06 本杰明·富兰克林致E.赫伯德小姐 Benjamin Franklin to Miss E. Hubbard

本杰明·富兰克林(Benjamin Franklin)

名人档案

本杰明·富兰克林(1706—1790)，美国18世纪著名政治家、外交家、文学家、科学家以及美国独立战争的伟大领袖。作为政治家的富兰克林，是美国历史上诸多重要事件的主导者和参与人：他在独立战争中起到了重大作用；他是美国第一位驻外大使；他参与起草了《独立宣言》和美国宪法，并积极主张废除奴隶制度。他的一生是自我奋斗、自我教育、自我完善的过程，是“美国梦”的现实呈现。

简介与鉴赏

本篇是富兰克林在弟弟约翰逝世之后，写给约翰第二任妻子与前夫所生的女儿赫伯德小姐的信。在这封情深意切的信中，富兰克林安慰赫伯德小姐说，生死是一个人得以完满地完成其在人世间的使命的必经之路。肉身的毁灭不会带来绝望和苦痛，正相反，它是人脱离尘世、前往不朽天堂的幸福旅程的开始。人们大可不必为亲人的离世而过于悲伤，在未来，我们终会再次相聚。

富兰克林在信中除了真诚地表达自己的遗憾和悲痛外，理性又不失体贴地分析了死亡对于人类的意义，及其在人类生命中的特殊位置。富兰克林展现在这封信中的生死观，是一种更为开放和豁达的心态，是对尚存于世间的未亡人的最好安慰。全篇多次运用类比，把这个困扰人类的终极问题解释得透彻入理。

英文正文

Philadelphia,

February 23, 1756

I condole1with you. We have lost a most dear and valuable relation. But it is the will of God and nature, that these mortal bodies be laid aside, when the soul is to enter into real life. This is rather an embryo2state, a preparation for living.

A man is not completely born until he is dead. Why then should we grieve, that a new child is born among the immortals3, a new member added to their happy society？ We are spirits. That bodies should be lent us, while they can afford us pleasure, assist us in acquiring knowledge, or in doing good to our fellow creatures, is a kind and benevolent4act of God. When they become unfit for these purposes, and afford us pain instead of pleasure, instead of an aid become an encumbrance5, and answer none of the intentions for which they were given, it is equally kind and benevolent, that a way is provided by which we may get rid of them. Death is that way. We ourselves, in some cases, prudently6choose a partial death. A mangled7painful limb, which cannot be restored, we willingly cut off. He who plucks8out a tooth, parts with it freely, since the pain goes with it; and he, who quits the whole body, parts at once with all pains and possibilities of pains and diseases which it was liable to, or capable of making him suffer.

Our friend and we were invited abroad on a party of pleasure, which is to last for ever. His chair was ready first, and he is gone before us. We could not all conveniently start together; and why should you and I be grieved at this, since we are soon to follow, and know where to find him？

Adieu,

B. Franklin

经典语句

That bodies should be lent us, while they can afford us pleasure, assist us in acquiring knowledge, or in doing good to our fellow creatures, is a kind and benevolent act of God. When they become un？ t for these purposes, and afford us pain instead of pleasure, instead of an aid become an encumbrance, and answer none of the intentions for which they were given, it is equally kind and benevolent, that a way is provided by which we may get rid of them.

单词/词组

1 condole⁶vi.慰问；吊唁；哀悼

2 embryo⁶adj. 胚胎的；初期的

3 immortal⁴n. 神仙；不朽人物

4 benevolent⁴adj. 仁慈的；慈善的；亲切的

5 encumbrance⁶n.累赘；妨害物，负担

6 prudently⁴adv. 谨慎地；慎重地

7 mangle⁶vt.乱砍；损坏

8 pluck⁴vi. 拉；拽；扯

中文译文

我要向你深表哀悼。我们失去了一位非常可爱、可贵的亲人。这是上帝和自然的旨意，当灵魂进入天堂的时候，躯体就要被置入黄土。或者说它是胚胎的发育期，是新生命的准备阶段。

一个人在死的那一刻才算得到真正的诞生。既然不朽的天堂诞生了一个新婴儿，他们幸福的社会里又增加了一名新的成员，我们为什么还要悲伤呢？我们都是精灵。无比仁慈智慧的上帝行善施恩，赐予我们躯体，让我们享受快乐的生活，帮助我们获取知识，或让我们造福于人类。当我们的躯体无法适应这些目的——不能提供给我们快乐，反而让我们痛苦；不能给我们帮助，反而成为我们的累赘——当它们无法完成上帝当初托付的使命时，依然恩惠仁慈的上帝准备了一个办法，让我们摆脱躯体。死亡就是上帝所准备的解脱办法。我们自己有时也会明智地选择一种局部的死亡。受伤疼痛的手脚，若已经无法复原，我们会心甘情愿地把它切除。要拔牙的人，也会毅然跟它分手，因为拔掉之后痛苦就会随之消失。一个人如果完全脱离躯壳，就会立刻解脱掉一切痛苦以及引起痛苦和疾病的根源。

我们的朋友和我们自己早就受到邀请去参加一次欢乐的宴会，这是一场永远不散的宴会。他的坐席早已准备好了，所以他会先我们一步而去。我们不可能都很方便地一同前往；既然不久之后我们就要随他而去，并且知道到哪里可以找到他，那我们又为什么因此伤心呢？

再见

本·富兰克林

1756年2月23日于费城