, they obtain’d instant credit, and were not only receiv’d in payment for the provisions, but many money’d people, who had cash lying by them, vested it in those orders, which they found advantageous, as they bore interest while upon hand, and might on any occasion be used as money; so that they were eagerly all bought up, and in a few weeks none of them were to be seen. Thus this important affair was by my means compleated. My Quincy return’d thanks to the Assembly in a handsome memorial, went home highly pleas’d with the success of his embassy, and ever after bore for me the most cordial and affectionate friendship.面对这种情况，我提出了避开州长就能实现愿望的办法，即通过贷款局发行债券。按照法律，议会有债券的发行权。事实上，贷款局并不好过，因为他们根本没有多少存款。所以我提议，这些债券只要在一年内兑现即可,但要付给购券者百分之五的利息。有了这些债券，就能很容易购买到粮草了，议会毫不犹殉地照我的方法办了。债券很快就印刷好了, 我负责签署和发行这些债券，债券的钱要用全州纸币贷款的利息以及消费税偿还。大家都知道这两项基金足够偿还债券本息，因此，债券具备了良好的信用，大家不但用债券购买粮食，许多有钱人还把手头富余的钱兑换成址券。这样做实在是有百利而无一害的，将钱换成债券，就能收获不少利息，而且任何时候都能充当现金使用。这样一来，大家便竞相购买，不到几个星期就将债券抢购一空。这件事之所以能办得如此顺利，得多亏我想出这么一个办法。为此，昆西先生在议会上发表了一篇措辞优美的答谢词，对我们的支持表达了诚挚的谢意。然后，他就带着完成使命后轻松愉悦的心情返程了。从此以后,我们结下了最诚垦、真挚的友谊。

The British government, not chusing to permit the union of the colonies as propos’d at Albany, and to trust that union with their defense, lest they should thereby grow too military, and feel their own strength, suspicions and jealousies at this time being entertain’d of them, sent over General Braddock with two regiments of regular English troops for that purpose. He landed at Alexandria, in Virginia, and thence march’d to Frederictown, in Maryland, where he halted for carriages. Our Assembly apprehending, from some information, that he had conceived violent prejudices against them, as averse to the service, wish’d me to wait upon him, not as from them, but as postmaster-general, under the guise of proposing to settle with him the mode of conducting with most celerity and certainty the despatches between him and the governors of the several provinces, with whom he must necessarily have continual correspondence, and of which they propos’d to pay the expense. My son accompanied me on this journey.在阿尔巴尼提出的将殖民地组成联合政府的设想，被英国政府否决了，他们甚至不允许殖民地有自己的防务，以免殖民地因军事力量过于强大而对他们构成威胁。对待殖民地，他们始终抱有怀疑和猜忌的心理，于是派布拉德多克将军率领两文正规的英国陆军军团前来负责美洲的防务工作。这两支陆军军团在弗吉尼亚的亚历山德里亚登陆，之后向马里兰州的弗里德利克城进军，然后在那里驻扎，等待车马运送加重。 我们的州议会早就听说这位将军对我们的议员抱有极深的侦见，以为议会不欢迎他来从事美洲的防务工作。这样，议会就希望我以邮政局长的身份，而不是以议会的名义去拜访他。拜访的理由是，同他商议如何用最快捷稳妥的办法保持他和几位州长的通讯联系。这种联系十分必要，而且这笔费用由议会来承担。随同我一起进行拜访的，还有我的儿子。

We found the general at Frederictown, waiting impatiently for the return of those he had sent thro’ the back parts of Maryland and Virginia to collect waggons. I stayed with him several days, din’d with him daily, and had full opportunity of removing all his prejudices, by the information of what the Assembly had before his arrival actually done, and were still willing to do, to facilitate his operations. When I was about to depart, the returns of waggons to be obtained were brought in, by which it appear’d that they amounted only to twenty-five, and not all of those were in serviceable condition. The general and all the officers were surpris’d, declar’d the expedition was then at an end, being impossible, and exclaim’d against the ministers for ignorantly landing them in a country destitute of the means of conveying their stores, baggage, etc., not less than one hundred and fifty waggons being necessary.我们在弗里德利克城见到了这位将军。那时，他派了一些手下去马里兰州和弗吉尼亚州的边境收集车辆，我们见到他时，他正在焦躁不安地等待这些手下回来。我和他一起待了几天，每天一起进餐，目的就是找寻机会消除他对议会的偏见。我跟他说，议会一听到他要来，就提前做了布置以支持这次军事行动，之后还将继续为他效劳。当我们准备动身返回时，那批被派去收集车辆的手下回来了，不过只收集到二十五辆，其中还包括一些破得不能再使用的车。将军和其他一些军官大失所望，认为这次远征计划八成要破产，根本不能进行下去了。于是，他们开始破口大加国务大臣的思春无知，让他们在一个找不到运载车辆的穷乡个塘登陆。要知道, 他们至少需要一百五十辆车才能将军需物资运走。

I happened to say I thought it was a pity they had not been landed rather in Pennsylvania, as in that country almost every farmer had his waggon. The general eagerly laid hold of my words, and said, “Then you, sir, who are a man of interest there, can probably procure them for us; and I beg you will undertake it.” I ask’d what terms were to be offer’d the owners of the waggons; and I was desir’d to put on paper the terms that appeared to me necessary. This I did, and they were agreed to, and a commission and instructions accordingly prepar’d immediately. What those terms were will appear in the advertisement I publish’d as soon as I arriv’d at Lancaster, which being, from the great and sudden effect it produc’d, a piece of some curiosity, I shall insert it at length, as follows:这时，我不经意地说了一句: “没在宾夕法尼亚州登陆真是可惜，那里的乡村几乎家家户户都有马车。”这位将军听了像抓住救命稻草一样，急切地问: “既然如此，先生，你在那里是有地位的人, 你或许能帮助我们筹集到车辆吧,我恳请你帮帮我们。”于是我问他能为提供马车的主人支付多少报酬，他便让我把所需的报酬写在纸上。我认为这十分有必要，便照办了，他也同意了我开出的条件，然后立即为我准备好委任状和征集车辆的告示书。

“Advertisement.通告。

“Lancaster, April 26, 1755.一七五五年四月二十六日，兰开斯特。

“Whereas, one hundred and fifty waggons, with four horses to each waggon, and fifteen hundred saddle or pack horses, are wanted for the service of his majesty’s forces now about to rendezvous at Will’s Creek, and his excellency General Braddock having been pleased to empower me to contract for the hire of the same, I hereby give notice that I shall attend for that purpose at Lancaster from this day to next Wednesday evening, and at York from next Thursday morning till Friday evening, where I shall be ready to agree for waggons and teams, or single horses, on the following terms, viz.: I. That there shall be paid for each waggon, with four good horses and a driver, fifteen shillings per diem; and for each able horse with a pack-saddle, or other saddle and furniture, two shillings per diem; and for each able horse without a saddle, eighteen pence per diem. 2. That the pay commence from the time of their joining the forces at Will’s Creek, which must be on or before the 20th of May ensuing, and that a reasonable allowance be paid over and above for the time necessary for their travelling to Will’s Creek and home again after their discharge. 3. Each waggon and team, and every saddle or pack horse, is to be valued by indifferent persons chosen between me and the owner; and in case of the loss of any waggon, team, or other horse in the service, the price according to such valuation is to be allowed and paid. 4. Seven days’ pay is to be advanced and paid in hand by me to the owner of each waggon and team, or horse, at the time of contracting, if required, and the remainder to be paid by General Braddock, or by the paymaster of the army, at the time of their discharge, or from time to time, as it shall be demanded. 5. No drivers of waggons, or persons taking care of the hired horses, are on any account to be called upon to do the duty of soldiers, or be otherwise employed than in conducting or taking care of their carriages or horses. 6. All oats, Indian corn, or other forage that waggons or horses bring to the camp, more than is necessary for the subsistence of the horses, is to be taken for the use of the army, and a reasonable price paid for the same.鉴于目前驻扎在威尔斯溪的英军需要一百五十辆四马大车和一千五百匹驮马，用以运送辎重等物；并且詹姆士·伯德上尉和本杰明·富兰克林已经受权同愿意出租车辆和马匹的人订立契约，本人特此通知：愿意出租车辆和马匹者，请于即日起至五月十五日以前，在兰开斯特与伯德上尉或本杰明·富兰克林接洽，或在此以后同布拉多克将军驻威尔斯溪的营地接洽。 条件如下： 一、每辆好车连同四匹壮马和一名赶车人，每日付给十五先令；每匹壮健的驮马，带鞍具或其他必需装备，每日付给二先令。 二、车马到达威尔斯溪后即开始计酬；但路上所耗时间，也应折算合理报酬。 三、出租车辆和马匹的人，在交付时可自行估定价值；若车辆或马匹在服役期间损坏、遗失或死亡，应按估价赔偿。 四、凡出租车辆和马匹者，可预支七日租金。 五、赶车人和马夫不必充任士兵，也不必随军作战，只负责驾驶和照料车马。 六、军队将另行购买供车马食用的燕麦、玉米或其他草料。

“Note.— My son, William Franklin, is empowered to enter into like contracts with any person in Cumberland county.备注: 我的儿子威廉.富兰克林有权在坎布兰与任何人订立此项合同。

“B. Franklin.”本杰明.富兰克林

“To the inhabitants of the Counties of Lancaster, York and Cumberland.致兰开斯特、约克和坎布兰居民书

“Friends and Countrymen,诸位朋友、乡亲：

“Being occasionally at the camp at Frederic a few days since, I found the general and officers extremely exasperated on account of their not being supplied with horses and carriages, which had been expected from this province, as most able to furnish them; but, through the dissensions between our governor and Assembly, money had not been provided, nor any steps taken for that purpose.布拉多克将军营地驻扎在弗雷德里克，那里与我们相距不远。他和他的军官们对本州竟不能立即提供军队所需的车马大为恼怒。他们原以为宾夕法尼亚这样的地方会很容易供给足够车辆，结果却发现远非如此。

“It was proposed to send an armed force immediately into these counties, to seize as many of the best carriages and horses as should be wanted, and compel as many persons into the service as would be necessary to drive and take care of them.曾有人提议，立即派一支部队进入本州各郡，强行征取所需车辆和最好的马匹，并按照所需强征一定数量的人去充当驭手和照料马匹。

“I apprehended that the progress of British soldiers through these counties on such an occasion, especially considering the temper they are in, and their resentment against us, would be attended with many and great inconveniences to the inhabitants, and therefore more willingly took the trouble of trying first what might be done by fair and equitable means. The people of these back counties have lately complained to the Assembly that a sufficient currency was wanting; you have an opportunity of receiving and dividing among you a very considerable sum; for, if the service of this expedition should continue, as it is more than probable it will, for one hundred and twenty days, the hire of these waggons and horses will amount to upward of thirty thousand pounds, which will be paid you in silver and gold of the king’s money.我担心英国士兵带着此种目的进入本州各和郡，尤其考虑到他们起气未消，以及对我们的收视,会给居民带来巨大的不便。因此，我愿意不荐辛劳，试用更为公平合理的方法解决这个问题。本州边远地区的居民最近曾向州议会抱怨说他们缺少货币，而现在正是一个获得现金的大好机会。因为假如这次的远征有一百二十天的话(看来极有可能 )，租用这些车辆和马匹的费用将会超过三万镑，而且全用英国国王的金银币来支付。

“The service will be light and easy, for the army will scarce march above twelve miles per day, and the waggons and baggage-horses, as they carry those things that are absolutely necessary to the welfare of the army, must march with the army, and no faster; and are, for the army’s sake, always placed where they can be most secure, whether in a march or in a camp.这种差事轻松又简单，因为军队每日的行程不会超过十二英里。这些马车和驮马所运的物资对军队来说是必不可少的，所以它们必须跟部队同行，不能走得太快; 同时，为了安全起见论行军还是扎营，军队总会将车马安置于最安全的地带。

“If you are really, as I believe you are, good and loyal subjects to his majesty, you may now do a most acceptable service, and make it easy to yourselves; for three or four of such as can not separately spare from the business of their plantations a waggon and four horses and a driver, may do it together, one furnishing the waggon, another one or two horses, and another the driver, and divide the pay proportionately between you; but if you do not this service to your king and country voluntarily, when such good pay and reasonable terms are offered to you, your loyalty will be strongly suspected. The king’s business must be done; so many brave troops, come so far for your defense, must not stand idle through your backwardness to do what may be reasonably expected from you; waggons and horses must be had; violent measures will probably be used, and you will be left to seek for a recompense where you can find it, and your case, perhaps, be little pitied or regarded.如果你们的确如我所相信的那样，是国王陛下善良而忠实的臣民，那么现在就是一个尽忠的机会，把这件事当成一件义务去自愿完成吧! 如果由于农忙，一个家庭无法单独提供一辆马车、四匹良马和一个驭手，那么可以三四家合起来，一户出马车，一户出一到两匹马，再有一户出驭手，费用你们可以按比例分挫。面对如此优厚的待遇与合理的酬劳，你们若仍不肯自愿为国王和本州效力,那么就有必要怀疑你们的忠心了。 国王的任务必须完成，那么多勇敢的战士远渡重洋来保卫你们，绝不会因你们的迟疑和退缩而无动于圳。车辆和马匹是行军作战必需的，即使采取强制手段也在所不惜。到时你们不但得不到应有的报酬，就算到了叫天呼地都不应的地步，也不会博得人们半点儿同情。

