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I began now to turn my thoughts a little to public affairs, beginning, however, with small matters.
现在我开始把我的思想稍稍转到公共性质的事务上去了，但是我从小事着手。
The city watch was one of the first things that I conceiv'd to want regulation.
费城的巡夜制度是我认为亟须加以整顿的事项之一。
It was managed by the constables of the respective wards in turn; the constable warned a number of housekeepers to attend him for the night.
防夜原由各区的警官轮流负责，警官预先通知若干户主在夜里跟他去巡夜。
Those who chose never to attend, paid him six shillings a year to be excus'd, which was suppos'd to be for hiring substitutes, but was, in reality, much more than was necessary for that purpose, and made the constableship a place of profit;
那些不愿意去巡夜的人每年出资六先令，就可以免去这项差役。这笔钱原定是用来雇用替代人的，但是却大大地超过了实际的需要，这就使得警官这一职位成为一个肥缺。
and the constable, for a little drink, often got such ragamuffins about him as a watch, that respectable housekeepers did not choose to mix with.
警官们常常收罗一些乞丐无赖，给他们喝一点酒，就叫他们一起去巡夜，但是有相当地位的户主却不愿与他们为伍。
Walking the rounds, too, was often neglected, and most of the nights spent in tippling.
巡夜工作也常常被忽略了，大多数的夜晚是在喝酒中度过的。
I thereupon wrote a paper to be read in Junto, representing these irregularities, but insisting more particularly on the inequality of this six-shilling tax of the constables, respecting the circumstances of those who paid it, since a poor widow housekeeper, all whose property to be guarded by the watch did not perhaps exceed the value of fifty pounds, paid as much as the wealthiest merchant, who had thousands of pounds' worth of goods in his stores.
因此我写了一篇论文，准备在密社宣读，指出这些不正常的情形，特别强调警察在课税时不问纳税人的经济情况，一律征收六先令，因而造成了不平等，因为一个穷苦的寡妇户主的全部需要保护的财产也许不超过五十镑的价值，而她所付的巡夜税却和一个仓库中贮藏着价值几千镑货物的大富商完全一样。
On the whole, I proposed as a more effectual watch, the hiring of proper men to serve constantly in that business; and as a more equitable way of supporting the charge, the levying a tax that should be proportion'd to the property.
从整体来讲，我提出了一个较有效的巡夜制度，那就是雇用适当的人经常从事巡夜工作；我也提出一个较公平的摊派巡夜费用的办法，就是按照财产的比例课税。
This idea, being approv'd by the Junto, was communicated to the other clubs, but as arising in each of them; and though the plan was not immediately carried into execution, yet, by preparing the minds of people for the change, it paved the way for the law obtained a few years after, when the members of our clubs were grown into more influence.
经过密社的同意以后，这一计划就传到各分社去，作为各分社自己提出的一个计划，虽然这一计划并没有立刻实行，但是我们在人们的思想上替这一变革做了准备，替几年后通过的那条法律铺平了道路，当那条法律通过时，我们社员的社会地位已经日渐重要了。
About this time I wrote a paper (first to be read in Junto, but it was afterward publish'd) on the different accidents and carelessnesses by which houses were set on fire, with cautions against them, and means proposed of avoiding them.
大概就在这时候我写了一篇论文（先在密社宣读，但后来却发表了），论及酿成火灾的各种疏忽和事故和防火须知，并劝人小心火烛。
This was much spoken of as a useful piece, and gave rise to a project, which soon followed it, of forming a company for the more ready extinguishing of fires, and mutual assistance in removing and securing of goods when in danger.
大家认为这是一篇有益的文章，因此，为了迅速扑灭火灾以及在发生危险时相互协助搬运和保管货物起见，就产生了组织消防队的一个计划。
Associates in this scheme were presently found, amounting to thirty.
不久就有三十人愿意参加这一组织。
Our articles of agreement oblig'd every member to keep always in good order, and fit for use, a certain number of leather buckets, with strong bags and baskets (for packing and transporting of goods), which were to be brought to every fire;
根据我们的合同，每一队员必须经常保持一定数量适用的皮水桶和结实的袋囊和筐子（以便装运货物）；一有火灾就必须把它们运到现场。
and we agreed to meet once a month and spend a social evening together, in discoursing and communicating such ideas as occurred to us upon the subjects of fires, as might be useful in our conduct on such occasions.
我们决定每月开一次联欢晚会，讨论和交换我们想到的有关防火的看法，这种知识在发生火灾时或许对我们有用。
The utility of this institution soon appeared, and many more desiring to be admitted than we thought convenient for one company, they were advised to form another, which was accordingly done; and this went on, one new company being formed after another, till they became so numerous as to include most of the inhabitants who were men of property;
消防队的效用不久就很明显了，愿意加入的人大大地超过了我们认为每队应有的适当限额。我们劝他们另外组织一队，他们就照办了，这样新的消防队一个接着一个不断地组织起来，直到后来它的数目十分众多，大多数有房产的居民都加入了。
and now, at the time of my writing this, tho' upward of fifty years since its establishment, that which I first formed, called the Union Fire Company, still subsists and flourishes, tho' the first members are all deceas'd but myself and one, who is older by a year than I am.
现在当我写本文时，我最初建立的叫做“联合消防队”的组织，虽然从开始到现在已经过了五十多年，它还存在着，还是很活跃，虽然第一批队员中，除了我和另外一位年纪较我长一岁的人以外，其余的人全都过世了。
The small fines that have been paid by members for absence at the monthly meetings have been apply'd to the purchase of fire-engines, ladders, fire-hooks, and other useful implements for each company, so that I question whether there is a city in the world better provided with the means of putting a stop to beginning conflagrations;
队员因不出席每月例会而缴纳的小额罚金就用来购置救火机、云梯和其他对消防队有用的器械，结果是我猜想世界上没有其他城市比费城更能迅速地制止刚开始的火灾的了。
and, in fact, since these institutions, the city has never lost by fire more than one or two houses at a time, and the flames have often been extinguished before the house in which they began has been half consumed.
事实上，自从组织了这些消防队后，费城从未有过烧毁一两间住房以上的大火灾，通常在起火的房屋烧掉一半以前，火焰早经扑灭了。
