Benjamin-Franklin本杰明富蘭克林

BenjaminFranklin(1706-1790)PortraitsMezzotintofFranklin,Cochin/St.Aubin,1777PortraitofFranklinbyDavidMartin,1766HisReputationsTheFirstAmericanTheLastUniversalManWriterStatesmanBusinessmanScientistModeloftheAmericandreamPolymathPrinterPhilosopherInventor

DiplomatAmericanDreamTheAmericanDreamisthatdreamofalandinwhichlifeshouldbebetterandricherandfullerforeveryone,withopportunityforeachaccordingtoabilityorachievement.…Itisnotadreamofmotorcarsandhighwagesmerely,butadreamofsocialorderinwhicheachmanandeachwomanshallbeabletoattaintothefulleststatureofwhichtheyareinnatelycapable,andberecognizedbyothersforwhattheyare,regardlessofthefortuitouscircumstancesofbirthorposition.

TheEpicofAmericabyJamesT.AdamsIwouldratherhaveitsaid,“heliveduseful”than“hediedrich”…--BenjaminFranklinHisLifeBornintoapoorcandle-maker’sfamilyin1706HadlittleformaleducationVoraciousreaderandmadeupforthedeficiencyofformaleducationApprenticeofprinterat12begantopublishessaysat16WenttoPhiladelphiatomakehisownfortuneat17setuphimselfasanindependentprinterandpublisherFranklin’sContributionstoSocietyHumanitarianAmericanfirstcirculatinglibraryUniversityofPennsylvaniaPhiladelphiahospitalPennsylvaniamilitia

ServinggodbestistocontributeyourtalenttothepeopleandcommunityFranklin’sContributionstoScienceAscientistwithlotsofinventionsandafamousexperiment(kite,electricity,thunderstorm);firstappliedtheterms“positive”and“negative”toelectricalcharges.effectivestreetlighting,theFranklinstove,bifocalglassesandefficientheatingdevices.“thenewPrometheuswhohadstolenfirefromheaven.”andgiveitbacktohumansEnlightenmentOrigin:theEuropeanContinentEnlightenmentisanintellectualrevolution,andthenitsimpactfoundexpressioninAmerica.Emphasis:rationalityratherthantradition,scientificinquiryinsteadofunquestioningreligiousdogma

representativegovernment

inplaceofmonarchyEnlightenmentthinkersandwritersweredevotedtotheidealsofjustice,liberty,andequality

ashenaturalrightsofman.EnlightenmentFor:

Freedom,DemocracyandReasonAgainst:Tyranny,IntoleranceandSuperstitionInfluenceonliteraturePoliticalpurpose:shapethenation’sbeliefwithreasonsForms:Journals,speeches,pamphlets,broadsides,declaration,Aphorisms格言,almanac,letterspublicandprivateFranklin’sContributionstotheU.S.astatesman,diplomat,negotiatorHeconductedthedifficultnegotiationswithFrancethatbroughtfinancialandmilitarysupportforAmericainthewarHewastheonlyAmericantosignthefourdocumentsthatcreatedtheUnitedStates:TheDeclarationofIndependence,TheTreatyofAlliancewithFrance,TheTreatyofPeacewithEngland,TheConstitution《自傳》《格言歷書》(4)awriter1.Works

TheAutobiography

PoorRichard’sAlmanacAnembodimentofthe“AmericanDream”

LiteraryWorksPoorRichard’sAlmanac《格言歷書》ProverbsPopularforaquarterofacenturyExpanditsliteraryparttoreadersTheAutobiography《自傳》ExamplesOriginal:Manystrokesfellgreatoaks.Franklin:Littlestrokesfellgreatoaks.Original:Thegreatesttalkersaretheleastdoers.Franklin:Greattalkers,littledoers.StyleofPoorRichard’sAlmanacThechangeofoneormorewordstoamoregraphicwordorphraseTheuseofashorter,moreconciseconstruction

TheAutobiography《自傳》

ItsContentItsStyleItsSignificanceCommentsonitThirteenVirtuesContentFourpartswrittenatfourdifferenttimes1stpart:

1771;alettertohisson;about80pages;hislifebeforetheageof252ndpart:

1784;hislifebetweentheageof25and42;3rdpart:

1788;hissocialandscientificlife;4thpart:

1790;hislifebetweenhisretirementanddeath;QuestionsforunderstandingWhatisthemainideaofthisselection?Whydidhearrangetheorderofthirteenvirtueslikethis?CanyousummarizeFranklin’smethodformoralperfection?Whichonedoyouthinkisthemostdifficulttokeep?“ThirteenVirtues”（13條美德）1.