“I have no particular interest in this affair, as, except the satisfaction of endeavoring to do good, I shall have only my labour for my pains. If this method of obtaining the waggons and horses is not likely to succeed, I am obliged to send word to the general in fourteen days; and I suppose Sir John St. Clair, the hussar, with a body of soldiers, will immediately enter the province for the purpose, which I shall be sorry to hear, because I am very sincerely and truly your friend and well-wisher,办理这件事，我得不到丝毫益处，因为我只是想尽力来行善积德。假如这一办法不能获得所需的车辆和马匹，那么我只好在十四日之内如实报告给那位将军。我猜想，约翰'， 圣克菜尔苗士会立刻带着一队轻骑兵到宾夕法尼亚来强征车马。真到了那个时候，我将深感遗憾，因为我是你们最真诚信赖的朋友和同情者。

B. Franklin.”本杰明,富兰克林

I received of the general about eight hundred pounds, to be disbursed in advance-money to the waggon owners, etc.; but, that sum being insufficient, I advanc’d upward of two hundred pounds more, and in two weeks the one hundred and fifty waggons, with two hundred and fifty-nine carrying horses, were on their march for the camp. The advertisement promised payment according to the valuation, in case any waggon or horse should be lost. The owners, however, alleging they did not know General Braddock, or what dependence might be had on his promise, insisted on my bond for the performance, which I accordingly gave them.将军给我八百镑作为预支租用车马的费用，但这些钱根本不够，我自己又垫付了二百镑。两个星期之后，一百五十辆马车和二百五十九匹马向军营进发了。通告上曾作出保证，如果车马丢失，则按照估价予以赔偿，但车主们对此存疑，他们表示不认识布拉德多克将军, 因此不敢相信这样的保证, 假如我愿意担保的话，他们便相信，于是我答应了他们的请求，为他们做担保。

While I was at the camp, supping one evening with the officers of Colonel Dunbar’s regiment, he represented to me his concern for the subalterns, who, he said, were generally not in affluence, and could ill afford, in this dear country, to lay in the stores that might be necessary in so long a march, thro’ a wilderness, where nothing was to be purchas’d. I commiserated their case, and resolved to endeavor procuring them some relief. I said nothing, however, to him of my intention, but wrote the next morning to the committee of the Assembly, who had the disposition of some public money, warmly recommending the case of these officers to their consideration, and proposing that a present should be sent them of necessaries and refreshments. My son, who had some experience of a camp life, and of its wants, drew up a list for me, which I enclos’d in my letter. The committee approv’d, and used such diligence that, conducted by my son, the stores arrived at the camp as soon as the waggons. They consisted of twenty parcels, each containing在军营的时候，一天晚上，我跟邓巴上校及其磨下的军官们共进晚餐。他对我说，他很担心手下人的情况，他们并不富裕，此处的物价又高，想买什么东西都力不从心; 况且在长途跋涉的行军过程中，置身于荒山野岭，想买都无处可买。我对他们的处境十分关切，想为他们做一点儿事以减少他们的难处，不过当下我并没有表示出来。 第二天, 我就给议会处理公款的委员会去了封信，希望他们能看在这些军官的困难上，赠送给他们一些必要的生活用品及食品。我儿子对军营生活有所体验，便为我拟出一张单子，随信寄给了委员会。委员会立刻采纳了我的建议,抓紧时间处理。在我儿子的带领个，所需物品连同车马一道送到了军营，一共有二十袋东西，每袋装有如下物品:

6 lbs. loaf sugar.塔糖六磅。

1 Gloucester cheese.格罗斯特乳酪一块。

6 lbs. good Muscovado do.上等黑糖六磅。

1 kegg containing 20 lbs. good butter.上等牛油一桶（二十磅）。

1 lb. good green tea.上等绿茶一磅。

1 lb. good bohea do.上等红茶一磅。

2 doz. old Madeira wine.陈年马德拉葡萄酒二打。

6 lbs. good ground coffee.上等咖啡粉六磅。

2 gallons Jamaica spirits.牙买加朗姆酒二加仑。

6 lbs. chocolate.巧克力六磅。

1 bottle flour of mustard.芥末粉一瓶。

1-2 cwt. best white biscuit.顶级白饼干五十磅。

2 well-cur’d hams.腌火腿二只。

1-2 lb. pepper.胡椒半磅。

1-2 dozen dry’d tongues.腌舌半打。

1 quart best white wine vinegar.顶级白葡萄酒醋一夸脱。

6 lbs. rice.米六磅。

6 lbs. raisins.葡萄干六磅。

These twenty parcels, well pack’d, were placed on as many horses, each parcel, with the horse, being intended as a present for one officer. They were very thankfully receiv’d, and the kindness acknowledg’d by letters to me from the colonels of both regiments, in the most grateful terms. The general, too, was highly satisfied with my conduct in procuring him the waggons, etc., and readily paid my account of disbursements, thanking me repeatedly, and requesting my farther assistance in sending provisions after him. I undertook this also, and was busily employ’d in it till we heard of his defeat, advancing for the service of my own money, upwards of one thousand pounds sterling, of which I sent him an account. It came to his hands, luckily for me, a few days before the battle, and he return’d me immediately an order on the paymaster for the round sum of one thousand pounds, leaving the remainder to the next account. I consider this payment as good luck, having never been able to obtain that remainder, of which more hereafter.这二十个大包包装完好，装在马背上运到营地。尽管不少包裹都含有葡萄酒、朗姆酒之类贵重物品，我听说仍然顺利抵达了军官们手中，并很受欢迎。将军随后把我在征集车辆和马匹时所垫付的款项全部偿还给我，还请求我再购买一些补给。我又预支了一千镑。战役开始前，他给我开了一张一千镑的汇票，嘱我从军需官处领取；余款等日后再结算。但他那次战败后，军需官再也没有能力支付，剩下的钱我也一直未能收回。

This general was, I think, a brave man, and might probably have made a figure as a good officer in some European war. But he had too much self-confidence, too high an opinion of the validity of regular troops, and too mean a one of both Americans and Indians. George Croghan, our Indian interpreter, join’d him on his march with one hundred of those people, who might have been of great use to his army as guides, scouts, etc., if he had treated them kindly; but he slighted and neglected them, and they gradually left him.我认为布拉德多克将军是一员勇将，如果把他放在欧洲战事上，他很可能会成为审越的将领。但是他这个人过于自负，对正规军队的战斗力估计过高，对美洲人和印第安人的实力判断过低。乔治' 克罗根作为翻译，同一百名印第安人一起参加了远征。如果将军能友好地对待这些人，把他们当向导、侦察兵，无疑会对作战起到很大的作用，但他太小看这些人了，印第安人被忽视后便渐渐离开了他。

In conversation with him one day, he was giving me some account of his intended progress. “After taking Fort Duquesne,” says he, “I am to proceed to Niagara; and, having taken that, to Frontenac, if the season will allow time; and I suppose it will, for Duquesne can hardly detain me above three or four days; and then I see nothing that can obstruct my march to Niagara.” Having before revolv’d in my mind the long line his army must make in their march by a very narrow road, to be cut for them thro’ the woods and bushes, and also what I had read of a former defeat of fifteen hundred French, who invaded the Iroquois country, I had conceiv’d some doubts and some fears for the event of the campaign. But I ventur’d only to say, “To be sure, sir, if you arrive well before Duquesne, with these fine troops, so well provided with artillery, that place not yet compleatly fortified, and as we hear with no very strong garrison, can probably make but a short resistance. The only danger I apprehend of obstruction to your march is from ambuscades of Indians, who, by constant practice, are dexterous in laying and executing them; and the slender line, near four miles long, which your army must make, may expose it to be attack’d by surprise in its flanks, and to be cut like a thread into several pieces, which, from their distance, can not come up in time to support each other.”一次，他跟我谈话时提起了他的行军计划。他这样说: “拿下杜奎斯煲后，我将挥师攻取尼亚加拉，到那时如果季节人允许的话，就接着进攻弗隆泰耐克。我想，拿下杜奎斯堡用不了三四天，接下来还有什么能阻止我夺取尼亚加拉呢? ”在他说这话之前，我一直在想一个问题，他的部队要在狭长的小道上行进，中间还要穿过森林和灌木众，队伍一定会被拉得很长; 另外，我还看到过一篇报道，说一支一千五百人的法国军队在艾洛奎伊战争中被击败，因此，我对他的作战方案十分怀疑和忧心。不过我还是帮他打气说: “当然，将军交下，您有如此优秀的部队，装备如此精良的大炮，再加上杜奎斯堡的防御设施还未完工，守和军又不多，其稍作抵抗后就能将其拿下。但令我担心的是，印第安人神秘莫测的伏击战会对我军不利，由于长期实践，印第安人十分擅长打伏击,在排兵布阵上可以说达到了精妙的地步。我们的队伍因为道路狭长而被拉成一字形长蛇阵，前后几乎有四英里长，这样很容易受到印第安人的侧面突袭。一旦被袭, 部队就会被分割成几段，彼此拉开距离后就再不能及时互相救援了。”

He smil’d at my ignorance, and reply’d, “These savages may, indeed, be a formidable enemy to your raw American militia, but upon the king’s regular and disciplin’d troops, sir, it is impossible they should make any impression.” I was conscious of an impropriety in my disputing with a military man in matters of his profession, and said no more. The enemy, however, did not take the advantage of his army which I apprehended its long line of march expos’d it to, but let it advance without interruption till within nine miles of the place; and then, when more in a body (for it had just passed a river, where the front had halted till all were come over), and in a more open part of the woods than any it had pass’d, attack’d its advanced guard by a heavy fire from behind trees and bushes, which was the first intelligence the general had of an enemy’s being near him. This guard being disordered, the general hurried the troops up to their assistance, which was done in great confusion, thro’ waggons, baggage, and cattle; and presently the fire came upon their flank: the officers, being on horseback, were more easily distinguish’d, pick’d out as marks, and fell very fast; and the soldiers were crowded together in a huddle, having or hearing no orders, and standing to be shot at till two-thirds of them were killed; and then, being seiz’d with a panick, the whole fled with precipitation.听了我的话，将军笑我无知，说: “这些野变人对于你们这些未经训练的美洲民兵来说的确是个劲敌，但我们可是受过严格训练的皇家正规军。先生，在我们眼中，他们根本不值得一提。”这时我意识到，跟军人辩论他的专业是十分不合时宜的，因此便不再多说话。敌人的确没有像我所担心的那样，对长长的行军队伍来个侧面突袭, 而是任其通行, 直到离目的地还有九英里的地方。这时，先头部队便停留在对岸等待后续部队过河，而所处的位置正好是整个行程中最宽阔的地带，这使得部队的人数变得密集起来。结果，就在这时，躲在森林和灌木从后面的敌人对先头部队发起了猛烈的进攻。此时将军才意识到敌军正在眼前，但先头部队遭受突袭后已经自乱阵脚，所以将军只好催促后续部队加速过河前去救援。一时间，车辆、行李、牲口混在大军中,加速过河的命令无疑让整个部队陷入了更加混乱的状态中。这个时候，政军已经悄悄迁回到侧面向他们开火。军官们骑在高高的马上，十分容易被辨认出，于是他们成了敌人射击的间子，一个接一个地倒在地上。 士兵们失去了指挥官更是挤作一团, 根本无法听到命令，只能待在原地，被动挨打，结果牺牲了三分之二的人。剩下的士兵们被吓坏了, 逃命的念头占据了他们的头脑, 慌乱之下四处逃散。

The waggoners took each a horse out of his team and scamper’d; their example was immediately followed by others; so that all the waggons, provisions, artillery, and stores were left to the enemy. The general, being wounded, was brought off with difficulty; his secretary, Mr. Shirley, was killed by his side; and out of eighty-six officers, sixty-three were killed or wounded, and seven hundred and fourteen men killed out of eleven hundred. These eleven hundred had been picked men from the whole army; the rest had been left behind with Colonel Dunbar, who was to follow with the heavier part of the stores, provisions, and baggage. The flyers, not being pursu’d, arriv’d at Dunbar’s camp, and the panick they brought with them instantly seiz’d him and all his people; and, tho’ he had now above one thousand men, and the enemy who had beaten Braddock did not at most exceed four hundred Indians and French together, instead of proceeding, and endeavoring to recover some of the lost honour, he ordered all the stores, ammunition, etc., to be destroy’d, that he might have more horses to assist his flight towards the settlements, and less lumber to remove. He was there met with requests from the governors of Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania, that he would post his troops on the frontiers, so as to afford some protection to the inhabitants; but he continu’d his hasty march thro’ all the country, not thinking himself safe till he arriv’d at Philadelphia, where the inhabitants could protect him. This whole transaction gave us Americans the first suspicion that our exalted ideas of the prowess of British regulars had not been well founded.驭车手每人御下一匹马，骑上后匆匆逃走，这引发了其他人的效仿，于是车辆、粮草、大炮和其他军需全都留给了敌人。将军在代乱中受了伤, 他的副官好不容易将其救出, 却在他身边被击毙。八十六名军官中,负伤阵亡者多达六十三人; 一千一百名士兵中，七百一十四人被射杀。这一千一百名士兵是整个军队的主力军，其余负责押送大部分军需、粮草和行李的士兵则跟随在大军之后，归邓巴上校统率。 四下逃散的士兵一直逃到了邓巴上校的军队中，他们其实并没有受到追击，却把恐惧的气氛传递给了这支队伍。邓巴有一千多名士兵，而击败布拉德多克的印第安人和法军的人数总共还不到四百人，但他却不想挥师前进，挽回败局，反而命令士兵就地毁掉所有军需和炸药以减轻负重，然后骑着马匹逃回驻地。返回驻地后，弗吉尼亚、马里兰、宾儿法尼亚等州的州长请求他把军队驻扎在边境，以确保州内军民的安全，但他却只顾撤退，一直穿越全州, 抵达费城后才觉得安全了, 因为费城的居民可以保护他。这件事让我们美洲人第一次对神勇无比的皇家军队产生了怀疑。

