Benjamin Franklin is a great man in the history of the USA. He was a famous statesman2, scientist, inventor and philosopher3 in the 18th century, and he was honored as a man of ideas.
But Ben had an ordinary boyhood. He was born in 1706, in Boston, Massachusetts4. His father had a candle shop there. It was a busy shop, for there were no electric lights then, and people needed candles to light their homes, stores, and other buildings.
Young Ben had only two years of schooling when his father put him to work in the family candle shop. But he did not like working in the candle shop. He liked to read. He liked to try out new ideas. He dreamed of seeing strange cities and new things.
When he was ten years old, his brother James came back from England, where he had learned as a printer. James then owned a printing shop in Boston, and Ben went to work for his brother. Very soon Ben found that he liked the work in the printing shop. Though he was not paid for working, he was pleased to learn printing, and moreover, he had the chance to read. He even felt proud to see people read the words that he had printed.
When Ben was fourteen, his brother James started a newspaper called the “New England Courant”5. It had only one sheet printed on both sides. Now Ben learned to write articles and had them printed on the newspaper without signing his real name6. Ben was afraid that his brother James would be angry if he knew that Ben had printed articles written by himself. Ben worked hard and helped James a lot. But James was never pleased. He never said a word of praise to Ben. At last, Ben hated to work for James and decided to go away.
When Ben was sixteen, he went to Philadelphia7. He tried to get a job there. Fortunately, he found work in another printing shop. As he had learned printing before he came, he became a good printer very soon, and shortly he had a shop of his own. Sometime later Ben married and had a son and a daughter. Now Ben felt that Philadelphia was truly his home.
Then he had another idea. On those days, people liked to read almanac8, which gave the days and months of the year, and tried to tell about the weather. Ben began to print a new kind of almanac. He called it “Poor Richard's Almanac”. It had all the things that other almanacs had, besides, it had little jokes in it, and stories and wise sayings.
Here are some of the sayings, which become well-known proverbs now9:
1. The used key is always bright．
2． A rotten apple spoils its companions．
3． God helps them who help themselves．
4． If a thing is worth doing, it is worth doing well．
5． An egg today is better than a hen tomorrow．
6． Never leave that till tomorrow which you can do today．
7． Be slow in choosing a friend; slower in changing．
8． If a man empties his purse into his head, no one can take it from him．
9． Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise．
10．You are your great enemy if you are a coward, but if you are brave, you are your greatest friend．
“Poor Richard's Almanac” soon found its way into the homes of many people. They loved to read the sayings and learned a lot from them. Today, more than 200 years later, we still remember many of the sayings of Franklin in “Poor Richard's Almanac”, for they are still true sayings that can help us all.
1. Benjamin Franklin 本杰明·富兰克林（1706 — —1790）， 美国政治家、科学家、发明家和哲学家。1731年他创建费城第一个公共图书馆，组织美国哲学会。独立战争时期参加反英斗争，并参加起草“独立宣言”。
2． statesman n．政治家
3． philosopher n．哲学家
4． Boston, Massachusetts 麻萨诸塞州的波士顿市
5． New England Courant, 新英格兰报courant n．报（纸）（现仅作报名用）
6． 本句译文：本杰明学着写文章，并把它们发表在报纸上，但不署真名。
7． Philadelphia 费拉德菲亚（即费城，系宾夕维尼亚州的首府）
8． almanac n．历书，年历
9． 这些格言的译文如下：
1) 常用的钥匙总是闪闪发亮。
2) 一粒老鼠屎弄坏一锅汤。
3) 自助者得天助。
4) 要做的事就得把它做好。
5) 今天有个蛋比明天有只鸡好。
6) 今日事今日毕。
7) 择友宜慎，弃之更慎。
8) 如果一个人倾其所有求学，这笔财富谁也拿不走。
9) 睡得早，起得早，聪明、富裕、身体好。
10)如果你是懦夫，你最大的敌人就是你自己；但是如果你是勇者，你最好的朋友还是你自己。