事业 · 创业者自述

本杰明·富兰克林:本杰明·富兰克林自传·补录 6

本杰明·富兰克林《本杰明·富兰克林自传》· The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin · 领导

There was a salt-marsh that bounded part of the mill-pond, on the edge of which, at high water, we used to stand to fish for minnows. By much trampling, we had made it a mere quagmire. My proposal was to build a wharff there fit for us to stand upon, and I showed my comrades a large heap of stones, which were intended for a new house near the marsh, and which would very well suit our purpose. Accordingly, in the evening, when the workmen were gone, I assembled a number of my play-fellows, and working with them diligently like so many emmets, sometimes two or three to a stone, we brought them all away and built our little wharff. The next morning the workmen were surprised at missing the stones, which were found in our wharff. Inquiry was made after the removers; we were discovered and complained of; several of us were corrected by our fathers; and though I pleaded the usefulness of the work, mine convinced me that nothing was useful which was not honest.

出处: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/148
定位:Additional excerpt 6 · 核对日期:2026-10-19 · 核验:短摘录

白话

小时候,富兰克林和伙伴常站在盐沼边钓鱼,把泥地踩成烂泥坑。他提议用附近准备盖房子的石堆建一个小码头。傍晚工人走后,他召集伙伴搬石头,像蚂蚁一样合力干,两三人抬一块,很快建好。第二天工人发现石头没了,追查到他们,几个孩子被父亲责罚。富兰克林辩解说码头有用,父亲告诉他:不诚实的事,再有用也不算有用。核心是:目的正当不能掩盖手段不当。

上下文

《富兰克林自传》中回忆童年,他父亲用这件事教育他诚实比实用更重要。

今日一问

你有没有为了“做好事”而用过不诚实的手段?结果如何?

公版传记;原文逐字取自 Project Gutenberg,仅摘录段落并附全书链接。

本文本为公版;底本与原文链接见上。 版权

← 返回原文库