In their first march, too, from their landing till they got beyond the settlements, they had plundered and stripped the inhabitants, totally ruining some poor families, besides insulting, abusing, and confining the people if they remonstrated. This was enough to put us out of conceit of such defenders, if we had really wanted any. How different was the conduct of our French friends in 1781, who, during a march thro’ the most inhabited part of our country from Rhode Island to Virginia, near seven hundred miles, occasioned not the smallest complaint for the loss of a pig, a chicken, or even an apple.英国军队在初次登陆开始的第一次行军中，打家动舍，无所不为，搞得贫苦家庭彻底破产。假如有居民对此抱怨，立刻就会遭到侮辱和刘骂，甚至被拘禁和虐待。再加上临阵脱逃，有足够的理由让我们讨厌这些所谓的皇家保卫者了，前提是我们真的需要他们保护。相比之下，一七八一年，我们法国朋友的所作所为就显得太高尚了。那时，法国军队在穿过罗德岛到弗吉尼亚的人口密集地带时，行军将近七百英里，从未听说过有哪户人家丢失一头猪或一只鸡，哪怕是一个苹果的，更别说有什么抱怨了。

Captain Orme, who was one of the general’s aids-de-camp, and, being grievously wounded, was brought off with him, and continu’d with him to his death, which happen’d in a few days, told me that he was totally silent all the first day, and at night only said, “Who would have thought it?” That he was silent again the following day, saying only at last, “We shall better know how to deal with them another time;” and dy’d in a few minutes after.身负重伤的布拉德多克将军连同他的一个副官奥姆上尉被一同救了下来。之后，奥姆上尉一直同将军在一起，直到几天后将军去世。奥姆上尉告诉我，将军在受伤后的第一天一言未发，直到晚上才说了一句话: “谁能想到竟是如此结局。”接下来的几天，他又一言不发，直到临终前说道: “若再给我一次机会，我就知道如何对付他们了。”几分钟后，他便咽了气。

The secretary’s papers, with all the general’s orders, instructions, and correspondence, falling into the enemy’s hands, they selected and translated into French a number of the articles, which they printed, to prove the hostile intentions of the British court before the declaration of war. Among these I saw some letters of the general to the ministry, speaking highly of the great service I had rendered the army, and recommending me to their notice. David Hume, too, who was some years after secretary to Lord Hertford, when minister in France, and afterward to General Conway, when secretary of state, told me he had seen among the papers in that office, letters from Braddock highly recommending me. But, the expedition having been unfortunate, my service, it seems, was not thought of much value, for those recommendations were never of any use to me.凡是秘书所保管的文件，包括将军所有的指令和信札都落入了敌人手中。后来，我听说在这些文件里有一些将军写给军部的信，对我为军队所做的服务颇有称许，并打算向政府推荐我。但因为那些文件落入敌手，这些推荐信也从未发挥过作用。

As to rewards from himself, I ask’d only one, which was, that he would give orders to his officers not to enlist any more of our bought servants, and that he would discharge such as had been already enlisted. This he readily granted, and several were accordingly return’d to their masters, on my application. Dunbar, when the command devolv’d on him, was not so generous. He being at Philadelphia, on his retreat, or rather flight, I apply’d to him for the discharge of the servants of three poor farmers of Lancaster county that he had enlisted, reminding him of the late general’s orders on that bead. He promised me that, if the masters would come to him at Trenton, where he should be in a few days on his march to New York, he would there deliver their men to them. They accordingly were at the expense and trouble of going to Trenton, and there he refus’d to perform his promise, to their great loss and disappointment.至于将军本人，我只提了一个要求作为酬谢。军中有不少士兵原是各殖民地居民的契约仆人，他们在主人不知情的情况下入伍。我请求他发布命令，凡主人提出申请并能证明其身份者，就把这些仆人释放出来。将军答应了这个请求，并准备执行；可是战败以后，邓巴上校接掌军队，我向他重提此事，他却断然拒绝，几个主人因此蒙受了极大的损失，又陷入了极度的失望中。

As soon as the loss of the waggons and horses was generally known, all the owners came upon me for the valuation which I had given bond to pay. Their demands gave me a great deal of trouble, my acquainting them that the money was ready in the paymaster’s hands, but that orders for paying it must first be obtained from General Shirley, and my assuring them that I had apply’d to that general by letter; but, he being at a distance, an answer could not soon be receiv’d, and they must have patience, all this was not sufficient to satisfy, and some began to sue me. General Shirley at length relieved me from this terrible situation by appointing commissioners to examine the claims, and ordering payment. They amounted to near twenty thousand pound, which to pay would have ruined me.当战败的消息传开后，那些提供车辆和马匹的人都纷纷向我索赔，因为他们当初是凭我的担保才把车马交出来的。我让他们把损失清单呈给有关方面。雪利将军后来任命委员审查这些索赔，金额几乎达到二万镑。如果这些统统要我来支付的话，我就得破产了。

Before we had the news of this defeat, the two Doctors Bond came to me with a subscription paper for raising money to defray the expense of a grand firework, which it was intended to exhibit at a rejoicing on receipt of the news of our taking Fort Duquesne. I looked grave, and said it would, I thought, be time enough to prepare for the rejoicing when we knew we should have occasion to rejoice. They seem’d surpris’d that I did not immediately comply with their proposal. “Why the d—l!” says one of them, “you surely don’t suppose that the fort will not be taken?” “I don’t know that it will not be taken, but I know that the events of war are subject to great uncertainty.” I gave them the reasons of my doubting; the subscription was dropt, and the projectors thereby missed the mortification they would have undergone if the firework had been prepared. Dr. Bond, on some other occasion afterward, said that he did not like Franklin’s forebodings.在这次惨败之前，有两位姓邦德的医生来向我募捐，说是要为庆功晚会筹募金钱，一旦攻占杜奎斯堡的消息传来，他们就开始庆祝,并燃放焰火。我板着脸说, 等到我们真的胜利需要庆祝时，也有足够的时间进行准备工作。 他们听了大上吃一惊, 其中一个问道:“难道你认为我们的军队无法攻下敌人的据点? ”我说: “我并不是说肯定攻不下，但我明白一个道理，就是战争中总会有许多不确定因素的。”我仔细痔明了怀疑的理由，于是募捐的事暂时作罢，这两位募捐者也因此避免了一场尴炊。只是在后来的一些场合中, 邦德医生多次向人抱怨自己不喜欢富兰克林的先见之明。

Governor Morris, who had continually worried the Assembly with message after message before the defeat of Braddock, to beat them into the making of acts to raise money for the defense of the province, without taxing, among others, the proprietary estates, and had rejected all their bills for not having such an exempting clause, now redoubled his attacks with more hope of success, the danger and necessity being greater. The Assembly, however, continu’d firm, believing they had justice on their side, and that it would be giving up an essential right if they suffered the governor to amend their money-bills. In one of the last, indeed, which was for granting fifty thousand pounds, his propos’d amendment was only of a single word. The bill expressed “that all estates, real and personal, were to be taxed, those of the proprietaries not excepted.” His amendment was, for not read only: a small, but very material alteration. However, when the news of this disaster reached England, our friends there, whom we had taken care to furnish with all the Assembly’s answers to the governor’s messages, rais’d a clamor against the proprietaries for their meanness and injustice in giving their governor such instructions; some going so far as to say that, by obstructing the defense of their province, they forfeited their right to it. They were intimidated by this, and sent orders to their receiver-general to add five thousand pounds of their money to whatever sum might be given by the Assembly for such purpose.布拉多克战败以前，莫里斯州长不断以咨文催逼议会，要他们通过为本州防务筹款的法案，却又要求不得向领主地产等征税；凡是没有这种豁免条款的议案，他一概否决。如今危险更大，防务更急，他便加倍施压，以为成功的希望也更大。可是议会仍然坚持立场，相信公理在自己一边；如果听任州长修改拨款法案，就等于放弃一项根本权利。最后一项拨款五万镑的议案中，州长建议修改的其实只有一个词。原文写的是：“所有动产和不动产均应纳税，领主地产也不例外。”他的修改，是把“不例外”改成“可例外”。这虽只是小小一改，意义却极其重大。 布拉多克战败的消息传到英国后，我们在那里的朋友早已收到议会对州长咨文的全部答复，于是纷纷指责领主卑鄙不公，竟给州长下达这样的指令；有人甚至说，他们妨碍本州防务，已经丧失了对本州的权利。领主们受此震动，便命令他们的财政总管，不论议会拨出多少防务款项，都由他们另加五千镑。

This, being notified to the House, was accepted in lieu of their share of a general tax, and a new bill was form’d, with an exempting clause, which passed accordingly. By this act I was appointed one of the commissioners for disposing of the money, sixty thousand pounds. I had been active in modelling the bill and procuring its passage, and had, at the same time, drawn a bill for establishing and disciplining of a voluntary militia, which I carried thro’ the House without much difficulty, as care was taken in it to leave the Quakers at their liberty. To promote the association necessary to form the militia, I wrote a dialogue, [15] stating and answering all the objections I could think of to such a militia, which was printed, and had, as I thought, great effect.这一消息通知议会后，议会便把这五千镑当作他们在普通税中的分担部分接受下来，于是另拟一项带有豁免条款的新议案，并得以通过。根据这项法案，我被任命为管理这六万镑拨款的委员之一。我曾积极参与议案的拟订并促成其通过；与此同时，我还起草了一项建立和训练志愿民兵的法案。由于其中注意保留教友会成员的自由，这项法案在议会中没有遇到多少困难。为了促成组建民兵所需的联合行动，我又写了一篇对话，把我能想到的反对意见逐条列出并逐条回答。这篇对话印行之后，照我看来，收效很大。

[15: This dialogue and the militia act are in the “Gentleman’s Magazine” for February and March, 1756.— [Marg. note.]]

While the several companies in the city and country were forming and learning their exercise, the governor prevail’d with me to take charge of our North-western frontier, which was infested by the enemy, and provide for the defense of the inhabitants by raising troops and building a line of forts. I undertook this military business, tho’ I did not conceive myself well qualified for it. He gave me a commission with full powers, and a parcel of blank commissions for officers, to be given to whom I thought fit. I had but little difficulty in raising men, having soon five hundred and sixty under my command. My son, who had in the preceding war been an officer in the army rais’d against Canada, was my aid-de-camp, and of great use to me. The Indians had burned Gnadenhut, a village settled by the Moravians, and massacred the inhabitants; but the place was thought a good situation for one of the forts.城乡各连队正在组建并学习操练时，州长劝我负责西北边境事务。那里常受敌人骚扰，需要招募部队、修筑一线堡垒，以保卫当地居民。虽然我并不认为自己很适合军事工作，还是承担了这项任务。他给了我一纸全权委任状，又给了一包空白军官委任状，可以交给我认为合适的人。招募士兵并不困难，我很快便有五百六十人归我指挥。我的儿子在上一次对加拿大作战时曾在军中任职，这次做了我的副官，对我帮助很大。印第安人烧毁了摩拉维亚人建立的格纳登许滕村，并屠杀了当地居民；这个地点被认为很适合修建一座堡垒。

In order to march thither, I assembled the companies at Bethlehem, the chief establishment of those people. I was surprised to find it in so good a posture of defense; the destruction of Gnadenhut had made them apprehend danger. The principal buildings were defended by a stockade; they had purchased a quantity of arms and ammunition from New York, and had even plac’d quantities of small paving stones between the windows of their high stone houses, for their women to throw down upon the heads of any Indians that should attempt to force into them. The armed brethren, too, kept watch, and reliev’d as methodically as in any garrison town. In conversation with the bishop, Spangenberg, I mention’d this my surprise; for, knowing they had obtained an act of Parliament exempting them from military duties in the colonies, I had suppos’d they were conscientiously scrupulous of bearing arms. He answer’d me that it was not one of their established principles, but that, at the time of their obtaining that act, it was thought to be a principle with many of their people. On this occasion, however, they, to their surprise, found it adopted by but a few. It seems they were either deceiv’d in themselves, or deceiv’d the Parliament; but common sense, aided by present danger, will sometimes be too strong for whimsical opinions.为了向边界进军，我把部队聚集在了伯利恒，这里是摩拉维亚教友的主要聚集地。到了那里之后我才发现，他们的防御工作做得实在太好了，简直令人惊讶，原来正是纳登哈特的毁灭让他们意识到了和危机。在这里，所有重要的建筑都被栅栏保护起来，他们还从纽约购买了大量的武器和弹药，还在高大建筑物的窗子上放满了铺路石，当印第安人来犯时，躲在建筑物中的妇女们便可以拿起石头袭击他们。教友们也都武装了起来，像任何城镇的守军一样站岗放哨，轮班交替，纹丝不乱。我跟斯潘根伯格主教进行了谈话，并表达了自己的惊讶。我原以为他们会一丝不苟地置身事外，因为议会已经通过了法案，特许他们免除在殖民地服兵役的义务。他回答说，他们本来并没有要免除服兵役的义务，只是在这条法案下来后，许多人才把反对服兵役当成了自己的信条。 但在这种情况下，他们发现只有极少数的人才遵守这一法案，这让他们自己都感到惊讶。看来，之前他们不是在自欺欺人，就是欺骗了议会，一旦理智遇到了危机时刻，往往就能胜过那些奇怪的想法。

