• 阅读本书，就像与一个伟大心灵对话， 能收获一份人生修养的智慧，完成一次 实现美国梦的奋斗历程和完美道德的精 神之旅。它是一部影响了几代美国人、 历经两百余年经久不衰的励志奇书，它 包含了人生奋斗与成功的真知灼见，以 及诸种善与美的道德真谛，被公认为是 改变了无数人命运的美国精神读本。
Autobiography
Autobiography
A story that a person writes about his or her own life is called an autobiography. Autobiographies are written in first-person point of view, and biographies in thirdperson point of view.
The Representative of American Enlightenment:
Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790)
• If you would not be forgotten , as soon as you are dead & rotten, either write things worth reading, or do things worth writing. --B. Franklin
It is a Puritan document -it is a record of selfexamination(自我审视) and self-improvement ( 自我完善)： he believes that God helps those who help themselves and that every calling is a service to God, in order to get on in the world, one has to be industrious, frugal, and prudent.
Poor Richard’s Almanac
a book that is published every year giving information for that year
• kept publishing for many years; • contains a large number of practical sayings about life; • includes many classical sayings:
Excerpts from Franklin's Poor Richard’s Almanac
• “A penny saved is a penny earned.” • “Early to bed, and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.” • God helps those who help themselves. • Beware of little expenses: a small leak will leak a great ship. • Eat to live, and not live to eat. • Be slow in choosing a Friend, slower in changing.
Benjamin Franklin (17061790)
• His Contributions to Science
a. Inventions : Franklin stove, effective street lighting, bifocal glasses, a miniature printing press, efficient heating devices and even a strange musical instrument called an “armonica”玻璃口琴. b. And for his lightning-rod, he was called “the new Prometheus who had stolen fire from heaven.” c. the theories of electricity; first applied the terms “positive” and “negative” to electrical charges. d. He was one of the first men to study and map the Gulf Stream(墨西哥湾流) .
• His Contributions to Society a. Pennsylvania Hospital; b. America’s first circulating library in Philadephia; c. University of Pennsylvania; d. American Philosophical Society; e. the postal system.
politician, public-spirited citizen, prose writer
He was the only American to sign the four documents that created the United States: The Declaration of Independence, The Treaty of Alliance with France, The Treaty of Peace with England, The Constitution
Autobiography
• It is regarded as one of the most important works of American literature produced during the 18th century. • It is a record of a man rising to wealth and fame from a state of poverty and obscurity into which he was born, an account of the colorful career of America's first self-made man.
The Autobiography
“firsts”
There are a number of "firsts" associated with The Autobiography.
• It is considered the first popular self-help book ever published. • It was the first and only work written in American before the 19th century that has retained bestseller popularity since its release. • It was the first major secular American autobiography. • It is also the first real account of the American Dream in action as told from a man who experienced it firsthand.
• America has never forgotten Benjamin Franklin because he did both. • Today, we honor Franklin as one of the Founding Fathers and as one of America’s greatest citizens.
★ He appears on the American
100 dollar ቤተ መጻሕፍቲ ባይዱill.
Franklin on U.S. Postage
• Benjamin Franklin has been honored on US Postage stamps many times
Franklin’s Kite Experiment
Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790)
• His Contributions to the U.S.
a. He supported the cause of independence, served in the Continental Congress, and aided Jefferson in writing the Declaration of Independence. b. He conducted the difficult negotiations with France that brought financial and military support for America in the war. c. He was a delegate to the conversation that wrote the Constitution. d. Therefore, Franklin is a writer, printer, publisher, scientist, philanthropist, and diplomat.
Autobiography
《自传》
Poor Richard’s Almanac 《穷
理查德历书》
Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790)
A scientist
philanthropist
diplomat
Benjamin Franklin (17061790) His contributions
founded the first public library, organized the first fire department and the first paid police force, founded a school and a hospital.