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The first members were Joseph Breintnal, a copyer of deeds for the scriveners, a good-natur'd, friendly middle-ag'd man,
这个组织的首批会员是：约瑟·勃赖诺，一个公证事务所的契约誊写员，一个温厚、友好的中年人，
a great lover of poetry, reading all he could meet with, and writing some that was tolerable; very ingenious in many little Nicknackeries, and of sensible conversation.
爱诗，遇诗即读，也能写一些过得去的诗，善于做一些小玩意儿，谈话很通情达理。
Thomas Godfrey, a self-taught mathematician, great in his way, and afterward inventor of what is now called Hadley's Quadrant.
汤麦斯·高德福莱，一个自学的数学家，对于他的本行有专门的研究，后来成为现今所谓“哈德栗象限”的发明者。
But he knew little out of his way, and was not a pleasing companion;
但在他本行以外，他一无所知，也不是一个讨人喜欢的伴侣。
as, like most great mathematicians I have met with, he expected universal precision in everything said, or was forever denying or distinguishing upon trifles, to the disturbance of all conversation.
像我所遇到的大多数伟大数学家一样，他要求每一句话绝对地正确，无止境地否定或区别琐碎细小的事物，妨碍整个谈话的进行。
He soon left us.
他不久就离开了我们。
Nicholas Scull, a surveyor, afterwards surveyor-general, who lov'd books, and sometimes made a few verses.
尼古拉·斯格尔，一个测量员，后来做了测量局局长，爱读书，有时也写几行诗。
William Parsons, bred a shoemaker, but, loving reading, had acquir'd a considerable share of mathematics, which he first studied with a view to astrology, that he afterwards laught at it.
威廉·柏生，学制鞋业，爱读书，学了不少的数学，他本来是为了占星学才学数学的，以后谈到这件事他就笑了。
He also became surveyor-general.
他也做了测量局局长。
William Maugridge, a joiner, a most exquisite mechanic, and a solid, sensible man.
威廉·莫德集，一个细木匠，一个十分优秀的工匠，同时也是一个稳健明达的人。
Hugh Meredith, Stephen Potts, and George Webb I have characteriz'd before.
休·梅莱笛斯，司蒂芬·博茨，乔奇·卫勃，我在前面已经讲过了。
Robert Grace, a young gentleman of some fortune, generous, lively, and witty; a lover of punning and of his friends.
劳勃脱·葛莱丝，一个有些财产的年轻绅士，慷慨，活泼，幽默，爱讲双关话，爱朋友。
And William Coleman, then a merchant's clerk, about my age, who had the coolest, clearest head, the best heart, and the exactest morals of almost any man I ever met with.
还有威廉·柯尔曼，那时是一个商店店员，大约与我同年，他几乎是我所知道的人中间头脑最冷静清楚、心肠最热、品行最端正的人了。
He became afterwards a merchant of great note, and one of our provincial judges.
他后来成为一个有声望的商人，也是我们州里的法官之一。
Our friendship continued without interruption to his death, upwards of forty years;
我们的友谊毕生从未间断，先后有四十多年的时间。
and the club continued almost as long, and was the best school of philosophy, morality, and politics that then existed in the province;
这个社团差不多也继续了那么多年，是当时在宾夕法尼亚的最优秀的哲学和政治学学派。
for our queries, which were read the week preceding their discussion, put us upon reading with attention upon the several subjects, that we might speak more to the purpose;
由于我们在讨论前的一个星期先把论文在会上宣读一遍，这就使得我们在阅读时能够细心注意到不同的题目，使我们在讨论时更能讲得剀切中肯。
and here, too, we acquired better habits of conversation, everything being studied in our rules which might prevent our disgusting each other.
在这会里我们也培养谈话时的良好习惯，在我们的会章中我们拟订了一切可以防止相互冲突的办法。
From hence the long continuance of the club, which I shall have frequent occasion to speak further of hereafter.
因为这样，我们的社团才能够长期存在，关于这个社团今后我将有机会常常提到它。
But my giving this account of it here is to show something of the interest I had, everyone of these exerting themselves in recommending business to us.
但是我在这里叙述关于这个社团的事，目的是要指出我当时所有的一些伙伴，他们每个人都尽力为我们介绍生意。
Breintnal particularly procur'd us from the Quakers the printing forty sheets of their history, the rest being to be done by Keimer; and upon this we work'd exceedingly hard, for the price was low.
特别是勃赖诺，他替我们招揽了替教友会印刷他们历史中四十印张的生意，其余部分将由凯谋承印，在这宗生意上我们工作得非常辛苦，因为定价很低。
It was a folio, pro patria size, in pica, with long primer notes.
这是用十二磅活字印的“为祖国”式的对开本，上面还有很长的用小号铅字印的注释。
I compos'd of it a sheet a day, and Meredith worked it off at press;
我每天排一大张，梅莱笛斯就在印刷机上把它印出来，
it was often eleven at night, and sometimes later, before I had finished my distribution for the next day's work, for the little jobbs sent in by our other friends now and then put us back.
等到我为第二天的工作做好拆版工作时，往往已经是夜间十一点钟了，有时还更晚，因为有时候其他朋友介绍来的零活耽误了我们的工作。
But so determin'd I was to continue doing a sheet a day of the folio, that one night, when, having impos'd my forms,
但是我坚决要保持每天排好一大张的速度，甚至有一夜，当我装好了版以后，
I thought my day's work over, one of them by accident was broken, and two pages reduced to pi,
我满以为一天的工作业已结束时，其中有一版一不经心给碰坏了，有两页的铅字就乱成一堆，
I immediately distribut'd and composed it over again before I went to bed;
我马上拆了版，重新排印，然后才上床睡觉。
and this industry, visible to our neighbors, began to give us character and credit;
这种勤劳是我们的邻居们有目共睹的，我们的名誉和声望就因此而增加了。
particularly, I was told, that mention being made of the new printing-office at the merchants' Every-night club, the general opinion was that it must fail,
特别有人告诉我：“当人们在商人的夜间俱乐部里提到这家新开设的印刷铺时，大家普遍地认为它必然要失败，
there being already two printers in the place, Keimer and Bradford;
因为在城里已经有了凯谋和勃拉福的两家印刷铺了。
but Dr. Baird (whom you and I saw many years after at his native place, St. Andrew's in Scotland) gave a contrary opinion:
但是贝尔德博士(许多年以后我和你曾经在他的故乡，苏格兰的圣安得路兹，见到他过)提出了反面的意见，
"For the industry of that Franklin," says he, "is superior to anything I ever saw of the kind;
他说：‘因为那个富兰克林的勤劳是我从来没有见过的。
I see him still at work when I go home from club, and he is at work again before his neighbors are out of bed."
当我从俱乐部回家时，我看见他还在工作，第二天在他的邻居们还没有起身前他又在工作了。’”
This struck the rest, and we soon after had offers from one of them to supply us with stationery; but as yet we did not chuse to engage in shop business.
这番话给大家留下了一个很深的印象，此后不久其中的一个就提议供给我们文具，要我们代销，但我们当时还不想经营文具铺。
I mention this industry the more particularly and the more freely, tho' it seems to be talking in my own praise,
我特别强调和格外直率地提到勤劳这一点，虽然好像我是在自吹自擂，
that those of my posterity, who shall read it, may know the use of that virtue, when they see its effects in my favour throughout this relation.
我的目的不外是：当我的后裔读到这里，当他们在这个故事里看见勤劳是怎样地对我有利时，他们可以晓得这一品德的可贵了。