It was the beginning of January when we set out upon this business of building forts. I sent one detachment toward the Minisink, with instructions to erect one for the security of that upper part of the country, and another to the lower part, with similar instructions; and I concluded to go myself with the rest of my force to Gnadenhut, where a fort was tho’t more immediately necessary. The Moravians procur’d me five waggons for our tools, stores, baggage, etc.一月初，我们便开始着手修建要塞。我派了一支小分队到米尼辛克，指示他们在乡村高地上修建一个要塞; 另外又派了一支小分队到乡村的低地去修建要塞。我自己则率领余部到纳登哈特，在那里立即动工。摩拉维亚教友们提供给我五辆马车，以便运送工具、军需、行李等物品。

Just before we left Bethlehem, eleven farmers, who had been driven from their plantations by the Indians, came to me requesting a supply of firearms, that they might go back and fetch off their cattle. I gave them each a gun with suitable ammunition. We had not march’d many miles before it began to rain, and it continued raining all day; there were no habitations on the road to shelter us, till we arriv’d near night at the house of a German, where, and in his barn, we were all huddled together, as wet as water could make us. It was well we were not attack’d in our march, for our arms were of the most ordinary sort, and our men could not keep their gun locks dry. The Indians are dextrous in contrivances for that purpose, which we had not. They met that day the eleven poor farmers above mentioned, and killed ten of them. The one who escap’d inform’d that his and his companions’ guns would not go off, the priming being wet with the rain.临离开伯利恒前，有十一个农民来找我。他们被印第安人赶出了自己的农场，请求我供给枪械，好让他们回去把牲口带走。我给了他们每人一支枪和相应弹药。我们出发没走多远，天就下起雨来，而且下了一整天。沿路没有住处可以遮蔽，直到傍晚才到了一户德国人家里，我们便挤在屋里和谷仓里，浑身湿透。幸好行军途中没有遇袭，因为我们的武器很普通，士兵也不会保持枪机干燥。印第安人在这方面却很熟练。就在同一个雨天，刚才那十一个农民遇上了印第安人，十人被杀，只有一人逃回。他说他们的枪全都不能用了，因为火药被雨水淋湿。

The next day being fair, we continu’d our march, and arriv’d at the desolated Gnadenhut. There was a saw-mill near, round which were left several piles of boards, with which we soon hutted ourselves; an operation the more necessary at that inclement season, as we had no tents. Our first work was to bury more effectually the dead we found there, who had been half interr’d by the country people.等第二天天放晴了，我们就继续行军，终于抵达已成一片刻起的纳登险特。那儿附近有一个锯木厂，周围留下了几堆木板，我们便用木板搭成了营房。当时正值寒冷的季节, 我们又没有帐稀，是这些木板救了我们的命。我们要做的第一件事，就是将那里暴露在外的尸体统统扼埋好。之前，乡亲们大概只是草草地拖盖了一下。

The next morning our fort was plann’d and mark’d out, the circumference measuring four hundred and fifty-five feet, which would require as many palisades to be made of trees, one with another, of a foot diameter each. Our axes, of which we had seventy, were immediately set to work to cut down trees, and, our men being dextrous in the use of them, great despatch was made. Seeing the trees fall so fast, I had the curiosity to look at my watch when two men began to cut at a pine; in six minutes they had it upon the ground, and I found it of fourteen inches diameter. Each pine made three palisades of eighteen feet long, pointed at one end. While these were preparing, our other men dug a trench all round, of three feet deep, in which the palisades were to be planted; and, our waggons, the bodys being taken off, and the fore and hind wheels separated by taking out the pin which united the two parts of the perch, we had ten carriages, with two horses each, to bring the palisades from the woods to the spot. When they were set up, our carpenters built a stage of boards all round within, about six feet high, for the men to stand on when to fire thro’ the loopholes. We had one swivel gun, which we mounted on one of the angles, and fir’d it as soon as fix’d, to let the Indians know, if any were within hearing, that we had such pieces; and thus our fort, if such a magnificent name may be given to so miserable a stockade, was finish’d in a week, though it rain’d so hard every other day that the men could not work.第二天上午，我们规划堡垒并做好标记。堡垒周长四百五十五英尺，需要同样数量的木桩；平均说来，每根木桩要用直径一英尺的树木制成。我们共有七十把斧子，立刻用来砍树；士兵们很会用斧，进展极快。我看树倒得这么快，便好奇地拿出表来计时：两个人合力砍一棵松树，只用六分钟便把它放倒，而那棵树直径有十四英寸。每棵松树可以做成三根长十八英尺、一端削尖的木桩。 一部分人制桩时，其他人沿着堡垒外线挖一条三英尺深的沟，把木桩埋入其中。我们还拆下马车车厢，卸掉连接前后轮的辕杆，把每辆车分成前后两部分；这样五辆车变成十辆小车，每辆用两匹马拉，从树林把木桩运到堡垒。木桩竖好以后，我们又沿内侧搭了一道离地约六英尺的平台，让士兵可以登高望外，并从木桩间的枪眼射击。我们还带来一门旋转炮，把它架在堡垒一角，装好以后放了几炮，好让附近的印第安人知道我们的火力，假如附近真有印第安人的话。虽然后来几乎隔天便下雨，严重妨碍施工，但这座堡垒，也就是这种简陋的木栅栏若配得上堡垒这个庄严称呼的话，终于在一周内完成。

This gave me occasion to observe, that, when men are employ’d, they are best content’d; for on the days they worked they were good-natur’d and cheerful, and, with the consciousness of having done a good day’s work, they spent the evening jollily; but on our idle days they were mutinous and quarrelsome, finding fault with their pork, the bread, etc., and in continual ill-humor, which put me in mind of a sea-captain, whose rule it was to keep his men constantly at work; and, when his mate once told him that they had done every thing, and there was nothing further to employ them about, “Oh,” says he, “Make them scour the anchor.”这件事使我注意到，人只要有事可做，往往最容易满足。工作的日子里，士兵们脾气好，心情也愉快；想到自己扎扎实实干了一天，晚上便能快活地消遣。可是到了无事可做的日子，他们便怨声载道，争吵不休，挑剔咸肉、面包等等，整天心情恶劣。这使我想起一位船长，他的规矩就是让水手一直有活干。有一次，大副告诉他说所有事情都做完了，再没有什么可干，船长便说：“哦，那就叫他们去擦锚吧。”

This kind of fort, however contemptible, is a sufficient defense against Indians, who have no cannon. Finding ourselves now posted securely, and having a place to retreat to on occasion, we ventur’d out in parties to scour the adjacent country. We met with no Indians, but we found the places on the neighboring hills where they had lain to watch our proceedings. There was an art in their contrivance of those places, that seems worth mention. It being winter, a fire was necessary for them; but a common fire on the surface of the ground would by its light have discovered their position at a distance. They had therefore dug holes in the ground about three feet diameter, and somewhat deeper; we saw where they had with their hatchets cut off the charcoal from the sides of burnt logs lying in the woods. With these coals they had made small fires in the bottom of the holes, and we observ’d among the weeds and grass the prints of their bodies, made by their laying all round, with their legs hanging down in the holes to keep their feet warm, which, with them, is an essential point. This kind of fire, so manag’d, could not discover them, either by its light, flame, sparks, or even smoke: it appear’d that their number was not great, and it seems they saw we were too many to be attacked by them with prospect of advantage.这种堡垒虽然简陋，用来抵御没有大炮的印第安人却已经足够。我们既已据守安全地点，必要时也有退路，便分队外出搜索附近地区。我们没有遇见印第安人，却在邻近山上发现了他们曾藏身窥视我们行动的地方。那些地点的布置颇有巧思，值得一提。那时正值冬季，他们必须生火；可是若像平常那样在地面生火，火光会远远暴露位置。因此他们在地上挖了约三英尺宽、稍深一些的洞。我们看见洞里还留着炭灰。这些炭是从树林里烧焦的木头上砍下来的，很容易在洞内点燃。他们甚至能围着洞躺下，把脚伸向洞中取暖，而草地上还留有他们躺卧的痕迹。用这种办法，火光、火焰、火星甚至烟雾都不致暴露他们。总之，他们人数不多，又看出我们人多势众，不是他们的对手。

We had for our chaplain a zealous Presbyterian minister, Mr. Beatty, who complained to me that the men did not generally attend his prayers and exhortations. When they enlisted, they were promised, besides pay and provisions, a gill of rum a day, which was punctually serv’d out to them, half in the morning, and the other half in the evening; and I observ’d they were as punctual in attending to receive it; upon which I said to Mr. Beatty, “It is, perhaps, below the dignity of your profession to act as steward of the rum, but if you were to deal it out and only just after prayers, you would have them all about you.” He liked the tho’t, undertook the office, and, with the help of a few hands to measure out the liquor, executed it to satisfaction, and never were prayers more generally and more punctually attended; so that I thought this method preferable to the punishment inflicted by some military laws for non-attendance on divine service.我们的随军牧师贝蒂先生是一位热心的长老会牧师，他向我抱怨士兵们通常不来参加祈祷和听训。士兵入伍时，除薪金和口粮外，还答应每天给他们一小杯朗姆酒；这酒按时发放，上午一半，晚上另一半。我发现他们领取朗姆酒倒是十分准时，便对贝蒂先生说：“让您担任朗姆酒的管理员，或许有失您职业的尊严；但如果您只在祈祷之后发酒，他们一定都会聚到您身边。”他觉得这个主意不错，便接下这个差事，在几个人帮助下分发朗姆酒；自此以后，前来祈祷的人从未这样多，也从未这样准时。因此，我认为这个办法比军法惩处不参加祈祷的人更有效。

I had hardly finish’d this business, and got my fort well stor’d with provisions, when I receiv’d a letter from the governor, acquainting me that he had call’d the Assembly, and wished my attendance there, if the posture of affairs on the frontiers was such that my remaining there was no longer necessary. My friends, too, of the Assembly, pressing me by their letters to be, if possible, at the meeting, and my three intended forts being now compleated, and the inhabitants contented to remain on their farms under that protection, I resolved to return; the more willingly, as a New England officer, Colonel Clapham, experienced in Indian war, being on a visit to our establishment, consented to accept the command. I gave him a commission, and, parading the garrison, had it read before them, and introduc’d him to them as an officer who, from his skill in military affairs, was much more fit to command them than myself; and, giving them a little exhortation, took my leave. I was escorted as far as Bethlehem, where I rested a few days to recover from the fatigue I had undergone. The first night, being in a good bed, I could hardly sleep, it was so different from my hard lodging on the floor of our hut at Gnaden wrapt only in a blanket or two.我刚把这件事办完，并把堡垒粮草储备妥当，就收到州长来信，说他已经召集议会开会；如果边境形势已经不再需要我留在那里，他希望我出席。议会中的朋友也纷纷来信催我尽量参加会议。当时，我计划修建的三座堡垒已经完工，当地居民在其保护下也愿意留在农场上，于是我决定返回。更使我放心的是，有一位来自新英格兰、熟悉印第安战事的克拉珀姆上校正好来参观我们的营地，并同意接掌指挥。我给他发了委任状，集合守军，当众宣读，又把他介绍给大家，说他在军事方面的才能远胜于我，更适合指挥他们。随后我略加勉励，便告辞离开。 他们护送我到伯利恒，我在那里休息了几天，以恢复这段时间的疲劳。第一晚躺在舒适的床上，我几乎睡不着，因为这同我在格纳登许滕小屋地板上只裹一两条毯子的硬卧处实在太不一样。

While at Bethlehem, I inquir’d a little into the practice of the Moravians: some of them had accompanied me, and all were very kind to me. I found they work’d for a common stock, eat at common tables, and slept in common dormitories, great numbers together. In the dormitories I observed loopholes, at certain distances all along just under the ceiling, which I thought judiciously placed for change of air. I was at their church, where I was entertain’d with good musick, the organ being accompanied with violins, hautboys, flutes, clarinets, etc. I understood that their sermons were not usually preached to mixed congregations of men, women, and children, as is our common practice, but that they assembled sometimes the married men, at other times their wives, then the young men, the young women, and the little children, each division by itself. The sermon I heard was to the latter, who came in and were plac’d in rows on benches; the boys under the conduct of a young man, their tutor, and the girls conducted by a young woman. The discourse seem’d well adapted to their capacities, and was deliver’d in a pleasing, familiar manner, coaxing them, as it were, to be good. They behav’d very orderly, but looked pale and unhealthy, which made me suspect they were kept too much within doors, or not allow’d sufficient exercise.在伯利恒期间，我稍微了解了一下摩拉维亚人的习俗。他们中有些人一路陪伴我，对我都很友善。我发现他们共同劳动，共用财物，在公共餐桌吃饭，许多人一起睡在公共宿舍里。宿舍内接近天花板的地方，每隔一段距离便有通气孔，我觉得这种安排很明智。 我去过他们的教堂，听到悦耳的音乐，风琴伴着小提琴、双簧管、长笛、单簧管等乐器。我了解到他们布道时通常不像我们那样把男女老少混在一起，而是有时召集已婚男子，有时召集其妻子，然后是青年男子、青年女子、小孩子，各组分别进行。我听到的是给孩子们的布道。孩子们进来后按行坐在长凳上，男孩由男教师带领，女孩由女教师带领。讲道似乎很适合他们的理解力，语气亲切愉快，仿佛是在哄劝他们向善。他们举止很有秩序，但脸色苍白，不太健康，使我怀疑他们待在室内太久，或运动不足。

