1。Iwasputtothegrammar-schoolateightyearsofage，myfatherintendingtodevoteme，asthetithe[注：Tithe本義為什一稅。乃由區中土地牧畜等收入徵其十分之一以供教會及牧師之俸給者。Franklin之父有十子。當時有以財產十分之一獻教會之習慣。故借此為喻。]ofhissons，totheserviceofthechurcb。Myearlyreadinessinlearningtoread(whichmusthavebeenveryearly，asIdonotrememberwhenIcouldnotread)，andtheopinionofallhisfriendsthatIshouldcertainlymakeagoodscholar，encouragedhiminthispurposeofhis。MyuncleBenjamin，too，approvedofit，andproposedtogivemeallhisshort-handvolumesofsermons，Isupposeasastocktosetupwith，ifIwouldlearnhischaracter。[注：Hischaracter=hismethodofshort-hand。]Icontinued，however，atthegrammarschoolnotquiteoneyear，thoughinthattimeIhadrisengraduallyfromthemiddleoftheclassofthatyeartobetheheadofit，and，farther，wasremovedintothenextclassaboveit，inordertogowiththatintothethirdattheendoftheyear。
Butmyfather，inthemeantime，fromaviewoftheexpenseofacollegeeducation，which，havingsolargeafamily，hecouldnotwellafford，andthemeanlivingmanysoeducatedwereafterwardsabletoobtain—reasonsthathegavetohisfriendsinmyhearing—alteredhisfirstintention，tookmefromthegrammar-school，andsentmetoaschoolforwritingandarithmetic，keptbyathenfamousman，Mr。GeorgeBrownell，verysuccessfulinhisprofessiongenerally，andthat[注：Andthat之“that”當上文之verysuccessful]bymilde，encoura-gingmethods。
UnderhimIacquiredfairwritingprettysoon，butIfailedinthearithmetic，andmadenoprogressinit。AttenyearsoldIwastakenhometoassistmyfatherinhisbusiness，whichwasthatofatallowchandlerandsoapboiler—abusinesshewasnotbredto，buthadassumedonhisarrivalinNewEngland，andonfindinghisdyeingtradewouldnotmaintainhisfamily，beinginlittlerequest。Accordingly，Iwasemployedincuttingwickforthecandles，fillingthedipping-mouldandthemouldsforcastcandles，attendingtheshop，goingoferrands，etc。
2。Idislikedthetrade，andhadastronginclinationforthesea，butmyfatherdeclaredagainstit。However，livingnearthewater，Iwasmuchinandaboutit，learnedearlytoswimwell，andtomanageboats；andwheninaboatorcanoewithotherboys，Iwascommonlyallowedtogovern，especiallyinanycaseofdifficulty。AnduponotheroccasionsIwasgenerallyaleaderamongtheboys，andsometimesledthemintoscrapes，ofwhichIwillmentiononeinstance，asitshowsanearlyprojectingpublicspirit，thoughnotthenjustlyconducted。
3。Therewasasaltmarshthatboundedpartofthemill-pond，ontheedgeofwhich，athigh-water，[注：ligh-water潮滿]weusedtostandtofishforminnow。Bymuchtrampling，wehadmadeitamerequagmire。Myproposalwastobuildawharftherefitforustostandupon，andIshowedmycomradesalargeheapofstoneswhichwereintendedforanewhousenearthemarsh，andwhichwouldverywellsuitourpurpose。Accordingly，intheevening，whentheworkmenweregone，Iassembledanumberofmyplay-fellows，workingwiththemdiligentlylikesomanyemmets，sometimestwoorthreetoastone，webroughtthemallaway，andbuiltourlittlewharf。Thenextmorningtheworkmenweresurprisedatmissingthestones，whichwerefoundinourwharf。Inquirywasmadeaftertheremovers；wewerediscovered，andcomplainedof；severalofuswerecorrected[注：corrected譴責]byourfathers；and，thoughIpleadedtheusefulnessofthework，mine[注：Mine=myfather。]convincedmethatnothingwasusefulwhichwasnothonest。
