文字难度：★★★
I’m sitting in my office answering email messages when I glance out the window and see Benjamin Franklin leaning against a wall talking on his cell phone. I rub my eyes and refocus, but Ben is still there. Have I really been transported back in time? I run to the mirror to see if I’m still me. I’m clearly having trouble distinguishing fantasy from reality.
当我坐在办公室里回复邮件信息时,眼光朝窗外一扫,看见本杰明·富兰克林靠在墙上用手机通话。我擦了擦眼睛,定睛一看,本还在那里。我是不是回到了过去?我走到镜子跟前,看我是否还是我自己。很明显,我分不清幻想和现实了。
A little 3)perspective: My office is in The Old Corner Bookstore, an 18th century historic building in the center of Boston, situated along the Freedom Trail, a walking tour of revolutionary and early American historic sites. Benjamin Franklin was born on Milk Street, one block away, on January 17th, 1706, in what is now (ironically) a 4)Sir Speedy Printing 5)franchise. Visitors are 6)escorted through Old Boston by tour guides dressed as famous men and women of the Revolution such as 7)George Washington, 8)Abigail Adams, and of course, Benjamin Franklin. So when I saw him outside my window, Ben just happened to be on his break. I saw him again a few days later, at Starbucks having a 9)mocha 10)latte with Abigail Adams. Who knew?
我们把镜头拉远一点:我的办公室位于老街角书店,这是波士顿市中心的一座建于18世纪的历史建筑,就位于自由之径上。在自由之径上,游客可以步行参观美国独立革命时期及美国早期的一些历史遗址。1706年1月17日,本杰明·富兰克林出生在牛奶街——距离自由之径仅一个街区,而现今(带有讽刺意味的)那里是一个速必得专营印刷店。导游们装扮成独立革命时期的著名人物诸如乔治·华盛顿、阿比盖尔·亚当斯,当然还有本杰明·富兰克林,带领着游客们在旧波士顿穿梭游览。所以我那天在窗外看到“本”,他恰好在小歇。几天后,我又在星巴克看到他在跟“阿比盖尔·亚当斯”喝摩卡拿铁咖啡。谁也没想到有这么一幕吧?
As a leading author and 11)printer, politician, inventor, and diplomat, Benjamin Franklin had few equals. His inventions reveal a man of many talents and interests. He possessed a natural curiosity about things, the way they work, and how to make them work better. He invented the 12)lightning rod, 13)bifocals, the Franklin stove, a carriage 14)odometer, and the 15)glass harmonica to name a few. No doubt, if he were alive today, he would have invented the Internet!
作为一名杰出的作家及出版商、政治家、发明家及外交家,没有几个人能跟本杰明·富兰克林相提并论。他的发明反映出他是一个才华横溢、兴趣广泛的人。他对事物、事物的运作,以及如何让事物运作得更好有着天生的好奇心。举几个例子,他发明了避雷针、双焦点眼镜、富兰克林炉、马车里程表以及玻璃琴等。毫无疑问,如果他今天仍在世,他肯定会是互联网的发明者!
Franklin 16)approached his work with passion and purpose, living each day thinking of ways to make the world a better place. His curious nature would’ve made him a 17)savvy user of the many social technologies today. He’d be blogging and 18)tweeting 19)vociferously. If you “friended” him, you could receive rough drafts of the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, the latest proposal for Health Care Reform, and probably a few good recommendations for iTunes downloads.
富兰克林对工作满怀激情且目标明确,每天都在想方设法让世界变得更加美好。当今的很多社交科技要给他用的话,凭他那好奇的天性,他肯定会是“骨灰级”用家。他很有可能会“高调地”写博客和在推特上聊天。如果你把他“加为好友”,你可能会收到《独立宣言》和《美国宪法》的草案以及有关“医疗改革”的最新提议,可能还会收到一些从iTunes上下载的好歌推荐。
If Ben were on Twitter, he’d have a lot to say about 20)navigating work, life, and livelihood. Here’s a likely sample of his tweets:
如果本在用“推特”,他对如何掌控工作、生活和人生肯定会有很多见解。以下是一些很有可能出自于富兰克林之手的“推特”信息:
“We are all born ignorant, but one must work hard to remain stupid.”
“我们生来都是无知的,但我们必须努力保持愚昧。”
Continuous learning is a 21)requisite for a meaningful work-life. Franklin observed that “some people die at 25 and aren’t buried until 75.” When you stop learning, you remain rooted in the past, the present passes you by, and the future becomes an ever-increasing threat.
如果想要有一个有意义的职业生涯,不断地学习是必需的。富兰克林观察得知“某些人在25岁的时候就可谓‘死’了,只是直到75岁才离世入土。”如果你停止学习,你就会停留在“过去”,“现在”会舍你而去,而“未来”成了越来越大的威胁。
“Without continual growth and progress, such words as improvement, achievement, and success have no meaning.”