I inquir’d concerning the Moravian marriages, whether the report was true that they were by lot. I was told that lots were us’d only in particular cases; that generally, when a young man found himself dispos’d to marry, he inform’d the elders of his class, who consulted the elder ladies that govern’d the young women. As these elders of the different sexes were well acquainted with the tempers and dispositions of their respective pupils, they could best judge what matches were suitable, and their judgments were generally acquiesc’d in; but if, for example, it should happen that two or three young women were found to be equally proper for the young man, the lot was then recurred to. I objected, if the matches are not made by the mutual choice of the parties, some of them may chance to be very unhappy. “And so they may,” answer’d my informer, “if you let the parties chuse for themselves;” which, indeed, I could not deny.我还调查了摩拉维亚教徒的婚配习俗，因为我十分好奇他们是否像传闻中的那样由抽签决定婚配。他们告诉我，的确有抽签婚配的方式，不过那只是在特殊情况下才用的。通常，当一个年轻男士到了适婚年龄，并有婚配愿望时，他会把自己的想法告诉班上管理他们的年长者，这人再同管理年轻妇女的老妇人商量。这些管理者对自己学生的脾气和性格都比较了解，因此能做出最好的搭配。他们的裁决最终都会被当事者接受，但如果碰到三名女子正好都与一个男子匹配的话，就会采用抽签的方式。对此，我提出了自己的意见，如果婚姻不是由双方自主选择的话，他们可能会不幸福。但他们却这样回答: “即使你让他们自主选择，也未必人人都会幸福。”这的确是事实，我无法否认。

Being returned to Philadelphia, I found the association went on swimmingly, the inhabitants that were not Quakers having pretty generally come into it, formed themselves into companies, and chose their captains, lieutenants, and ensigns, according to the new law. Dr. B. visited me, and gave me an account of the pains he had taken to spread a general good liking to the law, and ascribed much to those endeavors. I had had the vanity to ascribe all to my Dialogue; however, not knowing but that he might be in the right, I let him enjoy his opinion, which I take to be generally the best way in such cases. The officers, meeting, chose me to be colonel of the regiment, which I this time accepted. I forget how many companies we had, but we paraded about twelve hundred well-looking men, with a company of artillery, who had been furnished with six brass field-pieces, which they had become so expert in the use of as to fire twelve times in a minute. The first time I reviewed my regiment they accompanied me to my house, and would salute me with some rounds fired before my door, which shook down and broke several glasses of my electrical apparatus. And my new honour proved not much less brittle; for all our commissions were soon after broken by a repeal of the law in England.回到费城后，我发现民团进展顺利。非教友会居民大多参加进来，按照新法律组成连队，选出上尉、中尉和少尉。B 博士来看我，告诉我他为使大家普遍喜欢这项法律费了多大力气，并把成效多归功于这些努力。我原先有点虚荣，以为这全是我那篇《对话》的功劳；不过既然他也许说得对，我便让他保有自己的看法。我认为遇到这类事情，通常这样处理最好。 军官们开会，推选我为这个团的上校，这一次我接受了。我记不清共有多少连队，但阅兵时约有一千二百名体面的士兵列队，还有一个炮兵连，配有六门铜制野战炮。他们已经十分熟练，每分钟能发射十二次。我第一次检阅这个团之后，他们陪我回家，还要在我门前鸣炮致敬，震落并打碎了我电学仪器上的几只玻璃杯。我的这份新荣誉也差不多同样脆弱；因为不久以后，英国废止了这项法律，我们所有委任状也都随之作废。

During this short time of my colonelship, being about to set out on a journey to Virginia, the officers of my regiment took it into their heads that it would be proper for them to escort me out of town, as far as the Lower Ferry. Just as I was getting on horseback they came to my door, between thirty and forty, mounted, and all in their uniforms. I had not been previously acquainted with the project, or I should have prevented it, being naturally averse to the assuming of state on any occasion; and I was a good deal chagrin’d at their appearance, as I could not avoid their accompanying me. What made it worse was, that, as soon as we began to move, they drew their swords and rode with them naked all the way. Somebody wrote an account of this to the proprietor, and it gave him great offense. No such honor had been paid him when in the province, nor to any of his governors; and he said it was only proper to princes of the blood royal, which may be true for aught I know, who was, and still am, ignorant of the etiquette in such cases.我任上校的时间很短。其间有一次我准备前往弗吉尼亚，本团军官忽然想到，护送我出城直到下渡口会很合适。我刚要上马，他们便来到我门前，有三四十人，都骑着马，穿着制服。我事先并不知道这个计划，否则一定会阻止，因为我天性不喜欢任何场合摆排场。他们出现时我很不自在，却无法避免他们相送。更糟的是，我们刚一动身，他们便拔出剑来，一路举着出鞘的剑前行。 有人把这件事写信告诉了领主，使他大为恼怒。他到本州时从未受过这种礼遇，他的任何州长也未受过；他说这种礼节只适用于王室血亲。也许他说得对，因为我过去和现在一样，都不懂这类礼仪。

This silly affair, however, greatly increased his rancour against me, which was before not a little, on account of my conduct in the Assembly respecting the exemption of his estate from taxation, which I had always oppos’d very warmly, and not without severe reflections on his meanness and injustice of contending for it. He accused me to the ministry as being the great obstacle to the king’s service, preventing, by my influence in the House, the proper form of the bills for raising money, and he instanced this parade with my officers as a proof of my having an intention to take the government of the province out of his hands by force. He also applied to Sir Everard Fawkener, the postmaster-general, to deprive me of my office; but it had no other effect than to procure from Sir Everard a gentle admonition.不过，这件蠢事极大加深了他对我的怨恨。此前，由于我在议会中一直强烈反对免除他的地产税，并且严厉批评他争取这种特权的卑鄙和不公，他对我已经很不满。他向英国内阁控告我，说我是执行国王公务的巨大障碍，凭借我在议会中的影响，阻挠筹款法案采取适当形式；又拿军官列队护送我这件事作为证据，说我有意用武力从他手中夺取本州政府。他还请求邮政大臣埃弗拉德·福克纳爵士免去我的职务，但结果只是使福克纳爵士温和地规劝了我几句。

Notwithstanding the continual wrangle between the governor and the House, in which I, as a member, had so large a share, there still subsisted a civil intercourse between that gentleman and myself, and we never had any personal difference. I have sometimes since thought that his little or no resentment against me, for the answers it was known I drew up to his messages, might be the effect of professional habit, and that, being bred a lawyer, he might consider us both as merely advocates for contending clients in a suit, he for the proprietaries and I for the Assembly. He would, therefore, sometimes call in a friendly way to advise with me on difficult points, and sometimes, tho’ not often, take my advice.不过,州长同议会之间的争执从来没有停止过。而我作为一名议员，并且是非常活跃的一名议员，却从来没有因为这些争执而同州长先生关系破裂，我们从未有过私人恩怨。有时，我想他之所以很少对我抱怨，是因为他是律师出身，职业习惯使然。大家都知道他给议会的信件都是由我回复的，他可能把我和他分别当成了双方的辩护律师，他为领主辩护，我为议会辩护。因此，他有时还会十分友好地拜访我，同我商讨一些难题。有时他也会接受我的劝告，虽然这并不常见。

We acted in concert to supply Braddock’s army with provisions; and, when the shocking news arrived of his defeat, the governor sent in haste for me, to consult with him on measures for preventing the desertion of the back counties. I forget now the advice I gave; but I think it was, that Dunbar should be written to, and prevail’d with, if possible, to post his troops on the frontiers for their protection, till, by re-enforcements from the colonies, he might be able to proceed on the expedition. And, after my return from the frontier, he would have had me undertake the conduct of such an expedition with provincial troops, for the reduction of Fort Duquesne, Dunbar and his men being otherwise employed; and he proposed to commission me as general. I had not so good an opinion of my military abilities as he profess’d to have, and I believe his professions must have exceeded his real sentiments; but probably he might think that my popularity would facilitate the raising of the men, and my influence in Assembly, the grant of money to pay them, and that, perhaps, without taxing the proprietary estate. Finding me not so forward to engage as he expected, the project was dropt, and he soon after left the government, being superseded by Captain Denny.当时，我们曾协力为布拉多克的军队供应粮食；他战败的惊人消息传来后，州长急忙派人叫我去，同我商量如何防止边远县份的居民逃散。我现在忘了自己当时提出什么建议，但我想大概是写信给邓巴，尽量劝他把部队驻扎在边境，保护当地居民，直到各殖民地援军到来，他再继续远征。 我从前线回来后，州长还想让我率领本州部队进行一次远征，攻取杜肯堡，因为邓巴和他的人另有任务；他打算任命我为将军。我并不像他声称的那样看重自己的军事才能，而且我相信他的赞许一定超过了真实想法。也许他认为，我的声望有助于招募士兵，我在议会中的影响则有助于取得拨款来支付军饷，甚至也许不必向领主地产征税。后来他发现我并不像他预料的那样热心接受，这项计划便搁置了。不久以后，他离开州政府，由丹尼上尉接任。

Before I proceed in relating the part I had in public affairs under this new governor’s administration, it may not be amiss here to give some account of the rise and progress of my philosophical reputation.在这位新任州长的领导下，我又从事了不少公务活动，但在这之前，我想先谈一谈这几年我在科学研究方面的情况，因为在这方面，我也做出了一些成绩，收获了一些声誉。

In 1746, being at Boston, I met there with a Dr. Spence, who was lately arrived from Scotland, and show’d me some electric experiments. They were imperfectly perform’d, as he was not very expert; but, being on a subject quite new to me, they equally surpris’d and pleased me. Soon after my return to Philadelphia, our library company receiv’d from Mr. P. Collinson, Fellow of the Royal Society of London, a present of a glass tube, with some account of the use of it in making such experiments. I eagerly seized the opportunity of repeating what I had seen at Boston; and, by much practice, acquir’d great readiness in performing those, also, which we had an account of from England, adding a number of new ones. I say much practice, for my house was continually full, for some time, with people who came to see these new wonders.一七四六年，我在波士顿的时候，遇到了刚从苏格兰来的斯宾塞博士。他向我展示了一些电学方面的实验，因为他在这方面也不是行家，所以实验做得并不完美。不过，对于我这个门外汉来说，既觉得新奇又觉得惊异，另外还有一丝欢喜。回到费城后不久,，我们的订阅图书馆收到了伦敦皇家学会会员柯林逊先生寄来的一个礼物，那是一根玻璃管，而且附有用它做实验的说明书。我迫不及待地拿起这根玻璃管，重复在波士顿看到的那个实验。经过反复实践，我已经学会做说明书中所写的实验了。除此之外，我还尝试了其他实验。我所提到的“反复实践”，是指在一段时期内,我家常常挤满了人,他们都来观看我搞的这些新奇玩意儿。

To divide a little this incumbrance among my friends, I caused a number of similar tubes to be blown at our glass-house, with which they furnish’d themselves, so that we had at length several performers. Among these, the principal was Mr. Kinnersley, an ingenious neighbor, who, being out of business, I encouraged to undertake showing the experiments for money, and drew up for him two lectures, in which the experiments were rang’d in such order, and accompanied with such explanations in such method, as that the foregoing should assist in comprehending the following. He procur’d an elegant apparatus for the purpose, in which all the little machines that I had roughly made for myself were nicely form’d by instrument-makers. His lectures were well attended, and gave great satisfaction; and after some time he went thro’ the colonies, exhibiting them in every capital town, and pick’d up some money. In the West India islands, indeed, it was with difficulty the experiments could be made, from the general moisture of the air.为了让朋友们也加入我的实验行列，我在玻璃厂定做了一批大小相同的玻璃管，让他们人和手一个，这样，我们就多了好几个人进行实验。其中成绩比较突出的是金纳斯利先生,他是我的邻居，人很聪明，当时正赋闲在家，我便鼓励他通过实验来赚钱，我还为此草拟了两篇讲稿，上面将实验的顺序和方法，由浅和人深地做了解说。为了做好实验，他购买了一套精致的仪器，以前我自己制造的那套粗糙的仪器，经由机械师的加工变成了精密的玩意儿。听他演讲的观众很多，大家对他的表演十分满意，后来他还到各殖民地进行巡回表演，在每个首府都要演示一番，因此也赚了一些钱。实际上,这种实验要是放在西印度群岛上,将会十分困难，因为那里的空气湿度实在太大了。

Oblig’d as we were to Mr. Collinson for his present of the tube, etc., I thought it right he should be inform’d of our success in using it, and wrote him several letters containing accounts of our experiments. He got them read in the Royal Society, where they were not at first thought worth so much notice as to be printed in their Transactions. One paper, which I wrote for Mr. Kinnersley, on the sameness of lightning with electricity, I sent to Dr. Mitchel, an acquaintance of mine, and one of the members also of that society, who wrote me word that it had been read, but was laughed at by the connoisseurs. The papers, however, being shown to Dr. Fothergill, he thought them of too much value to be stifled, and advis’d the printing of them. Mr. Collinson then gave them to Cave for publication in his Gentleman’s Magazine; but he chose to print them separately in a pamphlet, and Dr. Fothergill wrote the preface. Cave, it seems, judged rightly for his profit, for by the additions that arrived afterward they swell’d to a quarto volume, which has had five editions, and cost him nothing for copy-money.既然柯林逊先生把玻璃管当成礼物赠送给我们，那么我们必须拿出一点儿诚意作为答谢礼，我想，没有什么比我们在玻璃管方面取得的成绩告知他更合适的了，于是我便写了几封信，将我们实验的情况告诉了他。 他在皇家学会上宣读了我们的信件, 起初，那些听众们认为这些根本不值得在《皇家学报》上发表。后来我为金纳斯利先生写过一篇文章，论述了闪电和电的相同性。我把这篇文章寄给了我的一个朋友米切尔博士，他也是皇家学会的成员. 他给我回信说，我的文章已经在学会上宣读，但遭到了其他人的嘲笑。而福瑟吉尔博士看到这些论文后, 却认为这很有价值，不应当就此埋没，于是立即发表出来。柯林逊先生便把文章交给凯夫，让他在《绅士杂志》上发表，不过，他却把文章印成独自成篇的小册子，由福瑟吉尔博士撰写序言。这些文章连同后来一起寄过去的文章凑成了一册四开本书，前后出版了五次，看起来凯夫对利益的判断能力的确很强，只不过他一次都没有付给我版税。

