TheWaytoWealth
本傑明·富蘭克林/BenjaminFranklin
本傑明·富蘭克林（1706—1790），18世紀美國最偉大的科學家、著名的政治家和文學家。他生於波士頓，幼年家境貧窮，一生只受過兩年正式教育。1726年，他出版了《窮查理歷書》，當時被譯成12種文字，暢銷歐美各國，也奠定了他在文學上的地位。獨立戰爭爆發後，他參加了第二屆大陸會議和《獨立宣言》的起草工作。
PracticingforBetterLearning
Listentothefollowingarticletwice,andfillintheblankswithappropriatewords.
2.Iftimebeofallthingsthemost________,wastingtimemustbe,asPoorRichardsays,thegreatest________;since,asheelsewheretellsus,losttimeisneverfoundagain;andwhatwecalltimeenough,alwaysproveslittleenough.
3.Whereasindustrygivescomfort,andplenty,andrespect:fly________,andthey』llfollowyou;The________________hasalargeshift;andnowIhaveasheepandacow,everybodybidsme____________;allofwhichiswellsaidbyPoorRichard.
CourteousReader,
Ihaveheardthatnothinggivesanauthorsogreatpleasure,astofindhisworksrespectfullyquotedbyotherlearnedauthors.ThispleasureIhaveseldomenjoyed;forthoughIhavebeen,ifImaysayitwithoutvanity,aneminentauthorofalmanacsannuallynowafullquarterofacentury,mybrotherauthorsinthesameway,forwhatreasonIknownot,haveeverbeenverysparingintheirapplause,andnootherauthorhastakentheleastnoticeofme,sothatdidnotmywritingsproducemesomesolidpudding,thegreatdeficiencyofpraisewouldhavequitediscouragedme.
Iconcludedatlength,thatthepeoplewerethebestjudgesofmymerit;fortheybuymyworks;andbesides,inmyrambles,whereIamnotpersonallyknown,Ihavefrequentlyheardoneorotherofmyadagesrepeatedwith「asPoorRichardsays」attheendon』t;thisgavemesomesatisfaction,asitshowednotonlythatmyinstructionswereregarded,butdiscoveredlikewisesomerespectformyauthority;andIown,thattoencouragethepracticeofrememberingandrepeatingthosewisesentences,Ihavesometimesquotedmyselfwithgreatgravity.
Judge,then,howmuchImusthavebeengratifiedbyanincidentIamgoingtorelatetoyou.Istoppedmyhorselatelywhereagreatnumberofpeoplewerecollectedatavendueofmerchantgoods.Thehourofsalenotbeingcome,theywereconversingonthebadnessofthetimesandoneofthecompanycalledtoaplaincleanoldman,withwhitelocks,「Pray,FatherAbraham,whatthinkyouofthetimes?Won』ttheseheavytaxesquiteruinthecountry?Howshallwebeeverabletopaythem?Whatwouldyouadviseusto?」FatherAbrahamstoodup,andreplied,「Ifyou』dhavemyadvice,I』llgiveittoyouinshort,forawordtothewiseisenough,andmanywordswon』tfillabushel,asPoorRichardsays.」Theyjoinedindesiringhimtospeakhismind,andgatheringroundhim,heproceededasfollows:
「Friends,」sayshe,「andneighbors,thetaxesareindeedveryheavy,andifthoselaidonbythegovernmentweretheonlyoneswehadtopay,wemightmoreeasilydischargethem;butwehavemanyothers,andmuchmoregrievoustosomeofus.Wearetaxedtwiceasmuchbyouridleness,threetimesasmuchbyourpride,andfourtimesasmuchbyourfolly;andfromthesetaxesthecommissionerscannoteaseordeliverusbyallowinganabatement.However,letushearkentogoodadvice,andsomethingmaybedoneforus;Godhelpsthemthathelpthemselves,asPoorRichardsays,inhisAlmanackof1733.」
「Itwouldbethoughtahardgovernmentthatshouldtaxitspeopleone-tenthpartoftheirtime,tobeemployedinitsservice.Butidlenesstaxesmanyofusmuchmore,ifwereckonallthatisspentinabsolutesloth,ordoingofnothing,withthatwhichisspentinidleemployments,oramusements,thatamounttonothing.Sloth,bybringingondiseases,absolutelyshortenslife.Sloth,likerust,consumesfasterthanlaborwears;whiletheusedkeyisalwaysbright,asPoorRichardsays.Butdostthoulovelife,thendonotsquandertime,forthat』sthestufflifeismadeof,asPoorRichardsays.Howmuchmorethanisnecessarydowespendinsleep,forgettingthatthesleepingfoxcatchesnopoultryandthattherewillbesleepingenoughinthegrave,asPoorRichardsays.」
「Iftimebeofallthingsthemostprecious,wastingtimemustbe,asPoorRichardsays,thegreatestprodigality;since,asheelsewheretellsus,losttimeisneverfoundagain;andwhatwecalltimeenough,alwaysproveslittleenough.Letusthenupandbedoing,anddoingtothepurpose;sobydiligenceshallwedomorewithlessperplexity.Slothmakesallthingsdifficult,butindustryalleasy,asPoorRichardsays;andhethatrisethlatemusttrotallday,andshallscarceovertakehisbusinessatnight;whilelazinesstravelssoslowly,thatpovertysoonovertakeshim,aswereadinPoorRichard,whoadds,drivethybusiness,letnotthatdrivethee,andearlytobed,andearlytorise,makesamanhealthy,wealthyandwise.」