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In my journey to Boston this year, I met at New York with our new governor, Mr. Morris, just arriv'd there from England, with whom I had been before intimately acquainted.
这一年在赴波士顿的途中，我在纽约遇见我们的新州长莫理斯先生，他刚从英国来，以前我跟他很熟。
He brought a commission to supersede Mr. Hamilton, who, tir'd with the disputes his proprietary instructions subjected him to, had resign'd.
他奉命来接替哈密尔敦先生，后者因为受了业主训令的约束不可避免地要与州议会发生争执，因而感到厌倦而辞职了。
Mr. Morris ask'd me if I thought he must expect as uncomfortable an administration.
莫理斯先生问我，在我看来是否他也会像前任州长一样地感到处境困难，办事棘手。
I said, "No; you may, on the contrary, have a very comfortable one, if you will only take care not to enter into any dispute with the Assembly."
我说：“不，相反的，如果你留心不跟州议会发生争辩，你的处境可以一帆风顺，完全称心如意。”
"My dear friend," says he, pleasantly, "how can you advise my avoiding disputes? You know I love disputing; it is one of my greatest pleasures; however, to show the regard I have for your counsel, I promise you I will, if possible, avoid them."
他愉快地说：“我亲爱的朋友，你怎么能劝我避免争辩呢?你知道我喜欢跟人争辩，争辩是我一生中最大的快乐。但是，为了表示我尊重你的劝告，我向你保证我将尽可能地避免争辩。”
He had some reason for loving to dispute, being eloquent, an acute sophister, and, therefore, generally successful in argumentative conversation.
他爱好争辩，倒也不是完全没有理由的，因为他能说善辩，是一个精明的巧辩家，因此在争辩中一般总是胜利的。
He had been brought up to it from a boy, his father, as I have heard, accustoming his children to dispute with one another for his diversion, while sitting at table after dinner; but I think the practice was not wise; for, in the course of my observation, these disputing, contradicting, and confuting people are generally unfortunate in their affairs.
他在这方面从小就训练有素，据说他的父亲饭后坐在桌旁，常常使他的孩子们互相争辩以为消遣，但是我想这种做法是不明智的，因为根据我的观察，凡是喜欢争论、抗辩和辩驳的人在工作中一般总是倒霉的。
They get victory sometimes, but they never get good will, which would be of more use to them.
尽管有时候他们获得胜利，人们总是憎恨他们的，获得人们的好意对他们比胜利更为有用。
We parted, he going to Philadelphia, and I to Boston.
我们分手了，他到费城去，我上波士顿。
In returning, I met at New York with the votes of the Assembly, by which it appear'd that, notwithstanding his promise to me, he and the House were already in high contention; and it was a continual battle between them as long as he retain'd the government.
在归途中，我在纽约看到了州议会的议决案，从这些议决案看来，好像尽管他向我做了保证，他和州议会的关系已经十分恶劣了；在他任职时期，他和州议会之间一直是你枪我刀，不断地斗争着。
I had my share of it; for, as soon as I got back to my seat in the Assembly, I was put on every committee for answering his speeches and messages, and by the committees always desired to make the drafts.
我也参加了这场斗争，因为我一回到州议会，他们就要我参加各种各样的委员会，驳复他的讲演和咨文，而委员会总要我起草这些文件。
Our answers, as well as his messages, were often tart, and sometimes indecently abusive; and, as he knew I wrote for the Assembly, one might have imagined that, when we met, we could hardly avoid cutting throats;
我们的答复和他的咨文常常是很尖酸刻薄，有时竟是粗鄙的谩骂。他知道这些答复是我替州议会写的，因此人们也许以为当我们见面时，我们难免要唇枪舌剑一番。
but he was so good-natur'd a man that no personal difference between him and me was occasion'd by the contest, and we often din'd together.
但是他却是一个居心忠厚的人，所以我们两人间并不因这些争执而引起个人的嫌隙。我们还常常在一起吃饭。
One afternoon, in the height of this public quarrel, we met in the street.
有一天下午，正当这公务上的争吵达到高潮时，我们在街上碰到了。
"Franklin," says he, "you must go home with me and spend the evening; I am to have some company that you will like;" and, taking me by the arm, he led me to his house.
他说：“富兰克林，请你跟我一块儿到我家去消磨一个晚上。我有一些朋友要来，你会喜欢他们的。”他挽着我的胳臂，领我到他家去了。
In gay conversation over our wine, after supper, he told us, jokingly, that he much admir'd the idea of Sancho Panza, who, when it was proposed to give him a government, requested it might be a government of blacks, as then, if he could not agree with his people, he might sell them.
饭后，我们一面喝着酒，一面愉快地谈天，他开玩笑地对我们说，他很喜欢桑绰·潘查的想法，当有人提议叫他做国王时，他请求让他统治黑奴，因为那么做，如果他和他的人民意见不合时，他可以把他们卖掉。
One of his friends, who sat next to me, says, "Franklin, why do you continue to side with these damn'd Quakers? Had not you better sell them? The proprietor would give you a good price."
有一个坐在我旁边的他的朋友说：“富兰克林，你为什么始终偏袒这些该死的教友会教友？你把他们卖了，不是更好吗？我们的业主愿意高价收买。”
"The governor," says I, "has not yet blacked them enough."
我说：“州长还没有把他们涂得够黑。”
He, indeed, had laboured hard to blacken the Assembly in all his messages, but they wip'd off his colouring as fast as he laid it on, and plac'd it, in return, thick upon his own face;
他确实在他所有的咨文中竭尽其能事地想把州议会涂成漆黑一团，但是州长刚把黑色涂上，州议会便尽快地把它擦去，而且把它回敬给他，涂在他自己的脸上，
so that, finding he was likely to be negrofied himself, he, as well as Mr. Hamilton, grew tir'd of the contest, and quitted the government.
所以当他发现看来他自己将变成黑人的时候，他像哈密尔敦先生一样，对于这种争执感到厌倦了，他就辞职了。