It was, however, some time before those papers were much taken notice of in England. A copy of them happening to fall into the hands of the Count de Buffon, a philosopher deservedly of great reputation in France, and, indeed, all over Europe, he prevailed with M. Dalibard to translate them into French, and they were printed at Paris. The publication offended the Abbé Nollet, preceptor in Natural Philosophy to the royal family, and an able experimenter, who had form’d and publish’d a theory of electricity, which then had the general vogue. He could not at first believe that such a work came from America, and said it must have been fabricated by his enemies at Paris, to decry his system. Afterwards, having been assur’d that there really existed such a person as Franklin at Philadelphia, which he had doubted, he wrote and published a volume of Letters, chiefly address’d to me, defending his theory, and denying the verity of my experiments, and of the positions deduc’d from them.然而，在一段时间内,我的这些文章在英国并没有收到什么反响。一次很偶然的机会,法国的布封伯爵发现了我的文集，他不但是法国，更是全欧洲著名的科学家。看到我的文集后，他立即让戴利巴尔先生把文章译成法文，并在巴黎出版。这件事激怒了诺莱神父，作为王室的自然哲学导师和一个十分有能力的实验家，他曾编写并出版过电学理论方面的书籍，而且十分盛行。他不相信这些文章出自美洲某个名不见经传的人，并认定那是他的敌人在巴黎炮制出来的，目的是要诈毁他的理论体系。不过后来，他相信在美洲的费城的确有个叫富兰克林的人。他对我写了好多公开信并将其发表，信中坚定地捍卫他的理论，否认我的实验以及实验结论的真实性。

I once purpos’d answering the abbé, and actually began the answer; but, on consideration that my writings contain’d a description of experiments which any one might repeat and verify, and if not to be verifi’d, could not be defended; or of observations offer’d as conjectures, and not delivered dogmatically, therefore not laying me under any obligation to defend them; and reflecting that a dispute between two persons, writing in different languages, might be lengthened greatly by mistranslations, and thence misconceptions of one another’s meaning, much of one of the abbé‘s letters being founded on an error in the translation, I concluded to let my papers shift for themselves, believing it was better to spend what time I could spare from public business in making new experiments, than in disputing about those already made. I therefore never answered M. Nollet, and the event gave me no cause to repent my silence; for my friend M. le Roy, of the Royal Academy of Sciences, took up my cause and refuted him; my book was translated into the Italian, German, and Latin languages; and the doctrine it contain’d was by degrees universally adopted by the philosophers of Europe, in preference to that of the abbé; so that he lived to see himself the last of his sect, except Monsieur B———, of Paris, his élève and immediate disciple.我曾一度想要给这位神父回信，而且都动笔写了个开头,但后来转念一想，我在文章中所写的都是实验方法，任何人只要重复实验就能轻易印证，即使不能印证，我做口头的辩解也是无谓的。况且， 我的论点是以推论的形式一步步得出的，并不是武断的腌想和猜测，所以更没有必要做辩解。同时，我还考虑到由于我们两个人的争论是使用不同的文字，它们可能会因翻译出错而将论战拖得更久，彼此发生误解。事实的确如此，神父的某一封信和就有不少地方翻译错误。所以，我不打算为此做辩解，与其花时间为做过的实验辩解, 不如把这些时间用在做新的实验上, 因此，我一封信都没给神父回过。在我保持沉默的同时，我发现事态的发展并没有让我失望, 因为我的朋友李 '罗依先生替我展开了论战。我的文章被译成意大利文、德文、拉丁文。我的理论慢慢地被欧洲的科学家们接受，他们不再相信诺莱神父的理论。所以最后，诺莱神父成了自己理论的唯一支持者，另外还有巴黎的B 先生，他是神父的得意门生和正宗传人。

What gave my book the more sudden and general celebrity, was the success of one of its proposed experiments, made by Messrs. Dalibard and De Lor at Marly, for drawing lightning from the clouds. This engag’d the public attention every where. M. de Lor, who had an apparatus for experimental philosophy, and lectur’d in that branch of science, undertook to repeat what he called the Philadelphia Experiments; and, after they were performed before the king and court, all the curious of Paris flocked to see them. I will not swell this narrative with an account of that capital experiment, nor of the infinite pleasure I receiv’d in the success of a similar one I made soon after with a kite at Philadelphia, as both are to be found in the histories of electricity.最终让我的文章迅速被人们接受的是戴利巴尔先生和德罗先生在马利的实验取得了成功，他们按照我的方法从云层中成功地引出了闪电，这在整个世界引起了猴动。德罗先生有一套科学实验的设备，并且在这个领域有一定的权威，而他反复所做的实验则称为“费城实验”。后来，他还在英国国王和大臣面前进行实验表演，引来了许多好奇的围观者。关于这个重要的实验，我不想过多描述; 之后我在费城所做的用风筝成功引电的实验，我也不想过多描述，因为这两件事在电学发展史上有目共睹。

Dr. Wright, an English physician, when at Paris, wrote to a friend, who was of the Royal Society, an account of the high esteem my experiments were in among the learned abroad, and of their wonder that my writings had been so little noticed in England. The society, on this, resum’d the consideration of the letters that had been read to them; and the celebrated Dr. Watson drew up a summary account of them, and of all I had afterwards sent to England on the subject, which be accompanied with some praise of the writer. This summary was then printed in their Transactions; and some members of the society in London, particularly the very ingenious Mr. Canton, having verified the experiment of procuring lightning from the clouds by a pointed rod, and acquainting them with the success, they soon made me more than amends for the slight with which they had before treated me. Without my having made any application for that honor, they chose me a member, and voted that I should be excus’d the customary payments, which would have amounted to twenty-five guineas; and ever since have given me their Transactions gratis. They also presented me with the gold medal of Sir Godfrey Copley for the year 1753, the delivery of which was accompanied by a very handsome speech of the president, Lord Macclesfield, wherein I was highly honoured.一位名叫赖特的英国医生在巴黎时，曾给一位皇家学会的朋友写信，谈到我的实验在国外学者中受到很高评价，并说他们奇怪我的著作在英国竟如此少受重视。学会因此重新审议那些曾在会上宣读过的信件。著名的沃森博士把这些信件以及我后来寄往英国的有关电学的文章作了概要，并附上一些对作者的称许。这篇概要随后刊登在他们的《学报》上。伦敦皇家学会的一些成员，尤其是极聪明的坎通先生，用一根针成功从云层中引出闪电，证实了我的理论，并把结果报告给学会。 这些事情使学会一改过去对我的冷淡态度，在我并未申请的情况下选我为会员，免除了二十五几尼的通常会费，并免费寄给我《学报》。此外，他们还授予我一七五三年度戈德弗里·科普利爵士金质奖章。颁奖大会上，学会主席麦克尔斯菲尔德勋爵发表演说，措辞优雅而客气，对我作了称许。

Our new governor, Captain Denny, brought over for me the before-mentioned medal from the Royal Society, which he presented to me at an entertainment given him by the city. He accompanied it with very polite expressions of his esteem for me, having, as he said, been long acquainted with my character. After dinner, when the company, as was customary at that time, were engag’d in drinking, he took me aside into another room, and acquainted me that he had been advis’d by his friends in England to cultivate a friendship with me, as one who was capable of giving him the best advice, and of contributing most effectually to the making his administration easy; that he therefore desired of all things to have a good understanding with me, and he begg’d me to be assur’d of his readiness on all occasions to render me every service that might be in his power. He said much to me, also, of the proprietor’s good disposition towards the province, and of the advantage it might be to us all, and to me in particular, if the opposition that had been so long continu’d to his measures was dropt, and harmony restor’d between him and the people; in effecting which, it was thought no one could be more serviceable than myself; and I might depend on adequate acknowledgments and recompenses, etc., etc. The drinkers, finding we did not return immediately to the table, sent us a decanter of Madeira, which the governor made liberal use of, and in proportion became more profuse of his solicitations and promises.我们的新任州长丹尼上尉从英国给我带来了前面提到的那枚皇家学会奖章，并在费城为他举行的宴会上把它交给我。他措辞十分客气地表达了对我的敬意，说自己久已熟知我的品格。饭后，宾客照当时习惯饮酒时，他把我拉到另一个房间，告诉我说，他在英国的朋友们劝他同我建立友谊，因为我能给他最好的建议，也最能帮助他的施政顺利成功。因此，他希望在一切事情上都同我保持一致，并表示只要力所能及，随时愿意为我效劳。 他还向我转达领主对本州的许多善意，并说如果长期反对领主的人能放弃成见，使领主与人民恢复和谐，这对大家都有益，尤其对我有益；没有人比我更能推动这件事，而事成之后，我自然会得到充分酬谢。我们久不回席，外面便叫人送来一瓶马德拉酒。州长喝得很高兴，酒越多，他的请求和许诺也越多。

My answers were to this purpose: that my circumstances, thanks to God, were such as to make proprietary favours unnecessary to me; and that, being a member of the Assembly, I could not possibly accept of any; that, however, I had no personal enmity to the proprietary, and that, whenever the public measures he propos’d should appear to be for the good of the people, no one should espouse and forward them more zealously than myself; my past opposition having been founded on this, that the measures which had been urged were evidently intended to serve the proprietary interest, with great prejudice to that of the people; that I was much obliged to him (the governor) for his professions of regard to me, and that he might rely on every thing in my power to make his administration as easy as possible, hoping at the same time that he had not brought with him the same unfortunate instruction his predecessor had been hamper’d with.我的回答大意如下：感谢上帝，我的境况已经使我无需领主恩惠；而且作为议会议员，我也不可能接受任何这种恩惠。不过，我同领主并无个人仇怨；只要他提出的公共措施确实有利于人民，没有人会比我更热心地支持和推动。过去我之所以反对，是因为那些措施显然意在服务领主利益，却大大损害人民利益。 我感谢州长对我表达的善意，并向他保证，在我的职权范围内，我愿尽力帮助他的施政顺利进行。同时，我希望他不要像前任州长那样总是带来糟糕的指令，因为那种指令只会使他自己陷入进退两难的困境。

On this he did not then explain himself; but when he afterwards came to do business with the Assembly, they appear’d again, the disputes were renewed, and I was as active as ever in the opposition, being the penman, first, of the request to have a communication of the instructions, and then of the remarks upon them, which may be found in the votes of the time, and in the Historical Review I afterward publish’d. But between us personally no enmity arose; we were often together; he was a man of letters, had seen much of the world, and was very entertaining and pleasing in conversation. He gave me the first information that my old friend Jas. Ralph was still alive; that he was esteem’d one of the best political writers in England; had been employ’d in the dispute between Prince Frederic and the king, and had obtain’d a pension of three hundred a year; that his reputation was indeed small as a poet, Pope having damned his poetry in the Dunciad; but his prose was thought as good as any man’s.对此，州长当时并未进一步说明；但后来他同议会办理公务时，那些指令又出现了，争执也随之重起。我仍像以往一样积极反对，先起草请求公布指令的文件，随后又起草对指令的评论。这些文件可以在当时的议会记录中找到，也收在我后来出版的《历史评论》中。 不过，我们二人之间并没有产生私人怨恨；我们常常相聚。他是个有学问的人，见多识广，谈吐很有趣，也很讨人喜欢。我也是从他那里最早得知，我的老朋友詹姆士·拉尔夫仍在人世，并且被认为是英国最优秀的政论家之一。他还曾受委托参与处理弗雷德里克亲王与国王之间的纠纷，因此得到年薪三百镑的俸禄。但作为诗人，他并没有什么名声；蒲柏在《群愚史诗》中嘲讽过他的诗。不过他的散文确实不逊于任何人。

[16] The Assembly finally finding the proprietary obstinately persisted in manacling their deputies with instructions inconsistent not only with the privileges of the people, but with the service of the crown, resolv’d to petition the king against them, and appointed me their agent to go over to England, to present and support the petition. The House had sent up a bill to the governor, granting a sum of sixty thousand pounds for the king’s use (ten thousand pounds of which was subjected to the orders of the then general, Lord Loudoun), which the governor absolutely refus’d to pass, in compliance with his instructions.议会最终发现，领主们顽固地坚持用指令束缚他们的代理人，而这些指令不仅违背人民的权利，也有碍王室事务，于是决定向国王请愿反对这些指令，并任命我为代理人前往英国，呈递并支持这份请愿。此前，议会曾把一项议案送交州长，拨款六万镑供国王使用，其中一万镑听候当时的将军劳登勋爵支配；但州长遵照他的指令，坚决拒绝批准。

[16: The many unanimous resolves of the Assembly? what date? [Marg. note.]]

