从富兰克林自传看美国梦Word格式.docx

从富兰克林自传看美国梦Word格式.docx

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TheAutobiographyofBenjaminFranklinwasprobablythefirstautobiographyinAmericanliterature.Afteritspublication,millionskindsofsimilarworkswereimitateddayandnight.Autobiographygenerallyrecordedamanwhogrewfromanunknownboytoamanofwealthandprosperity.Itwaswrittenintheformofletteranddividedintofourparts,completedatdifferenttimes.Franklinwas65yearsoldwhenhebegantowriteit,buthediedbeforehecouldfinishedthewholebook,whichwasagreatpityforreaderswhowerefascinatedwithhisworks.InAutobiography,Franklinaskedthequestionofhowamanshouldlivehislife,andheofferedthebestanswerhecoulddobyhimself,whichprovidedthemouldofAmericanlifeandinfluencedAmericanspiritinalongperiod.

InAutobiography,themostfamouspartistheThirteenVirtuesofTemperance,Silence,Order,Resolution,Frugality,Industry,Sincerity,Justice,Moderation,Cleanness,Tranquility,Chastity,andHumility.Franklinisnotamanwhogaveupsomethingwhichisdifficulttoachieve.Heisamanwhomadehisdreambecomerealityoncehemadeuphismindtodoit.Forexample,herecordedhowheachievedthethirteenvirtuesstepbystep.

Imadealittlebook,inwhichIallottedapageforeachofthevirtues.Iruledeachpagewithredink,soastohavesevencolumns,oneforeachdayoftheweek,markingthebeginningofeachlinewithaletterfortheday.Icrossedthesecolumnswith13redlines,markingthebeginningofeachlinewiththefirstletterofoneofthevirtues,onwhichline,andinitspropercolumnImightmark,byalittleblackspot,everyfaultIfounduponexaminationtohavecommittedrespectingthatvirtueuponthatday.（常耀信，1996:

126）

AlltheseillustratedhowFranklintriestorestrainhimselfandrealizehisdreaminhistime.HowhebecomesagreatmaninAmericanhistoryandhowheinfluencestheformingofAmericanDreaminthefollowingtime.

ChapterOneFranklinandthe“ThirteenVirtues”inHisAutobiography

BenjaminFranklin’sAutobiographyandthe“ThirteenVirtues”inIt

Inadayandagewhenfewmenarethinkingabouttheirownoranyoneelse’scharacterdevelopment,thoughtfulmenmustlooktothepasttogaininspiration. 

BenjaminFranklin,oneoftheAmericanRevolution’smostnotablefiguresissuchaninspiration. 

HewasaFoundingFatheroftheUnitedStates,apolymath,author,printer,inventor,postmaster,RosicrucianandFreemason.Heinventedthelighteningrod,bifocallenses,theFranklinstove,thecarriageodometer,theglassharmonica.HefoundedthefirstlendinglibraryandthefirstFireDepartmentinPennsylvania.

TheAutobiographyofBenjaminFranklinisarecordofself-examinationandself-improvement.WhenwereadtheAutobiography，wecanseeanoldmanwhowassittingthereandtoldusanoldstoryabouthisownlifeandhisexperienceofhispastlife.Hetoldushowtoperfectourselvesbyreading,workingandlearning.Hetaughtuswithpeninhand,drawingouttheformofhowhecombatedwithhisevilshortcomingsstepbystep,daybyday,howhesucceedatlast.Accordingtohisownstory,heseemedtotellusthatnothingisimpossible;

wecanbecomesomebodysoonerorlateroncewedoit.Franklinbelievedthateveryonecouldcommunicatewithgod,whichisalsopartofhisreligiousbelief.TheAutobiographywasFranklin’slifelongworkthathededicatedtoexpressinghiseverythoughtandbelief.ArrivinginNewEnglandatabout1682,BenjaminFranklin’sfather,Josiah,foundthatEnglishConventiclerwereoftendisturbedbyEnglishlawsandthatthey“inducedsomeconsiderableMenofhisAcquaintancetoremovetothatCountry,andhewasprevailedwithtoaccompanythemthither,wheretheyexpectedtoenjoytheirModeofReligionwithFreedom”（Bastain,Peter,2005:

83）.TheAutobiographyisthereforeFranklin’sembodimentofexpressionthathadhisfamilyremainedinEnglandwouldhavebeenimpossibletoachieve.WhatmakesFranklin’smodeofexpressionuniqueisthatitdrawsexclusivelyontheselfandallowstheselftodevelopintoacohesivewholewithoutthegovernmentimposingonit.LivinginalandlikeAmericawhereitscitizenscouldexpressthemselvesfreely,writerslikeFranklinwereabletoestablishamodeofexpressionthateveryonecouldaccuratelyrepresentthemselvesfreely.ItcouldthenbearguedthatthefirststepinattainingtheAmericandreamwastorejectOldWorldValuesandadoptNewWorldonesinplace.