Temperance:

Eat

not

to

dullness;

drink

not

toelevation.

節(jié)制。食不過飽；飲酒不醉。2.

Silence:

Speak

not

but

what

may

benefit

others

or

yourself;

avoid

trifling

conversation.

緘默。言則于人于己有益，不作無益閑聊。3.

Order:

Let

all

your

things

have

their

places;

let

each

part

of

your

business

have

its

time.

秩序。各樣東西放在一定地方；各項日常事務(wù)應(yīng)有一定的處理時間。4.

Resolution:

Resolve

to

perform

what

you

ought;

perform

without

fail

what

you

resolve.

決斷。事情當做必做；既做則堅持到底。5.

Frugality:

Make

no

expense

but

to

do

good

to

others

or

yourself;

i.e.,

waste

nothing.

節(jié)儉?；ㄥX須于人于己有益，即不浪費。6.

Industry:

Lose

no

time;

be

always

employed

in

something

useful;

cut

off

all

unnecessary

actions.

勤勉。不浪費時間；每時每刻做有用之事，戒除一切不必要的行動。7.

Sincerity:

Use

no

hurtful

deceit;

think

innocently

and

justly;

and,

if

you

speak,

speakaccordingly.

誠懇。不欺騙人；思想純潔公正；說話也應(yīng)誠實。8.

Justice:

Wrong

none

by

doing

injuries,

oromitting

the

benefits

that

are

your

duty.

正直。不做不利他人之事，切勿忘記履行對人有益的義務(wù)而傷害他人。9.

Moderation:

Avoid

extremes;

forbear

resenting

injuries,

so

much

as

you

think

they

deserve.中庸。勿走極端；受到應(yīng)有的處罰，應(yīng)當加以容忍。10.

Cleanliness:

Tolerate

no

unclearness

in

body,

clothes,

or

habitation.整潔。身體、衣服和住所應(yīng)力求清潔。11.

Tranquility:

Be

not

disturbed

at

trifles,

or

at

accidents

common

or

unavoidable.

平靜。勿因瑣事或普通而不可避免的事件而煩惱。12.

Chastity:

Rarely

use

venery

but

for

health

or

offspring,

never

to

dullness,

weakness,

or

the

injury

of

your

own

or

another’s

peace

or

reputation.節(jié)欲。除了為了健康或生育后代起見，不常舉行房事，切戒房事過度，傷害身體或損害你自己或他人的安寧或名譽13.

Humility:

Imitate

Jesus

and

Socrates.謙遜。效法耶穌和蘇格拉底。Stylesimplicity,directness,andconcisionplainnessofitsstylethehomelinessofimageryStyle:fresh，simple,clearinorder,direct,vivid,truetolife,conciseandhumorous,utilitarian,witty,satirical,fair,notdullandamusing(“Nothingshouldbeexpressedintwowordsthatcanaswellbeexpressedinone.”)

(Puritanism’sinfluence);文筆清新流暢，敘述生動真實，充滿時代氣息，保留清教純樸，簡潔和精準的特點

InTheAutobiographywewillbeabletonotice:1)Puritanism’sinfluence,suchasself-examinationandself-improvementahow-to-do-itbook

(timetable,thirteenvirtues,lifestyle)Hardworkwasanethic,asteptowardsalvation;2)Enlightenmentspirits

(man’snatureisgood,rightsofliberty,virtuesinclude“order”)asuccessstoryofself-reliance,thefulfillmentoftheAmericandream.

The

Autobiographyisarecordofself-examinationandself-improvement.BenjaminFranklinwasaspokesmanfortheneworderofthe18thcenturyenlightenmentThe

Autobiographyisahow-to-do-itbook,abookontheartofself-improvement.(forexample,Franklin’s13virtues)

EvaluationwhyishisAutobiographyimportant?1)ItisthefirstofitskindinAmericanliterature.2)Itisapuritandocument.3)ItistheillustrationofAmericandream.4)Itisthebestexampleofplainstyle.CommentsonAutobiography1)AutobiographyrealisticallydescribedthelifeofFranklinwhoserags-to-richesexperiencesbecametheprototypeofmanyAmerican’sdreamofsuccess.2)Theprototypecharacterizedbyself-culture,self-improvement,self-reliance,self-cultivation,faithintheprogressofsocietyandtheidealsofthefuture,practicalandoptimisticatti