I had agreed with Captain Morris, of the paquet at New York, for my passage, and my stores were put on board, when Lord Loudoun arriv’d at Philadelphia, expressly, as he told me, to endeavor an accommodation between the governor and Assembly, that his majesty’s service might not be obstructed by their dissensions. Accordingly, he desir’d the governor and myself to meet him, that he might hear what was to be said on both sides. We met and discuss’d the business. In behalf of the Assembly, I urg’d all the various arguments that may be found in the public papers of that time, which were of my writing, and are printed with the minutes of the Assembly; and the governor pleaded his instructions; the bond he had given to observe them, and his ruin if he disobey’d, yet seemed not unwilling to hazard himself if Lord Loudoun would advise it. This his lordship did not chuse to do, though I once thought I had nearly prevail’d with him to do it; but finally he rather chose to urge the compliance of the Assembly; and he entreated me to use my endeavours with them for that purpose, declaring that he would spare none of the king’s troops for the defense of our frontiers, and that, if we did not continue to provide for that defense ourselves, they must remain expos’d to the enemy.我已经同纽约邮船的莫里斯船长谈妥船位，行装也已装船。这时劳登勋爵来到费城。据他告诉我，他是特意来调停州长与议会之间的争执，以免他们的分歧妨碍国王陛下的事务。因此，他请州长和我同他会面，听取双方意见。 会面时，我们讨论了这件事。我代表议会提出各种理由，这些理由可以在当时的公开文件中看到，都是由我执笔，并同议会记录一起印行的。州长则以他的指令、他为遵守指令所立的保证，以及违令可能给自己带来的毁灭为理由进行辩解。不过，如果劳登勋爵建议他冒险，他似乎也并非不愿这样做。劳登勋爵没有选择这么做，虽然有一度我以为自己几乎说服了他。最终他宁愿敦促议会让步，并请求我为此在议会中尽力；他声明说，他不会抽调国王军队来保卫我们的边境，如果我们自己不继续防务，边境便只能暴露在敌人面前。

I acquainted the House with what had pass’d, and, presenting them with a set of resolutions I had drawn up, declaring our rights, and that we did not relinquish our claim to those rights, but only suspended the exercise of them on this occasion thro’ force, against which we protested, they at length agreed to drop that bill, and frame another conformable to the proprietary instructions. This of course the governor pass’d, and I was then at liberty to proceed on my voyage. But, in the meantime, the paquet had sailed with my sea-stores, which was some loss to me, and my only recompense was his lordship’s thanks for my service, all the credit of obtaining the accommodation falling to his share.我把会谈经过告知议会，并提交一组由我起草的决议，声明我们的权利，说明我们并没有放弃对这些权利的主张，只是在这次迫于外力而暂停行使，并对此表示抗议。最后，议会同意放弃原议案，另拟一项符合领主指令的议案。州长自然批准了这项议案，我也就可以启程远航了。 可是与此同时，那艘邮船已经带着我的海上用品先行开走，使我蒙受了一点损失。我得到的唯一补偿，是勋爵对我服务的感谢；而促成这次和解的全部功劳，则落到了他名下。

He set out for New York before me; and, as the time for dispatching the paquet-boats was at his disposition, and there were two then remaining there, one of which, he said, was to sail very soon, I requested to know the precise time, that I might not miss her by any delay of mine. His answer was, “I have given out that she is to sail on Saturday next; but I may let you know, entre nous, that if you are there by Monday morning, you will be in time, but do not delay longer.” By some accidental hinderance at a ferry, it was Monday noon before I arrived, and I was much afraid she might have sailed, as the wind was fair; but I was soon made easy by the information that she was still in the harbor, and would not move till the next day. One would imagine that I was now on the very point of departing for Europe. I thought so; but I was not then so well acquainted with his lordship’s character, of which indecision was one of the strongest features. I shall give some instances. It was about the beginning of April that I came to New York, and I think it was near the end of June before we sail’d. There were then two of the paquet-boats, which had been long in port, but were detained for the general’s letters, which were always to be ready to-morrow. Another paquet arriv’d; she too was detain’d; and, before we sail’d, a fourth was expected. Ours was the first to be dispatch’d, as having been there longest. Passengers were engag’d in all, and some extremely impatient to be gone, and the merchants uneasy about their letters, and the orders they had given for insurance (it being war time) for fall goods! but their anxiety avail’d nothing; his lordship’s letters were not ready; and yet whoever waited on him found him always at his desk, pen in hand, and concluded he must needs write abundantly.他先我一步动身去纽约。邮船何时开航由他支配，而纽约当时还有两艘邮船，其中一艘据他说很快就要开。我便请求他告知确切时间，以免因自己耽搁而错过。他回答说：“我已经公布她下星期六开航；不过，我可以私下告诉你，只要你星期一早晨到那里，就还来得及，但不要再拖。” 由于渡口偶然受阻，我到纽约时已是星期一中午。我很担心船已经趁顺风开走；但很快得知她仍在港内，要到次日才开，这才放心。人们大概会以为我这时已经马上要动身去欧洲了。我自己也是这样想的；但当时我还不熟悉勋爵的性格，他最突出的特点之一就是优柔寡断。 我举几个例子。我大约四月初到纽约，而我们真正开航时，我想已经接近六月底。当时有两艘邮船已在港内停了很久，只因等待将军的信件而被扣留，而那些信总是说明天就好。又来了一艘邮船，也被扣下；到我们开航前，第四艘也快到了。我们这艘因为停留最久，才最先获准开出。各船都有旅客订位，有些人急得不得了；商人们也为信件和秋季货物的保险指令焦躁不安，因为当时正值战争时期。但这些焦虑都毫无用处，勋爵的信始终没写好。偏偏凡是去见他的人，又总看见他坐在书桌前，手里拿着笔，因而断定他一定写了很多。

Going myself one morning to pay my respects, I found in his antechamber one Innis, a messenger of Philadelphia, who had come from thence express with a paquet from Governor Denny for the General. He delivered to me some letters from my friends there, which occasion’d my inquiring when he was to return, and where be lodg’d, that I might send some letters by him. He told me he was order’d to call to-morrow at nine for the general’s answer to the governor, and should set off immediately. I put my letters into his hands the same day. A fortnight after I met him again in the same place. “So, you are soon return’d, Innis?” “Return’d! no, I am not gone yet.” “How so?” “I have called here by order every morning these two weeks past for his lordship’s letter, and it is not yet ready.” “Is it possible, when he is so great a writer? for I see him constantly at his escritoire.” “Yes,” says Innis, “but he is like St. George on the signs, always on horseback, and never rides on.” This observation of the messenger was, it seems, well founded; for, when in England, I understood that Mr. Pitt gave it as one reason for removing this general, and sending Generals Amherst and Wolfe, that the minister never heard from him, and could not know what he was doing.一天上午，我亲自去拜访劳登勋爵，在他的前厅遇见了费城信使英尼斯。他奉丹尼州长之命，特地从费城带来一包文件给将军。他交给我几封费城朋友的来信，我便问他何时返回、住在何处，好托他带几封回信。他说自己奉命第二天上午九点来取将军给州长的回信，随后立刻出发。我当天就把信交给了他。 两星期后，我又在同一个地方碰见他。“哦，英尼斯，你这么快就回来了？”我问。“回来？没有，我还没走呢。”“怎么回事？”“这两个星期以来，我每天上午都奉命来取勋爵的信，可信到现在还没写好。”“怎么可能？他可是个大写家，我老看见他坐在书桌前。”“是啊，”英尼斯说，“可他就像招牌上的圣乔治，总是骑在马上，却永远不往前走。” 这位信使的观察看来很有根据。后来我在英国得知，皮特先生撤换这位将军、改派阿默斯特将军和沃尔夫将军的理由之一，就是大臣们从未收到他的来信，因而不知道他每天究竟在做什么。

This daily expectation of sailing, and all the three paquets going down to Sandy Hook, to join the fleet there, the passengers thought it best to be on board, lest by a sudden order the ships should sail, and they be left behind. There, if I remember right, we were about six weeks, consuming our sea-stores, and oblig’d to procure more. At length the fleet sail’d, the General and all his army on board, bound to Louisburg, with intent to besiege and take that fortress; all the paquet-boats in company ordered to attend the General’s ship, ready to receive his dispatches when they should be ready. We were out five days before we got a letter with leave to part, and then our ship quitted the fleet and steered for England. The other two paquets he still detained, carried them with him to Halifax, where he stayed some time to exercise the men in sham attacks upon sham forts, then alter’d his mind as to besieging Louisburg, and return’d to New York, with all his troops, together with the two paquets above mentioned, and all their passengers! During his absence the French and savages had taken Fort George, on the frontier of that province, and the savages had massacred many of the garrison after capitulation.在这种天天等着开航的情形下，三艘邮船都驶到桑迪胡克，同那里的舰队会合。旅客们认为最好待在船上，免得突然下令开航时被落下。如果我记得不错，我们在那里大约待了六个星期，吃完了原本准备的海上用品，不得不再去添购。 最后舰队终于开航了。将军和他的全军都在船上，前往路易斯堡，准备围攻并夺取那座要塞；所有邮船都奉命随同将军的船，以便他的公文写好时随时接收。我们出海五天后才收到准许离队的信，于是我们的船脱离舰队，驶向英国。另外两艘邮船仍被他扣留，随他去了哈利法克斯。他在那里停留了一段时间，让士兵对假堡垒作假进攻的演习，随后又改变围攻路易斯堡的主意，带着全部军队以及上述两艘邮船和船上所有旅客返回纽约。就在他离开期间，法国人和印第安人攻取了该省边境的乔治堡，并在守军投降后屠杀了许多人。

I saw afterwards in London Captain Bonnell, who commanded one of those paquets. He told me that, when he had been detain’d a month, he acquainted his lordship that his ship was grown foul, to a degree that must necessarily hinder her fast sailing, a point of consequence for a paquet-boat, and requested an allowance of time to heave her down and clean her bottom. He was asked how long time that would require. He answer’d, three days. The general replied, “If you can do it in one day, I give leave; otherwise not; for you must certainly sail the day after to-morrow.” So he never obtain’d leave, though detained afterwards from day to day during full three months.后来我在伦敦见到波奈尔船长，他指挥的正是那几艘邮船之一。他告诉我，他被扣留一个月后，曾向勋爵说明，船底已经附着污物，势必影响快航，而速度对邮船十分重要，因此请求准许他把船倾侧清理船底。勋爵问需要多久，他回答三天。将军说：“如果你一天能做完，我就准许；否则不行，因为你后天一定要开航。”所以他始终没有得到许可，尽管后来又一天拖一天地被扣了整整三个月。

I saw also in London one of Bonnell’s passengers, who was so enrag’d against his lordship for deceiving and detaining him so long at New York, and then carrying him to Halifax and back again, that he swore he would sue for damages. Whether he did or not, I never heard; but, as he represented the injury to his affairs, it was very considerable.我在伦敦还见到波奈尔船上的一位旅客。他因为被勋爵欺骗，在纽约久留，又被带到哈利法克斯再折回，愤怒至极，发誓要起诉索赔。他后来是否真这样做，我没有听说；但按他所说，他的事务所受损害确实相当严重。

On the whole, I wonder’d much how such a man came to be intrusted with so important a business as the conduct of a great army; but, having since seen more of the great world, and the means of obtaining, and motives for giving places, my wonder is diminished. General Shirley, on whom the command of the army devolved upon the death of Braddock, would, in my opinion, if continued in place, have made a much better campaign than that of Loudoun in 1757, which was frivolous, expensive, and disgraceful to our nation beyond conception; for, tho’ Shirley was not a bred soldier, he was sensible and sagacious in himself, and attentive to good advice from others, capable of forming judicious plans, and quick and active in carrying them into execution. Loudoun, instead of defending the colonies with his great army, left them totally expos’d while he paraded idly at Halifax, by which means Fort George was lost, besides, he derang’d all our mercantile operations, and distress’d our trade, by a long embargo on the exportation of provisions, on pretence of keeping supplies from being obtain’d by the enemy, but in reality for beating down their price in favor of the contractors, in whose profits, it was said, perhaps from suspicion only, he had a share. And, when at length the embargo was taken off, by neglecting to send notice of it to Charlestown, the Carolina fleet was detain’d near three months longer, whereby their bottoms were so much damaged by the worm that a great part of them foundered in their passage home.总的说来，我当时非常惊讶，这样一个人怎么会被托付指挥大军这样重大的事务。后来我见识了更多上层世界，也知道职位是怎样取得、又是出于什么动机授予的，我的惊讶便减轻了。布拉多克死后，军队指挥权落到雪利将军手中。在我看来，如果雪利继续任职，一七五七年的战役一定会比劳登指挥得好得多；劳登那场战役轻浮、耗费巨大，而且给我们国家带来的耻辱难以想象。 雪利虽然不是职业军人，却明智机警，愿意听取良好建议，能够拟订审慎计划，也能迅速积极地执行。劳登拥有大军，却不去保卫殖民地，反而在哈利法克斯空耗时日，使殖民地完全暴露在外，结果乔治堡失守。此外，他还以防止敌人获得补给为借口，长期禁止粮食出口，扰乱了我们的商业活动，使贸易陷入困境；实际上，这只是为了压低粮价，使承包商得利，据说他也从承包利润中分得一份，也许这只是猜疑。最后禁运解除时，他又忘记把通知送到查尔斯顿，使卡罗莱纳船队又被耽搁近三个月，船底被蛀虫损坏严重，许多船在返航途中沉没。