Franklinsoughttocultivatehischaracterbyaplanofthirteenvirtues,whichhedevelopedatage20（in1726）andcontinuedtopracticeinsomeformfortherestofhislife.Hisautobiographylistshisthirteenvirtuesas:

Temperance:

“Eatnottodullness;

drinknottoelevation”；

Silence:

“Speaknotbutwhatmaybenefitothersoryourself;

avoidtriflingconversation”；

Order:

“Letallyourthingshavetheirplaces;

leteachpartofyourbusinesshaveitstime”;

Resolution:

“Resolvetoperformwhatyouought;

performwithoutfailwhatyouresolve”;

Frugality:

“Makenoexpensebuttodogoodtoothersoryourself;

.,wastenothing”;

Industry:

“Losenotime;

bealwaysemploy’dinsomethinguseful;

cutoffallunnecessaryactions”;

Sincerity:

“Usenohurtfuldeceit;

thinkinnocentlyandjustly,and,ifyouspeak,speakaccordingly”;

Justice:

“Wrongnonebydoinginjuries,oromittingthebenefitsthatareyourduty”;

Moderation:

“Avoidextremes;

forbearresentinginjuriessomuchasyouthinktheydeserve”;

Cleanliness:

“Toleratenouncleanlinessinbody,cloaths,orhabitation”;

Tranquility:

“Benotdisturbedattrifles,orataccidentscommonorunavoidable”;

Chastity:

“Rarelyusevenerybutforhealthoroffspring,nevertodullness,weakness,ortheinjuryofyourownoranother’speaceorreputation”;

Humility:

“ImitateJesusandSocrates.”（常耀信，1991:

124）

Franklindidnottrytoworkonthemallatonce. 

Instead,hewouldworkononeandonlyoneeachweek“leavingallotherstotheirordinarychance”. 

WhileFranklindidnotlivecompletelybyhisvirtuesandbyhisownadmission,hefellshortofthemmanytimes,hebelievedtheattemptmadehimabettermancontributinggreatlytohissuccessandhappiness,whichiswhyinhisautobiography,hedevotedmorepagestothisplanthantoanyothersinglepoint;

inhisautobiographyFranklinwrote,“Ihope,therefore,thatsomeofmydescendantsmayfollowtheexampleandreapthebenefit.”（常耀信，1991:

123-127）

TheDeepMeaningofthe“ThirteenVirtues”

Benbelievedthatmanisbasicallygoodandfreebynature;

everyoneownsunalienablerighttopursuehappinessandliberty.Oneofthe13virtueshelistedforhimselfis“order”,whichisalsooneoftheprincipleoftheAgeofReasonandthesloganof18thcentury,justasAlexanderPopeadvocatedinhiscontemporarythatheroiccoupletistherigidformofhisschool.Thentherecomes“moderation”:

“avoidextremes,”Franklintoldhimselfandhisfellowmen.Asisknownall,moderationandtemperancewereamongthebestvirtuesofmeninthattime.Allofthe13virtuesareanimpressiverecordofamantryingtobevaluetomankind:

Franklinspenthiswholelifedoingallkindsofthingsforthewelfareoftheworld,asindeedwementionedalittleearlier.Creatingasitdoestheimageofaboy’srisefromragstoriches,thebookdemonstratesFranklin’sconfidentbeliefthatthenewworldofAmericaisalandofopportunitieswhichmightbemetthroughhardworkandwithmanagement,thustellingastoryofself-reliance.“Industry”referredinthe13virtuesbestillustrateditindetail.Franklinwassupremelyhuman.Heknewhumanity’sfoiblesanddeficiencies,buthewasconvincedthatmanisgoodandcapableofbecomingbetter,andthat,althoughmanandinstitutionsareoftencorrupt,theymightbeimproved.HadthisbelieffailedtotriumphoverthedoctrineofpeoplelikeJonathanEdwards,theAmericanRevolutionwouldbeimpossible.

BenjaminFranklin’sAutobiographyisastrictstanceagainstoldworldvalues.Themainoldviewvaluestatedthat“theChristianChurchmustdeliverthelawswhichshehathreceivedfromherKing,notdaremakelaws”（Abbott,H.Porter,2002:

45）.AkeyeighteenthcenturyfigurelikeBenjaminFranklinvaluedhigherlawvaluesbecauseallowingthegovernmenttointerpretbiblicalpassagestheKingcouldalwaysplacehisownslanttomakeitseemthatGodordainedhisleadership.HigherlawpracticesinsteadadvancedthatGod’s