简介BenjaminFranklinwasborninMilkStreet,Boston,onJanuary6,1706.Hisfather,JosiahFranklin,wasatallowchandlerwhomarriedtwice,andofhisseventeenchildrenBenjaminwastheyoungestson.Hisschoolingendedatten,andattwelvehewasboundapprentice学徒tohisbrotherJames,aprinter,whopublishedthe"NewEnglandCourant."Tothisjournalhebecameacontributor,andlaterwasforatimeitsnominaleditor.Butthebrothersquarreled,andBenjaminranaway,goingfirsttoNewYork,andthencetoPhiladelphia,wherehearrivedinOctober,1723.Hesoonobtainedworkasaprinter,butafterafewmonthshewasinducedbyGovernorKeithtogotoLondon,where,findingKeith'spromisesempty,heworkedasacompositoragaintillhewasbroughtbacktoPhiladelphiabyamerchantnamedDenman,whogavehimapositioninhisbusiness.OnDenman'sdeathhereturnedtohisformertrade,andshortlysetupaprintinghouseofhisownfromwhichhepublished"ThePennsylvaniaGazette,"towhichhecontributedmanyessays,andwhichhemadeamediumforagitatingavarietyoflocalreforms.In1732hebegantoissuehisfamous"PoorRichard'sAlmanac"《穷理查德年鉴》，fortheenrichment浓缩ofwhichheborrowedorcomposed整理thosepithy精辟的utterances言论ofworldlywisdomwhicharethebasisofalargepartofhispopularreputation.In1758,theyearinwhichheceases停止writingfortheAlmanac,heprintedinit"FatherAbraham'sSermon,"nowregardedasthemostfamouspiece文章ofliteratureproducedinColonialAmerica.MeantimeFranklinwasconcerninghimselfmoreandmorewithpublicaffairs.HesetforthaschemeforanAcademy,whichwastakenuplaterandfinallydevelopedintotheUniversityofPennsylvania;andhefoundedan"AmericanPhilosophicalSociety"forthepurposeofenablingscientificmentocommunicatetheirdiscoveriestooneanother.Hehimselfhadalreadybegunhiselectricalresearches,which,withotherscientificinquiries,hecalledonintheintervalsofmoney-makingandpoliticstotheendofhislife.In1748hesoldhisbusinessinordertogetleisureforstudy,havingnowacquiredcomparativewealth;andinafewyearshehadmadediscoveriesthatgavehimareputationwiththelearnedthroughoutEurope.BenjaminFranklin(January17,1706–April17,1790)wasoneoftheFoundingFathersoftheUnitedStates.Anotedpolymath,Franklinwasaleadingauthorandprinter,politicaltheorist,politician,postmaster,scientist,inventor,satirist,civicactivist,statesman,anddiplomat.Asascientist,hewasamajorfigureintheAmericanEnlightenmentandthehistoryofphysicsforhisdiscoveriesandtheoriesregardingelectricity.Heinventedthelightningrod,bifocals,theFranklinstove,acarriageodometer,andtheglass'armonica'.HeformedboththefirstpubliclendinglibraryinAmericaandthefirstfiredepartmentinPennsylvania.Franklinearnedthetitleof"TheFirstAmerican"forhisearlyandindefatigablecampaigningforcolonialunity;asanauthorandspokesmaninLondonforseveralcolonies,thenasthefirstUnitedStatesAmbassadortoFrance,heexemplifiedtheemergingAmericannation.[2]FranklinwasfoundationalindefiningtheAmericanethosasamarriageofthepracticalanddemocraticvaluesofthrift,hardwork,education,communityspirit,self-governinginstitutions,andoppositiontoauthoritarianismbothpoliticalandreligious,withthescientificandtolerantvaluesoftheEnlightenment.InthewordsofhistorianHenrySteeleCommager,"InaFranklincouldbemergedthevirtuesofPuritanismwithoutitsdefects,theilluminationoftheEnlightenmentwithoutitsheat."[3]ToWalterIsaacson,thismakesFranklin"themostaccomplishedAmericanofhisageandthemostinfluentialininventingthetypeofsocietyAmericawouldbecome."[4]Franklin,alwaysproudofhisworkingclassroots,becameasuc...
