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In 1732 I first publish'd my Almanack, under the name of Richard Saunders; it was continu'd by me about twenty-five years, commonly call'd Poor Richard's Almanac.
在1732年我第一次用了理查·桑德斯的名字出版了我的历书，我继续出版了约有二十五年之久，通常称为《可怜的理查的历书》。
I endeavour'd to make it both entertaining and useful, and it accordingly came to be in such demand, that I reap'd considerable profit from it, vending annually near ten thousand.
我设法使它既有趣又有用，因此它风行一时，使我从中获利不少，每年销售量几达一万册之巨。
And observing that it was generally read, scarce any neighborhood in the province being without it, I consider'd it as a proper vehicle for conveying instruction among the common people, who bought scarcely any other books;
我看到大多数人都读这本书，在宾夕法尼亚州几乎每几家中都有一本，我就认为这是在普通人民中间进行教育的一种适当工具，这些人几乎就只买这本书。
I therefore filled all the little spaces that occurr'd between the remarkable days in the calendar with proverbial sentences, chiefly such as inculcated industry and frugality, as the means of procuring wealth, and thereby securing virtue; it being more difficult for a man in want, to act always honestly, as, to use here one of those proverbs, it is hard for an empty sack to stand upright.
因此我把成语箴言印在历书中重要的日子之间的空白中，这些成语箴言主要教人把勤俭作为发财致富因而获得美德的手段，因为要一个穷人经久不变地诚实廉洁是比较困难的，在这里引用一句成语来说吧，因为“一只空袋子是不容易站得笔直的”。
These proverbs, which contained the wisdom of many ages and nations, I assembled and form'd into a connected discourse prefix'd to the Almanack of 1757, as the harangue of a wise old man to the people attending an auction.
这些成语箴言包含着来自许多国家各个时代的智慧，我把它们收集在一起写成一篇连续的文章，作为一个聪明的老头子对拍卖场上的人所发表的一篇演说，我把它放在1757年历书的卷首。
The bringing all these scatter'd councils thus into a focus enabled them to make greater impression.
把这些分散的格言这样地集中在一个焦点上就使它们能够产生一个更深刻的印象。
The piece, being universally approved, was copied in all the newspapers of the Continent; reprinted in Britain on a broadside, to be stuck up in houses; two translations were made of it in French, and great numbers bought by the clergy and gentry, to distribute gratis among their poor parishioners and tenants.
这篇文章受到普遍的赞扬，所有美洲的报纸都转载它，在英国人们用巨幅纸张翻印，预备贴在家里。它有两个法文译本。传教士和地主们大量订购，免费赠送给贫苦的教友和佃农。
In Pennsylvania, as it discouraged useless expense in foreign superfluities, some thought it had its share of influence in producing that growing plenty of money which was observable for several years after its publication.
在宾夕法尼亚，因为它反对把钱财浪费在外国奢侈品上，在它问世以后的几年中，市场上的货币不断地增多了，有人认为它对财富的增加是起着一定的作用的。
I considered my newspaper, also, as another means of communicating instruction, and in that view frequently reprinted in it extracts from the Spectator, and other moral writers; and sometimes publish'd little pieces of my own, which had been first composed for reading in our Junto.
我的报纸我认为也是进行教育的一种手段，因此我常在报上转载《旁观者》或其他有关伦理道德的文章的摘要，有时候我也发表一些我自己的短文，它们原先是为了在“密社”中讨论而撰写的。
Of these are a Socratic dialogue, tending to prove that, whatever might be his parts and abilities, a vicious man could not properly be called a man of sense;
我的文章中有一篇是用苏格拉底的对话体写成的，旨在证明一个坏人，不管他的资质和才能如何，不能真正称为一个明达的人。
and a discourse on self-denial, showing that virtue was not secure till its practice became a habitude, and was free from the opposition of contrary inclinations.
另一篇论自制克己，指出在培养某种品德时，要直到该种美德已经成为习惯，而且不受与它相反的性癖的干扰时才算牢固。
These may be found in the papers about the beginning of 1735.
这些文章大约可以在1735年初的报上找到。
In the conduct of my newspaper, I carefully excluded all libeling and personal abuse, which is of late years become so disgraceful to our country.
在编辑我的报纸的过程中，我小心地避免登载一切诽谤性的和带有人身攻击意味的文章，这种诽谤和污蔑近年来成为我国莫大的耻辱。
Whenever I was solicited to insert anything of that kind, and the writers pleaded, as they generally did, the liberty of the press, and that a newspaper was like a stage-coach, in which anyone who would pay had a right to a place, my answer was, that I would print the piece separately if desired, and the author might have as many copies as he pleased to distribute himself, but that I would not take upon me to spread his detraction;
当人们要求我刊登这一类的东西时，作者一般总是替自己辩解说，我们有出版自由，报纸有如公共马车，任何人愿意出钱都可以在上面占一个位置，我的回答是：假如他愿意，我可以替他单独印行，由他自己去散发，他需要多少份我都可以办到，但是我不愿承担替他散播毁谤的责任；
and that, having contracted with my subscribers to furnish them with what might be either useful or entertaining, I could not fill their papers with private altercation, in which they had no concern, without doing them manifest injustice.
既然我跟我的订户订了合同承担义务向他们提供一些有益或是有趣的东西，那我就不能在他们的报纸上刊登与他们无关的私人口角，假如我这样做，那显然是对他们不公道的。
Now, many of our printers make no scruple of gratifying the malice of individuals by false accusations of the fairest characters among ourselves, augmenting animosity even to the producing of duels;
目前在我国的报纸发行人中间有许多人，为了满足个别人士发泄怨恨的要求，毫不犹豫无事生非地污蔑毁谤我们中间一些品德最优秀的人，挑拨是非，甚至引起决斗。
and are, moreover, so indiscreet as to print scurrilous reflections on the government of neighboring states, and even on the conduct of our best national allies, which may be attended with the most pernicious consequences.
此外，有些报纸甚至轻举妄动到刊登文章，对邻国政府或者甚至我们最好的盟国的措施进行下流粗鄙的污蔑，这种举动可能会引起最严重的后果的。
These things I mention as a caution to young printers, and that they may be encouraged not to pollute their presses and disgrace their profession by such infamous practices, but refuse steadily, as they may see by my example that such a course of conduct will not, on the whole, be injurious to their interests.
我提起这些事情，是为了告诫年轻的报纸发行人，劝告他们不要沾染这种恶习，污辱他们的报纸而使他们的职业蒙受耻辱，他们应当坚决地拒绝这种要求，因为他们可以从我的例子中看出：这种方针，从整体来看，是不会与他们的利益相违背的。
