第24章致富之道（1）
&o>
本杰明·富兰克林BenjaminFranklin
CourteousReader，
Ihaveheardthatnothihreatpleasure，astofindhisworksrespectfullyquotedbyotherlearhors。ThispleasureIhaveseldomehoughIhavebeen，ifImaysayitwithoutvaauthorofalmanauallynowafullquarterofatury，mybrotherauthorsinthesameway，forwhatreasonIknownot，haveeverbeenverysparingintheirapplause，ahorhastakeie，sothatdidnsproduesolidpuddideficyofpraisewouldhavequitedise。
Icludedatlength，thatthepeoplewerethebestjudgesofmymerit；fortheybuymyworks；andbesides，inmyrambles，ersonallyknowlyheardoherofmyadagesrepeatedoorRichardsays”attheendonit；thisgavemesomesatisfa，asitshowednotonlythatmyinstruswereregarded，butdiscoveredlikewisesomerespeyauthority；andIown，thattethepraberihosewisesentences，Ihavesometimesquotedmyselfwithgreatgravity。
&hen，howmuchImusthavebeengratifiedbyaIamgoioyou。Istoppedmyhorselatelywhereagreatnumberofpeoplewerecollectedatavegoods。Thehourofsalenotbeiheyweregonthebadhetimesahepaoaplainan，withwhitelocks，“Pray，FatherAbraham，whatthinkyouofthetimes？Woaxesquiteruiry？Howshallwebeeverabletopaythem？Whatwouldyouadviseusto？”FatherAbrahamstoodup，andreplied，“Ifyou’dhavemyadvice，I’llgiveittoyouinshort，forawordto‘thewiseisenough，andmanywordswon’tfillabushel’，asPoorRichardsays。”Theyjoinedindesiringhimtospeakhismind，andgatheringroundhim，heproceededasfollows：
“Friends，”sayshe，“andneighbors，thetaxesareindeedveryheavy，andifthoselaidonbythegoverheonlyoopay，wemightmoreeasilydischargethem；butwehavemanyothers，andmuchmrievoustosomeofus。Wearetaxedtwiceasmuchbyouridleimesasmuchbyourpride，andfourtimesasmuchbyourfolly；andfromthesetaxestheissioeaseordeliverusbyallowinga。However，letushearkentogoodadviaybedodhelpsthemthathelpthemselves’，asPoorRichardsays，inhisAlmanackof1733。”
“Itwouldbethoughtahardgovershouldtaxitspeopleooftheirtime，tobeemployedinitsservice。Butidleaxesmanyofusmuchmore，ifwereallthatisspentih，ofnothing，withthatwhitis，oramusements，thatamounttonothing。Slondiseases，absolutelyshorteh，likerust，esfasterthanlaborwears’；while‘theusedkeyisalwaysbright’，asPoorRichardsays。But‘dostthoulovelife，thendonotsquahat’sthestufflifeismadeof’，asPoorRichardsays。Howmuchmorethanisnecessarydowespetingthat‘thesleepingfoxopoultry’andthat‘therewillbesleepingenoughinthegrave’，asPoorRichardsays。”
“‘Iftimebeofallthiprecious，wastibe’，asPoorRichardsays，thegreatestprodigality；since，asheelsewheretellsus，‘losttimeisneverfoundagain；aimeenough，alroveslittleehenupandbedoing，anddoingtothepurpose；sobydiligenceshallwedomorewithlessperplexity。‘Slothmakesallthingsdifficult，butindustryalleasy’，asPoorRichardsays；‘arisethlatemusttrotallday，andshallscarceovertakehisbusinight’；‘whilelaziravelssosloovertysooakeshim’，asoorRichard，whoadds，‘drivethybusihatdrivethee’，aobed，aorise，makesamahy，wealthy，andwise’。”