晨读英语美文100篇 Passage 60. Benjamin Franklin
 音频下载[点击右键另存为][00:00.54]Passage 60. Benjamin Franklin[00:05.03]Franklin’s life is full of charming stories which all young men should know [00:11.27]—how he peddled ballads in Boston, and stood, the guest of kings, in Europe; [00:16.19]how he worked his passage as a stowaway to Philadelphia, [00:19.91]and rode in the queen's own litter in France; [00:22.97]how he walked the streets of Philadelphia, homeless and unknown, [00:27.13]with three-penny rolls for his breakfast,and dined at the tables of princess, [00:32.60]and received his friends in a palace; [00:35.66]how he raised a kite from a cow shed, [00:38.95]and was showered with all the high degrees the colleges of the world could give; [00:44.52]how he was duped by a false friend as a boy, [00:48.46]and became the friend of all humanity as a man; [00:51.75]how he was made Major General Franklin,only to resign because, [00:57.33]as he said, he was no soldier,and yet helped to organize the army [01:02.03]that stood before the trained troops of England and Germany. [01:05.43]This poor Boston boy, with scarcely a day’s schooling, [01:10.35]became master of six languages and never stopped studying; [01:14.39]this neglected apprentice tamed the lightning, [01:18.11]made his name famous,received degrees and diplomas from colleges in both hemispheres, [01:23.80]and became forever remembered as“Doctor Franklin”, [01:27.75]philosopher, patriot, scientist,philanthropist and statesman. [01:32.23]Self-made,self-taught,self-reared, the candle maker’s son gave light to all the world; [01:39.67]the street ballad seller set all men singing of liberty; [01:43.94]the runaway apprentice became the most sought-after man of two continents, [01:48.97]and brought his native land to praise and honor him. [01:52.47]He built America—for what our Republic is today is largely due to the prudence, [01:59.47]the forethought, the statesmanship, the enterprise,the wisdom, [02:03.85]and the ability of Benjamin Franklin. [02:07.02]He belongs to the world, but especially does he belong to America, [02:13.15]as the nations honored him while living, [02:16.32]so the Republic glorifies him when dead, [02:20.05]and has enshrined him in the choicest of its niches [02:23.70]—the one he regarded as the loftiest—the hearts of the common people, [02:28.77]from whom he had sprung and in their hearts Franklin will live forever. |
