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These embarrassments that the Quakers suffer'd from having establish'd and published it as one of their principles that no kind of war was lawful, and which, being once published, they could not afterwards, however they might change their minds, easily get rid of, reminds me of what I think a more prudent conduct in another sect among us, that of the Dunkers.
教友会把反对任何战争作为他们的原则之一肯定下来并宣扬出去之后，尽管他们以后改变了主张，由于这些原则已经公开宣布了，所以不可能很容易地把它们推翻，因此而引起的进退两难的情形使我想起我们中间有一个教派叫做德国浸礼会，他们采取了一种在我看来是比较慎重的态度。
I was acquainted with one of its founders, Michael Welfare, soon after it appear'd.
在这个教派成立以后不久，我认识了它的创办人之一迈克尔·魏尔菲。
He complain'd to me that they were grievously calumniated by the zealots of other persuasions, and charg'd with abominable principles and practices to which they were utter strangers.
他向我诉苦说，其他教派的狂热信徒无端地诬告他们，说他们有一些令人憎恶的信条和习惯，其实这完全是无中生有。
I told him this had always been the case with new sects, and that, to put a stop to such abuse, I imagin'd it might be well to publish the articles of their belief, and the rules of their discipline.
我告诉他说，这对新成立的教派是常有的事，为了消灭这些无耻谰言，我以为最好是把他们的信条和教规公布一下。
He said that it had been propos'd among them, but not agreed to, for this reason: "When we were first drawn together as a society," says he, "it had pleased God to enlighten our minds so far as to see that some doctrines, which we once esteemed truths, were errors; and that others, which we had esteemed errors, were real truths.
他说，这话他们中间也曾经有人提过，但是为了下面这个缘故大家不同意。他说：“当我们这一教派刚成立时，蒙上帝的启示，使我们看到某些我们过去认为是真理的教条实在是谬误的，而有些我们过去认为是错误的却实在是真理。
From time to time He has been pleased to afford us farther light, and our principles have been improving, and our errors diminishing.
上帝不时在指引着我们，我们的原则在不断地改进，我们的错误在不断地减少。
Now we are not sure that we are arrived at the end of this progression, and at the perfection of spiritual or theological knowledge;
但是我们不敢断定我们的进步已经登峰造极，我们心灵的或神学的知识已经尽善尽美。
and we fear that, if we should once print our confession of faith, we should feel ourselves as if bound and confin'd by it, and perhaps be unwilling to receive further improvement, and our successors still more so, as conceiving what we their elders and founders had done, to be something sacred, never to be departed from."
我们怕假如一旦我们把我们的信条公布的话，我们会觉得受它的约束和限制，可能会使我们不愿意再加以改进，而我们的子孙将会更加如此，因为他们认为他们的长辈和创立人的遗训是神圣不可侵犯的，是应当信守不渝的。”
This modesty in a sect is perhaps a singular instance in the history of mankind, every other sect supposing itself in possession of all truth, and that those who differ are so far in the wrong;
一个教派这样谦逊恐怕是人类历史上绝无仅有的吧，其他教派总是以为自己获得了全部真理，认为持有不同见解的人是完全错误的。
like a man traveling in foggy weather, those at some distance before him on the road he sees wrapped up in the fog, as well as those behind him, and also the people in the fields on each side, but near him all appears clear, tho' in truth he is as much in the fog as any of them.
像一个人在大雾弥漫的时候行路，在他前面远处的人他看去好像完全沉浸在大雾中，在他后面和在两边田野里的人也是如此，但在他近旁的一切好像很清晰，实际上他跟其他人一样都在大雾中。
To avoid this kind of embarrassment, the Quakers have of late years been gradually declining the public service in the Assembly and in the magistracy, choosing rather to quit their power than their principle.
为了避免这种进退维谷的窘境，近年以来越来越多的教友会教友辞去了州议会和政府中的职位，宁可放弃他们的权力，而不愿在原则上妥协。
In order of time, I should have mentioned before, that having, in 1742, invented an open stove for the better warming of rooms, and at the same time saving fuel, as the fresh air admitted was warmed in entering,
照时间的先后来讲，我老早就应当提起下面这件事了，在1742年我发明了一种“开炉”，这种火炉能够更好地使房间变暖，同时能节省燃料，因为冷空气在进炉时就烘热了。
I made a present of the model to Mr. Robert Grace, one of my early friends, who, having an iron-furnace, found the casting of the plates for these stoves a profitable thing, as they were growing in demand.
以后我就制造了一个模型送给我的一个老朋友劳勃脱·葛莱丝，他开设一家翻砂厂，他发现制造这种火炉的铁板获利很厚，因为买这种火炉的人越来越多了。
To promote that demand, I wrote and published a pamphlet, entitled "An Account of the new-invented Pennsylvania Fireplaces; wherein their Construction and Manner of Operation is particularly explained; their Advantages above every other Method of warming Rooms demonstrated; and all Objections that have been raised against the Use of them answered and obviated," etc.
为了推广销路，我编写和发表了一本小册子，定名为《新发明宾夕法尼亚火炉说明书：本文特别说明它的构造和使用方法，证明它较其他取暖方法的优点，驳斥一切反对使用这种火炉的议论》。
This pamphlet had a good effect.
这本小册子发行后效果良好。
Gov'r. Thomas was so pleas'd with the construction of this stove, as described in it, that he offered to give me a patent for the sole vending of them for a term of years;
汤麦斯州长非常喜欢书中所介绍的这种火炉的结构，他甚至提议在若干年内给我专卖权，
but I declin'd it from a principle which has ever weighed with me on such occasions, viz., That, as we enjoy great advantages from the inventions of others, we should be glad of an opportunity to serve others by any invention of ours; and this we should do freely and generously.
但是我不想取得专利权，因为在这个问题上我心里一向有着这样一个原则：既然别人的发明给了我们巨大的便利，我们也应该乐于让别人利用我们的发明，并且我们应当无偿地慷慨地把我们的发明贡献给他人。
An ironmonger in London however, assuming a good deal of my pamphlet, and working it up into his own, and making some small changes in the machine, which rather hurt its operation, got a patent for it there, and made, as I was told, a little fortune by it.
但是，伦敦的一个铁器商人从我的小册子里窃取了许多东西，把它改装成他自己的东西，做了一些小的更动，这些变动只是减低了火炉的效力，就在伦敦取得专利，据说，他倒因此而发了一笔小小的横财。
And this is not the only instance of patents taken out for my inventions by others, tho' not always with the same success, which I never contested, as having no desire of profiting by patents myself, and hating disputes.
别人从我的发明中僭窃我的专利权不限于这一个例子，虽然有时候他们也不一定同样地获得成功，但是我从不跟他们争讼，因为我自己无意利用专卖权来获利，同时我也不喜欢争吵。
The use of these fireplaces in very many houses, both of this and the neighbouring colonies, has been, and is, a great saving of wood to the inhabitants.
这种火炉广泛推行，不管是在宾州或在附近的殖民地里，给居民节约了大量的柴火。
