本傑明·富蘭克林/Benjamin Franklin
Dear son，
I have ever had pleasure in obtaining any little anecdotes of my ancestors. You may remember the inquiries I made among the remains of my relations when you were with me in England, and the journey I undertook for that purpose. Imagining it may be equally agreeable to you to know the circumstances of my life, many of which you are yet unacquainted with, and expecting the enjoyment of a week's uninterrupted leisure in my present country retirement, I sit down to write them for you. To which I have besides some other inducements. Having emerged from the poverty and obscurity in which I was born and bred, to a state of affuence and some degree of reputation in the world, and having gone so far through life with a considerable share of felicity, the conducing means I made use of, which with the blessing of God sowell succeeded, my posterity may like to know, as they may fnd some of them suitable to their own situations, and therefore ft to be imitated.
That felicity, when I refected on it, has induced me sometimes to say, that were it offered to my choice, I should have no objection to a repetition of the same life from its beginning, only asking the advantages authors have in a second edition to correct some faults of the frst. So I might, besides correcting the faults, change some sinister accidents and events of it for others more favorable. But though this was denied, I should still accept the offer. Since such a repetition is not to be expected, the next thing most like living one's life over again seems to be a recollection of that life, and to make that recollection as durable as possible by putting it down in writing.
Hereby, too, I shall indulge the inclination so natural in old men, to be talking of themselves and their own past actions；and I shall indulge it without being tiresome to others, who, through respect to age, might conceive themselves obliged to give me a hearing, since this may be read or not as any one pleases. And, lastly（I may as well confess it, since my denial of it will be believed by nobody），perhaps I shall a good deal gratify my own vanity. Indeed, I scarce ever heard or saw the introductory words,“Without vanity I may say,”but some vain thing immediately followed. Most people dislike vanity in others, whatever share they have of it themselves；but I give it fair quarter wherever I meet with it, being persuaded that it is often productive of good to the possessor, and to others that are within his sphere of action；and therefore, in many cases, it would not be altogether absurd if a man were to thank God for his vanity among the other comforts of life.
親愛的兒子：
我一度把搜集先輩們的奇聞逸事當做樂事。或許你還記得你和我在英國居住的那段日子。我為了這個目的作了一次旅行，走訪了家族中的先輩們。我猜測你可能特別想知道我的生命曆程——因為有許多事我都未曾告訴你。現在我正在鄉村度假，可能會有一周的空閑時光，所以，我坐下來把這一切都寫給你。誠然，我這樣做還有其他目的。我出身貧苦，身份低微，然而我通過自己的努力成為一個國家的風雲人物，並享譽全球，而且時至今日，我始終一帆風順。我取得如此豐碩的成果，完全要感謝上帝的賜福。或許我的子孫希望知道其中的奧秘——他們也許會遇到相同的情況，因此，他們可以拿來借鑒。
每當我回首往事，都禁不住要說，假如再給我一次選擇的機會，我會不假思索地重複我的今生。隻是要像作家一樣找出作品中的瑕疵，以便再版。除了這些，假如有可能的話，我還要扭轉我這一生中所有的不幸遭遇。盡管這些都是命中注定的，我仍會欣然接受，雖然這是不可能發生的事情。最近腦海中重複上演的場景就是回憶。為了使我的回憶能夠更加久遠，我願意將它們一一寫下來。
因此，我認為最好的方式是：以一位老者的視角來重新看待自己，以及自己過去的一切行為。我不會任由它去煩勞別人。出於對老者的尊敬，他們一定會坐下來聽我訴說。如果我把它們寫下來，聽或不聽就由他們自己做主了。最後（我想我還是承認吧，盡管我否認這一點，但是沒有人會相信），寫自傳大大滿足了我的虛榮心。實際上，我不斷聽到或看到這樣的開場白：“可以毫不誇張地說……”然而，接下來就是一些空洞無味、自吹自擂的話。大部分人都不願意聽這些，不管他有著如何成功的事業。但是，每次遇到這種情形，我總會多一點兒寬容。因為這種自負心理，不管是對他自己還是對別人都有益處。因此，在大多數情況下，假如一個人把他的自負當成上帝賜予他的一種慰藉，從而心存感激的話，就不算是荒謬。
W詞匯筆記
anecdote['?nikd?ut]n.奇聞；軼事
例 What makes a good anecdote in a presentation?
在演講中，什麽樣的逸事是有益的？
inducement[in'dju:sm?nt]n.誘因；刺激物
例 Many people complain on the inducement of some message of advertising.
很多人抱怨許多廣告詞非常誘人。
felicity[f'lisiti]n.幸福；快樂；幸運
例 He is a writer of fluency and felicity, of graciousness and gentleness.
他是一位文筆流暢，措辭得體、文雅而且溫和的作家。
sinister['sinist?]adj.陰險的；凶兆的；災難性的
例 The ragged scar on his face lent him a sinister look.
他臉上那凹凸不平的疤使他顯得更為凶惡可怕。
S小試身手
或許我的子孫希望知道其中的奧秘——他們也許會遇到相同的情況，因此，他們可以拿來借鑒。
譯________________________________________
每當我回首往事，都禁不住要說，假如再給我一次選擇的機會，我會不假思索地重複我的今生。
譯________________________________________
為了使我的回憶能夠更加久遠，我願意將它們一一寫下來。
譯________________________________________
P短語家族
Since such a repetition is not to be expected, the next thing most like living one's life over again seems to be a recollection of that life, and to make that recollection as durable as possible by putting it down in writing.
as possible：盡可能
造________________________________________
In many cases, it would not be altogether absurd if a man were to thank God for his vanity among the other comforts of life.
in many cases：在多數情況下
造________________________________________