The-AutobiographyWord文档格式.doc

The-AutobiographyWord文档格式.doc

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TheAutobiography@#@（Excerpts）@#@ToHisSon@#@Twyford,attheBishopofSt.Asaph'@#@s,1771@#@DearSon,@#@　　Ihaveeverhadapleasureinobtaininganylittleanecdotesofmyancestors.YoumayremembertheenquiriesImadeamongtheremainsofmyrelationswhenyouwerewithmeinEnglandandthejourneyIundertookforthatpurpose.Imaginingitmaybeequallyagreeabletoyoutoknowthecircumstancesofmylife—manyofwhichyouareyetunacquaintedwith—andexpectingaweek'@#@suninterruptedLeisureinmypresentcountryretirement,Isitdowntowritethemforyou.Besides,therearesomeotherinducementsthatexcitemetothisundertaking.FromthepovertyandobscurityinwhichIwasbornandinwhichIpassedmyearliestyears,Ihaveraisedmyselftoastateofaffluenceandsomedegreeofcelebrityintheworld.Asconstantgoodfortunehasaccompaniedmeeventoanadvancedperiodoflife,myposteritywillperhapsbedesirousoflearningthemeans,whichIemployed,andwhich,thankstoProvidence,sowellsucceededwithme.Theymayalsodeemthemfittobeimitated,shouldanyofthemfindthemselvesinsimilarcircumstances.Thatgoodfortune,whenIreflectedonit,whichisfrequentlythecase,hasinducedmesometimestosaythatwereitlefttomychoice,Ishouldhavenoobjectiontogooverthesamelifefromitsbeginningtotheend,onlyaskingtheadvantageauthorshaveofcorrectinginasecondeditionsomefaultsofthefirst.SowouldIalsowishtochangesomeincidentsofitforothersmorefavorable.Notwithstanding,ifthisconditionweredenied,Ishouldstillaccepttheoffer.Butasthisrepetitionisnottobeexpected,thatwhichresemblesmostlivingone'@#@slifeoveragain,seemstobetorecallallthecircumstancesofit；@#@and,torenderthisremembrancemoredurable,torecordtheminwriting.InthusemployingmyselfIshallyieldtotheinclinationsonaturaltooldmenoftalkingofthemselvesandtheirownactions,andIshallindulgeit,withoutbeingtiresometothosewho,fromrespecttomyage,mightconceivethemselvesobligedtolistentome,sincetheywillbealwaysfreetoreadmeornot.Andlastly（Imayaswellconfessit,asthedenialofitwouldbebelievedbynobody）Ishallperhapsnotalittlegratifymyownvanity.Indeed,Ineverheardorsawtheintroductorywords,"@#@WithoutVanityImaysay,"@#@etc.,butsomevainthingimmediatelyfollowed.Mostpeopledislikevanityinotherswhateversharetheyhaveofitthemselves,butIgiveitfairquarterwhereverImeetwithit,beingpersuadedthatitisoftenproductiveofgoodtothepossessorandtootherswhoarewithinhissphereofaction.Andtherefore,inmanycasesitwouldnotbealtogetherabsurdifamanweretothankGodforhisvanityamongtheothercomfortsoflife.AndnowIspeakofthankingGod,IdesirewithallhumilitytoacknowledgethatIowethementionedhappinessofmypastlifetohisdivineprovidence,whichledmetothemeansIusedandgavethemsuccess.Mybeliefofthisinducesmetohope,thoughImustnotpresume,thatthesamegoodnesswillstillbeexercisedtowardsmeincontinuingthathappinessorinenablingmetobearafatalreverse,whichImayexperienceasothershavedone—thecomplexionofmyfuturefortunebeingknowntohimonly,andinwhosepoweritistoblesstousevenourafflictions.@#@THEARRIVALINPHILADELPHIA@#@　　[FollowingthealtercationwithhisolderbrothertowhomFranklinhadbeenapprenticed（andwhoseoppressivetreatmentofFranklin,thelattersays,gavehim"@#@thataversiontoarbitrarypowerthathasstucktomethroughmywholelife"@#@）,andafterabrushwiththelaw,theseventeen-year-oldladleavesBostonandcomestoPhiladelphia,thecitywhosefirstcitizenhewouldeventuallybecome.]@#@　　Thismightbeoneoccasionofthedifferenceswebegantohaveaboutthistime.Thoughabrother,heconsideredhimselfasmymasterandmeashisapprentice,andaccordinglyexpectedthesameservicesfrommeashewouldfromanother;@#@whileIthoughthedegradedmetoomuchinsomeherequiredofme,whofromabrotherexpectedmoreindulgence.Ourdisputeswereoftenbroughtbeforeourfather,andIfancyIwaseithergenerallyintherightorelseabetterpleader,becausethejudgmentwasgenerallyinmyfavor.Butmybrotherwaspassionateandhadoftenbeatenme,whichItookextremelyamiss.Ifancyhisharshandtyrannicaltreatmentofmemightbeameansofimpressingmewiththataversiontoarbitrarypowerthathasstucktomethroughmywholelife.Thinkingmyapprenticeshipverytedious,Iwascontinuallywishingforsomeopportunityofshorteningit,whichatlengthofferedinamannerunexpected.@#@　　OneofthepiecesinournewspaperonsomepoliticalpointwhichIhavenowforgotten,gaveoffencetotheAssembly.Hewastakenup,censured,andimprisonedforamonthbytheSpeaker'@#@swarrant,Isupposebecausehewouldno