owhatsignifieswishingandhoingforbettertimes。Wemaymakethesetimesbetter,ifwebestirourselves。Industryneednotwish,asPoorRichardsays,andhethatlivesuonhoewilldiefasting。Therearenogainswithoutains;thenhelhands,forIhavenolands,orifIhave,theyaresmartlytaxed。And,asPoorRichardlikewiseobserves,hethathathatradehathanestate;andhethathathacalling,hathanofficeofrofitandhonor;butthenthetrademustbeworkedat,andthecallingwellfollowed,orneithertheestatenortheofficewillenableustoayourtaxes。Ifweareindustrious,weshallneverstarve;for,asPoorRichardsays,attheworkingman’shousehungerlooksin,butdaresnotenter。Norwillthebailiffortheconstableenter,forindustryaysdebts,whiledesairincreaseththem,saysPoorRichard。Whatthoughyouhavefoundnotreasure,norhasanyrichrelationleftyoualegacy,diligenceisthemotherofgoodluck,asPoorRichardsays,andGodgivesallthingstoindustry。Thenlowdee,whilesluggardsslee,andyoushallhavecorntosellandtokee,saysPoorDick。Workwhileitiscalledtoday,foryouknownothowmuchyoumaybehinderedtomorrow,whichmakesPoorRichardsays,onetodayisworthtwotomorrows,andfarther,haveyousomewhattodotomorrow,doittoday。Ifyouwereaservant,wouldyounotbeashamedthatagoodmastershouldcatchyouidle?Areyouthenyourownmaster,beashamedtocatchyourselfidle,asPoorDicksays。Whenthereissomuchtobedoneforyourself,yourfamily,yourcountryandyourgraciousking,beubyeeofday;letnotthesunlookdownandsay,ingloriousherehelies。Handleyourtoolswithoutmittens;rememberthatthecatinglovescatchesnomice,asPoorRichardsays。’Tistruethereismuchtobedone,anderhasyouareweakhanded,butsticktoitsteadily;andyouwillseegreateffects,forconstantdroingwearsawaystones,andbydiligenceandatiencethemouseateintwothecable;andlittlestrokesfellgreatoaks,asPoorRichardsaysinhisAlmanack,theyearIcannotjustnowremember。”
“MethinksIhearsomeofyousay,‘mustamanaffordhimselfnoleisure?’Iwilltellthee,myfriend,whatPoorRichardsays,emloythytimewell,ifthoumeanesttogainleisure;and,sincethouartnotsureofaminute,thrownotawayanhour。Leisureistimefordoingsomethinguseful;thisleisurethediligentmanwillobtain,butthelazymannever;sothat,asPoorRichardsaysalifeofleisureandalifeoflazinessaretwothings。Doyouimaginethatslothwillaffordyoumorecomfortthanlabor?No,forasPoorRichardsays,troublesringsfromidleness,andgrievoustoilfromneedlessease。Manywithoutlabor,wouldlivebytheirwitsonly,buttheybreakforwantofstock。Whereasindustrygivescomfort,andlenty,andresect:flyleasures,andthey’llfollowyou;thediligentsinnerhasalargeshift;andnowIhaveasheeandacow,everybodybidsmegoodmorrow;allofwhichiswellsaidbyPoorRichard。”
参考译文
善解人意的读者:
我听说一个作家的作品被其他博学的作家充满敬意地引用是他最大的快乐。这种快乐我很少有过,虽然整整25年来,我年年都是历书的知名作家——如果我没有自夸的话——可不知为什么,跟我同道的作家们却一直都很吝啬他们的掌声,甚至没有一个作家丝毫注意过我,虽然我的作品带给我很多实惠,但掌声太少实在是件很让人泄气的事情。