“如果没有持续的成长和进步,诸如‘改进’、‘成就’以及‘成功’这些字眼便毫无意义。”
Meaningful careers are created through the22) alignment of competence, intention, and purpose connected to the world of work. If you haven’t defined what success means to you, it’s not likely you’ll achieve it.
有意义的职业生涯是通过综合与工作相关的能力、意向和目标而创造的。如果你还没有明确成功对你而言意味着什么,那你将很难取得成功。
“When you’re finished changing, you’re finished.”
“如果你停止改变,那你就完了。”
Careers are not 23)static; they evolve and change. Creating a meaningful work-life is not a one-time event, but rather a process that takes courage to adapt, transform, and thrive. Learn to anticipate uncertainty and see changes as opportunities for growth.
职业生涯不是一成不变的,它们一直在发展和改变着。创造一个有意义的职业生涯不可能一蹴而就;相反地,它是这样的一个过程:需要靠勇气去适应,去改变,去成长。要学会去预知不确定性,把改变看作是成长的机会。
“Employ 24)thy time well, if 25)thou meanest to get leisure.”
“如果你想过上悠闲的生活,好好地利用时间。”
What do you want from your job above and beyond a paycheck? Interesting projects? Stimulating colleagues? 26)Flextime? Independence and autonomy? Clarifying your work values will help you evaluate whether a job will be satisfying or 27)draining—and whether it creates a life worth living when the work day is done.
除了支票之外,你还想从自己的工作中获得什么?有趣的项目?能给你带来刺激的同事?弹性的工作时间?独立和自主权?明确你的工作价值观能帮助你评估一份工作是令你满意还是令你身心疲惫——以及当结束一天的工作时,它是否给你创造了一种值得过的生活。
“Hide not your talents, they for use were made. What’s a 28)sundial in the shade?”
“不要隐藏你的才能,它们是要被运用的。躲在荫处,日晷能用来做什么呢?”
Discover your natural abilities and employ them in work you enjoy. Sometimes we get very good at doing things we never chose to do in the first place. Ability has very little to do with enjoyment. Discard the skills you don’t enjoy and fill your bag with new, more satisfying ones. To shine brilliantly, you need to come out of the shadows.
发现你的天赋才能,并把它们运用到你喜欢的工作中。有时,我们很擅长于做那些我们一开始并没选择去做的事情。能力跟享受无关。把那些你不喜欢的技能丢弃,装入新的、让你更有满足感的技能吧。为了大放异彩,你需要走出阴影。
“He that won’t be 29)counseled can’t be helped.”
“不听忠告者得不到帮助。”
Although Franklin is credited as being foundational to the roots of American values of thrift, hard work, and education, he didn’t necessarily advocate going it alone. On the contrary, he sought the advice and counsel of others. Success is not a solo project. Surround yourself with people who can support and encourage you to do the great things you’re capable of accomplishing.
尽管富兰克林是美国那种节俭、勤奋工作、重视教育的传统价值的有名建基者,但他并没有提倡单干。相反地,他会向他人咨询并征求意见。成功不是一项单枪匹马可以完成的事业。请靠近那些能支持你并鼓励你发挥潜能,成就大事的人。
“Well done is better than well said.”
“做得好胜过说得好。”
If you want to achieve a meaningful work-life, you have to do more than hope. You need to set goals and act on them. Meaningful work doesn’t come to you; you need to move toward it, one step at a time. In Franklin’s words, “He that lives upon hope will die 30)fasting.”
如果你想自己的职业生涯过得有意义,除了怀抱希望之外,你还有更多要做的。你必须设定目标,并采取行动。有意义的工作不会自动来到你跟前;你必须自己一步一步地朝它迈进。用富兰克林的话说,就是“依靠希望生活的人会饿死。”
“A good 31)conscience is a continual Christmas.”
“问心无愧天天过圣诞。”
Approach your work with honesty and dignity. Success at the expense of others is not a win. Watch and listen to those around you. Look for mentors or be a mentor to others. Build relationships outside your “32)sphere” and 33)reap the gifts that integrity brings.
要诚实、正直地处理工作。通过损人利己而取得的成功并不算胜利。要观察,并倾听周围人的意见。寻找导师或者成为他人的导师。在你的“圈子”之外建立关系,并收获正直所带来的“回赠”。
Benjamin Franklin did not have the technology that we have today. He lived before radio, television, computers, and 34)YouTube. Yet he remains an American icon of innovation and invention long after his death. Let us reflect on Franklin’s accomplishments and be inspired to create a few of our own. In the spirit of Ben Franklin: “Be at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let every new year find you a better man.”
本杰明·富兰克林生活的时代并没有我们现今所拥有的技术。他生活在没有收音机、电视、电脑和YouTube的年代。但是在他去世后很长的时间里,他仍然是美国创新和发明领域的偶像。让我们回顾富兰克林所取得的成就,并从中获得启发,进而创造出一些我们自己的东西来。让我们秉承本杰明·富兰克林的精神:“与你身上的恶习作战,与你的邻居和睦共处,每一年都让自己变得更好。”