Shirley was, I believe, sincerely glad of being relieved from so burdensome a charge as the conduct of an army must be to a man unacquainted with military business. I was at the entertainment given by the city of New York to Lord Loudoun, on his taking upon him the command. Shirley, tho’ thereby superseded, was present also. There was a great company of officers, citizens, and strangers, and, some chairs having been borrowed in the neighborhood, there was one among them very low, which fell to the lot of Mr. Shirley. Perceiving it as I sat by him, I said, “They have given you, sir, too low a seat.” “No matter,” says he, “Mr. Franklin, I find a low seat the easiest.”我相信，对一个不熟悉军事的人来说，指挥一支军队必然是沉重负担，所以雪利很可能真心高兴自己被免去这项差事。劳登勋爵接掌指挥权时，纽约市为他举行宴会，我也在场。雪利虽然因此被取代，也出席了宴会。席上有许多军官、市民和外地人；因为向邻近借了些椅子，其中有一把很低，偏偏分给了雪利先生。我坐在他旁边，看见后便说：“先生，他们给您的座位太低了。”他说：“没关系，富兰克林先生，我觉得低座位最舒服。”

While I was, as afore mention’d, detain’d at New York, I receiv’d all the accounts of the provisions, etc., that I had furnish’d to Braddock, some of which accounts could not sooner be obtain’d from the different persons I had employ’d to assist in the business. I presented them to Lord Loudoun, desiring to be paid the ballance. He caus’d them to be regularly examined by the proper officer, who, after comparing every article with its voucher, certified them to be right; and the balance due for which his lordship promis’d to give me an order on the paymaster. This was, however, put off from time to time; and, tho’ I call’d often for it by appointment, I did not get it. At length, just before my departure, he told me he had, on better consideration, concluded not to mix his accounts with those of his predecessors. “And you,” says he, “when in England, have only to exhibit your accounts at the treasury, and you will be paid immediately.”如前所述，我滞留纽约期间，收到了我为布拉多克军队供应粮草等物的全部账目；其中有些账目，是协助我办事的人此前还来不及交来的。我把这些账目呈给劳登勋爵，请求偿还余额。他命适当官员按程序审核。那位官员把每一项同凭据核对之后，证明账目无误，余额也属实；勋爵便答应给我一张向出纳官领取款项的命令。 可是这件事一再拖延。虽然我常按约定时间去取，却始终没有拿到。最后，就在我离开纽约以前，他告诉我说，经过更慎重考虑，他决定不把自己的账目同前任的账目混在一起。“你到英国以后，”他说，“只要把账目提交给财政部，他们会立刻付款。”

I mention’d, but without effect, the great and unexpected expense I had been put to by being detain’d so long at New York, as a reason for my desiring to be presently paid; and on my observing that it was not right I should be put to any further trouble or delay in obtaining the money I had advanc’d, as I charged no commission for my service, “O, sir,” says he, “you must not think of persuading us that you are no gainer; we understand better those affairs, and know that every one concerned in supplying the army finds means, in the doing it, to fill his own pockets.” I assur’d him that was not my case, and that I had not pocketed a farthing; but he appear’d clearly not to believe me; and, indeed, I have since learnt that immense fortunes are often made in such employments. As to my ballance, I am not paid it to this day, of which more hereafter.我提出，由于我被迫长期逗留在纽约，这项巨大的意外开文使我蒙受损失，所以我要求立即付款。我还指出，在我垫付款项时并未得到任何佣金，因此他们应当立即偿还我垫付的款项，不应当再继续增加我的脐烦和继续拖延。听到这句话，他回答说:“唉，先生，你不要试图让我相信你没有得到什么好处，我对那种事再清楚不过了，没有谁不会从提供军需中中人饱私吉的。”我向他保证我绝不会这样, 我并没有从中得到过任何好处, 但很显然，他不相信我的话，我知道确实有人在从事这项工作时发了横财。至于从我的那些钱，直到今天都没有得到偿还，此事我日后还会再提到。

Our captain of the paquet had boasted much, before we sailed, of the swiftness of his ship; unfortunately, when we came to sea, she proved the dullest of ninety-six sail, to his no small mortification. After many conjectures respecting the cause, when we were near another ship almost as dull as ours, which, however, gain’d upon us, the captain ordered all hands to come aft, and stand as near the ensign staff as possible. We were, passengers included, about forty persons. While we stood there, the ship mended her pace, and soon left her neighbour far behind, which prov’d clearly what our captain suspected, that she was loaded too much by the head. The casks of water, it seems, had been all plac’d forward; these he therefore order’d to be mov’d further aft, on which the ship recover’d her character, and proved the sailer in the fleet.开航前，我们这艘邮船的船长很夸耀船速；不幸的是，一出海它却成了九十六艘船里最慢的一艘，使他大为难堪。大家对原因作了许多猜测。后来我们靠近另一艘几乎同样迟缓的船，可那艘船竟超过了我们。船长便命令所有人都到船尾去，尽量站近旗杆。连旅客在内，我们约有四十人。我们站在那里时，船速果然提高，很快把邻船远远甩开。这清楚证明了船长的怀疑：船头装载过重。原来水桶都放在前部；他便命人把水桶移到船尾，于是船恢复了名声，成了舰队中速度快的船。

The captain said she had once gone at the rate of thirteen knots, which is accounted thirteen miles per hour. We had on board, as a passenger, Captain Kennedy, of the Navy, who contended that it was impossible, and that no ship ever sailed so fast, and that there must have been some error in the division of the log-line, or some mistake in heaving the log. A wager ensu’d between the two captains, to be decided when there should be sufficient wind. Kennedy thereupon examin’d rigorously the log-line, and, being satisfi’d with that, he determin’d to throw the log himself. Accordingly some days after, when the wind blew very fair and fresh, and the captain of the paquet, Lutwidge, said he believ’d she then went at the rate of thirteen knots, Kennedy made the experiment, and own’d his wager lost.船长说这艘船曾经达到十三节，也就是每小时十三英里的速度。船上有一位海军的肯尼迪上校作为旅客，他坚持说这不可能，没有船能航行得这样快；一定是测程绳刻度有误，或投放计程仪时出了差错。两位船长于是打赌，等风力足够时定输赢。肯尼迪仔细检查测程绳，确认无误后，决定亲自投放计程仪。几天后，风势很顺也很强，邮船船长拉特维奇说他相信船速已达十三节，肯尼迪便亲自测量，承认自己赌输了。

The above fact I give for the sake of the following observation. It has been remark’d, as an imperfection in the art of ship-building, that it can never be known, till she is tried, whether a new ship will or will not be a good sailer; for that the model of a good-sailing ship has been exactly follow’d in a new one, which has prov’d, on the contrary, remarkably dull. I apprehend that this may partly be occasion’d by the different opinions of seamen respecting the modes of lading, rigging, and sailing of a ship; each has his system; and the same vessel, laden by the judgment and orders of one captain, shall sail better or worse than when by the orders of another. Besides, it scarce ever happens that a ship is form’d, fitted for the sea, and sail’d by the same person. One man builds the hull, another rigs her, a third lades and sails her. No one of these has the advantage of knowing all the ideas and experience of the others, and, therefore, can not draw just conclusions from a combination of the whole.我叙述上面这件事，是为了引出下面的观察。人们说造船术有一个缺陷：新船好不好开，非得试航之后才知道。因为有时一艘新船完全仿照一艘快船的模型建造，结果却反而异常迟缓。我以为，这部分可能由于水手们对装载、索具和驾驶方法意见不同；每个人都有自己的体系。同一艘船，按一位船长的判断和命令装载，航行速度就会不同于按另一位船长的命令装载。 此外，一艘船几乎从来不是由同一个人设计船体、装备出海并实际驾驶。一个人造船身，另一个人装索具，第三个人装货并驾驶。三者之中没有谁能完全了解其他人的想法和经验，因此也就不能把全部因素综合起来作出可靠结论。

Even in the simple operation of sailing when at sea, I have often observ’d different judgments in the officers who commanded the successive watches, the wind being the same. One would have the sails trimm’d sharper or flatter than another, so that they seem’d to have no certain rule to govern by. Yet I think a set of experiments might be instituted, first, to determine the most proper form of the hull for swift sailing; next, the best dimensions and properest place for the masts: then the form and quantity of sails, and their position, as the wind may be; and, lastly, the disposition of the lading. This is an age of experiments, and I think a set accurately made and combin’d would be of great use. I am persuaded, therefore, that ere long some ingenious philosopher will undertake it, to whom I wish success.即使是在海上航行这样简单的操作中，我也常常观察到，接连值班的军官在同样风势下判断并不相同。一个人会把帆收得更紧或放得更平，另一个人又不同，似乎没有固定规则可循。不过我想，可以安排一系列实验：首先确定最适合快速航行的船体形状；其次确定桅杆的最佳尺寸和位置；然后确定帆的形状、数量以及随风向而定的位置；最后确定货物的装载方式。这是一个实验的时代，我认为若能准确完成并综合这些实验，将大有用处。因此我相信，不久会有某位聪明的自然哲学家着手研究，我预祝他成功。

We were several times chas’d in our passage, but outsail’d every thing, and in thirty days had soundings. We had a good observation, and the captain judg’d himself so near our port, Falmouth, that, if we made a good run in the night, we might be off the mouth of that harbor in the morning, and by running in the night might escape the notice of the enemy’s privateers, who often crus’d near the entrance of the channel. Accordingly, all the sail was set that we could possibly make, and the wind being very fresh and fair, we went right before it, and made great way. The captain, after his observation, shap’d his course, as he thought, so as to pass wide of the Scilly Isles; but it seems there is sometimes a strong indraught setting up St. George’s Channel, which deceives seamen and caused the loss of Sir Cloudesley Shovel’s squadron. This indraught was probably the cause of what happened to us.航程中我们几次被追逐，但都靠速度摆脱了。三十天后，我们测得水深，知道已近陆地。观测结果很好，船长判断我们已很接近目的港法尔茅斯；如果夜间跑得顺利，清晨便可到港口外，并且借夜航避开敌方私掠船的注意，因为它们常在海峡入口附近巡游。于是我们尽可能张满所有帆；风又强又顺，我们顺风疾驶，进展很快。船长根据观测结果确定航向，以为可以远远避开锡利群岛；可是似乎有时会有一股强流涌入圣乔治海峡，欺骗水手，并曾导致克劳兹利·肖维尔爵士的舰队失事。这股内流大概也是我们后来险些出事的原因。

We had a watchman plac’d in the bow, to whom they often called, “Look well out before there,” and he as often answered, “Ay ay;” but perhaps had his eyes shut, and was half asleep at the time, they sometimes answering, as is said, mechanically; for he did not see a light just before us, which had been hid by the studdingsails from the man at the helm, and from the rest of the watch, but by an accidental yaw of the ship was discover’d, and occasion’d a great alarm, we being very near it, the light appearing to me as big as a cart-wheel. It was midnight, and our captain fast asleep; but Captain Kennedy, jumping upon deck, and seeing the danger, ordered the ship to wear round, all sails standing; an operation dangerous to the masts, but it carried us clear, and we escaped shipwreck, for we were running right upon the rocks on which the light-house was erected. This deliverance impressed me strongly with the utility of light-houses, and made me resolve to encourage the building more of them in America, if I should live to return there.船头安排了望者，人们常向他喊：“前面看仔细！”他也总是回答：“是，是！”但他也许眼睛闭着，半睡半醒；据说水手有时会机械地这样回答。就在我们正前方有一盏灯，因为被副帆挡住，掌舵者和其他值班人员都看不见；船身偶然一偏，灯才露出来，立刻引起巨大惊慌，因为我们离它已经很近，在我看来那灯大得像车轮。 当时是午夜，船长熟睡；肯尼迪上校跳上甲板，看见危险，立即命令船在满帆情况下掉头。这对桅杆是危险操作，但它使我们脱险，避免了撞船，因为我们正直冲灯塔所在的礁石而去。这次获救使我深深感到灯塔的用处，也使我决心，如果能活着回到美洲，一定鼓励在那里多建灯塔。

In the morning it was found by the soundings, etc., that we were near our port, but a thick fog hid the land from our sight. About nine o’clock the fog began to rise, and seem’d to be lifted up from the water like the curtain at a play-house, discovering underneath, the town of Falmouth, the vessels in its harbor, and the fields that surrounded it. This was a most pleasing spectacle to those who had been so long without any other prospects than the uniform view of a vacant ocean, and it gave us the more pleasure as we were now free from the anxieties which the state of war occasion’d.第二天早晨，根据测深等情况，我们知道已经接近港口，但浓雾遮住陆地，看不见岸。大约九点，雾开始升起，仿佛剧场里的帷幕从水面上拉开，下面显露出法尔茅斯城、港中的船只，以及环绕四周的田野。对我们这些长期只能看见空阔海面的人来说，这景象极其悦目；而且我们已经摆脱战争状态带来的焦虑，因此更加欣喜。

I set out immediately, with my son, for London, and we only stopt a little by the way to view Stonehenge on Salisbury Plain, and Lord Pembroke’s house and gardens, with his very curious antiquities at Wilton. We arrived in London the 27th of July, 1757. [17]我立刻同儿子动身前往伦敦，途中只稍作停留，参观了索尔兹伯里平原上的巨石阵，以及彭布罗克勋爵在威尔顿的宅邸和花园，还有他收藏的珍奇古物。我们于一七五七年七月二十七日抵达伦敦。

[17: Here terminates the Autobiography, as published by Wm. Temple Franklin and his successors. What follows was written in the last year of Dr. Franklin’s life, and was first printed (in English) in Mr. Bigelow’s edition of 1868.— Ed.]