专八人文知识需知的美国名人--本杰明·富兰克林

专八人文知识需知的美国名人--本杰明·富兰克林

　　英语专八人文知识涵盖的知识面较广，考生们需要平时多积累小常识，这样在专八考试中才能游刃有余，新东方在线整理了专八人文知识需知的美国名人系列知识点供考生们参考。

　　本杰明.富兰克林(Benjamin Franklin)(1706-1790)——资本主义精神最完美的代表，十八世纪美国最伟大的科学家和发明家，著名的政治家、外交家、哲学家、文学家和航海家以及美国独立战争的伟大领袖。他一生最真实的写照是他自己所说过的一句话“诚实和勤勉，应该成为你永久的伴侣。”

　　他是美国历史上第一位享有国际声誉的科学家和发明家和音乐家。为了对电进本杰明·富兰克林行探索曾经作过著名的“风筝实验”，在电学上成就显著，为了深入探讨电运动的规律，创造的许多专用名词如正电、负电、导电体、电池、充电、放电等成为世界通用的词汇。他借用了数学上正负的概念，第一个科学地用正电、负电概念表示电荷性质。并提出了电荷不能创生、也不能消灭的思想，后人在此基础上发现了电荷守恒定律。他最先提出了避雷针的设想，由此而制造的避雷针，避免了雷击灾难，破除了迷信。他是一位优秀的政治家，是美国独立战争的老战士。他参加起草了《独立宣言》和美国宪法，积极主张废除奴隶制度，深受美国人民的崇敬。他是美国第一位驻外大使(法国),所以在世界上也享有较高的声誉。

　　Benjamin Franklin (January 17, 1706 [O.S. January 6, 1705] – April 17, 1790) was one of theFounding Fathers of the United States. A noted polymath, Franklin was a leading author andprinter, satirist, political theorist, politician, scientist, inventor, civic activist, statesman, soldier,anddiplomat. As a scientist, he was a major figure in the American Enlightenment and the history ofphysics for his discoveries and theories regarding electricity. He invented the lightning rod, bifocals,the Franklin stove, a carriage odometer, and the glass 'armonica'. He formed both the first publiclending library in America and the first fire department in Pennsylvania. He was an early proponentof colonial unity, and as a political writer and activist, he supported the idea of an American nation.As a diplomat during the American Revolution, he secured the French alliance that helped to makeindependence of the United States possible.

　　Franklin is credited as being foundational to the roots of American values and character, a marriageof the practical and democratic Puritan values of thrift, hard work, education, community spirit,self-governing institutions, and opposition to authoritarianism both political and religious, with thescientific and tolerant values of the Enlightenment. In the words of Henry Steele Commager, "InFranklin could be merged the virtues of Puritanism without its defects, the illumination of theEnlightenment without its heat." To Walter Isaacson, this makes Franklin, "the most accomplishedAmerican of his age and the most influential in inventing the type of society America wouldbecome."Franklin became a newspaper editor, printer, and merchant in Philadelphia, becomingvery wealthy writing and publishing Poor Richard's Almanack and The Pennsylvania Gazette.Franklin was interested in science and technology, and gained international renown for his famousexperiments. He played a major role in establishing the University of Pennsylvania and was electedthe first president of the American Philosophical Society. Franklin became a national hero in Americawhen he spearheaded the effort to have Parliament repeal the unpopular Stamp Act. Anaccomplished diplomat, he was widely admired among the French as American minister to Paris andwas a major figure in the development of positive Franco-American relations. From 1775 to 1776,Franklin was the Postmaster General under the Continental Congress and from 1785 to 1788, thePresident of the Supreme Executive Council of Pennsylvania. Toward the end of his life, he becameone of the most prominent abolitionists.His colorful life and legacy of scientific and politicalachievement, and status as one of America's most influential Founding Fathers, have seen Franklinhonored on coinage and money; warships; the names of many towns, counties, educationalinstitutions, namesakes, and companies; and more than two centuries after his death, countlesscultural references.

　　Declaration of Independence

　　John Trumbull depicts the Committee of Five presenting their work to the Congress.By the timeFranklin arrived in Philadelphia on May 5, 1775, the American Revolution had begun with fighting atLexington and Concord. The New England militia had trapped the main British army in Boston. ThePennsylvania Assembly unanimously chose Franklin as their delegate to the Second ContinentalCongress. In June 1776, he was appointed a member of the Committee of Five that drafted theDeclaration of Independence. Although he was temporarily disabled by gout and unable to attendmost meetings of the Committee, Franklin made several small changes to the draft sent to him byThomas Jefferson.At the signing, he is quoted as having replied to a comment by Hancock thatthey must all hang together: "Yes, we must, indeed, all hang together, or most assuredly we shallall hang separately."

　　Thirteen Virtues

　　Franklin sought to cultivate his character by a plan of thirteen virtues, which he developed at age20 (in 1726) and continued to practice in some form for the rest of his life. His autobiographylists his thirteen virtues as:

　　"TEMPERANCE. Eat not to dullness; drink not to elevation."

　　"SILENCE. Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself; avoid trifling conversation."

　　"ORDER. Let all your things have their places; let each part of your business have its time."

　　"RESOLUTION. Resolve to perform what you ought; perform without fail what you resolve."

　　"FRUGALITY. Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself; i.e., waste nothing."

　　"INDUSTRY. Lose no time; be always employ'd in something useful; cut off all unnecessaryactions."

　　"SINCERITY. Use no hurtful deceit; think innocently and justly, and, if you speak, speakaccordingly."

　　"JUSTICE. Wrong none by doing injuries, or omitting the benefits that are your duty."

　　"MODERATION. Avoid extremes; forbear resenting injuries so much as you think they deserve."

　　"CLEANLINESS. Tolerate no uncleanliness in body, cloaths, or habitation."

　　"TRANQUILLITY. Be not disturbed at trifles, or at accidents common or unavoidable."

　　"CHASTITY. Rarely use venery but for health or offspring, never to dullness, weakness, or theinjury of your own or another's peace or reputation."

　　"HUMILITY. Imitate Jesus and Socrates."

　　Franklin didn't try to work on them all at once. Instead, he would work on one and only one eachweek "leaving all others to their ordinary chance". While Franklin didn't live completely by hisvirtues and by his own admission, he fell short of them many times, he believed the attempt madehim a better man contributing greatly to his success and happiness, which is why in hisautobiography, he devoted more pages to this plan than to any other single point; in hisautobiography Franklin wrote, "I hope, therefore, that some of my descendants may follow theexample and reap the benefit."

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