4。Ithinkyoumayliketoknowsomethingofhispersonandcharacter。Hehadanexceellntconstitutionofbody，wasofmiddlestature，butwellset，andverystrong。Hewasingenious，coulddrawprettily，wasskilledalittleinmusic，andhadaclear，pleasingvoice；sothatwhenheplayedpsalmtunesonhisviolinandsungwithal，ashesometimesdidinaneveningafterthebusinessofthedaywasover，itwasextremeryagreeabletohear。Hehadamechanicalgeniustoo，and，onoccasion，wasveryhandyintheuseofothertradesmen'stools；buthisgreatexcellencelayinasoundunderstandingandsolidjudgmentinprudentialmatters，[注：Prudentialmatters。=Mattersrequiringtheexercieofprudenceorforesight。]bothinprivateandpublicaffairs。Inthelatter，indeed，hewasneveremployed，thenumerousfamilyhehadtoeducateandthestraitnessofhiscireumstances[注：Straitnessofhiscircumstances生計艱難]keepinghimclosetohistrade；butIrememberwellhisbeingfrequentlyvisitedbyleadingpeople，whoconsultedhimforhisopinioninaffairsofthetownorofthechurchhebelongedto，andshowedagooddealofrespectforhisjudgmentandadvice。Hewasalsomuchconsultedbyprivatepersonsabouttheiraffairswhenanydifficultyoccurred，andfrequentlychosenanarbitratorbetweencontendingparties。
Athistablehelikedtohave，asoftenashecould，somesensiblefriendorneighbortoconversewith，andalwaystookcaretostartsomeingeniousorusefultopicfordiscourse，whichmighttendtoimprovethemindsofhischildren。Bythismeansheturnedourattentiontowhatwasgood，just，andprudentintheconductoflife；andlittleornonoticewasevertakenofwhatrelatedtothevictualsontable，whetheritwaswellorilldressed，inoroutofseason，ofgoodorbadflavor，preferableorinferiortothisorthatotherthingofthekind；[注：Inferiorto……ofthekind較其同種類者之優劣，如此肉較彼肉如何此魚較他魚如何。]sothatIwasbroughtupinsuchaperfectinattentiontothosemattersastobequiteindifferentwhatkindoffoodwassetbeforeme，andsounobservantofitthat，tothisday，ifIamaskedIcanscarcetell，afewhoursafterdinner，whatIdinedupon。Thishasbeenaconveniencetomeintravelling，wheremycompanionshavebeensometimesveryunhappyforwantofasuitablegratificationoftheirmoredelicate，becausebetterinstructed；[注：Betterinstructed更知味，辨味更精之義。]tastesandappetites。
5。Toreturn:Icontinuedthusemployedinmyfather'sbusinessfortwoyears，thatis，tillIwastwelveyearsold；andmybrotherJohn，whowasbredtothatbusiness，havingleftmyfather，married，andsetupforhimselfatRhodeIsland，therewasallappearancethatIwasdestinedtosupplyhisplace，andbecomeatallow-chandler。Butmydisliketothetradecontinuing，myfatherwasunderapprehensionsthatifhedidnotfindoneformemoreagreeable，Ishouldbreakaway[注：Breakaway逃亡]andgettosea，ashissonJosiahhaddone，tohisgreatvexation。Hethereforesometimestookmetowalkwithhim，andseejoiners，bricklayers，turners，braziers，etc。
attheirwork，thathemightobservemyinclinationandendeavortofixitonsometradeorotheronland。Ithaseversincebeenapleasuretometoseegoodworkmenhandletheirtools；andithasbeenusefultome，havinglearnedsomuchbyitastobeabletodolittlejobsmyselfinmyhousewhenaworkmancouldnotreadilybegot，andtoconstructlittlemachinesformyexperiments[注：Experiments謂電學之實驗也]whiletheintentionofmakingtheexperimentwasfreshandwarminmymind。Myfatheratlastfixedupontheculler'strade，andmyuncleBenjamin'sson，Samuel，whowasbredtothatbusinessinLondon，beingabout，thattimeestablishedinBoston，Iwassenttobewithhimsometimeonliking。[注：Onliking=Ontrial，atthepleasureofboth，]Buthisexpectationsofafee[注：Afee=Asumpaidtoamaster。]withmedispleasingmyfather，Iwastakenhomeagain。