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

本杰明·富蘭克林(Benjamin Franklin)

名人檔案

本杰明·富蘭克林(1706—1790)，美國18世紀(jì)著名政治家、外交家、文學(xué)家、科學(xué)家以及美國獨(dú)立戰(zhàn)爭的偉大領(lǐng)袖。作為政治家的富蘭克林，是美國歷史上諸多重要事件的主導(dǎo)者和參與人：他在獨(dú)立戰(zhàn)爭中起到了重大作用；他是美國第一位駐外大使；他參與起草了《獨(dú)立宣言》和美國憲法，并積極主張廢除奴隸制度。他的一生是自我奮斗、自我教育、自我完善的過程，是“美國夢”的現(xiàn)實(shí)呈現(xiàn)。

簡介與鑒賞

本篇是富蘭克林在弟弟約翰逝世之后，寫給約翰第二任妻子與前夫所生的女兒赫伯德小姐的信。在這封情深意切的信中，富蘭克林安慰赫伯德小姐說，生死是一個(gè)人得以完滿地完成其在人世間的使命的必經(jīng)之路。肉身的毀滅不會(huì)帶來絕望和苦痛，正相反，它是人脫離塵世、前往不朽天堂的幸福旅程的開始。人們大可不必為親人的離世而過于悲傷，在未來，我們終會(huì)再次相聚。

富蘭克林在信中除了真誠地表達(dá)自己的遺憾和悲痛外，理性又不失體貼地分析了死亡對于人類的意義，及其在人類生命中的特殊位置。富蘭克林展現(xiàn)在這封信中的生死觀，是一種更為開放和豁達(dá)的心態(tài)，是對尚存于世間的未亡人的最好安慰。全篇多次運(yùn)用類比，把這個(gè)困擾人類的終極問題解釋得透徹入理。

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

經(jīng)典語句

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.

單詞/詞組

1 condole⁶vi.慰問；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；親切的

5 encumbrance⁶n.累贅；妨害物，負(fù)擔(dān)

6 prudently⁴adv. 謹(jǐn)慎地；慎重地

7 mangle⁶vt.亂砍；損壞

8 pluck⁴vi. 拉；拽；扯

中文譯文

我要向你深表哀悼。我們失去了一位非?？蓯?、可貴的親人。這是上帝和自然的旨意，當(dāng)靈魂進(jìn)入天堂的時(shí)候，軀體就要被置入黃土?；蛘哒f它是胚胎的發(fā)育期，是新生命的準(zhǔn)備階段。

一個(gè)人在死的那一刻才算得到真正的誕生。既然不朽的天堂誕生了一個(gè)新嬰兒，他們幸福的社會(huì)里又增加了一名新的成員，我們?yōu)槭裁催€要悲傷呢？我們都是精靈。無比仁慈智慧的上帝行善施恩，賜予我們軀體，讓我們享受快樂的生活，幫助我們獲取知識(shí)，或讓我們造福于人類。當(dāng)我們的軀體無法適應(yīng)這些目的——不能提供給我們快樂，反而讓我們痛苦；不能給我們幫助，反而成為我們的累贅——當(dāng)它們無法完成上帝當(dāng)初托付的使命時(shí)，依然恩惠仁慈的上帝準(zhǔn)備了一個(gè)辦法，讓我們擺脫軀體。死亡就是上帝所準(zhǔn)備的解脫辦法。我們自己有時(shí)也會(huì)明智地選擇一種局部的死亡。受傷疼痛的手腳，若已經(jīng)無法復(fù)原，我們會(huì)心甘情愿地把它切除。要拔牙的人，也會(huì)毅然跟它分手，因?yàn)榘蔚糁笸纯嗑蜁?huì)隨之消失。一個(gè)人如果完全脫離軀殼，就會(huì)立刻解脫掉一切痛苦以及引起痛苦和疾病的根源。

我們的朋友和我們自己早就受到邀請去參加一次歡樂的宴會(huì)，這是一場永遠(yuǎn)不散的宴會(huì)。他的坐席早已準(zhǔn)備好了，所以他會(huì)先我們一步而去。我們不可能都很方便地一同前往；既然不久之后我們就要隨他而去，并且知道到哪里可以找到他，那我們又為什么因此傷心呢？

再見

本·富蘭克林

1756年2月23日于費(fèi)城