第三册第19篇：我在费城的第一天

19 My First Day in Philadelphia 我在费城的第一天

by Benjamin Franklin



I have been the more particular in this description of my journey, and shall be so of my first entry into that city, that you may in your mind compare such unlikely beginnings with the figure I have since made there. I was in my working dress, my best clothes being to come round by sea. I was dirty and stockings; and I knew no soul, nor where to look for lodging 1. I was fatigued 2 with travelling, rowing, and want of rest; I was very hungry; and my whole stock of cash consisted of a  Dutch dollar, and about a shilling in copper 3. The latter I gave the people of the boat for my passage, who at first refused it, on account of my rowing; but I insisted on their taking it, a man being sometimes more generous when he has but a little money than when he has plenty, perhaps through fear of being thought to have but little.

我对于我的旅程叙述得特别详细，我的初次进城我也将详细交代，为的是使你在想象中能够把这种不大有希望的开端跟我日后在该城成为要人这一情况作一对比。我穿了工作服，因为我最好的衣服要从海道运来。我风尘仆仆，口袋里装满了衬衫和袜子。我一个熟人也没有，也不知何处去找住宿。我因为旅行、划船和缺乏休息，感到很累了。我又十分饿，但是我的全部现金是一元荷兰币和约值一先令的铜币。我把铜币付给船上的人作为舟金，他们起初不肯收，因为我出力划了船，但是我坚持要他们收下来，因为当一个人只有少量钱财的时候，有时候他反而比他钱多时来得慷慨，也许是由于怕人家把他当做穷酸的缘故吧。



Then I walked up the street gazing about, till, near the market-house. I met a boy with bread. I had made many a meal on bread, and, inquiring where he got it, I went immediately to the baker's he directed me to, in Second Street, and asked  for biscuit, intending such as we had in Boston; buut they, it seems, were not made in Philadelphia. Then I asked for a threepenny loaf, and was told they had none such. So, not considering or knowing the defference of money, and the greater cheapness nor the names of his bread, I gace him give me threepenny-worth of any sort. He gave me, accordingly, threee great puffy rollls, I was surprised at the quantity, but took it, and, having no room eating the other. Thus I went up Market Street as far as Fourth Street, passing by the door of Mr Read, my future wife's father; when she, standing 4 at the door, saw me, and thought I made, as I certainly did, a most awkward, ridiculous  appearance. Then I turned and went down Chestnut 5 Street and part of Walnut 6 Street, eating my roll all the way, and, coming round, found myself again at Market Street wharf 7, near the boat I came in, to which I went for a draught 8 of the river water; and being filled with one of my rolls, gave the other two to a woman and her child that came down the river in the boat with us, and were waiting to go father.

接着我上了街，四处浏览（注视，凝视），当我走到市场时，我遇见了一个手拿着面包的男孩子。以前我曾经好几次把面包当饭吃过。我询问过他面包是从哪儿买来的以后，我立即跑到他指点给我的在第二街的一家面包铺那里，我要像我们在波士顿买的那种硬面包，但是好像在费城他们不做这种面包。接着我就要三便士一条（的）面包，他们也说没有，这样，由于我没有考虑到或不知道货币价值的不同，在费城物价较低，我也不知道究竟他铺子里有什么面包，我就请他给我三便士任何种类的面包，于是，他给了我三个又大又肥（膨胀）的面包卷。这个数量使我感到惊异，但是我收了下来。因为我口袋里装不下，我就两胁下各夹着一个，一边走，一边嘴里吃着另外的一个，我就这样沿着市场街走去一直走到第四街，经过后来成为我岳丈的李得先生门口。我未来的爱人这时恰巧站在门口，看见了我，觉得我的样子十分尴尬可笑，事实也真是这样接着，我转了一个弯，到了板栗街和胡桃街的一段，一路上我仍然吃着面包卷，又转了一个弯以后，发现我又回到了市场街码头，我刚在坐着来的那只船的附近。我跑到码头上去喝了一口河水。我既吃了一个面包卷，肚子已经饱了，就把其余的两个给了跟我们一同从上江坐船来的妇人和她的孩子，她们正等着开船继续前进。



Thus refreshed, I walked again up the street, which by this time had many clean-dressed people in it, who were all walking the same way. I joined them, and there-by was led into the great meeting-house of the Quakers near the   market. I sat down among them, and after looking round a while and hearing nothing said, being very drowsy 9 through labour and want of rest the preceding night, I fell fast asleep, and continued so till the meeting broke up, when one   was kind enough to rouse me. This was, therefore, the first house I was in, or slept in, in Philadelphia.

饭后，我又跑到街上去了。这时街上有许多衣冠楚楚的人都在向着同一个方向走着，我加入了他们的队伍，这样我被带到市场附近的一个巨大的教友会的会所。我在他们中间坐了下来，我四面看了一忽儿，听不见有谁讲话，由于第一天（先前的）晚上的劳动和缺乏睡眠，我感到十分困倦（昏昏欲睡的），接着就睡着了，一直睡到散会时为止。这时，有一个人善意地叫醒了我。因此，这个会所是我在费城踏进过的或是睡眠过的第一所房屋。