富兰克林的13项美德 - Blog on 27th Floor

来源:百度文库 编辑:神马文学网 时间:2024/04/29 12:09:17
本杰明·富兰克林,美国科学家,政治家,外交家,美国独立宣言和宪法签署人,作家,出版家,成功的印刷厂主。据说这13条美德是他在20岁时自己制定的,每周努力实习一项,到13周后重来一遍。(本来想翻译,仔细看过却觉得不如放在这里学英文)

1. Temperance: Eat not to dullness and drink not to elevation.
节制:不要吃得像个傻子,也不要喝得飘飘然。

2. Silence: Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself. Avoid trifling conversation.
沉默:只说那些能让他人或自己受益的话。避免闲聊。

3. Order: Let all your things have their places. Let each part of your business have its time.
秩序:让东西各归其位。给自己的事务安排好时间。

4. Resolution: Resolve to perform what you ought. Perform without fail what you resolve.
决心:下定决心做你应该做的。把要解决的问题成功解决掉。

5. Frugality: Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself: i.e. Waste nothing.
节俭:只花对他人或自己有益处的钱,就是说不要浪费任何东西。

6. Industry: Lose no time. Be always employed in something useful. Cut off all unnecessary actions.
勤奋:不要浪费时间。总应该有些有用的事来做。取消一切不必要的活动。

7. Sincerity: Use no hurtful deceit. Think innocently and justly; and, if you speak, speak accordingly.
诚实:不要恶意骗人。以善意和公正为思考的出发点;而且说话也应如此。

8. Justice: Wrong none, by doing injuries or omitting the benefits that are your duty.
正当:不应当去伤害人或因失职而使利益受损。

9. Moderation: Avoid extremes. Forbear resenting injuries so much as you think they deserve.
适度:避免极端。克制怨恨会带来多大的伤害仅在自己一念之间。

10. Cleanliness: Tolerate no uncleanness in body, clothes or habitation.
整洁:不可容忍身体、衣服和住所的污秽。

11. 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.
贞洁:仅为健康和生育的目的行房;不要在此事上犯傻,也不要软弱,更不要有损于自己或他人的平静与名声。

12. Tranquility: Be not disturbed at trifles, or at accidents common or unavoidable.
冷静:不要让琐事,普通或不可避免的事故来扰乱自己。

13. Humility: Imitate Jesus and Socrates.
谦逊:向耶酥和苏格拉底学习。

(第9条中间应该是forbear,而不是forebear。这些美德记录在富兰克林的自传当中。这个网站上的文本是这个写法,其他可以Google到的几乎全错了。)